Deserts can be vast, desolate landscapes where nothing exists for hundreds of miles around. That makes these hidden oases even more impressive and inspiring. From sand sculptures and hidden springs to luxury hotels and designer boutiques, these places are located in some of the world’s most remote and inhospitable locations.

This rugged, impressive fortress in the middle of the Judaean desert is hewn into the rock face, blending in with the surrounding landscape. Built by King Herod in 30 BC, Masada is one of the most important archaeological sites in Israel. Its UNESCO-listed camps, fortifications and attack ramp that encircles the complex are incredibly well-preserved.

Masada is reached by foot, on a winding path up to the high fortress, or by a cable car that runs from the visitor center at the foot. It's stunning at sunrise, with incredible views of the Moab mountains and the Dead Sea.

There’s a secret oasis hiding inside a cave near Oman’s capital Muscat. But Wadi Shab is a serene paradise that can only be found by those in the know. Adventurers must swim between narrow sandstone walls to reach the cavern on the other side. The only other way out is to use a rope to climb the waterfall which leads to the turquoise pool.

Wadi Shab, in Oman’s Al Sharqiyah Region, is very popular for its nature, swimming in the freshwater pools or to have a barbecue. The main attraction is the waterfall in the cave, reached after a short hike through this rugged landscape.

The desert kingdom of Petra is Jordan’s prize treasure and a wonder of the world. Carved into a sheer rock face more than 2,000 years ago by the Nabataeans (a nomadic tribe who eventually settled), it became the capital of their wealthy trade empire with the East and West. The Siq, Treasury, the Colonnaded Street, the High Place of Sacrifice, the Royal Tombs and the Roman theater are a few highlights of the vast site. When the Nabataean civilization declined it was taken over by the Romans.

There's always more being discovered at the site. Modern technology has helped researchers uncover a giant platform of a similar size to an Olympic swimming pool. After poring over satellite and drone images, archaeologists noticed a large rectangular structure not far from the famous Treasury (pictured). It’s thought that the structure was once lined with columns and experts muse that it could have been a holy building or some sort of public administrative building.

As Sinai’s most important religious site, Saint Catherine’s Monastery is a significant location for followers of Christianity, Islam and Judaism, and has been regularly visited by intrigued tourists on day trips from Sharm El Sheikh. Founded in the 6th century, the monastery is located at the foot of Mount Horeb where, according to the Old Testament, Moses received the 10 commandments.

It's not just historic ruins you'll find in the world's deserts. Anyone who’s seen the 2006 horror movie The Hills Have Eyes might recognize the stretch of desert outside the city of Ouarzazate in Morocco, which doubled for the US West Coast. The Gas Haven petrol station is where the family first hear of a shortcut through the desert from the store’s creepy clerk.

Gas Haven isn't the only movie location in the area. It was actually the producers of Lawrence of Arabia (1962) who first saw the potential in the desert outside of Ouarzazate. They needed a location to stand in for Western Asia with consistent weather, and a remote position near the Sahara and Morocco's wilderness fitted the bill. But it wasn't until 1983 that these studios officially opened, providing sets for re-enactments of biblical locations, ancient civilizations and brilliant works of fiction alike.

Tataouine, a desert city in southern Tunisia, is known for the unique cave architecture of its Berber population. Its fortifications are stunning but there's another reason why the spot is so famous...

The city features in George Lucas’ intergalactic saga Star Wars, most predominantly in the first of the prequels, 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. It stands in for the home planet of Anakin Skywalker, the young Jedi who grows up to become super-villain Darth Vader. Discover awesome abandoned movie sets here.

Death Valley, straddling the border of California and Nevada, is one of the world’s hottest places which makes it even more astounding that someone decided to build a sprawling villa in the middle of this arid landscape. Chicago millionaire Albert Mussey Johnson built Scotty’s Castle in the 1920s and it's named after notorious prospector, performer and conman Walter Scott, with whom Johnson struck up an unlikely friendship.

In 1970, Death Valley National Park purchased Scotty’s Castle which was being used as a guesthouse. Around 100,000 people visit the Mission and Spanish Colonial Revival-style villa each year, which is about a three-hour drive from Las Vegas. However the villa was damaged by severe flooding in 2015 and has not been open to the public since. Take a look at stunning images of the world's abandoned castles here.

The town of Coober Pedy is located in Australia’s vast outback. Around 500 miles north of Adelaide and 430 miles south of Alice Springs, the two nearest major settlements, it's as remote as it gets. The townspeople are renowned for living in underground residences, nicknamed dugouts, that allow them to escape the extreme heat and dust storms common in the Australian outback. It's also known as the opal capital of the world, after the semi-precious stones were discovered here in 1915.

Since 1988, the Desert Cave Hotel has welcomed visitors to this unusual attraction and offers guests the opportunity to experience a night deep underground. Opal mining machinery was used to cut away the sandstone creating quiet, cool, dark and airy chambers in which the hotel was brought to life. The Desert Cave Hotel also has underground shops, a café, a bar and gaming room. Find more of Australia's beautiful outback towns here. 

