One of our most anticipated parts of the trip was heading into the Sahara desert to spend a few nights. We had a slight glimpse of sand dunes in Peru, but we’ve never truly been into a desert as grand as the Sahara.
As mentioned yesterday, we drove to the Far East of Morocco, with the border of Algeria in sight. The skyline turned into dunes and dunes of sand, while we started to get accustomed to sand finding its way into all of our things. After our day of exploration, we were ready to trek into the desert to spend the night.
Arabian Camels
Our expedition into the desert was on one-humped camels, stronger and larger than their two-humped friends. They can go up to 14 days without water, using the fat stored in their hump for water when needed. Their flat leathery feet are perfect for climbing up and down sand dunes without slipping or sinking in.
We each climbed aboard our camels with our guide, Omar, leading us into the depths of the desert, somehow knowing where to go while everything looked the same to us.
We slowly trudged into the sunset, a little bit amazed at this surreal experience. The beauty of the sunset with the silence around us was pretty amazing. And, it’s not every day that you’re hanging out with your besties in the desert…
Arabian Nights
After enjoying the beautiful sunset, we eventually arrived at camp, which consisted of a tent for eating and a tent for sleeping.
Omar cooked up us a simple but delicious meal of soup and a tagine, and then we wandered into the dunes at night looking at the stars.
All was very peaceful, except for our discovery of all the desert critters. Turns out the Sahara desert is home to the Camel Spider, a scorpion/spider (literally) which runs at 16 km/h and is the size of a teacup. Other than avoiding this creature, the night was wonderful!
Practical Information: OVERNIGHT CAMEL TREK
We booked our camel trek through the hotel we were staying at “Maison Merzouga”. They made the booking process painfree and easy. They have their own camp in the desert with a specific guide and camels. The camp is well equipped and is able to house small or large groups.
Our trek left directly from the hotel and returned to the hotel which was very convenient. The guesthouse also allows you to store your things while you are gone and allows you to shower when you return and have breakfast the morning after the trek which was a very necessary part of the day. We would highly recommend this tour; more information here.
Thank you for sharing such a lovely article about Morocco! Pictures are just amazing.
Such a great article, thank you so much for sharing
thanke you so much for infro
That would be so much fun!!!
Thanks so much for sharing your exciting adventures, Sandra and Shane! I have had many chuckles reading about your adventures around the world. You are so fortunate to see the wonders of the Lord everywhere you travel. Blessings to you and your travelling companions. Love, Aunt Isabelle
Hey Aunt Isabelle,
Glad we could provide you with some chuckles and entertainment. Hope all is well back in Edmonton. Maybe we can see you soon and have a few chats about our travels!
shane.