Merzouga Guide Morocco

4 Days Desert Tour

joaoleitao — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 22:37:05 +0000

Merzougahotels.com website offers different travel ideas for your holidays in Morocco. This page advises on a 4 day tour in Sahara Desert from the reliable 4X4 / minibus company settled in Marrakech called Ideal Tours. Ideal Tours offers private tours around Morocco and specially in Sahara Desert region of Merzouga. This tour is called Sahara Dream 4 Days Tour, Tour of Sahara.

Photos of Ideal Tours office in Marrakech city center.

Day 1: Marrakesh – Telouet – Ouarzazate

Morning departure crossing the High Atlas 2260m high passage of Tizi n’Tichka arriving in Telouet for lunch and for the visit of Kasbah Pacha Glaoui. Heading through the old caravan route crossing the amazing Ounila Valley and dozens of Berber villages in the mountains until you reach the UNESCO World Heritage Ksar of Ait Benhaddou for a special visit. Road to Ouarzazate where you diner and sleep at a riad.

Day 2: Ouarzazate – Todra – Merzouga

Leaving Ouarzazate around 7:30am towards Skoura Oasis where we’ll have a quick 20 minutes visit of the Amredhyle Kasbah, one of the wonders of the southern “Route of the thousand kasbahs”. Continuing our journey through the Valley of the Roses where we’ll have a 15 minute stop in Et Kella M’Gouna. Heading Boulmane, reaching Tinghir and 20km after, its fabulous canyons, the Gorges du Todra Canyons. Free time to walk around the “gorges”, enjoy the river and the fabulous views. Lunch at a local restaurant.

After midday you go to Tinejdad and Touroug Palm Plantations reaching Erfoud town for a visit of a local fossil craft workshop. Continuing to the fascinating dunes of Erg Chebbi, The Dunes of Merzouga. You now switch from our 4×4 to camels, where you’ll be taken on a camel ride on the dunes to enjoy the Sun set on the dunes and overnight on a true nomad bivouac. Diner sleeping in bivouac on nomad Berber tents in the middle of the dunes of Merzouga.

Day 3: Merzouga – Tazzarine – Zagora

Early morning departure to enjoy Sun rise on Sahara Desert, camel ride back to the hotel where the 4×4 are parked. Breakfast and departure towards the Palm Plantation of Tafilalet passing Rissani, the old Alaouite Sahara capital by the ancient Alaouite Sultans. Road to Alnif where lunch is waiting. Visit to Tazzarine, Tansihkt and Nkob Oasis. Tracks crossing the Draa Valley and its fabulous Palm Plantations. Arrival at Zagora, diner and overnight at a riad.

Day 4: Zagora – Ouarzazate – Marrakesh

After breakfast you start our journey passing the Draa Valley and its Oasis. Road in Anti Atlas Mountains passing 1660m high. After midday you get to Marrakesh passing the High Atlas and Tizi n’Tichka Pass.

Tour Information and Prices

Price of Tour: 390 Euros per person / 2 persons reservation or 270 Euros per person / 4 persons reservation. Please visit company’s website for further information.
This tour includes: 4×4 with driver / guide and 4 days fuel; 3 night in half-board; double room; 4 lunches; and camel ride in Merzouga Dunes.
This tour does not include: Airplane ticket; Beverages; First lunch when arriving in Morocco.
Contact Tour Agency: Ideal Tours

Hotel Auberge du Sud

joaoleitao — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:25:52 +0000

The Sahara welcomes you to the most interesting hotels in Merzouga to stay while visiting the amazing dunes of Erg Chebbi South East Morocco. Hotel Auberge du Sud in Merzouga makes your journey into the heart of the Moroccan Sahara a truly memorable experience.

Auberge du Sud has new Luxury rooms decorated with pure Saharan style that Combine traditional Sahara decoration with comfort that will make you remember your stay for ever. Auberge du Sud’s hotel special crew will give you thrill and adventure through out Sahara Desert and organize trips around the region.

Auberge du Sud excellent tours in Sahara Desert and camel trekking in Merzouga dunes are one of the most chosen services and probably along with others the most well kept in your memory after your trip to Merzouga Desert.

Auberge du Sud – Hotel in Merzouga has at your service several activities such as camel trekking, swimming pool, 4X4 desert excursions, bivouac in nomad camps and much more.

Auberge du Sud Merzouga Morocco

Phones: +212 (0) 661602885 / +212 (0) 661216166
Address: Ras el Erg, Merzouga Morocco
Website: www.aubergedusud.com | Click here: Hotel Merzouga
E-mail: aubergedusud@gmail.com

Internet Places in Merzouga

joaoleitao — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:22:58 +0000

Erg Chebbi Dunes has some places where you can have payed Internet service with fast adsl connection. You will be surprised how fast Internet is in Merzouga region throughout Merzouga and Hassilabied villages. Internet services don’t pass 4 Dirhams per hour on a normal Pentium 4 desktop PC.

