The Sahara Desert is Vast Enough to be an Ultimate Lifetime Goal, Crossed off a Bucket List
The Sahara Desert is the world’s largest hot desert and one of the most beautiful deserts. It covers more than 9 million square kilometers, making it a lifetime goal to cross off a bucket list, or an easy glamping adventure.
The Sahara is famous for its iconic experiences such as camel trekking in Morocco’s Erg Chebbi Dunes. You can also explore this vast and diverse ecosystem on foot or by quad bike, watching for wild animals like camels, gazelles, and jackals along the way. Or choose a luxury safari experience at Marrakech’s Royal Mirage Hotel & Spa where you can stay in a traditional Berber tent with all modern conveniences while admiring the views across greenery at sunset.
While we’re in the City of Marrakesh, We’re still in the Desert
While we’re in the city of Marrakesh, we’re still in the desert. It’s not something that you can easily forget.
The city is located in an oasis at the foot of the Atlas Mountains the mountain range separating northern Morocco from southern Algeria and Tunisia. The Sahara Desert surrounds Marrakesh except for where it meets up with the High Atlas Mountains to its west. As a result, you’ll find plenty of Berber heritage throughout this part of Morocco: they’ve been living here since before recorded history (and probably even before that).
The desert is an important part of Moroccan culture both historically and currently: its nomadic population still lives there because their livelihood depends on it; many Moroccans find spirituality in this vast expanse; children spend their days playing games or learning about nature; tourists come every year to see what it looks like and experience something new about their surroundings during their travels through North Africa!
The City of Marrakesh
After a day or two in the city of Marrakesh, we head toward the desert. As you drive out of town, signs for camel rides and Berber villages line your route. You pass through wide valleys and mountainous landscapes with views of distant mountains that seem to go on forever.
The main attraction here is Merzouga, an ancient town built around a small oasis. It’s a popular stop for travelers who want to see camels and ride them across dunes or photos with them against beautiful white backgrounds of sand and sky.
It’s also an easy place to spend some time overnight if you’re looking for something more adventurous than just taking pictures of camels alone in the Sahara Desert (though we recommend doing this too). There are many places where you can stay overnight nearby that offer everything from basic accommodations with shared bathrooms (and showers!) to more upscale options with private facilities such as hot tubs or swimming pools!
Our Hotel in Marrakesh
After an hour of driving through the desert, we arrive back at our hotel. It has been a long day, but it was one filled with adventure and laughter. Our driver is friendly and knowledgeable about his country’s history, customs, and traditions. He tells us about some of the most beautiful places in Morocco: cities like Fez and Marrakesh; national parks like Toubkal National Park; even small towns like Essaouira (which he describes as “very beautiful”).
The drive back to Marrakesh was comfortable thanks to AC running throughout the car and our driver made sure we were comfortable by offering us cold water from a mini-fridge in the back seat! There are also television screens that allow you to watch movies or listen to music during your journey home after a long day exploring the Moroccan Desert.”
Small Village of Tazenakht
We woke up early and were ready to go by 8:00 am. It was a short drive to the train station in Marrakech, where we met our guide and driver. They had already purchased tickets for us, so it was a simple matter of finding the platform and waiting for our train.
Our itinerary included two days in Tazenakht, which is approximately four hours south of Marrakech on a narrow-gauge train. It’s also home to several nearby Berber villages and a few small towns—all of which we explored together as one group during this leg of our journey (though you can opt to split off with only one or two other people if you prefer).
The ride itself took about three hours from Marrakech; when we arrived at our destination around 11:30 am, we went straight into lunch before heading out for some exploring!
Hotel in Marrakech
A few hours later, my friend and I arrive at our hotel in Marrakech.
The hotel is quieter than most a few guests filter between the lobby and their rooms. The receptionist directs us to our room, which is on the second floor of a building adjacent to the main one. The patio looks out over a courtyard full of large, beautiful plants. We settle in with glasses of wine and small plates of cheese and olives that were waiting for us on arrival. The room itself is simple but not lacking in any way; there’s plenty of space for two people to relax, sleep comfortably, and enjoy each other’s company without feeling crowded or cramped. As we explore further into town together later that evening, it feels like we could have been anywhere else in the world: from here it seems as though you could reach out your hand toward where someone else might be standing just across from your balcony railing or even farther away than that and touch them without ever leaving this spot where you stand now at all!
Camping in the Sahara Desert
The Sahara Desert is home to some of the most rugged and remote landscapes in the world. With no roads or established trails, it’s not easy to get around. But there’s a way to get an authentic desert experience without any complicated logistics: glamping!
Glamping glamorous camping is exactly what it sounds like: combining luxury with adventure. You can stay at one of Morocco’s many raids (luxury hotels) that double as campsites for overnight guests, but for those who want a more rustic experience, there are plenty of other options too.
One option is sleeping under the stars in your tent or camper van at one of Casablanca’s many campgrounds or even on top of one! We stayed at Camping Le Dunes du Grand Erg Oriental Rachis Benchmark outside Marrakech; we were surrounded by red dunes and palm trees on all sides. The only downside was that there were no showers; however, we could still shower at our hotel when needed by taking advantage of their free Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities (who doesn’t love free Wi-Fi?).
