overnight camping & camel trekking in the sahara desert (erg chebbi)

In February 2014, Sazy Rock and I spent two wondrous days camel trekking and two fun nights camping in Berber tents in Erg Chebbi, Sahara Desert.

Transportation
We took an 10-hr overnight Supratours direct bus from Fes to Merzouga, a little desert hamlet that is the gateway to Erg Chebbi (one of two giant sand dunes located on the Moroccan side of the Sahara Desert). The bus left at 8:45pm (although original departure time was supposed to be 9pm).  Bus was a typical "luxury" travel coach with reclining seats and a/c. We had seats just behind the driver and between the blaring radio and headlights from on-coming traffic, it was difficult to get any rest. In the middle of the night, there's a "lunch" break of 45 minutes. Even though it was 2am, the bus stop had an open restaurant and clean restrooms for use.

We arrived early around 5:00am, 2 hours ahead of schedule.  Somehow, the owner of the auberge Le Petite Prince (the overnight camping/camel trekking outfit we hired) was aware of this fact and came out to collect us at the bus stop. If he hadn't come, we would have had no way to get in touch via phone (had no phone number nor access to a phone) or a way to find it on our own with an address!

Other tourists arrive at Merzouga via rental car or taxi service. For the length of the drive, it really is best to take the Supratours bus. It is economical, efficient, convenient and clean.

3 Days in the Desert

The main drag of Merzouga is about 10 minute walking distance from Le Petite Prince; the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi abut the auberge's parking lot.  Many overnight camping/camel trekking outfits have lodges in Merzouga as home base for their guests before leading out into the desert.

We chose Le Petite Prince, operated by five Berber brothers, that Sazy Rock found online for our camping and camel trekking excursion. Although they are not affiliated with hostelbookers.com or a similar booking site, they were very responsive to email inquires - and we emailed repeatedly due to changes in our schedule- and well reviewed on TripAdvisor.

Day 1
After arriving at 5:00am, we were given a complementary room for rest. The room was clean, had double beds and private bathroom.  We slept until noon. Upon awakening, we were served a simple continental breakfast. We rested and explored what little there was to see in Merzouga until 4:30pm when our overnight camping excursion was to begin. We were led out with about 20 other campers. Our personal guide was a very friendly Berber ployglot (he speaks 7 languages!) named Ibrahim. Each subgroup had its own personal guide. Ibrahim fashioned desert turbans out of our scarves before leading us out to our camels- Jimmy (Hendrix) and Bob (Marley)- to being our adventure.

Ibrahim & Sazy Rock

The first leg of the camel trek was at a leisurely pace for 30 minutes. Our guide would stop to take pictures of us perched on our camels at scenic spots and generally attentive to our needs and wants.

After arriving at the small Berber tent camp operated by Le Petite Prince, we were led up a nearby giant sand dune to watch the breathtaking sunset. While taking in the vista, I got to sample in some sand-surfing as well. The salmon pink colored sand was clean and cool - not hot- but soft, which made trekking uphill difficult for some, i.e. me and an elderly German gentleman. But the effort was worth the reward afforded by the magnificent view.

After the sunset, we gathered back in the communal tent for dinner of chicken tajine, salad and bread via candlelight. For desert cooking, it was pretty good.

After dinner, all the guides gathered around the fire pit and began the musical entertainment. Sounds of traditional Berber instruments and singing filled the night.

Star gazing followed next. Our guide took us to a remote spot hidden from the camp light and others to educate us on the most incredible display of constellation I had ever witnessed. I was always told North Star (Polaris) was the brightest star but apparently it isn't so in northern Africa; Jupiter was larger and brighter. We would have loved to stay out longer but it was cold- 40's F. Unfortunately, my attempts to capture the spectacular night sky failed miserably without a tripod (which I forgot and left back at the auberge).

