During the three years I'm living and travelling in Morocco, the Sahara had come as close as M'Hamid for me. There was this call from the sand dunes and the red golden sunsets but for some reason when I went down South, the sun was hiding and big sandstorms were stopping me mentally from going all the way into the desert.
My intention was that I simply HAD to experience this and after some procrastination I thought September would be the perfect month to make it all the way and so I booked. The camp I picked was way passed Merzouga and the one most out into the Sahara. I was promised breathtaking views and an amazing sunrise, together with all the luxuries a luxury desert camp has to offer.
And so we finally made it to Erfoud, one stop away from our final destination. The second night in Erfoud I woke up and heard the wind. Stronger and stronger it became and early morning when I went out on the terrace the Sahara sand was like a golden filter on everything outside. The streets of Erfoud remembered me of desolate cities in Texas that I used to see in cowboy films and big clouds of sand were terrorising everyone outside. My hope on golden views and the famous dunes were fading away for every hour the wind was getting stronger and I was getting disappointed on yet another missed Sahara experience everyone else but me seemed to be able to enjoy.
Until I realised there was a deeper meaning with this hide and seek...There was a reason for me to have to return time after time again to this amazing always changing desolate land of sand dunes...
At that point my perception changed and I enjoyed!
I enjoyed the camel ride covered in Hamid's turban.
Due to the mist of sand there was no sunset to enjoy, no red coloured sand dunes to take your breath away but I took it as an invitation to come back once again.
I loved the night outside with a small group, making music with the sound of the wind guiding us through the night.
That same night out in our tents the wind was stronger then ever and the heat was unbearable so we opened the entrance to get in some cooling. The next morning we were completely covered with sand and when we came outside we hardly recognised the setting from the evening before.
I realised the wind had thought me a lesson. A lesson of deep respect. respect for the power of nature but also respect for the people running this camp and their battle to get the place ready for new clients every day again....
Why I selected ERG CHEBBI DESERT LUXURY CAMP
• my expectations:
well I expected golden sunsets and amazing sunrise. I got a sandstorm and a lesson in respect. And an invitation to come back
• who is running:
Abdou is the one you get in contact with when booking. Hamid is the child of the Sahara, welcoming you there, knowing every little grain of sand by name. They speak perfectly English, French, Spanish, Darija, ...
• what I had heard about it:
No more then what I had been reading on the site but that was enough to get me curious. My choice for this camp was for the obvious reason that I really wanted to experience the solitude of the desert and not be amongst a whole lot of other camps.
• did it meet my expectation:
Yes and more. Don't expect luxury in the Sahara to be of the level of luxury you have in a hotel. The camp is taken down completely in June and built up in September. So constructions are flexible and have to resist both sun wind and sand during 10 months. But that said is was the perfect mix out there with all the luxury of cleanness, running warm and cold water, electricity... A beautiful decorated camp and the most stunning setting.
• did I like it:
YES, I definitely want to return to get that view again and hopefully the sun will welcome me then.
• does it live up to the price:
Spending that night in the sandstorm I realised what an immense job this is of having to clean about 50 carpets, poofs and sofa's every day. Getting the sand out of the tents to get this luxury feeling again every day. So yes, it's all about what you don't see ...
Guys, I'm coming back if only to experience a Djembe night full power...
ok, so now we're at the let's leave a comment part! :)
Make my day!