Tour of Desert Region, Camel Trek, and Overnight in Desert Camp
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Today you will enjoy a tour of the desert region. Your first stop of the day will be to visit the village of Khamlia which is inhabited by Gnaoua musicians.
Gnaoua which literally translates to “from Ghana” and is the name given to the spiritual based music arrived in Morocco from sub-Sahara Africa via the caravans. Many arrived as slaves and the metal instruments used are meant to represent the chains that kept them bonded. Today, young people come live here to learn from the master musicians and to keep this art alive.
Based on the practices of Sufism, the music is rhythmic and trance-inducing. Here you will enjoy a glass of mint tea and a short concert. We dare you to listen without moving your body… It is just about impossible!
After this visit, should today fall on a market day, you can head to the nearby city of Rissani to see this small dusty city be transformed into a bustling metropolis where people from all over the region come to buy and sell their produce, livestock, and wares. No visit to the market day would be complete without a stop at the “donkey parking” lot which also triples as the “used donkey sales lot” and the “donkey repair” shop. At the very least, it is interesting to contemplate that many people in the region still use donkeys as their main mode of transport. Of course, whether it is the market day or not, you will have an opportunity to try the local culinary specialty, Medfouna, also known as Berber Pizza.
After this, you’ll head to Erfoud to visit a small museum with an impressive collection of fossils that have been found in Morocco. After seeing the collection, you’ll also have a chance to see how the fossils are removed from the bedrock and prepared for sale to museums, universities, and collectors around the world. Then, you’ll have a chance to go search for fossils in the wild (hint, they are everywhere, so not really hard to find).
When you have finished your tour of the area, you will head to the edge of the dunes where you will transfer to your next mode of transportation, a camel, and begin your camel trek into the dunes to your luxury Berber camp for the night.
Dinner will be served at camp followed by traditional music. After the entertainment, the lights will be turned off and if it is a clear night, you’ll have the opportunity to gaze at the gazillion stars in the desert night sky. When you are ready, you can retire to your cozy and comfortable tent for a good night’s sleep.