The Atlas Mountains & Camping in the Sahara Desert
/A trip through the Atlas Mountains to spend the night in the Sahara desert is a “must do” for time spent in Marrakesh. Since we were lazing around, we got around to booking our trip just the day prior to leaving. We woke up at 6:00 for our 7:30 departure time, and were completely unsure of what to expect. The trip leader, MoMo, emailed us that all we needed to bring was our sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, and “personal luggage.” Since we knew we’d be camping in the desert we figured that a change of clothes and some deodorant was really all that was needed for the trip.
Our guide Rashid arrived at 7:30 in an SUV with another couple already inside—Leigh and Dana. They’re from the UK and were excellent companions on the journey. We didn’t know anything about our itinerary, and I was surprised when Leigh told me that we were about to embark on a seven-hour drive through the Atlas Mountains! Eeep!
We stopped frequently to take in panoramas of the gorgeous, dry desert mountains. The rapid and varied change in geography made me miss my big brother, Justin. Rashid explained that we would first pass through the High Atlas Mountains, which was a result of pressure on the tectonic plates, and then the Old Atlas, which was the result of volcanic activity. (Sorry if I got that wrong, bro!)
We passed through many towns of homes entirely built of mud and straw. Rashid explained that the people there enjoy living simple lives. They have no need for material things, and instead focus on enjoying life with their family. They subsist almost entirely on the land. Soon we stopped at Telouet, which was a small town with a massive palace. It looked like it was falling down from the outside, and I was pretty doubtful I was going to enjoy myself. But once inside, we were blown away. It was incredibly cool, which was welcome after the heat of the day. The mosaics, plaster carvings, and other decorations were as impressive (maybe more impressive) than the ones we saw in Marrakesh, and were made more enjoyable because there was not a single other person visiting the palace.
Next, we stopped at Ouarzazate, a town just south of the High Atlas and before the Old Atlas. This town is famous! It’s the filming location for many famous movies and TV shows, including Gladiator and Game of Thrones. We nearly died hiking up the hill in the 100+ degree heat, and were delighted to have lunch after the hike. Tagine is delicious! I purchased some pants to wear under my dress for the camel ride, since I didn’t have anything cool enough in my suitcase.
We had another long drive through the Old Atlas Mountains to the town of Zagora, where we stocked up on water before driving into the desert. Rashid stopped after a while near some camels hanging out near the side of the road. The four of us laughed and laughed as one-by-one, we got on our camels and they stood up. Ahmed was our camel guide, and he led us through the desert on our camels toward the camp. We stopped just prior to the camp and Ahmed lay down on the ground and told us to climb to the top of a massive dune nearby to watch the sunset. As you can see by the photos below, it was wonderfully picturesque.
We arrived at camp, which had many more amenities than we had thought! There were even showers!! We each had little tarp huts with beds. Unfortunately, they were at least 100 degrees inside. We sat in a circle and listened as the men who ran the camp played traditional instruments, and drank sugary Moroccan tea. After a while, a few more guests arrived. Most of them were about 15 years old, and a nice French man came over and told us that he ran a charity that awarded high performers in the Moroccan schools with a trip into the desert. The kids were psyched to be there, and sang and danced loudly to the traditional songs until well into the night.
Since it was so painfully hot, I did not really sleep that night. Later, we found out that we were some of the only people who actually slept in their hut. Everyone else passed out under the stars! I’m slightly sad that we did not know that was okay, but it was still a wonderful experience.
The next day we drove 7 hours straight home….or rather, to our hotel.
