Leaving Fes you’ll pass many different cities such as Ifrane (also known as little Switzerland), Azrou, Erfoud, and Ziz Valley.
I loved the many stops before getting to the desert. The drive was about 8 hours, give or take. Side bar I really do not like long car rides lol.
First stop was Ifrane also known as little Switzerland. Here is where you see the lion statue. I must say this town was very clean.
The next stop was Azrou. Here is where the wild monkeys are. This town is in the northern end of the Middle Atlas. All I know is that they get snow up there. I can’t believe it snows in Morocco. PSA: I do not like monkeys. I mentioned this before, but a monkey climbed on me and stole my earring off my ear. Yup that was enough for me. Please secure your belongings before feeding the monkeys. There are people there with peanuts that you can purchase from, of course for a fee. It was a lovely experience that lasted no more than 10 minutes lol.
The last and final stop was Ziz Valley. This stop was very still. I don’t know if that makes sense but it was very soothing to just sit and enough looking at the trees and enjoying the stillness.
Finally I arrived at Merzouga Desert. Whew. The camp I stayed at for 2 nights was called Ideal Desert Camp. There are many other camp sites. I forgot to take pictures of what the camp looked like, but I did post it on my youtube channel. I liked the fact when I was greeted with tea and some nuts.
Moroccan hospitality is TOP TIER. After settling down, I went to dinner and then enjoyed the camp fire. Wifi is provided but it’s not the best.
Waking up in the desert was very peaceful. It’s just quiet and still. All you hear is the wind blowing. The desert is hot but its dry heat during the day. At night it gets a little chilly.
Day 2. Full day of activities. After having breakfast I met up with my next photographer named Haassan. His number is 212-666-633574. I contacted him via Whatsapp, and his IG handle is @lahcen_taghlaoui. He was very nice and professional. He even made a reel for me. First stop, I met with Berber men who put on a performance. I even danced with one of the men. Berber people are the indigenous people of North Africa. The songs they sing is called Berber music and the songs they sing are about old folk traditions. The songs are passed down from generation to generation. I wish I had photos of the Berber men. The video is on my youtube.
The next stop I rode an atv on the dunes. It was fun. The whole ride lasted about an hour.
The last activity of the day was riding a camel. This is where the photoshoot/video came in. It is very important to do this before the sun goes down. I had to take more pictures early the next morning because of this. I enjoyed the camel ride. Ladies if you do happen to wear a very long dress like I did, you will have to wrap it up in front of you due to the camel tripping (yes it happened severeal times to me).
If you’re thinking if you should spend a night or two in the desert, YES it’s a MUST! My opinion.