Ciber-Cafés in Merzouga

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Ciber-Cafés in Hassilabied

Extreme Sports in Sahara

joaoleitao — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:22:16 +0000

For those looking for some adrenaline while visiting Merzouga region, you have the possibility of making a few extreme sport on the sand dunes. You can go for some sand boarding, ATB All Terrain Bicycles and desert trekking. Both in Merzouga and in Hassilabied village you can find some shops offering sand board material and nice high equipped all-terrain bicycles.

Sand Board and All Terrain Bicycles Rental in Merzouga

Sand Board and All Terrain Bicycles Rental in Hassilabied

Grand Taxi from Erfoud & Rissani

joaoleitao — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:20:52 +0000

Getting to Merzouga by grand taxi from Erfoud or Rissani it’s quite simple as you have direct taxis all the way to Merzouga Village. Erfoud is located 55km from Merzouga and Rissani 34km on a trip all in asphalt road. Grand taxis have to be shared with 6 people + driver, so expect to be a tight trip along with other passengers. Usually taxi only depart when all sits are taken and the taxi is full and ready to depart. You can eventually buy 2 tickets and take the front sit all for you.

Grand Taxi to Merzouga from Erfoud

Hotel Dar Tafouyte

joaoleitao — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:15:45 +0000

Hotel Dar Tafouyte is a guest house in Merzouga, located on a beautiful location where you can enjoy amazing views from the terrace. Displaying a main house and a couple of separated independent houses, Dar Tafouyte is a Merzouga hotel that offers great comfort and fully equipped rooms with private bathrooms and showers.

Dar Tafouyte is located in Takoujt village, a tiny settlement attached to the village of Merzouga. Dar Tafouyte’s main building is divided into the restaurant area, leisure zone, 8 fully equipped rooms (air conditioner and WC) and terrace with panoramic view to the dunes.

Merzouga guest house Dar Tafouyte also offers 2 separate apartments each with 2 fully equipped rooms (air conditioner and WC), living room with fireplace, and, a private terrace with view over Merzouga village and the Sahara Dunes.

Dar Tafouyte is a guest house in Merzouga built respecting local architecture, traditional colors and materials. We invite you to join us and discover the Sahara Desert. Dar Tafouyte hotel staff will welcome you to Merzouga and share all local Berber stories, language and culture.

Dar Tafouyte Merzouga Morocco

Phones: +212 (0) 670182158 / +212 (0) 662186809
Fax: +212 (0) 535578631
Address: Village Takoujte, Merzouga Morocco
Website: www.dartafouyte.com | Click here: Hotel Merzouga
E-mail: dartafouyt@gmail.com

Rissani Sahara Town

joaoleitao — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:14:06 +0000

Erg Chebbi Dunes Villages

joaoleitao — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:13:20 +0000

In the periphery of Erg Chebbi Dunes aka Merzouga Dunes, there are 3 Berber villages: Merzouga, Hassilabied and Khamliya. This villages are typically Saharan villages where the tradition of the “Blue Men” of the Sahara Desert still persists. All these villages have typical adobe architecture and look amazing blending it selves with the color of the desert.

Villages of Merzouga, Hassilabied and Khamliya

Merzouga village: Located opposite the big dune of Erg Chebbi where a green oasis contrast with the orange color of the sand. This is the biggest and most developed village in the region. Merzouga is the village that gives the unofficial name to Erg Chebbi Dunes, as many people find Erg Chebbi somehow more difficult to memorize, Merzouga from the beginning of the first tourist arrivals to the region gave the name to the dunes. Merzouga saw a huge development in the last decade and now provide all basic amenities to its populations.

Khamliya village: Known as the “village of the black men” is an interesting place because all its population have dark skin, being themselves, descendants of the peoples from sub-Saharan Africa in Mali or Guinea that stayed in the region after the camel caravan routes between North and Sub-Sahara Africa ended. Every year there is a festivals where people from all the region travel to Khamliya and enjoy with local folklore and unique Gnawa music and dance, somewhat reminiscent of the Gnawa tradition of southwestern Morocco.

Hassilabied village: Located just 4km from Merzouga, it currently serves of residential place for local nomadic peoples who over time have settled along the oasis. The name means “the white well” as tell the story that some nomads once got to this place and found a empty well, with its inner walls white due to the salt water. Nowadays the oasis has great drinkable water and its oasis full of palm trees is something worth a visit.

Khamliya Gnawa Village

joaoleitao — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:12:55 +0000

Erfoud Fossil Quarries

joaoleitao — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:12:20 +0000