If you are thinking of coming to Erg Chebbi desert let us congratulate you.
Erg Chebbi (Sea of Dunes) is the king of Moroccan deserts for its extension, its exoticism and its giant dunes.
Experiences that unleash great emotions await you here because nothing is light: this is made for the brave who open the doors to cultures, colors and new flavors.
One of those journeys that stir you up inside and offer you fun in equal parts, come on.
If you want to know how to get there, what to do and where to stay to live it to the fullest and with a touch of style and comfort, read on, we will tell you everything you need to know to make a vini, vidi, vici.
Where is Erg Chebbi and how to get there?
Let’s start by putting Erg Chebbi on the map.
Erg Chebbi or “Sea of Dunes” is part of the Sahara Desert: it is located in the south east of Morocco and the nearest town is Merzouga (in fact many call it the Merzouga Desert).
And as we know that for you the reference is probably Marrakech, here is a fact: about 550 kilometers separate Erg Chebbi from the Red City.
Now that we are clear about the location of Erg Chebbi, let’s see how to get to this golden paradise.
Let’s see, there are many ways to get there.
You can come by private plane, car, motorhome or even bus.
But if you ask us, the ideal way to do it is by 4×4 with a driver expert in driving through the desert while you soak up the sights that Morocco hides in its geography.
Although most travelers coming to Kam Kam Dunes fly to Marrakech and from there they start their journey to our camp, we offer routes from any airport in Morocco.
Why?
Because we are of those who think that the road to our camp is part of the adventure, with its stops at strategic points and its repertoire of varied landscapes.
The entrance to the camp through the tracks where the Paris-Dakar Rally took place makes you feel like a real Indiana Jones or Lawrence of Arabia.
However, if you are one of the most intrepid and prefer to drive, go ahead. We won’t be the ones to take your rebellious spirit out of your head.
Where to stay in Erg Chebbi
Let’s start by making it clear that not all accommodations are inside the Erg Chebbi desert as Kam Kam Dunes (to give you an idea: we are so far inside that we have five hours walk to the nearest town). In fact, most of them are at the foot of the dune, outside the core.
That said, let’s go over the options you have to sleep around here.
Pasar la noche en el desierto es una de las experiencias vitales más alucinantes que hay por su silencio, sus amaneceres y atardeceres y el manto de estrellas que te sobrevuelan, nada parecido a lo que hayas visto hasta entonces.
As you can imagine, in the area there are plenty of hotels and campsites to stay in, but not all of them are the same or give you that feeling of abyss, as some are very close to others.
Our recommendation is that you opt for a camp with real Berber tents like the ones we offer at Kam Kam Dunes: made in the traditional way with natural materials by the locals.
In addition, our location is privileged because there are no other camps in sight; only the desert.
Don’t be scared to read camp, haima and Berber in the same sentence, we are not going to make you sleep on the ground in the open.
The haimas of Kam Kam Dunes have private bathrooms, comfortable beds with quality linens and are decorated with a very neat boho style that makes you sleep like an angel, but without giving up a genuine experience.
Be careful, you will see that there are many bivouacs that offer to sleep in haimas but in reality they are tents made of canvas with PVC windows and their atmosphere is like that of an urban hotel.
Conclusion: for a rounded experience during your nights in Erg Chebbi, choose a bivouac with authentic tents instead of a hotel, like what we have in Kam Kam Dunes.
Why Erg Chebbi
Como ya te contamos en otro post, there are several types of desert and in Morocco Erg Chebbi is not alone.
But if what you want is to see giant dunes as far as the eye can see, enjoy skies with trillions of stars and immerse yourself in the Berber culture and philosophy, Erg Chebbi is your place.
In the desert, time passes in a different way. That is why its people, gastronomy and customs are very particular: here everything is cooked over a slow fire, with kindness and conscience.
Only in a place like this can you say goodbye to the day with a dinner and an evening around a bonfire to the rhythm of the drums played by the locals as if you were one of them.
Only in Erg Chebbi can you surf the dunes or ride a quad bike over endless stretches of fine golden sand without worrying about anything.
You won’t have to worry about it if you put yourself in our hands, of course.
We teach you how to handle yourself in the desert and we have the best equipment for the infinite number of things you can do here, which we will tell you about right away.
What to do in Erg Chebbi
Be prepared because in Erg Chebbi there are so many things to do that the vast majority of our visitors leave saying that they lacked time.
Yes, you can relax in our camp, our haimas are a dream and our cuisine is a festival of flavors, but it would be a pity to miss all you can do.
The least of the least you should do in Erg Chebbi during your desert journey are the four favorite activities of our travelers:
- Watch the sunset or sunrise by camel from the top of a dune.
- Visit the Berber nomads and immerse yourself in their culture and hospitality.
- Observe the blanket of stars with zero light pollution.
- Drive through the dunes on a quad bike for an adrenaline rush.
From this basic pack, there are plenty of plans to do here such as hiking in the dunes, sandboarding (like snowboarding but in the sand, yes) or propose to the love of your life: surprise and success guaranteed.
Tips to come to Erg Chebbi
And we finish our guide to the perfect trip to the Erg Chebbi desert with a couple of notes that seem obvious but make all the difference.
If you come to the Moroccan Sahara desert the first thing you have to do is to leave at home prejudices and various OCDs, that in the desert everything is possible and it’s up to you to live it to the fullest. Put on the chip of a traveler open to everything, please.
In addition, to get the most out of the experience, come from October to May (the best time to come to the Moroccan desert) and forget about July and August if you don’t want to end up scorched, the heat of Erg Chebbi is not silly.
With these two premises fulfilled, a cap and comfortable clothes, there is no reason for your visit to Erg Chebbi not to be one of the trips of a lifetime.
And one last warning: beware of the desert, it’s a hooking place.
