Last Updated on July 21, 2019 by PowersToTravel
We conversed with Sun Trails and decided to up our level for one night from “Dreamers” to “Divine” to stay in a luxury tent in the Sahara. Actually I am not certain about the exact cost of that night, since we paid for the trip as a whole, however I believe the price was about $400. So, for that much money we had very high expectations.
However nature had other plans for us. We were visiting Morocco in early May. We understood that the end of May is the end of the Sahara season. But we figured we would slip in, just before the end, just before it got too hot. However, this past May an extreme heat wave engulfed Morocco and we arrived near the end of the heat wave. We had not noticed the over 100 degree Fahrenheit heat while in Fes, as we were embraced by the cool adobe walls of the medina.
It was planned that we would arrive by SUV in Merzouga near the end of the day, rest for a hour or so poolside at a hotel, and then take to our camels for our ride to the desert camp at Erg Chebbi.
Riding Camels in the Sahara
All went to according to plan. We arrived at the hotel, one of many lined up along the dunes, and waited poolside for the heat to abate. (Note, when one is fully dressed, and about to go for a camelride, waiting poolside just seems strange. We did have a soda under an awning, but seeing the beautiful cool water that we could not enjoy was actually frustrating!) We hopped into our SUV and then surprisingly had to drive about 45 minutes across country, not across dunes, but across hard packed volcanic dust. We arrived at the end of the road to find our camel driver waiting patiently for us, with four camels for the two of us.
Gestures and a little French resulted in Greg being designated the first to mount his ship of the desert. “Hang on tight!” he told me as I mounted mine. My camel was named “Jimi Hendrix.” We couldn’t understand the name of Greg’s camel. Up the camel rose, first on his back legs, so I tilted precariously forward, then up on his front, and I leveled off. Away we went.
Our camels were well mannered. I was so happy that they were well behaved, since so many people had told us that camels spit. The 3rd camel, behind Greg, kept coming forward to nuzzle his leg. They smiled at us throughout our quiet stroll through the desert.
I had so worried about the heat, but our guides had been well informed, and our 30 minute camel ride was very pleasant. Part-way through the trip, Greg called out to our guide that part of his “T” handle was loose. The young camel guide smiled, shook his head, and we continued on. Suddenly Greg yelled, “It’s completely fallen off!” Our driver came back, looked at the broken handle, which now resembled a stake aimed at Greg’s heart. He gestured to Greg to dismount, and indicated Greg would ride the third camel. However, in order to dismount, the camel needed to first fold down on his front legs, which meant that Greg precariously swayed over the spike, and then finally leveled off. It was a moment of real fear.
Now mounted on a new camel, whose name was also unintelligible, we continued safely along. We arrived at the top of a dune above our camp. The camels then slid and swayed down the moving sands all the way to the bottom. I hung on for dear life, and we surprisingly arrived on level sand, my camel looking as if he does it all the time, as I’m sure he does.
I know that I could have ridden a camel elsewhere in Morocco, but to experience a camel on the Sahara, alone except for my husband, the camels and the guide, with no view of civilization, was an experience of a lifetime.
We arrived at the large camp to find ourselves the only guests for the night. Five guest tents and two dining tents were staked out in a rectangle. The sand around the tents, and in the central area, was covered with Moroccan carpets. The tents were white, with black embroidery. An outdoor seating area of a low table with cushions surrounding it awaited us, and a staff member quickly served us the traditional mint tea. As I settled into my cushion I watched as Jimi Hendrix and his pals were led away by our camel guide.
I also saw our SUV resting on the sand, a short distance from our camp. So! We had followed a semi-circular path and arrived back close to the edge of the dunes! Tomorrow would show us how our camels were the better Sahara vehicles.
