CAMEL TREKS
Exploring the Sahara by camel – whether on an overnight excursion or a longer desert safari –
is one of Morocco’s signature activities and most rewarding wilderness experiences.
Morocco’s most evocative stretches of Saharan sand are Erg Chebbi ( Click here ), near
Merzouga, and Erg Chigaga ( Click here ), near M’Hamid and Zagora, and past the more
accessible Tinfou Dunes ( Click here ).
Only consider doing your camel trek in autumn (September and October) or winter
(November to early March). Outside these months, the desert experiences gruelling extremes
of heat, plus sand storms in the spring.
Prices start at around Dh300 per person per day, but vary depending on the number of
people, the length of the trek and your negotiating skills.
The agency will organise the bivouac (temporary camp), which may be a permanent camp
for shorter trips, and may offer Berber music and mechoui (barbecued lamb).
Organising a Camel Trek
Travellers with lots of time can organise a guide and provisions in situ. This benefits the local
community and counters the trend towards young guides leaving home to look for work in the
more popular tourist centres.
M’Hamid is probably the most hassle-free of the main desert gateways, although the choice
is wider at Zagora and Merzouga. Try to get recommendations from other travellers.
It’s quicker and easier, involving less negotiations and waiting, to organise a trip in advance –
either through an international tour operator or a company based in Ouarzazate or Marrakesh.
HAMMAMS
Visiting a hammam (traditional bathhouse) is infinitely preferable to cursing under a cold shower in a cheap hotel. They’re busy,
social places, where you’ll find gallons of hot water, and staff available to scrub you clean. They’re also good places to meet
the locals and, especially for women, somewhere to escape street hassle.
Every town has at least one hammam, often a modern, white-tiled and spacious affair. Often there are separate hammams
for men and women; others open to either sex at different hours or on alternate days.
Some hammams are unmarked and others simply have a picture of a man or woman stencilled on the wall outside; locals
will happily direct you. Most hammams are welcoming, but a few (often those close to a mosque) are unwilling to accept
foreign visitors.
Bring your own towels (in a waterproof bag), a plastic mat or something to sit on, and flip-flops (thongs). Some hammams
sell toiletries; look out for ghassoul (handfuls of clay mixed with herbs, dried roses and lavender), el-kis (coarse glove), black
soap made from the resin of olives (which stings if you get it in your eyes), and henna (used by women).
You’ll be given a bucket and scoop; remember to use the communal bucket when filling yours with water. Most hammams
have showers.
Hammam admission is typically around Dh10, plus the optional extras of gommage (scrub) and massage.
A few midrange and top-end hotels have more expensive hammams, which normally require advance notice to heat up, and
a minimum of four or five people.