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Home » Travel

Glamping in the Sahara Desert Part 2

Published: May 9, 2017 · Modified: Apr 15, 2018 by Kit · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

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Glamping in the Sahara Desert is one of the most memorable travel experiences of my life. We went deep into the desert at stayed at a luxurious camp comprised of 10 tents. There were plenty of activities to keep us busy - here is what we did while we were glamping in the Sahara Desert:

Glamping in the Sahara Desert:

Last week I started to tell you about the luxury desert camp that I stayed at in the Sahara Desert in Morocco. It was one of the most incredible travel experiences of my life. Today I am going to tell you about all of the activities that kept us busy in the desert. Surprisingly, there is a lot to do in the middle of nowhere.

I was a little worried that there wouldn't be much to do out in the desert, but I was wrong. We rode camels, went hiking, ate like kings, and ended the days sipping wine by the bonfire.

The food at the camp was great. For breakfast, we ate traditional Moroccan pancakes served plain with lots of toppings on the side. For lunch, we had salads, kebabs, and rice. And at dinner, we had several different tagines.

I don't know how they were able to produce such beautiful meals in the desert - hours away from the nearest town, but I looked forward to each meal.

The desert camping experience showed us the beauty of the desert. The guides knew the ideal spots for hiking and watching the sunset. It was clear that a lot of thought went into the location of the camp, placing it in an area with some of the most impressive sand dunes.

Glamping in the Sahara Desert - what you need to know before you go

It is easy to think that the desert is all sand dunes – but it isn’t! Much of the desert is flat with small rocks or brush. Some parts have giant rock formations that reminded me of Utah. It’s the massive sand dunes that make the Sahara unique, and the Erg Chicaga Luxury Desert Camp is right in the middle of them.

We arrived at around 5pm on our first night and after we settled in we joined our guides and fellow campers for a brief hike up to the top of a sand dune to watch the sunset.

While the sun was setting, the guides set up a lounge area where we could enjoy beer, wine, and snacks. Once we made out way down the sand dunes we got to mingle with the other camp guests at the improvised bar.

You meet a very specific type of traveler when you venture hours away from running water and electricity. There were 5 other guests staying at the camp and they were also avid travelers. Hearing about where they have traveled added to the experience.

The guides at the camp all grew up in the desert. Not only did they know the desert like the back of their hands, they had so much pride for the desert. Most importantly the guides were incredibly kind genuinely hilarious.

The guides kept us on our toes in the best way possible. They joked about pushing the SUV holding my mother over a sand dune. At one point another camp guest landed on his tailbone while sandboarding, and he dramatically and jokingly rolled around in the sand. One of the guides responded by running over to him while making an ambulance noise. (He recovered from the injury but it discouraged us from sandboarding).

One night all of the guides joined us at the bonfire and brought out drums and other percussion instruments and sang and played for us. After a while asked us to play to take the drums and play an American song... not realizing that it wasn't remotely possible. We jokingly said that we would sing Hotel California for them and Souky sang an improvised Hotel Sahara instead.

  

One thing that amazed us is that many of the guides had never been to a city. When my sister said she was from New York our camel guide earnestly asked how many camels we had there. It was at that point that Kelly realized that we should show them photos of the cities we live in. They were surprised when we shared photos of New York and Chicago on our phones. They also said that they wouldn’t like it there, they love being in the desert.

The guides also helped make sure we made the most of our time in the Sahara. They arranged camel rides, played bocce ball with my Mom (she loved it), took us for hikes, and performed music for us at night.

(Fun fact, there is about a pound of sand in my hair here).

On our second night we ventured to a big sand dune away from the camp to watch the sunset. Kelly and I hiked most of the way with Bashir, and our driver, Abdoul, drove our Mom out to meet us. The driver got Mom out to the sand dune, but Mom still had to go up it, and it was steep. At the steepest point, Bashir took off his turban and used it as a rope to help pull Mom up the sand dune.

The men in the desert use their turbans as important tools. They keep the sand out of their eyes, nose, and mouths. They can use some of the excess fabric to wrap up and carry firewood. Sometimes there is no rope to tie to their bucket at the well, so they use the turban fabric instead. This is why the guides wore turbans much longer (up to 30+ feet) than us.

These are challenging times in America, and these are the experiences that stick with me. These men might be Muslim and they might wear turbans, but they are the sweetest nicest people. We were very sad to say goodbye to them. When I said that I wanted to visit again someday they said, “You are welcome!”

You can learn more about the Erg Chigaga Luxury Desert Camp here.

I owe a huge shoutout to my sister Kelly who took many of these photos and who planned the itinerary for this trip.

Read More about Glamping in the Sahara Desert:

Glamping in the Sahara Desert Part 1

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Comments

  1. Sarah @ Endless Distances says

    May 09, 2017 at 9:44 pm

    I also camped in the Sahara! I wouldn't consider ours to be glamping though... yours looks a bit fancier. And the food looks amazing too!
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      May 10, 2017 at 1:34 am

      Wasn't it the coolest experience?
      Reply
  2. Wander Mum says

    May 12, 2017 at 9:09 pm

    Such an experience And I love your photos. Really interesting to read more about your time in the desert and the guides who looked after you. I had know idea turbans were so versatile too!
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      May 15, 2017 at 8:35 pm

      Thanks! The turbans are an incredible tool!
      Reply
  3. Danielle from Boots not Roots says

    May 20, 2017 at 1:06 pm

    This is amazing! I was supposed to go to Morocco in March, but my trip was cancelled last minute. Maybe I'll have to make my way back. Thanks for sharing on #farawayfiles!
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      May 22, 2017 at 6:46 pm

      I hope you make your way to Morocco soon Danielle. We loved it.
      Reply
  4. Jane Whittingham says

    May 21, 2017 at 4:12 pm

    Oh wow, that food just looks mouth-watering!!
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      May 22, 2017 at 6:46 pm

      It was delicious! I can't believe that they made it in the middle of the desert!
      Reply
  5. Clare Thomson says

    May 22, 2017 at 2:01 pm

    Loved reading about your desert glamping experience. I spent a couple of nights riding a camel through the desert in Rajasthan, India. This sounds a lot more luxurious and potentially more suitable for children. I think my kids would love doing something like this. Thanks for sharing on #FarawayFiles
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      May 22, 2017 at 6:46 pm

      I think that kids would love this experience!
      Reply
  6. Erin Gustafson says

    May 23, 2017 at 10:40 pm

    OOOOOh. AAAAAAH. YES. And please! What an amazing experience. I love everything about it - the scenery, the food the people, the camels. Thank you for sharing your experience - each story helps broaden our world and lessen the fear of people we don't know. Cheers from Copenhagen, and welcome to the #FarawayFiles community, Erin
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      May 24, 2017 at 3:41 pm

      Thanks for your kind works Erin!
      Reply

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