A Sahara Desert trip in Morocco offers luxury and cultural experiences. Photo / Andrew Sluys
Despite its reputation for being an enormous, desolate expanse, a trip to the Sahara can offer impressive levels of luxury, depending on your budget, writes Andrew Sluys.
I would love to start this story off by saying I spent the night in the world’s largest desert. Unfortunately, that title belongs to the Antarctic, which is far closer and probably far easier to reach from New Zealand. Second goes to the Arctic Desert. However, as the third largest, the Sahara is also the world’s largest hot desert; an adjective it certainly deserves.
Like a lot of visitors, our Sahara adventure starts in Morocco, after landing in the country’s capital city of Marrakech. It didn’t take long after landing to learn everything I’d ever heard about the city was true. It’s a beautiful, frantic, chaotic melting pot of art and culture, representing Morocco’s unique geographic and historical setting.
After several nights of acclimatisation in the Medina, we boarded our van to start the cross-country journey towards the Sahara.
When it comes to choosing a tour company for a Moroccan Sahara trip, the options are seemingly endless. Reading online reviews helped a lot here, and we selected the company with the highest overall rating; a decision that paid off. Despite being a relatively small part of the African continent, Morocco is 66% larger than New Zealand, so the distances these tours cover are massive.
Following a rather early 7am call time in Marrakech, we boarded a large van to begin the tour. I was surprised it wasn’t a larger coach like the ones you’d find on a European tour, but it quickly becomes clear they’re limited to what can fit within the narrow city streets. Once the last passenger is collected, we set off towards our first stop – the Atlas Mountains.
Like most alpine crossings, the climb starts tame, but flowing corners and rolling hills are soon replaced by sheer roadside drops, complemented by a litany of hairpins. The views also quickly became spectacular, opening to large valleys, dotted with traditional Moroccan “Berber” villages.
Named after the owner of the town and his first-born son, Aït Benhaddou is not only one of the oldest clay villages in the area (first settled in the 11th century), but has also played host to many big-screen productions in the last few decades.
Alongside sharing the traditional history of how this village was one of the most important stops for traders between the Sahara and Marrakech, our local host was also very keen to reveal he was an extra in Game of Thrones when it was filmed here. Gladiator, The Mummy, and Lawrence of Arabia are a few other blockbusters that have used the ancient walls of Aït Benhaddou as a setting.
A three-hour drive to our accommodation for the evening concludes the first day of the tour. Here, traditional Moroccan dishes are served for dinner, including tajines, breads, and an assortment of fruit for dessert.
Day two of the tour starts with a visit to a traditional kasbah in the Tinghir region. Outside of The Clash’s 1982 smash hit about rocking one, I wasn’t too sure what a kasbah actually was. Turns out it’s a large building incorporating several houses and a watch tower – or just an African castle.
Here we learn how traditional Moroccan rugs are made, and enjoy a spot of mint tea, or as the locals call it – Berber whiskey. Before leaving the area, we make a quick stop at the Todgha Gorges to marvel at the impossibly tall walls and crystal-clear waters. After this, we finally set our course for the Sahara.
It takes another three hours or so to reach Merzouga, a town that sits between the desolate North African countryside and the golden sands of the Sahara. Here we swap our van for a camel, and set off into the dunes towards our accommodation for the evening.
The journey to get to the desert camp takes around an hour and a half, and your comfort levels largely depend on your camel. Where I was blessed with a young, athletic steed, my fiancée wasn’t as fortunate and landed on an elderly camel. Comfortable? Not exactly, but it’s certainly a journey to remember.
Given the rather simple method of transport, I had managed expectations about the overnight campsite, but was pleasantly surprised. As we had opted for the luxury campsite over the standard option, the area looked more akin to something you’d find at a fancy destination wedding than a typical desert tent.
Inside the yurts, we had a queen-sized bed, flushing toilet, and even a hot shower. There was still the issue of having sand everywhere, but the contrary would be a tall order given our location.
Dinner was served in a large tent at the centre of the camp and was the familiar Moroccan affair. Following dinner, we were treated to a traditional Darbouka (or drum) performance by the camp staff.
At 5.30 the next morning, our alarms went off, and we crawled out of the yurts to witness our first desert sunrise. As someone who doesn’t consider themselves a morning person, I haven’t seen many sunrises, but this was truly spectacular.
Compared to the noise and crowds of Marrakesh, the desert felt like another country altogether. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to hear, but the silence was astounding. The only audible noises came from the camel’s hooves treading through the sand, and the gentle clink of metal water canisters strapped to the saddles. I wouldn’t describe myself as a very zen person, but it was one of the most peaceful experiences of my life.
I can’t recommend a Sahara Desert trip enough to anyone wanting to experience Morocco. It gives you the opportunity to see the vastly different aspects of the country’s culture; with each facet awe-inspiring in its own right.
The massive distances covered in the trip can be seen as a downside for some, but I like to think they offer plenty of time to appreciate Morocco in its entirety.
Sahara Desert, Morocco
GETTING THERE
Emirates and Qatar Airways operate two-leg flights from Auckland to Casablanca, stopping only at Dubai and Doha, respectively.
VISA REQUIREMENTS
New Zealand citizens do not need a visa to visit Morocco if their stay is less than 90 days.
The writer travelled at their own expense.