About this blog: Sahara Desert in Morocco is one of the most Breathtaking Landscape in the world. More than Sand Dunes and Camel rides, Sahara is home to the Amazigh (Berber) people, ancient Caravan Trade routes, Fortified Mud fortress and a rich culture very few of which is known to the world. A minimum of 4 days is required to tour the desert and other attraction as it is a long road-trip between the two important tourist cities of Morocco, namely Marrakesh and Fes.
Mouhcine, a 20 something Berber man, born to a military dad from the hinterlands of Merzouga desert, was eager to show me parts of Sahara that the tour itinerary had not suggested.
He picked up the fossil stones, guided us to the water source where mountains bless the earth with a fresh spring, where nomads sing under a starlit night. Whenever I think of Sahara I think of Mouhcine. A name I think has an evident French influence of what is spelled as Mohsen in Arabic. Without his guidance, Sahara would not shine as radiant as she did!
Of course the Sahara Desert trip was the highlight of our 10 days in Morocco. It was winter, hence I can not complain about the weather. In fact it snowed as we made way to the desert. Unbelievable right? I wonder how the scorching summer sun would shine on the Atlas horizon.
No, Zagora is really ain’t it!
Many visit the dusty rugged landscape of Marrakesh border to ride an ATV and come home gloating how they ‘did’ the desert. Sure that is one of the ways to do the desert but it wont fill your heart and soul.
I insist you take the ancient Caravan route to Sahara, tread on some parts of the desert the way locals have been doing for millennia, either for trade, or pilgrimage or migration. That way, you come across the fortified Mud houses, the Ksar dotting the far off oasis. Trace back the oasis created by recent flash floods that rocked the fragile desert eco system.
I learnt about Timbuktu as early as the advent of Instagram. Sitting in a Reddy’s PG in Bangalore, I looked up the mud houses of Mali and had resolved of visiting them one day. About Morocco, I had only known the souks reflecting the glorious lights, the finely put together zellige tiles and some of the Saharan sand dunes.
Since we signed up for the semi longish desert trip in Morocco, we were in for the biggest surprise of our African adventures! The Ksars! “This is what I always wanted to see”, I exclaimed. I had no idea my dream of seeing Timbuktu could come true! Well, Timbuktu will happen when the country of Mali would be more welcoming to tourists. For now, I was elated with the serendipitous find of ancient mud fortresses.
When you embark on this Sahara desert trip, please note you will come across the ancient Caravan route that was alive and abuzz until recent times. A bunch of products including gold and slaves used to be trades along this road. As well as some people would embark on long arduous pilgrimage. The journey spanned between desert nomad villages and fortified fortress or Ksars, some of it welcomes tourists today. Some of them have been accredited a UNESCO world heritage sites.
Sahara surpasses all the boundaries and spans over number of countries including ALgeria, Tunisia, Mali, Sudan etc. Some of the countries are off limit to regular tourists due to safety concern.
The more I researched about Sahara when I was experiencing the desert, I was intrigued with particularly with Algerian Landscape.
Going back in time, you will find Sahara as a vast ocean and a thriving green pasture in periods between 40,000 years. With severe climatic condition, a green land turned into a vast swath of desert. Sahara effectively controls weather for many countries at the time of writing this blog post.
Things to know Before Planning a trip to Sahara
That it is pretty safe to visit Sahara desert in Morocco .Tourism is a huge part of the industry which plays a catalyst to the region to remain in Balance.
You can plan a visit to the desert from Marrakesh or from Fes. A tunnel is being built as I write, which connects the two cities faster and runs under the Atlas mountain. But for tourists seeking the desert sand, the road is long and arduous.
You can do the whole trip by yourself.
Day one
We started as early as 7 am in the morning. The car could not enter the cobbled alleyways of Markesh Medina so we asked for a help who would carry our bags. Carry cash to tip occasionally, especially for the desert journey where you would come across many tribes.
a couple of hours drive into the desert, we crossed the infamous Zagora. For those traveling to Morocco in search of quick dune visits, often end up in the scarbby stoney desert like Zagora which is not dune butis oft-marketed as the Dunes. Dont get fooled guys. dont settle for zagora.
Fuled with Mint tea, a quick chitchat with a sober white cat, ventured into the snake bends of lower atlas.
The first stop was a Thici Caka Pass. Atlas has a number of passes. You will stop by at some.
I was happy leaving behind the Medina of Marrakesh. A maze I could not solve.
Mouchine waited with a Mercedes van at the Janna El Swuare from the start of the dawn. The morning traffic had just started to tease the roads when we left the city lights. High Atlas ranges stood patiently as tourists traverse the land.
