Travel Diary
This is the second post in this Morocco Travel Diary - Read the first post too - Travel Diary - Morocco - From Marrakech to Ouarzazate
This is a trip to Morocco, on a 7-day tour organized by Morocco.comfrom Marrakech to the Sahara Desert. Join me on this adventure in this Travel Diary!
Day 3 - Ouarzazate, Draa Valley, Erg Chebbi Dunes
The day started early in Ouarzazate, we heard the call to prayer, well... no, everyone but me did. I was so tired that I slept like a stone. I don't know if it was the tiredness or the bed, but I had the best night's sleep of the trip in Ouarzazate.
See you in Ouarzazate
At 8 a.m., after breakfast, we left behind our Riad (Riad Dar Rita), to which we will return the next day. And we start our journey towards the desert. Luggage is stored at the Riad. And we only take a small backpack, with the essentials for spend a night in the desert.
A Night in the Desert?
Yes, we're going to spend a night in a tent in the middle of the Sahara Desert (also known as the Merzouga Desert, the name of the nearest village). We're going to cross the Erg Chebbi Dunes on a caravan of camels (which are actually dromedaries) and watch a magnificent sunrise. But that's for later... for now we'll pass through the Draa Valley and the village of Merzouga.
Draa Valley
Arriving in the Draa Valley, we are at the gates of the Sahara Desert. Here the contrast in the landscape is fabulous. Between a green valley of palm trees and the arid, inhospitable mountains. The Draa Valley is bathed by the Draa River, the largest river in Morocco. After taking some photos and resting for a while, we're ready to continue our journey. The next stop is the village of Merzouga.
Merzouga
In Merzouga we visited a local market where you can find a bit of everything. And a market where donkeys are sold. We're already very close to the place where we're going to start crossing the desert. Expectations were high, and I don't think anyone paid much attention to the visit to the markets in Merzouga, such was the excitement about getting to the desert. We all looked like real children.
Café du Sud
We continue on to the place where we will prepare for the Desert. I know, it seems like we'll never get to the desert... We feel the same way! And the landscape doesn't deceive, we're in the Desert!!!
We arrived at Café Du Sud, and it's a real mirage, don't you believe it? If you look at the pictures, they don't do the place justice. "In situ, it's even more beautiful.
This video shows that it looks like a mirage in the middle of the desert 🙂
Here we prepare ourselves with the tissues that the Morocco.com we drank tea and ate nuts and rested for a while by the pool. Now we go in a caravan of jeeps to the point where the camels are waiting for us.
Dunes of Erg Chebbi
We have reached the Erg Chebbi Dunes, the largest set of dunes in Morocco. Now awaits us a crossing of about 1h30m by camel caravan (dromedaries). And we'll have the opportunity to watch a wonderful desert sunset while we're crossing the dunes. Imagine the scenery, it's simply one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.
Camel Riding
Riding a camel isn't easy, at least not in the Erg Chebbi Dunes. But is it worth it? Absolutely! Just look at the photos. I had ridden a camel in Egypt before, but it was a typical tourist ride. One ride and you're done.
It's not like that here. It's a journey that takes about 1.5 hours, always on a camel. No stops, wind (lots of it), sand (glasses are essential), cold and imagine going up and down the dunes. Which means that by the end of the trip you'll be tired. And the next day with a sore body.
The Camp!
For me it was a mirage in the middle of the desert 🙂 I had to make a joke! I had no idea that this would be the best dinner of the whole trip. And it's not that the other meals were bad, not at all, this one was spectacular.
And no one expected the tents to be real houses, with private bathrooms and hot water.
The Desert
The energy here is truly unique, I know it sounds like a "commonplace" to say this, but you have to be there. Everyone should go to the Desert at least once in their life. I had already been to the Desert when I was in Tunisia. But those who have never been should put Bucket List (The list of things to do before you die).
And as I often say, to understand the magic of the desert, you just have to be there.
Night in the Desert
After dinner it was time to sit around the campfire, and our hosts treated us to a music show. We were invited to join in and we all played and danced.
This video shows how relaxed everyone is 🙂 and since there's no wi-fi in the desert, no one is "clutching" their cell phone.
https://www.facebook.com/lovelylisbonner/videos/1626838727375401/
It's time for bed. Anyone who wants to see the sunrise tomorrow has to get up before 6am. And that's a sight I don't want to miss.
Has it come to an end?
But that's for the next post, the third and last in this Morocco Travel Diary. The next one will be "From the Erg Chebbi Dunes to Marrakech". We'll visit the Todra Gorges, the Atlas Film Studios and the Fint Oasis. And finally we're going back to Marrakech, to celebrate my birthday (with a special surprise), and to visit some of the city's most emblematic sites.
Did you enjoy the first three days? Then don't miss the rest of the trip and my adventure in Morocco.
See you at sunrise in the Erg Chebbi Dunes!
Don't forget that the tour doesn't include Stravel insuranceI always travel with travel insurance and this is one of the ways you can feel safe and confident during your trip. I always travel with travel insurance and this is one of the ways to feel safe and confident during your trips. If you usually travel without insurance or if you have any doubts about whether or not it's worth taking out travel insurance, be sure to read on this article on the importance of traveling with travel insurance. The Blog has a partnership with Heymondo Seguros, and it is with them that I always take out my travel insurance. And if you take out insurance with Heymondo Insurance through my Blog you get 5% discountJust click on the image.
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This is the first Travel Diary here on the Blog, and we're starting with this wonderful country, Morocco. As the travel diary is long, it's divided into 3 different posts.
- Morocco - From Marrakech to Ouarzazate
- Morocco - From Ouarzazate to the Erg Chebbi Dunes (East)
- Morocco - From the Erg Chebbi Dunes to Marrakech
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What an experience, people! Wow. Congratulations on the photos and the text. It's awesome!
Thanks Keul 🙂
I'm simply delighted! I can only imagine what an incredible experience that must have been! And this camp? What a dream! I loved it!
Hello, Maria,
It really was an incredible experience.
Happy travels
I miss Morocco, especially this part of the country. I loved it. I've also been to the Aubergue du Sud, but at the time I went it didn't yet have a pool!!! It wasn't that well known.
Morocco is always spectacular. 🙂
what a sensation!!! What an incredible trip. Every landscape is beautiful. Really, riding a dromedary for 1.5 hours can't be easy, but it's worth it. I loved the post! It brightened my day!
Thank you Adriana, I'm so glad you liked it. It really was a spectacular trip. 🙂
It was one of the most remarkable experiences of my life, sleeping in a desert, listening to nothing but silence, sleeping under the stars.
The photo of you with a scarf on your face looks like you're a camel-raiding bandit 😀
😀 A Big Kiss Martinha.
an incredible experience! i thought the bonfire scene and that coffee were amazing!
Very good indeed 🙂
Erg Chebbi is truly magical. It's right next door and yet it's so exotic and different. Now I miss it...
Hi Carla, it's the same with me, I miss you so much. Love and happy travels.
Wow, what an unforgettable trip you had! I'd love to visit Morocco, maybe one day 🙂
Hi Camila, yes, it's a different and very enriching experience. Love and happy travels.