In this article, you will find out more about Sahara in the Morocco part - Merzouga!
Find out how to get there, the best camps and other things to see and do in Sahara!
The Sahara experience is something any true traveller needs to do in their lives at least once. Why? You will see the most beautiful sky full of stars and even the Milky Way as you are in the middle of nowhere. You meet a completely new culture of nomads, people that travel from place to place and never settle. You feel the real desert sand under your feet while hiking around dunes with nothing around you besides beautiful scenery and an unforgettable sunset. The desert is magical, like no other place.
How to get there?
Things to do in Sahara
Best place to stay at
Video
How to get there?
Firstly you need to get to one of the big cities of Morocco. I chose Fes as my starting point but you will have options to get there from Marrakesh, Tangier and other cities too.
You have 3 options then. Either way, it will take at least 9 hours to get there. You can take a bus but it will only take you to Merzouga town. To your specific camp, you will need to organize a private transfer anyway (unless your camp/hotel offers it). You can rent a car and go there yourself. Just make sure you rent a 4x4 jeep as the final part of the trip will be actually going through the dunes to get to your camp. Or you can go with one of the agencies, they usually offer then full service: transfer, accommodation and activities in Sahara. In every big city, you will find many companies offering these tours so you can leave planning to the last moment and just go with the agency you prefer.
I used www.moroccotripssahara.com and I was very pleased. They picked us up in Fes by 4x4 jeep, took us to the camp, which was a 9h drive including stops at the most iconic places, booked the camp for us, made sure our trip is smooth and ran without any problems.
Things to do in Sahara
The first most magnificent thing that I experienced in Sahara was star watching. I never had seen so many stars so clear, even more, I saw the Milky Way and different constellations. It was just an indescribable experience, something you need to see for yourself. The best part is that you can experince it completely for free.
It can get very cold at night, so before you settle in your star watching spot, make sure you have a warm blanket with you or an appropriate outfit.
Quading through the dunes of the Sahara desert was absolutely the most fun thing we did there. I love action, racing, extreme sports and beautiful views so this was an ideal activity for me. It was so so so much fun! The guide who drove in front of us took us to amazing viewpoints while driving through exciting tracks and even took loads of videos of us while driving! I won't highlight one, as there are several quad companies on the main road that you can choose from. You can always ask for specific recommendations in your hotel.
A very special experience was to meet the local people of the Sahara - Berbers. There are two types of them, the ones that stay in one place and nomads, people who travel from place to place all their life. It was lovely to be welcomed in their family and home and see how they live. We learned a lot about them and life in Sahara throughout the trip. It is so unique to learn how different people can live all over the world.
Best place to stay at
Whilst doing the Sahara trip you definitely need to stay in a camp! Starting from very basic options to glamping on the next level you will definitely have options to choose from!
We stayed in a very beautiful camp with local food and music in the evening which was organised by the tour agency mentioned above.
There are also different level hotels but they are on the side of the dunes. If you want to stay in the actual desert between dunes then I better advise choosing a camp.
Here are some of the options: