Bucket list: Camel trek in the Sahara Desert
It was one year ago on my first trip to Morocco when I jumped on a camel and rode into the sunset.
OK, it wasn’t quite like that, but I remember it that way when I think back to the adventure I shared with two of my very good friends.
We booked a camel trek before we arrived in Morocco and it was definitely a trip highlight, after shopping for carpets that is.
It was a perfectly warm afternoon as we approached the camels who were laying down in a row ready to be loaded with their fragile foreign traveller for the trek into camp. One of the first things we learned was that these were not in fact Camels; they were Dromedary- the Camel of Africa. I had not known that a Camel officially has two humps, and a Dromedary has one. In Morocco and most of Africa, Dromedary exist. Big difference and a classic rookie mistake!
Riding a camel is different than riding a horse. If you can groove with the rhythmic side to side sway of their gait, it can be a gloriously comfortable experience. However, depending on your size and flexibility, it can be a painful and awkward journey up and down the sand dunes. Regardless of this, the three of us had a howling good time as we attempted to take photos and avoid getting our backsides brushed with the Dromedary behind us.
With wobbly chins and big friendly eyes, these creatures safely transported us across the red Saharan sand to our base camp. After climbing along the spines of sand dunes to capture awe-inspiring views of the desert, we landed back at camp to make friends with our Moroccan hosts.
Lazily spread out on carpets and cushions, we sipped hot mint tea and tasted a variety of classic Moroccan treats. Normally for afternoon tea you can expect to be served fresh olives, sweet dates, and salty nuts- the perfect pick me up to carry you through to dinner.
I absolutely loved the display of sun drenched carpets spread out between the areas of camp, all leading to a different place of comfort, whether it was the kitchen or sleeping quarters.
If Moroccan has been on your list of places to go, I recommend adding a camel trek to your bucket list, you won’t be dissapointed.