Night in the Desert Tented Camp
We relaxed in our tent, and wandered around taking pictures, and soon it was dark, and dinner was presented. We ate in the dining tent, and that was a mistake, as it was very hot inside. The flies were so numerous that they made a racket at they threw themselves at the metal light fixtures. Dinner was chicken and rice. I felt embarrassed that we did not eat more, as we were the only guests, and it was painfully clear exactly how much we ate.
The staff were clearly a family that lived in a small dwelling over the hill from the guest camp, and they all came out for music around the fire. I was presented with traditional metal clackers and expected to participate. (I who have no rhythm!) It was a friendly, relaxing time.
We had dreamed of our night in the Sahara, when we would look up and see the Milky Way. Unfortunately, clouds covered the sky and we sadly turned in.
The torture began. I had seen some large scarab beetles bustling across the center carpets earlier, and that thought, combined with the memory of the flies crackling into the lights at dinner, caused me to zip the tent up tight. The heat from the day had not dissipated from the tent. Our tent was linked to a toilet/shower room, so we did not have to leave the tent for the necessities. The only openings in the tent were two small screened windows, which were not even positioned for cross ventilation.
I lay on my back in the heat, not even willing to move a finger for fear of generating a sweat which would then engulf me. Occasionally I checked the time on my pump. At about 4am I considered getting up to check for a clear sky. If I moved, then I would be drenched in sweat. If I didn’t move, I might miss the view of a lifetime. Finally I moved, and Greg and I both staggered from the tent. The sky was somewhat clear, however the stars did not appear to be much brighter than they do at home in Rhode Island. There must have been some low-level clouds or mist above us.
We heard a rustling, and noticed that several of the staff were sleeping on the carpets, under the stars, over by the dining tent. I envied them their cool night, but our flashlight once again caught a scarab beetle scuttling away, and eventually I willingly returned to our tent.
We must have slept just a little, and we woke up prior to dawn. We climbed the dune in front of the camp, in order to watch the dawn. We struggled up the sand, climbing only about 20 feet, when I gave up, and began to walk on the level, to walk around the dune. That was much more successful, and we finally saw the sunrise.
The funny thing is that I can’t even remember breakfast.
Camels are better than SUVs in the Desert
Oualid loaded us and our luggage in the SUV, and started the engine and hit the gas. The wheels spun. The wheels spun and spun. I’m very familiar with ice conditions in New England, however sand conditions are fascinating. At home, sand is thrown under the wheels to provide traction. Not so here! Oualid and the staff struggled for a good half-hour trying to get the wheels going. Finally the vehicle was in motion, and Oualid quickly drove 500 yards away to an area of harder sand. We walked to our vehicle, once again, got settled in, and off we went.
Well, once again the wheels spun, and he hit the gas. The vehicle slowly slid down the side of a dune, and I envisioned us stranded forever in this bowl of sand. Oualid yanked the wheel hard to the left, and instead of sliding down sideways, we suddenly dove directly at the bottom of the bowl, and with that momentum, we flew across the bottom, and up the opposite side. We scrabbled up the side and then flew up and suddenly were moving, moving, moving.
Related Links
Sun Trails travel agency I cannot recommend them more highly. We followed the 12-day Moroccan Desert tour from “Casablanca – Fes – Erg Chebbi – Marrakech – Essaouira ” itinerary they presented on their web site and it was nicely paced, full of interest and the dreamer level offered us very nice traditional riads, kasbahs, and inns, all with private facilities and excellent beds. Here is my full review of Sun Trails.
Check out this article of mine too:
Morocco Travel Blog – Itinerary, Reviews and Diabetic Travel Tips
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We had spent the previous night in Azrou, an hour south of Fes, and then spent the entire day driving south, south, south to the Sahara. It was a fascinating drive as we crossed the mid-Atlas mountains, and as the terrain became drier and drier. The towns along the way were real towns, not tiny villages, and we had plenty of opportunity to get food and drink. We saw sheep herders, even a camel/horse caravan. The views from the mountain passes were tremendous. If you are considering this itinerary, do choose it.
