Exotic Morocco – The Sahara

Our camel ride into the Moroccan Sahara –

Cathy and I rode camels into our Sahara Desert campsite.  Contrary to the lore of nasty tempered camels, ours were very friendly and docile.  However we discovered that going downhill, camels do not flex their legs so each step is a pile driver up your spine.  We ended up walking part of the way, much to the amusement of our nomad guide.  It was also very important to him that I dress the part.

Two Berbers

Sahara Sunset,  Sahara Sunrise –

Cathy and I headed into the dunes as the sun set.   The colours and shadows were spectacular.  Early the next morning we scrambled to the top of a 200 foot high dune to watch the sunrise.  A white dog joined us from a neighboring nomad camp.  ‘Nomad dog’ loved Cathy and really did not want her to leave.

Glamour camping in the Sahara  –

Our  tent camp was like a hotel with very thin walls.  And the food was great.  It was a huge step up from our typical canoe camping.  Once the sun set, it got cold and so we alternated between sitting by the bonfire and walking off a bit to watch the stars.

a warm bed in the camel hair tent on a cold night

Tour Background –

Our 10 day Morocco Private Tour took Cathy and I from Casablanca east and  then south across the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara Desert at the border with Algeria, and finally back west to Marrakesh.

Cathy and I engaged with Trips to Morocco, a Berber family company, for our private tour of Morocco.  I gave them 5 stars on Trip Advisor .  We traveled as a group of 4 – Cathy, me, our driver and our guide.  In the major cities, we also had a local guide take us through the markets and see the sights.  Our vehicle was a Toyota Landcruiser which was very competent and comfortable.  This allowed us maximum flexibility to get off the beaten path.  The price point was about the same as other companies’ group tours.

To get to Morocco, we took a direct Royal Air Maroc flight from Montreal to Casablanca.  For our return, we flew to Lisbon, Portugal, and then spent a leisurely 12 day trans Atlantic crossing to Miami on the Crystal Serenity  Crystal Cruises

Morocco Blog Series –

This is the first of 3 blogs over the next few weeks.  Stay tuned to see more about the people and places of Morocco.