Moroccan Desert Excursion

Tagounite, Morocco

Our Moroccan desert excursion just outside Tagounite was rather serendipitous. A CouchSurfing host we had contacted in Agadir was actually not on the coastal town, but in the Sahara with his family. Following the Moroccan hospitality we had encountered in Agadir, this host offered us a place to stay with his family in the small Sahara town of Tagounite. So, Mac and I hopped on our first (and easily our last) overnight bus in Morocco to this speck on the map, about an hour south of Zagora.

Can you spot the ‘Tajine Mountain’ in the distance?

We stayed two nights with our host and his family in his small village. But the highlight of our trip was the day and night we spent in the nearby desert. Our desert excursion coincided with Mac’s 29th birthday which made the time all the more special. We didn’t need to bring anything with us because the desert camps are fully equipped with water, food, and sleeping accommodations. We did however stop by a local shop to purchase a few pieces of clothing which would become integral to the rest of our time in Morocco.

Mac bought a traditional Northern African robe called a djellaba. Hand woven with a pointed hood, this robe attracts comments like, “heyyyyyy, nice djellaba!!!” literally everywhere we go. To my wardrobe, I added a shesh. This long indigo blue cotton scarf can be worn around the head to protect against those Saharan winds and sand storms. Fully equipped with our traditional Moroccan garb, into the desert we went!

Moroccan Desert Excursion | Dunes du Juif

Our camp was at the base of the Dunes du Juif. They are a tad smaller than the more commonly visited sand dunes in Merzouga (Erg Chebbi). However, we were certainly pleased with the amount of sand! The dunes stretched for ages into the horizon. The camp where we stayed was equipped with a main dining tent, a bathroom tent, and a number of smaller tents for the guests. Mac and I initially laughed when we saw the copious amounts of blankets on the mattress, but come night time we ended up wanting more!! Despite the warm, sunny days, it actually got quite chilly in the evening.

Sand Dune Boarding

We borrowed the camp’s snow-turned-sand board and headed up to the highest dune and tried our hand at sand boarding. The results were… well, less than ideal. There was a lot of hopping, and definitely not a lot of boarding. Ah well, the activity did make for some pretty rad pictures!

Tea in the Desert

It didn’t take us long in Morocco to learn that tea is a way of life in this country. ‘Moroccan Whiskey’ as it’s often joked, is a staple for any social engagement. So it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that we were treated to some classic sweet mint tea upon arrival in the desert. The outdoor tent structure was a perfect spot to lounge while soaking up the desert sun. In fact, Mac, myself, and our friend all had afternoon naps on the comfy cushions. Thankfully I had my shesh to prevent getting a sunburn!

Sunset Camel Ride

No desert excursion is complete without a camel ride, right? Well about an hour before sunset, that’s exactly what we did. Mac and I hauled ourselves up on these huge creatures and were then led in, around, and over top of the dunes by one of the young guys that worked at the camp. The setting sun over the dunes was incredibly picturesque (though the wobbling around on the camel prevented me from actually getting a decent photo!). We arrived back at camp just in time for a classic Moroccan feast – tajine, of course!

Endless Sky & Epic Sounds

We finished the evening learning new Moroccan card games, listening to traditional Berber music, and being amazed at the glowing stars in the expansive sky above. The Berber music we were treated to was made up of cool vocals and accompanied by drumming and hand cymbals called krakebs. I took a voice memo on my phone which you can play below! I also included a clip of traditional Tuareg music that we heard on the radio.

I’m so thankful to our host/friend for organizing our Moroccan desert excursion. Even though the desert camp was only a 45 minute drive from Tagounite, I loved that I still felt a world away from civilization. I’ve been to sand dunes before (in New Zealand, Chile, and on Gran Canaria) but the ones we climbed in the Moroccan desert were truly something special. In fact, I’m still finding grains of sand in my pants pockets!

Have you ever been to the desert? Would you ever go on a Moroccan Desert Excursion?

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