Had a great evening in the desert - Overall it was a great experience. Most of our time was spent traveling in a mini bus, but time at camp was really worth it.
A couple highlights:
-... read more Riding on the camels. They seemed to be treated ok and it was neat to walk by all the local agriculture (mostly melons). This was not a very sandy area, but there were some dunes. It felt like we were in a huge flat crater.
- Eating dinner with our guide in the big tent. He told us about several berber traditions and what it was like to go from a nomadic lifestyle to working in tourism. He included all the members of our group, speaking English or Spanish as needed. The food was very good, and I was glad to have several questions answered about moroccan cuisine, such as learning that "sheeba" is wormwood/absinthe, and it's what they put in the tea when it's cold outside.
- Our tent was simple but very clean and spacious. Much nicer than I expected.
Areas for improvement / things to keep in mind
- When booking this trip we got a confirmation number and the name of the tour company, but it was a bit tricky to figure out who to call/email for them to pick you up (and we didn't speak French). Definitely work with someone at your riad/hostel to get in touch with this tour company so you don't need to worry about it. Evidently, even though you book months in advance, the details of where to pick you up are decided last minute.
- The tours along the route to Zagora leave a lot to be desired. On the way there, they stopped at the place they filmed Gladiator and some Game of Thrones episodes, but the tour guide there was mediocre and you mostly just wander around, so bring a big hat and plenty of water. Also, you'll need to pay the guide 30 DH or, so have some small bills handy. On the way back, we mostly just stopped to use the restroom.
- The restaurants along the way are pricey, for tourists. I was on vacation and didn't mind spending 120 DH a meal, but if you're on a budget, bringing your own snacks would be a good call.
One final silver lining of the tour is it's in a group, so you get to meet interesting folks from around the world.
