12/01/2012 Merzouga (Sahara Desert), Morocco

We sat outside in the sun looking out over the Sahara for breakfast then set off on a 4 wheel driving tour through the dunes which was AMAZING! We visited a few little nomad villages where we joined the locals for their Berber whiskey (mint tea) and watched them perform their traditional music which was brilliant. We stopped for panoramic views out over the vast stretches of desert and nothingness and visited a coal mine and vegetable farm. We drove through mini hurricanes, past lots of camels roaming through the desert and saw mirages in the distance. We joined the rest of the group back at the hotel for another amazing alfresco Moroccan lunch in the sun by the pool before we rode camels off into the Sahara for a night in a nomad camp. We rode for a few hours until we reached a massive dune which we walked up to watch the sunset over the Sahara – amazing! The run back down the dunes into the camp was awesome fun – felt like moon walking it was so steep that you covered loads of ground with each stride! We had delicious vegetarian tajines for dinner then sat around the camp fire with a few drinks and listened to the Berbers play their drums and traditional music and had a go ourselves. The stars were amazing – this was quite possibly the best day of my travels so far!

The view out over the Sahara from our hotel room balcony

The view out over the Sahara from our hotel room balcony

Our 4WD map for the desert

The courtyard of our traditional mud brick hotel

Inside our hotel

Inside our hotel

Alfresco breakfast in the sun looking out over the Sahara

Our 4WD's

Outside our hotel

Our hotel

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert - camels on the move

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

Me in the desert!

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

Younice in the desert

Laura, Tom and I in the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

A well in the middle of the Sahara

Well...

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

Fossils in the desert

Fossil

4WD'ing through the desert

Nomad camp in the desert

Nomad camp in the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert - between 2 cars at speed...

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

Nomad camp in the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

Nomad camp we visited in the desert

Nomad camp we visited in the desert

Cutey at the nomad camp we visited

Nomad camp we visited in the desert

Nomad camp we visited in the desert

Nomad camp we visited in the desert

Nomad camp we visited in the desert

Nomad camp we visited in the desert - being served mint tea

Mint tea!

Nomad camp we visited in the desert

4WD'ing through the desert - mirage

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert - the view from the coal mine we visited

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert - look out over the Sahara

Look out over the Sahara

4WD'ing through the desert

Younice photo bombing!

4WD'ing through the desert, arriving in the Sudanese nomad camp we visited (relocated from Sudan to the Sahara)

Traditional Sudanese Berber music

Traditional Sudanese Berber music

Traditional Sudanese Berber music

Traditional Sudanese Berber music

Traditional Sudanese Berber music

Dancing to the traditional Sudanese Berber music

CUTEST KIDS EVER showing us how it's done!

Dancing to the traditional Sudanese Berber music

Dancing to the traditional Sudanese Berber music

Farewelling the cuties

Showing us his skills



4WD'ing through the desert



4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

A desert village vegie patch

The irrigation system

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

4WD'ing through the desert

Our awesome driver who turned around and grinned at us every time we went over a bump at speed...

Back at the hotel for lunch

The hotel pool

View from the hotel

Hotel pool

Alfresco lunch by the pool

View out over the Sahara from our hotel

Our room

The sink in our room

Our door knocker

The camp outside our hotel

Desert dining...

Gearing up for the camel ride and night in the desert

More Alfresco dining

The wall of our hotel

Our hotel

Our hotel

Our hotel

Our camels

Parked up ready to go!

Tom and his camel

Me on my camel ( I named 'Crusty')

The view from my camel

Riding into the Sahara

Riding into the Sahara

Laura and I riding into the Sahara

Riding into the Sahara

Riding into the Sahara

Riding into the Sahara

Riding into the Sahara

Mary and Tom riding into the Sahara

Riding into the Sahara

Riding into the Sahara

Riding into the Sahara

Riding into the Sahara

Parking up before walking up the dunes for sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Walking up the dunes to catch the sunset

Walking up the dunes to catch the sunset

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Sunset over the Sahara

Bum print in the dunes after admiring the sunset!

Sunset over the Sahara - working out how to get down...

Sunset over the Sahara

Our camp fire

Drinks around the camp fire

Listening to music around the camp fire