Into the desert – Morocco

It was like a scene from an old movie. Riding camels along the dune field at sunset. This was the reason I came to Morocco.

For many years, I dreamed of coming to Morocco. There has always been an exotic allure to the country for me. No part of Morocco had captured my imagination more than the Sahara desert.

A week into our Morocco highlights tour, we made our way to the southeast corner of Morocco to the great dune fields of Saharahara. There is no other way to explore this unique part of the world other than by Moroccan 4×4, the camel.

Graceful animals they are not, but nothing else is more equipped for the journey than the camel. Just getting on is a trip. We mounted our camels in the traditional style, while they were laying down.

As soon as your legs are over the camels are given the signal to stand up. The call to stand was also our indicator to hold on tight. First the front legs of the camel come up, and we are flung backward nearly over the saddle. This is quickly followed by the back legs, sitting us back into the riding position.

After a few kilometers into the dune field, we rested the camels and watched the sun sink into the sand. The sunset over the dune was worth the entire trip to Morocco alone. Pinks and blues swirled over the the tan sands of the Sahara. After the sun had made its way far below the horizon, we made our way to camp for the evening.

We slept in tents under the stars and moon as they have in this region for centuries. Berber tents made of thick woven material were our homes in the sand.

Before bed, we ate dinner, a meal cooked in the clay pot tajine by our guides turned chefs for the evening. The night had a feeling of being a million miles from anything. The feeling of being somewhere truly far away.

After 45 countries that feeling is rare. Very Rare.