Tenger Desert

Spending a couple nights in this sea of sand, I embraced the tranquility of the Tengger Desert, part of the vast Alxa Plateau that stretches across 400,000 square miles in north-central China. The endless dunes, peaceful camel treks, and encounters with desert critters made an unforgettable experience. Beside my fellow travelers leaving their footprints in the sand, a common beetle traversing the dunes leaving its tell-tale trail as seen in the bottom right corner.