Summary: There are occasions when you should embrace typical tourist activities, even if they are popular. Our camel excursion in the Western Sahara Desert was one of these instances. The journey from Fes to Erg Chebbi, the closest point to the Western Sahara, was quite lengthy. One might question whether it was all worthwhile. The response is a resounding yes. Before our camel ride, we had tea with a local tribe, learned about the local water system, and enjoyed music from a group of Gnaoua musicians.
[This blog is part of a 10-days in Morocco Trip].
Erg Chebbi. An erg is a sand sea that generally occurs downwind of a large area of dry, desert. Erg Chebbi sits on the western edge of the Sahara desert and is one of many ergs in Morocco. Our tour guide company was one of several companies with luxury camps in and among the dunes. Each "camper" family is given a tent with full sized beds and bathrooms with flushing toilets, so it's not exactly roughing-it. However, with the generous spacing among the camps, it feels private in these vast dunes. The camp itself has a central tent where visitors enjoy breakfast and dinner. At night, the camp comes alive with live music around the fire pit.
Morning. We woke up early from our tents to walk up above the dunes to see our surroundings after arriving after dark the night before.
"Surfing." While waiting for breakfast, we had a little fun "surfing' on the dunes.
Tea with Nomad Families. After breakfast, we headed out with our tour guide with a borrowed car (ours was getting repaired after a previous night's mishap). The first stop was to meet a local nomadic family for some tea. Though somewhat tied to the local tourism industry, the tribes still live in non-permanent housing. Tourist are invited to learn how to pour a proper Berber cup of tea and learn how the tribes live this desert nomadic lifestyle.
Mineral Mines. In the middle of this desert area are mineral mines, as well as this Silver mine we stopped to see.
Music with Gnaoua. Next we stopped to enjoy a performance from a local ethnic Gnaoua tribe. Originally brought to Morocco as slaves from the West African Sahel, the Gnaoua practice both Islam and pre-Islamic African folk traditions.
Desert Oasis. Lunch was at a restaurant with popular Moroccan dishes such as Tagine and B’stilla. Clearly intended to serve only the tour guide companies passing through this remote area, the restaurant was nevertheless a pleasant experience. After lunch we walked through a local oasis consisting of a complex system of underground caves that funnel water through the valley and pop up to the surface for locals to use for gardening and supplying their households with water.
Sunset Camel Ride. Dromedaries (single hump camels), are the type of camels found in Morocco and in use for this popular tourist activity. Yes, yes, everyone does it, so should you too? Absolutely! We had a blast!
The ride started with a handler providing each of us a camel suited for our height and weight. The handler then walked on foot along our group of four, across the erg and eventually leading directly to our desert camp. But first, we spent time out on the dunes with these funny, slow-going creatures.
Just before sunset, we took a break for some photos among the dunes and colorful sky.
While definitely a touristy thing to do, this camel ride was one of the highlights of the trip. The dunes are breathtaking and there's nothing quite like experiencing them on a camel, just like the locals have for centuries before us.
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