A five-star luxury hotel and spa is the last thing you’d expect to find in the middle of the Sharjah desert but that's where Al Faya Lodge is located. Formerly a clinic and grocery store, the two stone buildings that make up the hotel were originally built over half a century ago. It's almost equidistant from Sharjah and Dubai on the desert peninsula which splits the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Over the road from the five-room boutique hotel, a new building houses a salt-water spa complete with an open-air swimming pool. Each bedroom has its own star-gazing skylight and there’s also a fire pit primed for recapping the day's many adventures. Discover more of the world's most remote hotels here.

The Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort looks like something from a fantasy film. This sprawling beige fortress-like resort sits marooned in the middle of the Liwa desert. Inside, the resort is a verdant oasis of palm trees and swimming pools, a speck of green and blue within a sea of soft white sand dunes that disappear into the horizon.

Located on the border of the Empty Quarter, the largest uninterrupted stretch of sand in the world, the resort is a great destination for dune-based activities. Think desert yoga at dawn, mountain biking, camel trekking and horse riding.

Views don’t get much better than the one at Longitude 131°. The luxury desert basecamp sits in the shadow of Uluru (Ayers Rock), the massive sandstone monolith at the heart of Australia’s Northern Territories and World Heritage-listed wilderness. Here are 40 of Australia's jaw-dropping natural wonders.

With its spa, gourmet food and luxurious bedrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, Longitude 131° is the last thing you’d expect to find in such a remote location. It's also home to Table 131° – a private dining spot under the stars for up to six people.

The Amangiri resort is a great example of a hotel which takes careful measures not to disturb its surroundings. That’s a good thing because this luxury resort is surrounded by some of North America’s most beautiful rock formations which have remained untouched for millions of years. Amangiri sits at the heart of the Grand Circle within easy reach of the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park and Monument Valley.

Famed for its unique culture, cuisine and landscapes, Morocco is a stunning country. There's capital Marrakech, surfer’s paradise Essaouira or the famous coastal town Casablanca, but lesser thought of are the country’s wild deserts.

Scarabeo Camp allows guests to stay in one of the world’s most inhospitable environments, with every home comfort they could wish for. Its unique glamping tents have African woven matting, Moroccan Berber rugs and atmospheric lanterns.

Hidden deep in the Grand Canyon lies a paradise for those adventurous enough to look for it. The Havasupai Falls are a sight to behold, only reached after a grueling 10-mile hike in the baking sun. The water is enriched by underground minerals absorbed over thousands of years, turning it a striking turquoise green. For more wet 'n' wild action, discover amazing pictures of the world's most impressive waterfalls here.

Kolmanskop was once one of the world’s richest towns, thanks to the discovery of diamond deposits in the early 20th century. Around a thousand workers were brought in to mine the site in the Namib desert, which lies about nine miles east of the harbor town of Lüderitz. The town thrived until an even bigger diamond deposit was discovered in 1928, 160 miles south of Kolmanskop, causing many workers to leave for pastures new.

Kolmanskop was ultimately abandoned in 1956 and in fewer than 50 years, the town had lived, flourished and died. At the peak of its popularity the town bloomed with lush gardens, manicured lawns, rose beds and eucalyptus trees, and boasted a ballroom, skittle alley, theater, sports hall, casino and ice factory. Over the past six decades, the town has been reclaimed by the Namib desert and many of the homes are disappearing into the sand dunes. Take a look at more ruins where Mother Nature has run riot.

No, that's not a mirage. It is in fact a Prada store in the middle of the Texan desert, along US Route 90. But sadly you won't be able to stock up on designer goods here. Built in 2005, it's an art installation by Berlin-based artists Elmgreen and Dragset, and it's being left to decay into the landscape. The merchandise in the window is real but the bags are bottomless and all the shoes are right-footed. Discover more unusual things you'll find on a road trip through the USA.

Greek art collective D.A.ST. Arteam created this eye-catching installation in 1997, which has stood near the resort town of El Gouna by the Red Sea ever since. The 280,000-square-foot, spiral-shaped sand sculpture radiates out from a vessel, 100 foot (30m) in diameter, filled with water, which has since evaporated. The piece consists of 89 protruding cones that gradually increase in size.

Desert Breath sits close to the Ras Ghareb-Hurghada Road which connects Cairo with southern Egypt. The artwork is gradually being reclaimed by nature and the artists have said they created this unusual installation to serve as an instrument to measure the passage of time.

The Atacama desert stretches around 60 miles along Chile’s Pacific Coast and is one of the driest places on Earth – the only true desert to receive less precipitation than the polar deserts. It's where Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal decided to build his towering sculpture Mano de Desierto, Hand of the Desert, in the early 1980s. Discover more of the world's most jaw-dropping sculptures here.

The 36-foot-tall (11m) concrete hand is located around 50 miles southeast of the town of Antofagasta. “A good sculpture has primitive, magical strength,” says the artist of his world-famous work. Now take a look at 50 gorgeous photos of the last unspoiled places on Earth.