Ride A Camel Into The Desert
Ticked off in July 2009
Ride out at sunset into Morocco's tallest dunes, sleep in a desert camp and climb a sand ridge for sunrise.
The adventure
The road from Marrakech climbs over the High Atlas, drops through kasbah country and runs out somewhere past Rissani. Then the dunes of Erg Chebbi appear, apricot-coloured waves rising up to around 150 metres from a flat, stony plain, and a line of dromedaries is kneeling in the sand waiting for you.
The ride is slow and rolling, and you quickly learn to lean back as your camel lurches to its feet. The light softens as you go, shadows stretch across the ridges and the sand turns from gold to deep orange to violet. At camp there's tagine, mint tea and drumming around the fire, but the real show starts when you walk away from the lanterns. With no towns for miles, the Milky Way is bright enough to light the dunes. Set an alarm, scramble up the nearest ridge before dawn and watch the sun come up over the Algerian border.
Almost every camel you'll ride is a one-humped dromedary, which make up around 94 per cent of the world's camels. The two-humped Bactrians live in Central Asia, and the truly wild Bactrian camel is critically endangered.
Why it’s epic
- Erg Chebbi's dunes rise to around 150 metres, among the highest in Morocco.
- A sunset ride out and a sunrise climb, with the sand changing colour by the minute.
- A night in a Berber-style camp with tagine, a fire and a sky full of stars.
- Erg Chigaga, beyond M'Hamid, is wilder and quieter, reached by 4x4 or a multi-day trek.
What it is
Riding a camel into the dunes and sleeping at a desert camp is a classic Sahara experience.
How to do it
In Morocco, travel to Merzouga for Erg Chebbi or M'Hamid for Erg Chigaga and book a camel trek with a night in a camp.
Top tip
Bring a scarf for sand and sun, and warm layers for the night.
Need to know
- Merzouga is a long day's drive from Marrakech or Fès, so most tours take three days with the camel ride and camp night in the middle.
- Desert nights can be close to freezing from December to February, and summer days are fiercely hot, so spring and autumn are most comfortable.
- British passport holders don't need a visa for Morocco for tourist stays of up to 90 days.
- Choose operators who look after their camels well; an hour or two in the saddle is plenty for most people.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £750 to £2,000 per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- 1 to 2 days
- Best time to go
- October to April
- Fly into
- RAK airport
Group tours from Marrakech are good value; private trips and luxury desert camps cost considerably more.
Do it yourself
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My experience
Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.
Over to you
Is “Ride A Camel Into The Desert” on your bucket list, or have you already done it? Tell me in the comments, and if you've got a question about it, ask away and I'll answer.