Staying in a Merzouga luxury desert camp is one of the greatest experiences in Morocco. Read on to see what Berber camping in Morocco is really like.
The late-day sun cut through the sandy skies casting long shadows onto the floor of the Sahara desert as we wound our way around towering sand dunes.
We were making our way from the town of Merzouga, Morocco to our Merzouga luxury desert camp on the edge of the epic sand dunes of the Sahara. These Morocco glamping experiences are among some of the most popular activities in Morocco.
We reached one of the tallest of the Erg Chebbi sand dunes when our guide paused our caravan. Mohammed pointed to the top of the dune and let us know that this was one of the best places near the Merzouga luxury desert camps to see the sunset. So without missing a beat, we hopped, ungracefully, down from our mounts, gave them each a friendly pet on the nose, and began climbing up to the viewpoint.
Mohammed wasn’t wrong. Even though the late afternoon wind was swirling sand up through the sky, the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows of the sky were a sight to behold.
While my two boys spent their time sandboarding, playing with the camels, and taking turns tossing each other into the soft desert sand, Christina and I relaxed at the peak, watching the sunset over an endless sea of sand.
This was just the start of our visit to the Africa Luxury Camp in Merzouga, Morocco. Just one of several Merzouga luxury desert camps located on the edge of the Sahara. And it was going to be a night to remember.
The Morocco Luxury Desert Camp Experience
Our visit to the Berber camps in Morocco came on day five of our ten-day Morocco itinerary. The all-inclusive Morocco desert camping experience was packed with unforgettable experiences, wonderful Moroccan food, and one of the best nights of sleep on our entire Morocco family travel experience.
Getting To The Morocco Luxury Desert Camps
The Merzouga Berber camps are located about 30 minutes from town on the edge of the Sahara Desert. While it’s possible to reach the camps by car (I recommend a four-wheel drive to avoid getting stuck in some areas of soft sand), most visitors choose to arrive at the camps via camel or ATV. Taking camels gave us the chance to really feel at one with the desert on a long, slow route through the dunes.
We had done something similar when we took camels out of our Bedouin desert camp in Wadi Rum, Jordan a few years back. And the experience in Merzouga was just as magical. If you’d like to book your own desert camping experience in Merzouga, you can find their rates and availability here.
Berber Camp Accommodations
As we made our way into the Merzouga Berber camp for our Morocco glamping experience, the first thing I noticed was that there were a LOT of camps. Many of the Merzouga luxury desert camps are lined up in the same area side-by-side, and most of them looked like they had fairly similar setups.
The Merzouga glamping tents were set up on either side of a long walkway that led down to a main tent. Each of the canvas tents had a front door lit by a lantern on the ground. Inside our family tent were one large queen-sized bed and two single beds. There was also a flush toilet and sink within the tent, which made for a nice surprise in such a remote location.
Our tent was also powered, which made for a really welcoming experience. We were all able to charge up our cameras and gear to capture all of that wonderful desert scenery.
The Food At Africa Luxury Camp
After getting settled into our tent, the first item on our itinerary was dinner. A day of adventure in Merzouga followed by a long camel ride through the Sahara had worked up quite an appetite.
We made our way to the dining tent and each of the tents had been assigned a table. As we were a group of four, we had our own table near a window looking out onto the camp.
Dinner at the Merzouga luxury desert camp was served buffet-style and included soup, vegetables, spring rolls, mushrooms, and a traditional chicken tagine dish. It wasn’t the best food in Morocco, but after a long day, anything was welcome and we ate with gusto.
There was no lack of food either, the kids and I made several trips to the buffet to refill our plates.
Things To Do At A Morocco Desert Camp
After our meal, D was tuckered out. At eight years old, he was the youngest person at the camp, and he opted to head straight to bed. C and I followed the crowd to a fire pit among the desert tents. Our guide for our Morocco trip, Daoud was there, and he was beaming from ear to ear. This was the region where he grew up, and after two years of the pandemic, most of these people were seeing each other for the first time.
Celebrations quickly took control and we were all dancing to Berber music by firelight as the desert skies quickly filled with a blanket of stars.
Alongside the music, guests have access to sandboards, which they can use to ride down the epic dunes of the Sahara Desert. We had first been introduced to this experience in Huacachina, Peru, and had fallen in love with it. Since then, we’ve taken the time to hop on boards at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado, and the Siwa Oasis in Egypt.
Guests at the Merzouga luxury desert camps can also opt for camel rides through the desert, ATV tours, and even tours that include some of the best things to do in Merzouga such as Berber concerts and fossil hunting. In fact, some visitors opt to make the Berber tents their main Merzouga accommodations and do all of their exploring from there.
If you’d like to try this experience for yourself, you can find their rates and availability here.
Are you Ready To Experience These Berber Glamping Camps In Morocco?
Our experience at the Merzouga luxury desert camps was incredible. The festive atmosphere of the music and comfortable beds were just the icing on what was one of our most memorable experiences while traveling through Morocco with kids.
If you love family travel as much as we do, please join our Family Travel Support Group on Facebook. You can connect with more family travelers just like you who love to explore the world.
You May Also Like To Read:
