Two very starry (and sandy) nights in the desert on the G Adventures Moroccan Sahara Discovery tour.
The Sahara Desert is the stuff of literature and legend. Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, in particular, played an important part in bringing my partner and me together, and partially inspired our decision to visit the world’s largest hot desert. After a couple of great experiences travelling with G Adventures in Southeast Asia, we booked their Moroccan Sahara Discovery tour and headed to Marrakesh.
After a night on our own exploring the Medina, we took a cab to Gueliz, the new part of the city, to meet up with our group of 13. We settled into a comfortable mini-bus with our driver, Yunis, and CEO (chief experience officer), Mohamed, to begin our long trek to the south of Morocco.
Our first afternoon took us though the High Atlas Mountains and Tizi n'Tichka, the highest pass in Morocco at 2,260 metres. Along the winding roads, we saw shepherds with their flocks and women carrying olive branches on their backs to feed their livestock. After sunset, we arrived at our hotel in Ouarzazate and got to know our tour companions over a meal of couscous and tajine.
In the morning, we visited Atlas Studios, touring the sets of Hollywood blockbusters like Black Hawk Down and Gladiator. More than 2,000 people in Ouarzazate work in the film industry, which has been active here since 1937. Then it was back to the bus for another long drive through the Anti-Atlas (or Lesser Atlas) Mountains to Mhamid, where we said goodbye to Yunis and loaded our luggage into a truck for transport to camp.
While our bags got a ride, we would trek in on foot, led by our Berber guide, Ismael. It was a spectacular two-hour journey, first through scrubby flats and then into the huge red dunes that look like another world. We watched the sun set from the top of a large, untouched dune, then scrambled down into our comfortable camp. We feasted on more tajine before gathering around a campfire for drumming and dancing under thousands of stars.
PHOTO: Camels in the Sahara Desert in Mhamid, Morocco. (photo via Unsplash/Fabien Bazanegue)
We rose early to catch the sun rising over the vast desert, bundled up in fleece and down against the morning chill. After breakfast, we swapped our winter layers for light scarves tied in the traditional style around our heads and necks to protect us from the blaring sun. There is little shade in the vast rolling emptiness of the dunes, and we were embarking on a camel ride along the dried riverbed of Oued Naam.
Having ridden a camel before, I knew this would be a somewhat uncomfortable morning – and indeed we all felt it in our bones for a few days to come. Over the slow, quiet ride, I thought about the sign we’d seen the day before in Zagora, marking the starting point of the ancient trade route to Timbuktu in Mali. I was very glad that our ride was just two hours, rather than the 52 days of those camel caravans.
As our ride neared its end, we spotted a truck parked under a leafy Tamarisk tree. There would be shade after all to enjoy our lunch, spread out on a large carpet on the sand. As we lingered, a herd of goats passed by, and we could spot wild ostriches in the distance.
Afterwards we formed a caravan of a more modern sort – four SUVs would bounce along barely-there desert tracks to take us to our next camp. The camp this time was more basic, with small tents and mats on the ground for sleeping. But the dunes were just as vast, and we watched the sun set and rise again over rolling red hills that seemed to reach into infinity.
And with that, our time in the Sahara had come to an end. We piled back into the SUVs for the drive to Zagora, pausing at a pottery cooperative in Tamagroute, where we learned about the traditional process used to make the distinctive green-glazed ceramics from this region. In Zagora, we took a quick break for a shower and lunch – there are no showers at the desert camps, so we were all thankful for a chance to wash off the sand.
After lunch, we rejoined Yunis and our mini-bus for the long trek back to Marrakesh. We stopped outside the palm-filled city of Skoura for the night, stretching our legs with a short walk through a small orchard of olives, pomegranates, and grapes before dinner.
In the morning we began the drive back through the High Atlas Mountains, arriving in Marrakesh in time for lunch.
A shop selling souvenirs at a souk in Marrakech (Photo Credit: Provided by GAdventures)
This was the end of the tour for my partner and me, but some members of our group had booked an extended version that included three more days exploring Marrakesh with Mohammed. We had booked a riad near theirs in the Medina, so we followed Mohammed through the winding streets, parting ways with hugs and well wishes to our new friends as we turned our own way at the final corner.
We’ve been home for a week now, and we’re still finding Sahara sand in our pockets, in our shoes, coating all our things. This is a journey that stays with you in more ways than one.
What travel advisors should know
- The driving days are very long. In particular, Day 4 of the itinerary mentions free time in Zagora and Skoura, but the drive is just too long for this to be realistic. Focus clients instead on enjoying the drive past a series of villages and through winding mountain passes.
- Bedding at the desert camps, especially the second one, is very basic. I’d highly advise packing a thin sleeping bag liner for comfort.
- This trip will not be a fit for all clients, particularly those looking for a luxury experience, but it’s a truly memorable experience for those comfortable with basic camping.
- Learn more about Morocco in the TravelPulse Canada Morocco destination guide.
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