We stopped by a Nomadic village at first. The craggy peaks of Atlas. The villages underneath that move every few years with bombers of animals. The schools on those Nomadic villages. A makeshift shop selling fossils marked with ugly neon colours. Soon after I will see every village tries to sell those fossils at the least, if not carpets (I have a lot of respect for the carpet sellers).
We pass through countless Kasbas. Yesterday’s warlords today’s ruins. Time and earthquakes have stated their gnaw.
Berber villages appear enroute. The original inhabitants of the land. For the longest they had a rift with the conquest of the Magreb by the Arabs. However, time has seeped the relationship with ease.
Berber language is interesting. It is almost as if the two men quarrelling until you know they are not!
At the height of the Atlas, we stopped at Tichka pass. A serpentine road paves way for humans to come down the mountains. I wonder what people did in yesteryears. When camels and caravans treated this trade route with heaps of salt.
The highlight of the trip was when we stopped at Ait Ben Haddou.
My memory is vivid with the colours of olive orchards we walked in, the river with wooden logs on it bridging the land. We crossed the river from river viewpoint and took a curved road. Later I learnt the guide did it so that we avoid the Amin entrance to enter the Kasba!
It’s a village that Hollywood has practically taken over. The unsullied of Game of thrones were inhabitants of Ait Ben Haddoue. A UNESCO world heritage site, Ait Ben Haddou reminded me of Shay monastery of Ladakh. Ancient but well exposed to tourists.
They dismantle everything related to the movie sets once filming is complete. Inside the Kasba is authentic Ksar experience. Things remain the way they have been since 17 hundred. I saw children peeping at us from a house. Few cows and goats inside the compound. Doors are small and needs you to bend over to enter. You can get inside a house and take a tour. Be sure to tip a little. The trade routes have turned into tourist routes.
As you find your way up the stairs to hike upto the top of the rubble, you will come across a number of shops selling you art work and African artifacts. A guy shows me a black postcard, puts it on a little fire, colour start appearing on it. A stray cat nudges me for head rub. Few tourists appear from the alleys.
I remember the carper shop vividly. They charge you worth a thousand bucks and more but for all it is worth, they deserve it. The carpets are woven by women of the community, a heirloom taught by and passed on from mother to daughter. Snippets of a nomad life with their bovines.
One day if I have house in the burbs…
Ait Bin Haddou can be visited (should be visited) as a part of day trip from Marrakesh even if you are not doing the whole road trip towards the hinterlands of Sahara.
Close to it is Gas Haven, the filming location of the horror film Hills have Eyes.
We rested for the night at Tim Joseph.
The family owned hotel was cold, very cold. But everything worked the way they was supposed to. Hot shower. Lift. A warm plate of Tagine for dinner by the owners wife. A gym close by. Govt quarters surrounding the hood reminding you of Soviet Era housing policy.
Day two
The next morning we left early and headed towards Dadra George.
Most people make this whole journey on day one . It helps to break down the trip in two days and rest your body but we had a while in Marrakesh and we were well rested. That’s the only thing I would change about this itinerary and spend a day extra in the dunes if au redo it again.
We passed by the Rose Valley of Kela’a M’gouna. Seasonally the valley has bloom from the bushes. Damask rose they call it. My MIL saw a picture and called it RoktoKorobi.
We stopped at Kasbah Amridil near Skoura Oasis. Part hotel, part family owned, Kasbah Amridil belonged to a prominent family of the region.
It lets you take a stroll through the ancient building. The kitchen where nameless people toiled. The room to accommodate caravans. The kitchen garden and palm grove. A house with five stone carved windows, in regard to the five pillars of Islam. I liked taking a stroll here.
They showed it snowed in here once in last 60 years . Historically. Little did we know it would snow again in a day!
The rugged terrain changes to craggy mountains from desert plateaux.
The higher we climb High Atlas the more beautiful it becomes. Remote villages with men and women covering themselves in kaftan. We have something similar in Kashmir. We call it Pheran.
In Winter, days are shorter. Day light ends by 6 pm & sunrise is at 8:30 ish.
Fades is astounding. We drove up a little and then came back. Stopped to see mountain caves still in use by nomads in transit. A French couple was traversing the Sahara on cycle. Met them enroute. Stopped for a mint tea at a village. A calm peaceful life unfolds.
If you go further you will come across the caves of La Grotte Akhiam. Many Europeans venture to cross the Atlas on Cycle and a few cafes are there to accommodate them.
We retired for the night at Sultan Ksar. One of the many hotels mushrooming in the area. But a better one with a pool facing the setting sun.
