Is Ghadames the perfect desert town? Located deep in Libya's barren region of Tripolitania, the soaring white-and-ochre walls of this palm tree-fringed town are as practical as they are beautiful. Perfectly designed to combat the desert winds and harsh climate of the northern Sahara, this oasis town – a Unesco World Heritage site known as "the pearl of the desert" – is one of the Sahara's greatest architectural showpieces, and a spectacular example of environmental planning. 📸 Fiona Dunlop