Sahara Desert
Sahara Desert
Ominya Fareed in the Sahara Desert. Instagram/Ominya Fareed

One of my main reasons for going to Morocco, and flying into Casa Blanca, was to camp in the Sahara Desert. Luckily, I was already travelling across Morocco, and the trip from Midelt to the Desert didn’t really take that long.

Along my journey, I found many amazing stops along the way, all of which helped me in having a better insight into the culture of Berbers. As I travelled closer to the Sahara, I watched the landscape get flatter and become more orange.

At 4pm, I arrived.

It was the most magical thing I have seen in my life. I’d never come across sand that orange and never even seen so much sand in my life. I absolutely loved it.

Sahara Desert Camel Ride
Sahara Desert Camel Ride. Instragram/Ominya Fareed.

We were welcomed by our Berber guides and went to meet our camels. For the next hour, we went deeper into the Sahara desert. I then started realizing that even though riding a camel is easy, going up the dunes is a nightmare. But it was definitely worth it.

After an hour of camel riding, I finally reached the camp I was going to stay in for the night. Our guide took us to the biggest dune next to out camp so we could watch the sunset.

In the evening, the guides and locals played Berber music and our group took turns trying out the instruments. The night was full of fun and I had one of the best chicken tagines ever.

Sahara sunset
Sun setting behind the dunes, Sahara Desert. Flickr/keppet

Of course, an experience in the Sahara Desert isn’t complete without sleeping under the stars, so I dragged my mattress out and onto the sand. And the stars were fascinating. I stayed awake most of the night and got to see shooting stars.

Sahara Desert
Sahara Desert camel tour guide. Instagram/Ominya Fareed

The guide woke me up the next day at 5 am and it was time to watch the sunrise on the way back. Yes, we got to ride the camels into the sunrise, something I would have never imagined to experience in my life.

Morocco is a beautiful country and the Sahara Desert is an experience that should be on everyone’s bucket list. For more of my adventures, checkout my Instagram.

If You Go

If you travel to the Sahara, make sure to check out Berber music, and take a tour with Nomadic Expeditions. Drink lots of water and make sure you take it with you (for the camel rides). And make sure you try the chicken tagine.

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