We wanted to go to the Sahara desert (Morocco) so we got in the van and drove there. We didn’t plan anything but it all worked out well. Here’s what happened:
We picked this guy up, Abdoul
I was with Mona (from Germany – she was on the blog last summer here). We stopped to buy water and he asked if we wanted to go to the desert. We said yeah
We drove to the village of M’hammd
This is a small village where the road ends and the Sahara begins. It’s one of two main places to access the desert – the other is Merzouga which apparently is better but more touristy. Have you been to Merzouga? let us know in the comments
The village ends and the desert begins
Attention Desert!
We went a few km down a dirt track
Until there it was just sand
Abdul has a place here that he built
We got our desert wear on
And packed some stuff to spend a night in the desert
Abdul called his mate who came with some camels
And we trekked into the desert
We had tea
Abdoul cooked dinner on the fire
We slept outside on blankets
The space was so massive yet so quiet. It felt like I was in a room. Falling to sleep like this was really really cool and I had a great night’s sleep
And woke up with the sun rise
Breakfast
This is a sand dune
These are sand ripples made by the wind
Have you ever heard of the book The Physics of Blown Sand and Desert Dunes by Ralph Alger Bagnold ?
We trekked a bit more on the camels
And then headed back
To Abdouls place for tea and an Arabic lesson
How to go to the desert when you’re in Morocco
Like most places in Morocco, you can just turn up and someone will be there eager to help sort out what ever it is you want. Or you could go to any of the many agency/shops in Zagora, M’hammid or Merzouga. Or if you want avoid all the chat and annoyance of bartering you could go to any hotel and ask them to arrange something for you.
Abdoul runs a small tour business. He has a page on Tripadvisor (here) where you can also get in touch with him and make arrangements.
I was limited for time but next time I’d like to stay in the desert for at least several days and visit the huge Erg Chebbi dunes and also see the stars when there is no moon.
The desert is really like no other place
It has a silence to it that I’ve never heard before. I know the silence in the mountains and in forests and all the other places where there are no humans but the desert is different. Recommended!
Have you been to Morocco and the Sahara? Share tips, experience and recommendations in the comments.
After here we went to find wild monkeys. See this post: Finding Morocco’s wild monkeys in 13 photos
Oh yeah please share if you like this post 🙂 thanks
