Visiting the desert in Morocco
Replies: 23 - Last Post: Nov 25, 2012 7:16 AM Last Post By: klhchicago
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Visiting the desert in Morocco
My partner and I are planning to visit Morocco for 10 ten days at the end of the year, and are wondering what would be the best way to see the desert, leaving from Marrakesh. What are the best options when going to Merzouga? I am not really interested in a long camel ride (seen it and done it in India and Egypt). Would 3 days (including travel) with a stop along the way work? We're not interested in renting a car at this point.Also any recommendations on mid-priced accommodations in Marrakesh would be great, too.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
KLH
1
Stick 'marrakech erg chebbi' into the search facility and you'll find countless threads from the past.I consider four days to be the minimum (two days each way) otherwise you won't have time to see the many things on the way and it just becomes a mind-numbing tarmac-pounding road trip.
Similarly stick 'accommodation marrakech' into the search facility. What's mid-priced in dirhams?
2
Agree with Tim. One stop you can do on the way to the desert (for ex in Boumalne-Tinerhir: Todra Dades and Gorge) and other stop to visit Ait BenHaddou on the way back.4
What? Where? Todras or Ait BenHaddou?And when you are in Merzouga, try to do and visit M´Fis, it is really interesting to see how is this mineral mines, incredible. If you go to Nomad Palace, it is behind, maybe anyway not so long to go by foot. But to Nomad Palace it is 7km from Merzouga (I had gone there once by foot) so you can take taxi.
6
I don't yet know where I will stop, Khamlia; I want to stay flexible on the way back home after the music festival, which it seems will be mostly Moroccan with some Spanish, but not really international. Which will still be awesome!I want to make two stops on the way back to Taroudant, using whatever means of transportation, neither CTM nor Supratours. Tinerhir (Todra Gorge) looks to be about the right distance, so I will look for affordable accommodation there. After that, I might hit Ouarzazate again and possibly do some shopping.
7
Yes, it is right distance on your trip from Erg Chebbi, but you know that Tinerhir is boring city so try to find something inside Todra Gorge. I saw there hotel Yasmina, seemed nice even if I said that there maybe I would not take a risk to stay over, because it is just below the cliff and if some big stone fall down so ... LOL.Supratour probably not make stop near Ait Benhaddou so you have to take a taxi in Ouarzazate, it is about 25 km away.
8
Tinerhir is one of the few places in Morocco I actively dislike, so I'd echo the suggestion to stop within the Todra gorge. There's another hotel next to the Yasmina--Hotel des Roches?--so when you arrive you can check both to see which offers the best deal for dinner, bed and breakfast.9
Ok, scratch Tinerhir.Since I will be traveling creatively coming back, I assume there will be some means of getting into the area, inside Todra Gorge, where both hotels are located? I'd probably pick it up in Er Rachidia, right?
Hmmm...might be a good time to have a look at my guidebook.
10
The road to the Todra gorge is at the extreme eastern end of Tinerhir, so you will see the junction (with traffic lights!) on the right as you reach the town. You should be able to get a grand taxi from where the bus stops in Tinerhir. It's no more than about 9km to the hotels in the gorge, so shouldn't be expensive, depending how many seats are filled.In the morning you may be able to get a lift back to Tinerhir (or even further) with other guests. Otherwise I guess the hotel will sort something.
11
I not really understand now this with pick it up in Errachidia, but if I understand right, you go off the bus in Tinerhir, take some taxi or local transport to Todra and then you go a little bit and see both hotels on your right side.(this came post scriptum because my computer is bad slowly, I have to buy new one)
