Live with a Berber family in the Moroccan Sahara
| country: | Morocco |
| location: | Sahara Desert |
| departures: | This trip can be arranged at any time to suit you and adapted to your requirements. |
| price: | From £43 (3 days) all inclusive but excluding flights |
read 3 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
We offer you the experience of a life-time living with a family of Berbers in the breath-taking Moroccan Sahara. You’ll experience a camel trek in to the magnificent erg chebi dunes, and watch the shooting stars in the clear night sky.
You won’t be watching desert life from a gas hungry 4x4, but will get out and live with the people, experience their life, make friends, and be part of the community. This 'no-frills' excursion will add a unique dimension to your Moroccan holiday. You will relax, safe in the knowledge that you are helping to secure a sustainable future for this most welcoming of families.
The aim of this holiday is to provide travellers with a truly unique holiday as they are welcomed in to the home of a Berber family to experience authentic day-to-day Berber life in the Moroccan Sahara while providing a sustainable future for the family. We can accommodate 2 groups at a time; however, we try to ensure an independent experience for each group by organizing camel treks into the dunes at different times, creating a unique experience for you and your friends. This no-frills excursion will add a unique and authentic dimension to your holiday. An experience only for the truly adventurous.
You won’t be watching desert life from a gas hungry 4x4, but will get out and live with the people, experience their life, make friends, and be part of the community. This 'no-frills' excursion will add a unique dimension to your Moroccan holiday. You will relax, safe in the knowledge that you are helping to secure a sustainable future for this most welcoming of families.
The aim of this holiday is to provide travellers with a truly unique holiday as they are welcomed in to the home of a Berber family to experience authentic day-to-day Berber life in the Moroccan Sahara while providing a sustainable future for the family. We can accommodate 2 groups at a time; however, we try to ensure an independent experience for each group by organizing camel treks into the dunes at different times, creating a unique experience for you and your friends. This no-frills excursion will add a unique and authentic dimension to your holiday. An experience only for the truly adventurous.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | The 2pm minibus from Risanni to Ras-el-Erg, on the edge of the Erg Chebi dunes, is a 40km ride and will take about 2 hours delivering people and produce along the way. If you have your own transport a family member will guide you from Risanni. On arrival you will be greeted by the family who will provide you with light refreshments. Later you will be provided with an evening meal (usually tagine or couscous followed by seasonal fruit) before relaxing with your friends or with the family. |
| Day 2: | In the morning you might like to watch or help the family make the fresh bread that is cooked most days before breakfast. After breakfast join the family in the daily 10 minute stroll to the local well with the family donkey. If the sun is not too strong you might like to wander round the local village, meet some of the local children or visit the local shop. The camel ride into the Erg Chebi takes about 2 hours and ends at the ‘oasis’where the family has a large nomad style tent. Surrounded by massive sand dunes, the fittest of you will be challenged to climb to the top – just to see if you can make it! Dinner will be cooked and served either in the tent or under the stars. |
| Day 3: | After breakfast in the morning you will either head back to the family home for another relaxing evening or trek deeper into the desert, visiting other Berber families, for more sand and sun filled adventures. |
| Day 4: | At the end of your visit you will return to Rissani in the transport that brought you. |
travellers' tales
When we got to the Berber/Nomad tent it was out of this world, I can’t put into words what I thought - it was just amazing. After dinner I went and sat on a dune and it was stunning, the amount of stars I could see in the sky was unbelievable. (more)
travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.how this holiday makes a difference
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The family strongly encourage the drinking of boiled well water (provided free of charge). The purchase of bottled water is possible in the local village shop but the disposal of large quantities of plastic bottles is problematic. In the very hot summer months you might drink up to 5 litres of water a day and visitors are asked to bring a refillable water bottle so they can carry a small supply of drinking water at all times. They will learn the traditional methods of cooling drinking water very effectively without using electricity.
Food is bought locally and the Bedda or one of the girls makes fresh bread and is happy to teach visitors. All (non-meat) scraps and vegetable peelings are fed to the family’s sheep, donkey and camels – nothing is wasted. If travelers help the family cook, they are asked to please keep organic waste separate. Cooking is powered by natural gas stored in refillable gas bottles – there is very little local wood and visitors are asked not to request a fire for enjoyment, so the local fuel is saved for when needed to cook bread or for warmth in the very cold winter nights. The electric lights are powered by a solar panel that has been fixed to the roof. Electricity cannot be guaranteed on cloudy days! All money goes straight to the family who are paid directly in cash (local currency) at the beginning of the visit. There are no hotel managers or pushy guides to pay. This is a family run business. The holiday is very fairly priced, reflecting the true local economy and permitting the family to improve their standard of living and quality of life.  The camels used to carry travellers into the magnificent sand dunes belong to the family. At the moment they own 3 dromedaries but if a larger party requires additional camels, Mohammed will pay neighbours to borrow their camels, which provides an essential source of income for the local community. The L’Ho maintains their nomad style tent at an oasis about 2 hours into the breath taking dunes. If visitors are planning a longer camel trek they will spend time with other Berber families who are paid a fair rate for your board. Visitors are asked to please respect the culture, traditions and home of the family by dressing appropriately. Spending time with the family and exchanging words, is really rewarding and so much fun with this family who are so full of laughter. Being able to speak a European language is so valuable for the children’s future as they become adults in this tourist dependent region. A list of Tamazight Berber/English phrases have been left in the house to help you get really involved in life with the family. Unwanted clothing is welcomed by the family and the children are clothed by donations from visiting guests. The practice is socially acceptable because of the important Islamic principle of 'sadaqua', or alms-giving. |
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