Merzouga Things to Do Tips by mafi_moya

Desert nights

The desert is stunningly beautiful in daytime, but I love it just as much at night. You can't see anything (hardly even your hand in front of your face) but the eery quiet - snoring camels aside - and pure air is beautiful in itself. Then there's the millions of stars illuminating the sky - nothing beats lying back on the soft sand and staring up at the stars.

You can camp out in the desert easily enough - if you haven't got your own tent you can hire one, and you can also hire a guide to accompany you - they'll cook and often bring some drums and Berber instruments. Bring a sleeping bag though because it's absolutely freezing.

Camel treks

It's virtually compulsory that any tourist in Merzouga must, I repeat must, take a camel ride at some point. I love camels - stubborn, ugly and uncomfortable creatures that they are - but I got a bit fed up with some of the men insisting that I should take a camel up every single dune instead of walking for 5 minutes.

Anyway, you can hire camels (with a guide and handler) from any of the auberges, for periods of anything from a quick 15 minutes to a few days. If you've got the time take a tent, hire a camel and head off in the general direction of Algeria for a couple of days - camels go very slow so you don't need to worry about getting lost!

A mirage?

A must-see activity that I didn't manage to see. When I visited in late January the desert was, as you'd expect, bone dry and full of sand. Yet apparently just a few weeks later in early March a large lake forms most years at the northern end of the dunes. Pink flamingos and all kinds of rare birds are attracted to it and this end of the desert suddenly becomes a hive of animal activity. Looking at the photos the guys at the hotel had it would be an interesting sight if you're there in March.