Desert stopovers (5)
I believe the answer is:
oases
'desert stopovers' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for oases that I've seen before include "Where there may be dates" , "Fertile areas in deserts" , "Fertile tracts in a desert" , "Fertile desert places" , "Fertile desert spots" .)