The sleeping tent had an interesting arrangement. Basically L shaped and covered in carpet, each "room" had it's own opening and separated by hanging carpet dividers. The bedding was a padded mattress and we were given four blankets each. Surprisingly, the compact quarters with four layers of blanket kept us cozy and warm. We slept well, until the Arabic couple in the next room started fighting around 5am. I think the husband misplaced his iPhone after using that as his flashlight to go to the bathroom (outside anywhere in the sand). They would not shut up and the more we shushed them, the louder they got. The yelling didn't cease until we all had to get up for the sunrise at 6am. The rest of the camp, excluding us, promptly left at 6:30am to head back to the auberge where many would have breakfast, shower and rest before departing the desert.

Day 2
Unlike most tourists, Sazy Rock and I had chosen to do a two day trek. We had a leisurely continental breakfast and started an all day camel trek deeper into the desert. After an hour or so of riding, we escaped the salmon pink colored sand and wandered onto a hammada, desert landscape of dry flat bedrock surface littered with rock sediments and fossil stretching all the way to Algeria (or at least it seems to the naked eye).

We took a siesta for about 4 hours, avoiding most of the hot afternoon heat, in an abandoned Berber village made of adobe buildings.

Another hour and a half of camel riding brought us back onto the sand dunes and to an oasis further away from civilization. There were several camps around this oasis- real water spot surrounded by palm trees- where many travelers arrived via camel, 4WD or even on foot!

Late afternoon activities consisted of more sand surfing and then sunset gazing. Unlike the first night, no lights from Merzouga were visible from this more remote second campsite.

palm trees grow at oasis in the shadow of giant sand dune

With different mix of travelers and guides at this camp, there was lively conversation among the campers as we again shared a dinner of chicken tajine, entertainment of music and stories. Bottle of contraband liquor brought in by some Lithuanians and liberally shared also helped fuel the night's revelry.

Day 3

We were up by 6am to watch our second sunrise in the desert. We packed up and trekked back for an hour to the auberge.

We booked an extra night stay at the auberge since our bus to Ouarzazate wasn't set to depart until 8am next morning (we chose not to leave at 8am that morning). We gratefully made use of the private bathroom and join others for breakfast. We spent the day at rest, lunched in town and did laundry. WiFi signal next to staff quarters made it possible to check emails even in the middle of the desert.

Sunset over Merzouga was spectacular from the auberge's rooftop. The moving colors of rich red/orange and blue/lavender was magical to witness. I actually enjoyed the in-town sunset more than the ones viewed in the desert. The former was more saturated in color and lasted at least a hour longer compared to the quickly disappearing orange sun and sky in the desert.

For dinner, we made a special request for couscous with chicken. Zaid, one of the Berber brothers, also tried to teach us some Berber words which we failed miserably to master.

couscous with chicken

COSTS:

• Supratours- 180MAD; checked luggage 5MAD.
• Le Petite Prince- 300MAD/nite pp for camping/trekking; 200MAD/nite for double occ at auberge stay; camping includes all meals, auberge includes breakfast and dinner only. 

TIPS:

• Book Supratours at the train station if you can and in advance. In Fes, the Supratour offices' computers were down 2 days in a row and we wasted hours waiting until finally someone mentioned that we go across the street to the train station to complete the purchase.
• Although tickets have seat assignments, no one seems to honor them on the bus; grab ones in the middle on the right side of the bus next to a window.
• Have 5MAD coins to tip bathroom attendants. The restrooms tend to be clean and typically are western style and not the squatting-kind.
• Be warned about the bathroom situation in the desert: there is none! Be prepared to dig a hole and bring tissues. Using an umbrella as a shield helps to provide some privacy.
• Bring loose fitting long sleeve shirts and pants- the desert sun and sand can cause a lot of damage to exposed skin.
• Have cash (USD, MAD or Euro)- credit card machine may not work- and ATM is in the next village to pay for the excursion.
• Rocking back and forth with the camel's gait will make the ride more bearable. Although easier than horseback riding due to camel's wider back, you will still have saddle soreness.
• Go when the temperature is "mild." The sun from May to September can cause sand to reach scorching 120F! In February when we went, the temperature was pleasant 80F.

If you've had a desert adventure, please share your story!