Visiting Morocco was such an interesting trip. As part of my bucket list travels, I wanted to spend at least one night in the Moroccan desert. Even if it was not on my list, a trip to Morocco would not have been complete without spending the night in the desert. I was happy that I was able to fit in an amazing Morocco desert tour into my travels!
How to get there
I spent several days in Marrakesh before I started making my way through the Atlas Mountains on my way to Fez, included stops at Ait Benhaddou, Dades Gorges, and World Heritage Site, Ouarzazate. After a very interesting tour to that point, I finally reached what ended up being my favorite part of the trip. The desert!
I was a little nervous at first because I was traveling by myself with two male guides. I also found out on my way to the edge of the Erg Chebbi desert that I would be the only person staying in the camp overnight. All of my worries ended up being for nothing because my desert tour was one of the highlights of my vacation in Morocco.
Once I arrived at the edge of Erg Chebbi, I alone mounted a camel with a guide and we started the trek into the desert. Wow…it was so beautiful. Just me, the camel, and the guide surrounded by golden sand dunes. My camel was quite stubborn and did not want to walk, but it did not bother me at all. We made it to a great location in the absolute middle of nowhere, and started hiking the dunes.
What to expect
Let me just say that I never want to be trapped in the desert in Morocco during the middle of summer. I can see why so many crazy movies have been filmed in the Moroccan desert. It is a harsh environment and the sand is so fine that it gets trapped in all of your hair, including your eyelashes!
However, even in such a harsh environment, there is a calm feeling that overcomes you by being there. After playing in the Moroccan sand, we waited, watched and relaxed for quite some time to watch the sunset. It was amazing. Afterwards, I climbed back on the camel and headed to the camp.
I decided to stay in the luxury tented camp in Morocco. After so many safaris in Kenya, I could not imagine staying in anything besides a luxury camp. As the sole person at the camp for the night, it was a little strange but nice. I sat out in the quiet and took in the beautiful stars in peace.
I love the food in Morocco, and my food experience was just as great in the desert. There were a few Berbers at the camp with me, and they made me a huge feast. I stuffed my self silly on Moroccan food. Chicken tagine, beef with prunes tagine, couscous tagine, two veggie tagines, salad and soup were all placed before me. They also made me delicious deserts and a provided bottle of red wine. I finished the night sitting under the stars with a good book.
After a good night’s rest, I set my alarm to get up at 6am and climbed the sand dunes to watch the sunrise. It was a peaceful morning as I sat in by myself and watched the morning sun. Afterwards, I enjoyed a nice breakfast in the Moroccan desert.
How to prepare
Do research on tour companies. There are several tour companies in Morocco that provide desert tours, but I recommend Authentic Morocco Private Tours. They were great and everything was as promised. I also used them to book a private tour of the medina in Fez. They took care of me every step of the way and both the driver and tour guide protected me from unwanted attention.
You get what you pay for. Morocco is no different than the rest of the world. You get what you pay for. If you want to sleep in a plush bed and have running water, then will have to pay a little extra. I think it is worth it, especially considering the environment.
Pack appropriately. Temperatures fluctuate in the Moroccan desert. Not only can it go from extreme between cold in the winter to over 100 degrees during the summer, but it can be quite extreme in one day. It is not uncommon for a summer night to feel very cold. Your packing list for Morocco should include clothes to dress in layers. Also, take a scarf with you to cover your head and face. If it is at all windy, sand will definitely be everywhere. During the winter, I recommend packing a sleeping bags for extra warmth at night.
Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water during the hot Moroccan summers. You may not feel like you are sweeting because it is such a dry heat, but you can easily get dehydrated.
Protect your skin. You are likely to be on your camel ride for several hours. Make sure you wear sunscreen.