Sahara Desert
An area of great natural beauty, mountain peaks intermittently broken by the colour of Berber Villages best explored by car, there is an abundance of unique accommodation creating stunning self drive holidays. A selection of hand picked kasbahs provide a choice of budgets, all unique and stunning with a warm welcome awaiting.
Sahara Desert holiday highlights
- The best way to experience the life of the Berbers and Touareg is to enjoy a camel trek into the desert for a night under the stars in bivouac style accommodation. Its certainly great fun and we’ve even included such a night in our all–encompassing Moroccan Highlights tour.
- To the south is the Drâa Valley, a sub Saharan Desert interrupted by the green date palm oases. The road from the desert towns of Erfoud to Zagora a four to five hour drive is a fascinating drive of high peaks, rivers of sand, gorges and Kasbahs.
- In spring the majesty of regional scenery is celebrated by many Berber festivals, while May brings many highlights including the harvest of 700 hundred tons of rose petals in El Kelaa des M’gouna (the valley of roses) to produce a rather ‘heady’ rosewater.
- The collection of Kasbahs at Ait Benhaddouis is the finest preserved in Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Featuring in the movies Jesus of Nazareth, The Last Temptation of Christ, and more recently the Mummy, the setting is simply awe inspiring. Overlooking a river facilitated by the residents for washing and drinking, this historical backdrop contrasts the modernity left behind in Marrakech.
- The Kasbah Trail is a magical journey, through palm groves and Kasbah filled oases. Driving north east of Ouarzazate the beautiful Dadès Valley, opens at the large oasis at Skoura. Traversing the natural boundary of the Atlas mountains and the Sahara this breathtaking route is amongst the most rewarding Morocco offers.
To get the best of the area we recommend hiring a car from Marrakech enjoying a good three to five nights in this wonderful part of Morocco.
