I went here with an arranged car. It was an overnight trip, as I have said earlier, including a visit to Bam and Rayen, and an overnight stay in a small village by the edge of the desert. The Dasht-e Loot is a wide expanse of nothingness, with small oases in between, as well as interesting patches of geology.
Take for example, the area that is called the Color Mountains. The pictures above show you that. It's an area of mountainous terrain next to the road, and for some reason, they have differing shades of red and brown. I am not sure if it's an illusion, but it is definitely not a camera trick.
What are these structures, you might ask? These are yardangs. These geological formations result from wind erosion, when you have centuries and centuries of wind flowing in a single direction, then the earth is shaped into these shapes. These things are huge, as tall as ten-storey buildings. Climbing them can be fun. We were there for the sunset, when we slowly saw the sun disappear behind these things, as well as for the sunrise the day after. Yeah, I woke up at 3:30 AM in the middle of the desert, just to see these things. Amazing stuff!
So yeah, definitely I could say that this was the highlight of my second week in Iran. As much as I liked Isfahan, I must say I like the desert better. Not a lot of travelers reach this place, most of them don't have enough time to get here, and therefore they just prioritize the cultural hot spots of the central cities of Isfahan, Shiraz, and Yazd. But if you manage to get here, it is definitely an amazing sight. I say it is totally worth it.
