First we were picked up at the airport (late evening) and taken to our Riad (even before the trip started!) for no extra cost. First time in Morocco so this was super helpful and needed.
Then we met Nabil who explained everything to us, and was very helpful answering any questions we had. When the trip started we were picked up from our Riad by Nabil and taken to a comfortable 4x4 with Aircon (much needed!!) Where Madih (our driver) was waiting for us. The first drive was a long one all the way to Merzouga (left 8am and arrived 4:30pm ish). Lots of respect for Madih who did this while answering any questions we had about our surroundings during the drive, whilst also fasting (Ramadan). We had many stops along the way, including playing with monkeys in a non-touristic location (this was awesome!).
After arriving in Merzouga, we were passed onto some Berber people who took us into the desert to a camp on camels (there was a group of us, of around 10 from other tour companies). This was a great experience, where we ate the most delicious tagine and listened to Berber music in front of a camp fire under the stars (trying to find food like it in the rest of Morocco has been difficult!). Seeing stars in the desert without light pollution was a surreal experience, I never knew how many stars filled the sky at night!
In the morning (very early to avoid the heat of the sun) we trekked back through the Sahara to begin the next leg of the journey. We visited the Todra Gorge, among many other stops (including a beautiful mosque in a nearby village), before going to a very nice Riad in Ouarzazate where we had another delicious meal.
On the final day we visited Ait Benhaddou and the Atlas Mountains on the way to Marrakesh, where there were some stunning views!
Overall the trip was fantastic. Many thanks to Madih for being a fantastic driver/guide/friend throughout the trip, taking us to many great locations and being helpful whenever possible! I was slightly apprehensive about awkward silences but this was not the case at all. Madih was very talkative and made both me and my partner feel very comfortable throughout.
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