A Weekend in the Sahara Desert, Part 2: Camel Rides and Glamping
The second part of our adventure starts after we leave the village of Merzouga in our 4WD Jeep and start off-roading to our campsite, Kam Kam Dunes. We had chosen Kam Kam Dunes out of literally dozens of options because 1) it was highly rated and– more importantly– 2) it seemed to be one of the most secluded camps, located close to the sand dunes.
(If you missed Part 1 of our adventure, please click here)
During our 30 minute drive across the sand, we passed several other camps, ultimately arriving at a more rural stretch of desert and our camp, Kam Kam Dunes. We were greeted by one of the employees and shown to the main outdoor seating area for check in.
After a short check in process we were shown to our tents. There are 10-12 tents total, however only two other tents appeared to be occupied. The tents come with either a double bed or two twin beds, a small bathroom with flushing toilet, shower, and sink. They are decorated with a bohemian vibe. I think the best part is that the flooring is all carpet, so you don’t feel like you’re getting your belongings covered in sand. The canvas of the tents is thick, so you can’t hear people in the tent next to you and it helps retain warmth at night.
Once we were settled, we went back out to join the others because the camels had arrived and it was time to head into the sand dunes. One of the men helped me arrange my scarf so I would be appropriately dressed to ride a camel. (and yes, I did nervously consider whether this is cultural appropriation).
The camels are grouped together by the amount of people in your party, so we had four camels, which were led by one Berber guide.
The camel ride from the camp into the dunes lasts about 30 minutes. Riding a camel isn’t really that bumpy or uncomfortable, but you probably don’t want to do it much longer than 30 minutes. Once we disembarked, our guide told us we could stay in the dunes until sunset. It was 5:30pm at the time, and sunset was 7pm, so we had about an hour and a half to explore.
We all took off our shoes and starting running through the dunes like a bunch of kids. None of the other (four) guests went into the dunes, so we had this massive playground all to ourselves.
After about an hour, we were all exhausted and settled in to watch the sunset. The lighting was incredible.
Immediately after sunset, we loaded onto the camels for the ride back to camp. You can feel an almost immediate 10 degree temperature drop once the sun goes down.
Back at camp, we all changed into warmer clothes and headed into a heated tent for dinner. The food was traditional Moroccan cuisine, served family style– couscous, tajine, chicken, soup, fruits and vegetables. It tasted fine but wasn’t anything too exciting. You can get a bottle of wine for an additional fee.
After dinner the employees played live music in a separate tent– several of the men were quite good at the drums. Since the camp was practically empty, it was just the four of us enjoying the music. This part may have actually been more fun if the camp was full of people to create a little bit more energy.
Once it was sufficiently dark, we ventured out, away from the camp, to look at the stars. I have NEVER seen anything like how the stars looked out in the desert. We didn’t just see Orion’s belt, we saw ALL of Orion and the bull, Taurus. It was really, really beautiful.
Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures of this because my camera can not do the starry night justice.
We sat around the campfire until about 10:30pm, at that point nearly everyone had gone to bed, so we decided to call it a night. We slept well, the beds and pillows were comfortable and it was pitch black (haha – so I refrained from going to the bathroom in the middle of night for fear of stepping on a scorpion).
The next morning we were to be up at 7:30am because our guide, Yidar, was coming to pick us up for the drive out of the desert and onward to the Atlas Mountains and beautiful town of Ait Benhaddou. Stay tuned for the third (and last) installment of our weekend trip to the Sahara, coming (hopefully) tomorrow!
What a great experience. It looks pretty nice for being in the desert. Love the red color of the sand, it makes for great pictures. You’re doing a great job. Thanks Brittany!
John
Yeah, the sand really creates these beautiful hues- perfect for photography.
What an incredible adventure! Great pictures, and your narrative makes me feel like I went on the trek right there with you! Awesome blog!
Thank you, Heather!
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