April 11 – 13

We set out the next morning for the beginning of three days of travel that would lead us to Marrakech, the final stop of our tour.  We would spend three nights in three different locations, first at Sahara camp, next near Todra Gorge, and finally in Alt Benhaddou.  That drive from Fes would be a long one as we made our way for the overnight in a Sahara Camp, making several stops along the way to break up the journey, the first at a pullout near Guers Tiaallaline where some of our group climbed to the top of a small bluff to catch a view of a winding river below. 

Later we stopped in Ifrane in the Atlas Mountains for a cup of coffee and after driving through the Ziz Valley stopped in Midelt, a town in the high plains between the Middle Atlas and High Atlas Mountain Ranges.  Our last stop before the camel ride was in Aoufous with a parking lot viewpoint of the fertile valley below. 

And then, after the long day’s drive, we landed in Et-Taous where we would begin our ride in the desert on camel back.  We’d been on a camel before when we did the Nile River trip with Intrepid in 2019.  It wasn’t the most pleasant experience for me as I cut my shin when mounting and then had the misfortune to be seated on an animal with a definite hitch in its gait, making for a very uncomfortable time aboard. 

So, needless to say I wasn’t looking forward to this part of the tour and unfortunately, my expectations were rewarded with an equally challenging time, this one made even more so by the longer time spent aboard the ungainly beast.  One thing that most folks did complain about is how uncomfortable the saddle and seating position is, the width of the animal forcing one to spread your legs wider than is desirable. Mounting can thus be a bit of a challenge, as I witnessed in 2019 but managed it effectively, if not graciously, this time around.  However, what one cannot anticipate is thrill park jolt one gets when the camel stands up, a herkie jerky process that if not holding on for dear life, one will find themselves laid out on the ground. 

Sitting atop my guy (or gal, hard to tell the difference perched high atop the ground?) we took off in an orderly line we would maintain for our roughly hour long ride.  One thing that interested me was just how many other little caravans of riders were out with us; this must be a very popular outing for folks to take.  And my complaining aside, I will say that during brief moments I found the experience to be enchanting, the seemingly endless dunes rolling out around us, the hazy sun casting shadows over the surface, the wind whipping through our clothes, the sense that we could ride for days and not see the end of the desert.  The dunes offer countless sand hills whose shapes alter according to wind movements, making it a constantly changing landscape.

Mercifully, the ride came to an end and the jerky motion required to get the camel afoot was repeated for dismount and we all soon found ourselves safely ashore and ready to head on to our camp.  We would spend the next half hour or so racing out of the dunes in four-wheel drive Toyota Land Cruisers covering a lot of distance in terrain reminiscent of Death Valley, with washed out riverbeds, scrub brush and lots of dirt roads crisscrossing the terrain. 

We finally landed at Palmyra Luxury Camp, our lodging for the day and what a fine place it would turn out to be.  Our large tent, about as big as a small studio apartment, was furnished with thick carpets, multiple beds, chairs and a nice toilet, sink and walk in shower.  We’d be very comfortable that evening, but we wouldn’t spend a lot of time there as not long after arriving we walked over to the dining tent where we were offered some beer to drink, a welcome that was thoroughly enjoyed. 

Dinner later was a soup, a tagine and a fruit dessert, washed down with another beer and some tea and then we closed out the evening by walking out to the nearby fire pit where we interacted with some of the crew at the camp and our fellow tour members.  I’m thinking we all slept well that night. 

The next morning, a glorious sunrise greeted us and we after breakfast we were on our way to Todra Gorge.  Much like the day before, the return was a highlight, almost like being on a small roller coaster, as we flew up and over the dunes with the Land Cruiser slipping sliding in the sand. Back at the van, we boarded for a short drive that day, roughly four hours.  As it rained throughout and the hike we were scheduled to take would have been difficult to manage, we stopped in ‎Ferkla El Oulia, part of a region known for its mountainous terrain and river systems, particularly the Draa and Ziz rivers.

We entered the courtyard of a multi-story house that functioned as a museum with exhibits that detailed the town’s role in local agriculture, its importance as a stopping point on caravan routes that connected North Morocco with Sub-Sahara Africa, and home to Berber and Bedouin tribes who either passed through or settled here.  As we moved from floor to floor, examining displays that featured modes of dress and ornamentation for each of the tribes, we eventually found ourselves on a rooftop patio where one could see close-up the adobe like construction of walls and steps. 

We then left for Todra Gorge making one last stop outside of the town of Tinghir where we discussed the agriculture that thrives in this water rich environment, eventually arriving at our hotel for the night, whose name I can’t recall.  We checked into our rooms and after doing so went up the road a short distance for an in-home lunch.  We’ll cover that and the rest of our journey to Marrakech in the next post. 

Links

Palmyra Luxury Camp: https://palmyraluxurycamp.com/