Morocco's Desert Region

Recommended Excursions into the Sahara and the Deep South

Zagora

		Reservations - All our holidays are tailor-made so please feel free to request any combination of hotels, riads or tours for your own holiday. The minimum reservation for our accommodation only service is 3 nights in total, although not necessarily at same property. Simply contact us by phone or email or complete one of our enquiry forms. Why Rediscover? - All our reservations staff have worked in Morocco (or visited extensively) and will be more than happy to offer advice and suggestions on any of our featured destinations, tours and properties. Prices - our prices are similar to or quite often cheaper than our internet competitors or booking directly and significantly cheaper than those producing expensive brochures whilst our service, knowledge and after sales care is second to none. Security - Rediscover the World is a member of the TTA (T6816), we also hold our own ATOL bond (T7172). We therefore provide full financial security and assistance should any part of your holiday not happen entirely to plan. If you were to assemble your holiday yourself you may not have this sort of protection.

Extended excursions from Zagora

Meharee: When you are riding a camel.

Camel Trekking: When a camel is carrying your luggage while you are walking.

4WD & MEHAREE DISCOVERY OF THE DUNES OF ERG LIHOUDI

‘Meharée’ : 1 dromedary per person + 1 pack camel + 4WD. See the most in the shortest time; way to go!

2 DAYS /1 NIGHT - ITCLFD04z

DAY 1: ZAGORA - OULAD DRISS - ERG LIHOUDI.

From the small, charming kasbah-like Hotel Fibule Du Drâa in the oasis village of Zagora we set out - around 1 in the afternoon in winter, 2pm in the summer- with our driver of our 4WD towards the south-east deep into a sub-Saharan desert surrounding of many small dunes, interspersed with the black gravelly ‘Reg’ stretches of the Jbel Tadrart basin. Driving down the eastern bank of the Oued Drâa for some 14km, passing by an unusual tightly-knitted grouping of ksours and kasbahs - this is the ancient village of Tamegroute - and on down to the outskirts of the little village of Oulad Driss in the Hamada Du Drâa, close to the undefined border with Algeria, a remote hamlet once a stop for the trans-Saharan caravans of salt, gold and slaves and where the Oued Drâa finally sinks into the desert.

Now we are in time to mount our dromedaries for our “méharée” over the dunes and stony plateaux of some 3 hours until we reach the dunes of Erg Lihouïdi. Whilst our nomadic tents are being set up, we can continue for a circle trip to explore the surrounding dunes to return in time for our evening meal. After a welcoming traditional tea ceremony, we shall have our dinner of vegetable tagine - which, doubtless, you’ll try your hand at preparing, or of chicken, or of couscous - tea, bread and fruit.

This night may be spent in our nomadic tent or out in the open air if you wish, under the awesome canopy of the starlit heavens around a blazing fire to witness the magnificent sunset, the rarefied heavens turning from bright blue to cobalt, to yellow to gold, to purple to black. The sands and stones, you’ll notice, change their colour too, in step with the lowering rays.

DAY 2: ERG LIHOUÏDI - AÏT ISFOUL - TAMEGROUTE - ZAGORA.

Having witnessed an awesome sunset the night before, now is the hour for an even more startling sunrise before our Bedouin breakfast of mint tea, bread, jams and cheeses, after which, your ships of the desert saddled up, you’ll somewhat reluctantly strike off back towards the north-east and relative civilisation for your almost 2 hour long dromedary ‘méharée’ covering some 12 miles of Hamada to arrive around 10:00 - and now only 50 Days To Timbuktu - to rejoin our 4WD some 11 miles north of M’Hamid which’ll take us left at the trailing edge of the Jbel Bani across the dunes of Aït Isfoul and through an oasis via the nearby ancient Jewish kasbahs of Beni Hayoun and Beni Sbih.

Back now onto the tarmac road at Tagounite and on to an unusual tightly-knitted grouping of ksours and still-inhabited underground kasbahs; this is the ancient village of Tamegroute, a seat of learning since the XIth century, with its Library of XIII century illuminated Koran scrolls written on gazelle hide, some works of Pythagoras and some original maps of Alexandria , together with some very early mathematics text books; a - voluntary - contribution to the upkeep of the Library is always appreciated. We continue our stroll through the alleyways of the underground kasbah to the ancient Pottery Co-Operative, where pottery being produced in the simplest of manners, in the simplest of kilns. If you have been to Fes, or have seen photographs of this Imperial City, here you’ll see the famous green glaze associated with its tiled roofs, for the founders of the XVIIth century Abou Ben Naceur ‘Naciri Brotherhood’ in Tamegroute invited craftsmen and potters to this remote area with the intent to turn it into a thriving caravan hub city.

Onwards now to the Fibule Du Drâa, or the hotel of your selection, to arrive around 1pm .

NB: Prices are based on the number of people in your group; each desert trip is an individual reservation.

STANDARD PROGRAMME PRICES PER PERSON IN UK £ no. of persons in your group std. version 2 persons £ 159 4 persons £ 129 6 persons £ 119		DELUXE PROGRAMME PRICES PER PERSON IN UK £ no. of persons in your group deluxe version 2 persons £ 205 4 persons £ 170 6 persons £ 155

PRICES FOR THE STANDARD VERSION INCLUDE:

4WD Land Rover transfer Zagora-Oulad Driss- (Aït Isfoul) - Zagora; trained dromedary & drover; dinner and breakfast in Berber tented, carpeted accommodation; toilet. Visit of Potteries , Library and kasbah at Tamegroute.

Supplement per person for live Moroccan folklore musicians: £17.50

PRICES FOR THE DELUXE VERSION INCLUDE:

4WD Land Rover transfer Zagora-Oulad Driss- (Aït Isfoul) -Zagora; trained dromedary & drover. Visit of Potteries , Library and kasbah at Tamegroute. Dinner and breakfast in Caidal tents, carpeted accommodation (maximum 6 persons per tent); raised bed with mattress; dinner includes Moroccan salad or harira soup, kebabs or ‘kefta’*, Berber vegetable tagine, fruit, Moroccan pastries and mint tea served by a waiter in traditional costume; toilet; lavabo, towels, lanterns and candles; Live Moroccan folklore musicians . Bar service. * Those vegetarians or vegans amongst us need to pre-advise at time of reservation.

PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE: medical or accident insurance. Gratuity to guide/drover. Any expenditure of a personal nature. Bottled or gaseous water, nor anything not specifically mentioned in the itinerary.

IT IS RECOMMENDED YOU BRING: day pack; windcheater (seasonal), broad-brimmed hat (or you may purchase a ‘Chèche’ before you set out from Zagora; personal toiletries and towel; hygienic ‘Wipes’; small First Aid kit; torch with batteries (non-essential); filled water bottle; sunscreen, sunglasses; nibbles and/or dried fruit. Drinking chocolate if preferred. Camera, film and plastic bags for lenses; extra toilet rolls could come in handy! For those who wear contact lenses, perhaps it would be a good idea to bring along a spare pair of glasses.

Customer comments:

"Our camel excursion was very memorable: Youssef who was our guide, was fantastic and had a great sense of humour - he may deal with tour groups every day but he certainly made us feel special."

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