Day three
Day three is when we were heading towards Sahara. Even after breaking the journey in several days, we had a really long route ahead. Albeit scenic but long route.
Can you do it by yourself? Absolutely. Just need a booked trip to visit the Sahara camp.
We stopped at Todgha George. What a stunning place it was! I wish I could spend some more time!
It is the mouth of river Todra, which is a gushing water stream in the season of rain. In winter we walked the river bed and drank some water. It was warm and potable.
A bunch of people going for rock climbing. With peaks touching the sky lateral to earth, it made sense.
It was three hours drive to reach Merzouga from river Todra. Stopped at a restaurant for lunch where we were served really nice lamb. Tasted a lot like the curry we make at home. The tagines with cumin hits home for my taste buds.
The road from Tonijdad to Erfoyd has some of the finest land formations, especially the Hamdas. Many hike them. Many explore the date groves in the region, which has a repute of producing the best dates of Morocco.
We were in Sahara in Winter. Not only temparature dropped drastically, we were shivering while stepping out of the tent at night, roads along the Atlas were covered with a fresh shower of snow.
Mouchine told us that summer in Sahara is hot, particularly hot. However Moroccans travel to the desert in Summer, and put their whole body in a hole dug on the sand. This practice, also known as Sandbathing,is believed to cure arthritis.
Perla of visiting in winter is you have a comfortable time in day, although day time is shortened. I take over over the muderous heat of Sahara that I have witnessed before, in Ethiopia and in Ethiopia.
Visiting the desert is also coming close to Algeria, a country that Morocco shares a hostile border with. Our driver Kouchine made a famous dialogue, while discussing the politics of AMoroccan and Algerian border conflict. “Oh our Pakistan is like our Algeria. People so good, would be happy if you give them a banana, but the politicians are basta…”.
I could see my phone picking up Algerian telecom service a few times.
Can you do this trip by self drive
Initially we thought we would be driving from Marrakesh to Fes. We would rent a car and drop it in Fes airport, or Casablanca.
To be honest, I am happy that I chose with the private tour, also called the Luxury option. We could rest in the car while Mouchine drove, shared his insights and took care of the police checks that occurred pretty often enroute.
The drive to the desert is long, longer than the word long truly stands for. Roads are in nice condition though. I learnt they are making a tunnel beneath Atlas to connect Fes with Marrakesh faster. That’s a good initiative since Marrakesh is good but Fes is where you find gold!
Except for the desert camp, the whole of the trip is self drive Initially-able. You will find many camps, hotels, roads: you name it you get it!
Road is a hotel with a water body inside, a compound. A Dar is a hotel with a garden inside, hence a little bigger. A number of riads appear in the map. While they look perfect in photographs they may not be the most comfortable option.
Based on price differences, there are three types of tours: shared bedroom & shared Bathroom/ private bathroom with a shared bathroom and a private tour. Weighing all the pros and cons and cons I chose the private option. The minimum you spend in the desert is 2 nights. But it is rushed, really rushed. Slow down. Allow the dunes to mesmerise you. Give them at least two nights of your life. You won’t regret.
While booking on Get your Guide is a very good idea, you can go and Bargain too in Marrakesh. Don’t pay for the transfer to Fes. Usually the cars coming from Fes will have a space to bring you back to the city as some will board the van to Marrakesh.
Riding a camel is one of the major attractions of the Sahara Desert stay.
I thought these are camels until a local server at the tent explained it is Dromadarie, an animal from the Camloid family. They are more hairy and slightly smaller than camel. At the Rissani market, I found locals treating themselves to Dromadarie meat. Its a delicacy in Berber weddings.
Once you reach Mergouza, the guides will take your luggage. or keep them somewhere safe at a hotel near the town, a bit far off the reach of the sand dune.
You will be taken to the landmark blurred with excessive with sand and sparse scrubs spacing out to a stone flat.
That is where the dromedaries appear.
Their tall structure shrink to make your way up the top of the animal. A strong iron throne is fixed at the camel hump. You can get a grip at the seat handle as their wobbly feet steps into the soft sand. In practiced slow but confident steps they start to climb the sand dunes.
I saw a young animal from another group being vocal about this trip. It protested, tried to get a hold of a loose grip and run away, with its riders casping its long neck for the love of his life.
I felt terribly sad. My husband suggested we walk the rest of the journey with the caravan, at the side of the cameler.
You could do that. That way you have a feel of the caravan experience as well as do not directly participare in animal exploits.
We were there in the evening, hoping to see a gorgeous sunset. Well, Clouds over Erg Chebbi had other plan that evening.
star gazing
since we stopped at Quarzatte on the first day, our trip had an extra day on the “road” (the reason why I would not recommend our oprivate tour provider). We stopped at dades on day 2. Instead I recommend you stop at Dades for day 2 and reach margouza for 2 Nights stay at the Desert. at the end we are here for the desert are not we?
We had a sumptuous dinner with aubergine Moussaka, chicken Tagine and Moroccan marlot. It was a short walk to our tent from the communal dining hall.
At night, we stepped out of the tent and looked up!
We had a sky full of stars illuminating the horizon. The soft shape shifting dune glistened under the fullmoon sky. They take the beds out weather permitting for you to lie down and experience sleeping under a sky full of star! However it was bitter cold wintry night at Sahara when we were there. In fact, it snowed at Mount Atlas on that day, a pretty rare event in this part of the world.
It is when I think about the Ghost Caravans of Sahara. the desert Nomad tales insist the departed souls of the caravans, who lost their way during a sandstorm or robbery, remain in the desert, trying to find a way home. A camel bell. A faint shadow of caravan at far. Especially at night. It is all a mirage. It is a ghost caravan.
Day Four
the longest day of the journey when we left behind the dunes and headed for Fes. How I loved Fes, the ancient Medina of it. That story can wait.
Things to pack
Carry enough layers when you venture into the desert. It is pretty cold at night.
carry a hat. It helps your scalp.
Carry sunblock, nothing less than 50 SPF. the more the merrier.
Carry a small reusable water bottle for the journey. Please note, the dunes of Erg Chebbi changes its shape pretty frequently, pushing the makeshift tents to change their location often. The less you leave behind the more you contribute to maintain the fragile ecology of the land.
Tips for Visiting the Sahara desert
Should you book one of the Sardine Bus from get your Guide, you shall travel with a bunch of travelers and share washroom during the tent stays. I would do it if I would travel in a budget.
Traveling in a group can feel safe in parts, and would not pinch your pocket so much. However it does not compare to the exclusivity of traveling as a private party.
You stop wherever, whenever, for as long as yu want. You talk to people, in private, in peace. You would be marked as one of the visitors, a tourist who is welcomed for the larger part of the stay, unless a group goes to disrupt the peace of the community.
Conclusion
A French couple was crossing the Atlas on bicycle! I often think about them. To brave the sun, the steep mountain, and most of all the rugged terrain where quaint Berber villages await. One day I wish to venture deep into the desert that way, may be explore parts of Algeria and Tunisia, when visa issues are resolved the places are more welcoming to diverse tourist groups.
Morocco is safe, as safe as it can be at the time I am typing this. The monarchy works closely with the western European government (read France). They stop the flow of people wanting to enter Europe crsssing Sahara and are reqwarded for the efforts.
Reports came out in past when a tourist has been kidnapped, one beheaded while hiking the road less travelled. The locals deny it vehemently, and show disdain for the radical ideas.
In fact, many are venturing into the borders of Western Sahara these days. Putting aside the conflict, where Western Sahara refutes Moroccos claim on the land, the sand dunes offer lucrative benefits regional travel oligarchs.
Historically the Berbers and the Arabs have had strife in the land. The berber language differs, the culture is drawn towards the interior of Sahara, food and dress differ as well. Despite the differences, they collaborate and show equal enthusiasm when it comes to welcoming tourists.
Our driver Sahib, went to great lenth in discussing the political context of the region, often bringing up the battered past of Indian subcontinent. He seemed to take glory in Pakistani cricket achievements. But he seemed to be a fanboy of Virat Kohli as well. He asked me why not all Indians accept islam. When I explained the motto called Unity in Diversity, he paid attention, then went to great lenth to explain how kind and gentle people of Algeria are. They would be happy if you offer them just a Banana. Just a banana he emphasizes.
He exclaims how easily the phone towers catch Algerian signal when we close in to Erg Chebbi. He has some of his distant families still living in Algeria, which was a continuous part of reber land but was sacrificed to be a part of new world order during the scramble of Africa. In our heart we carry boundaries.
It is the driver mustaq who was almost offended when I asked him if there is any radical element in the region. “Do you think we are like them?” He asks straight away! No, I explain, but I know I can not visit Western Sahara. Then we discuss Kashmir at great length.
I have encountered people in Morocco to be pushy, to annoy you for a tip, for as simple as pointing a road to come out of the maze that medina is. As a solo female traveler, i have had them approach and even touch me intentionally while telling a price. Before you ask, I wore modest enough clothing. Their body language changed when the husband joined in occasionally.
While I wont consider Morocco as Unsafe I mean you have less chances of getting kidnapped or unalived on the road. there were various police check points along the desert route especially. You were asked to use the seatbelts.
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