MAISON D’HÔTESOffline map ( 0535 57 31 82; Merzouga centre; s/d/tr/q Dh160/400/600/800) Pure charm inthe heart of Merzouga, behind the mosque: nine simply furnished rooms in sunwashed colours
with straw-textured pisé walls, antique mantelpieces, and white-tiled shared bathrooms, plus a
furnished family apartment (Dh400 to Dh800). Book ahead for à la carte Moroccan specialities
like kalia and madfouna, vegetarian meals and Austrian apfelstrudel (meals Dh60 to Dh120,
breakfast Dh36 to Dh50). Ask about birdwatching tours, Saharan music concerts and geology
expeditions seeking fossils and roses des sables , desert-sand crystals.
Riad Totmaroc $$
Offline map ( 0670 62 41 36; www.totmarroc.com; per person incl half-board Dh330; ) Amod kasbah provides instant relief from the white-hot desert with five guest rooms in bold blue
and green, shady patios facing the dunes, an open kitchen turning out solid meals, and
dromedary overnights with an experienced, local official tour leader.
Information
Merzouga has téléboutiques, supply kiosks, a mechanic, a couple of carpet shops and Cyber
Shop Le Amis (per hr Dh5; 9am-10pm) .
Getting There & Away
Desert pistes can be rough, so if you’re driving, bring water and a mobile phone in case you get
stuck in sand.
Grands taxis leave from Merzouga centre, opposite Dakar Restaurant, heading north to
Rissani (Dh12), and minibuses head south to Taouz (Dh15).
Minibuses will pick up or drop off in Hassi Labied – your hotel can make arrangements.
Minivans run from Merzouga between 7.30am and 9.30am in high season.
Supratours offers a daily 8am service from Merzouga to Marrakesh (Dh185) and a 7pm bus
to Fez (Dh165).
Taouz
Come to Taouz to spot mineral formations and possibly dinosaur bones where the desert
swallows the road. Between Merzouga and Taouz is the village of Khamlia , whose inhabitants
are believed to be descended from escaped slaves. This frontier town is home to notable
Gnawa musicians, including Les Pigeons du Sable (Sand Pigeons). Their music is available on
CD in Europe, and they occasionally perform locally and at Er-Rachidia’s Festival du Desert (
Click here ). Ask at their house (marked by a banner) for details.
A house beyond Taouz village, Casa Taouz , offers tea and occasionally food. If you have a
4WD, several places to stay in the desert are signposted from the road with GPS locations.