I had a few reasons why I added Morocco to my travel bucket list, and trekking through the Sahara Desert was at the top of my list of reasons.
I mean who doesn’t want to pretend to be Aladdin and search for the Cave of Wonders and stumble across a magic lamp with a witty genie inside?
If you answered NO to that question, I shall forever question your imagination and movie taste.
Spending the night in the Sahara desert was an unforgettable experience and one I hope to always remember when I’m old and rockin my gray hairs. It was a long journey to reach, but we made pit stops along the way that made it bearable.
When we first made the decision to travel to Morocco we had some concerns and wondered how we would be able to fit all we wanted to do in 8 days. With some extremely thorough research we booked our trip with a travel agency called Experience Morocco. This was our first time booking with a travel agency, and I am fortunate that we decided to choose that route. Yes, we spent more than we usually do when we travel, but they provided us with way less headache when planning a trip.
The main reason why we were sold on booking with them is because they provided us with a driver throughout our whole trip. Due to the fact that we wanted to see so many cities we needed a way of transportation that was reliable.
Morocco is a very safe city, but it was our first time visiting so it was nice to know that if something did go wrong we knew who to call.
We started our journey throughout Morocco in Marrakech and ended it in Tangier. We did not want to drive straight from Marrakech to the Sahara, so we stopped for one night in Ouarzazate. Best decision, and it was actually my husband’s favorite day from our whole trip!
The drive to Ourzazate from Marrakech was one of the most breathtaking drives we have ever done. You are literally driving through the Atlas Mountains. We pulled over to the side of the road so many times to take pictures, and sadly the pictures don’t even capture 15% of the mountain’s beauty.
For our one night in Ouarzazate we spent the night at the Ksar Ighnda Hotel. It is a castle!! (I mean seriously look at those pictures!) Felt like a princess.
The architecture is unbelievable, and it is easily the most unique hotel we have ever stayed at. We were there in October, so it was fairly quiet and made us feel that we had the whole castle to ourselves. Beautiful rooms with a very Moroccan style touch. Best shower that we had during our whole trip in Morocco… I feel the need to say that, because the shower is an important detail in my opinion. Anyone else think this?
Beautiful gardens throughout the hotel and a grand outdoor pool with lounge chairs surrounding it. Perfect place to sunbathe and relax. Our room shared a large balcony with the whole floor, but we didn’t come across any other guests. The view was spectacular showing the valley and mountain ranges. For dinner and breakfast we had an option of buffet or ordering off their menu. We choose their buffet for both meals. They had a very large spread and we were not disappointed with our choice. The food was delicious. They had a lovely range of local dishes along with international. We were very impressed.
Before the sunset we arranged an ATV tour and visited Kasbah Ait Benhaddou. So much fun! This was one of our favorite activities throughout the whole trip. I was a little nervous riding the ATV’s, but it was an adventure and the views were outstanding! We honestly went the perfect time of day, and the sky was lit up with so many different colors during sunset.
Kasbah Ait Benhaddou is a location where they filmed multiple hollywood movies and shows. For example the famous Gladiator movie and even a scene in Game of Thrones.
The famous site dates back to the 11th century, and is estimated to be about 1300 square meters. This sandy like castle shows beautiful views of nature all around it, and contains so much history.
In 1987, Kasbah Ait Benhaddou became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s architecture is unlike anything else, and the culture that its holds is why it’s so marvelous.
Absolute marvelous day, and by the time we reached back to the hotel we were exhausted. Ended our night with a warm shower and our bellies full.
Started our morning refreshed and prepared ourselves for another long drive. The drive from Ouarzazate to the MERZOUGA DESERT was about 6 hours. (I do not recommend Morocco for people that get car sick).
We didn’t make any stops along the way except for lunch and a quick visit to TODRA GORGE.
There were a lot of people, buses, and many locals trying to sell you their products, but regardless of all this it was a beautiful to see. You are able to wade into the Todgha River to cool your feet and look above and see the steep cliffs that were carved by the river. A great place to stretch our legs and walking through the gorge was beautiful and provided a cool breeze.
Arrived at the DESERT!! Since we booked our tour with EXPERIENCE MOROCCO they arranged everything for us. We stopped at the outskirts of the desert and sipped on Mint Tea while we waited to hear the instructions.
There are many options available to you on how you want to camp in the desert. Some are fairly cheap and others a little more expensive. We decided to book the Luxury Camp, and OMG it was the best most glamorous style of camping I have ever experienced.
There was no squatting behind a tree to pee, no sleeping on the cold lumpy ground, and no getting bit by mesquite bugs!
If you decide to splurge and book a luxury camping style you will find in your tent, A BED, SHOWER, TOILET, AND A PRIVATE SEATING AREA OUTSIDE . I mean seriously? Talk about GLAMOROUS!
To reach our campground we drove to the gates of the desert and were greeted by our two camels and guide. The camel ride was a little under two hours. I have been on a couple before when I visited Syria, but my husband has not….best thing was to watch him get on the camel. No one realizes how tall a camel actually is, and when you mount it’s kind of like riding a rollercoaster. So make sure you really grip those handlebars, and don’t say I didn’t warn you!
No one tells you when you ride a camel for so long your thighs seriously burn! I don’t know if it is because I am out of shape, but my thighs were sore for the next two days. Did this happen to anyone else?
The camel ride is something I highly recommend! You can’t travel to Morocco and not ride a camel! It is an absolute must activity, and one that you probably won’t be able to experience anywhere else. I still recommend it to travelers even though my CAMEL PIST ON ME. Let me repeat that one more time…I GOT PEED ON BY A CAMEL. Lets just pretend that it’s good luck?
Little bit of advice: If you want to capture your camel ride make sure you have a strap for your camera that go over you head. Honestly my camera probably would of slipped through my hands if it wasn’t fastened around my neck. Camel rides are bumpy.
About 2 hours later we reached our beautiful campgrounds, and we had a delicious Moroccan dinner. One of my biggest concerns when I travel is if I have enough food available, and I always carry snacks with me. To my surprise they served us so much food I didn’t even need to dig through my purse and open my snacks.
Our dinner consisted of vegetable soup, couscous, chicken, potatoes, and for dessert fruit salad. All of it was absolutely delicious!
The night didn’t end after dinner! Our hostess lit a fire and put on a show! With traditional Moroccan music and dancing! A magical and spectacular night!
Woke up early to catch that sunrise! Sunrise in the Sahara is something you can not miss!
So make sure you set your alarm that morning, and get your ass up! If you tend to snooze your alarms…set many!
I wish I could put into words how breathtaking it was. Although I was unprepared for how cold it would be that brisk early morning, so make sure you wear pants…unless you want to freeze in a dress like I did. Even though I was cold, nothing could stop me from enjoying the dawn that morning.
Before we said goodbye to the Sahara forever we had a delicious breakfast and I have discovered a new found love for Moroccan pancakes. Slathered it with honey and jam, and I got myself a delicious sweet pastry.
Amazing and unforgettable trip! If you make the trip to Morocco do yourself a favor and spend the night in the Sahara. You made the exhausting trip out to Morocco you might as well do it properly. You wont regret camping out there, and if you can book the LUXURY CAMP. It is 100% worth it.
If you find yourself traveling past the Sahara desert and make a stop in Chefchaouen, Morocco read about my experience here.