Yes, Erg Chebbi is worth it, it is wonderful there, not only sand dunes but so many places around. It is worth 2 nights or more, actually. You can read this link http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2124115
From Marrakech or Fes you take Supratour bus - www.oncf.ma, it take you right to Merzouga in Erg Chebbi.
On the way from Marrakech are many overnight stop like Ouarzazate, Valley de roses, Dades, Todra Gorge - open your guidebook and read about those places.
To Fes then it is not so many stop, but you take overnight bus so you can sleep instead the whole way. If you had the car then Ziz Valley is worth one stop.

Someone just posted on here a few hours ago, saying they have just done a 3 day trek from Hsipaw (with a guide) and everything was fine. The thread is from about a month ago ^Hsipaw- German tourist killed in landmine blast^
The road and railway line from Lashio to Mandalay is open to everyone and hasn't seen any problems since the initial attacks months ago.
Wherever you leave the main towns in that area of the country, landmines are a genuine threat, and a guide would be a very sensible option, rather than going off on your own.
Be aware that many Governments are advising against travel there and any insurance you have won't be valid if you do go there.

Nkob to Marrakech is much more than only 5,5 hours.
If you will use shared taxi to Ouarzazate you need change it, probably in Agdez, so the drive time will be longer. Bus from Ouarzazate to Marrakech take approx 5 hours.

@rpohlen967043 I actually ended up doing it all on my own (with a friend who I met in Jerusalem) and it wasn't bad. The only thing is that you have to do taxis for part of it, which are pretty expensive. The bus options are either very limited or don't exist. So if you have at least one person to split it with, it's pretty reasonable. Let me try to remember what everything was (I took some notes).

Israel
- Took the public bus early AM from Jerusalem to Eilat (was about $20 USD per person). Took a cab to the border from the bus station (I forget how much it was. Could have taken a bus, but it was incredibly hot)
- Exit tax from Israel was 110 NIS ($30 USD) + some kind of small processing fee/admin fee

Jordan
- Walk across the border into Jordan (through a duty free gift shop)
- No visa fee for entry into Jordan (I think you're charged when you leave if you don't stay in Jordan for 2 nights and don't go to Petra. However, this is a Wadi Araba crossing policy specifically, and no the same at other border crossings). Visa on arrival IS fine at the Wadi Araba Border crossing despite what all the embassies say to the contrary.
- When you cross into Jordan, there's a cab stand with published rates. There are no ATMs at the border. There are no buses. We took a cab to a hostel in Aqaba (Hakaia Home). The published cab price at the airport was 11JD to the town visitor center and they charged us 15JD (about $22 USD) to stop at the ATM before going to the hostel, which was a bit of a rip off, but there weren't any other options.
- Hakaia Home hostel was about 22JD total for 2 people for 1 night. Very basic place, but nice owners and breakfast included.
- Arranged for a cab from the hostel to Wadi Rum through the place we stayed at in Wadi Rum for 20JD. There seemed to be one public bus per day to Wadi Rum, but really early in the morning and it didn't seem worth it.
- Wadi Rum lodging at The Martian Camp was 18JD for 2 people in a decently nice hut in the desert, 20JD for a good home-cooked dinner for 2 people, and 45JD for a sunset 2.5 hour jeep tour. So 83JD total for 2 people for wadi rum lodging with dinner and sunset jeep tour. Highly recommend!
- Cab from Wadi Rum to Petra (much farther than Aqaba to Wadi Rum) was 40JD, arranged through the Martian Camp. Again, there was like one or 2 buses per day and it wasn't convenient for us.
- Stayed at a Hostel in Petra/Wadi Musa (Rafiki Hostel), which was walking distance to Petra - 16JD for 2 people for one night.

So for all the above Jordan portion it was 196JD total for 2 people, which was about $275USD.

We then took a bus up to Amman (Jett Bus, 11JD per person) and stayed for a night. There is uber in Amman which was great. I then did the border crossing to Israel via the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge crossing. This was much more annoying than the Wadi Araba crossing. It involved an uber to the bus station, 3-4 different buses to get to Jerusalem, and tons of security. I would recommend flying out of Amman if that works with your trip. I also had to pay the Israel exit tax again when I left a few days later.

I've survived three lone expeditions into the desert, Merzouga and M'Hamid el Ghoslane, using on my own initiative, a travel guide book, and travelling on local buses and Grand taxis, these journeys were planned in the months of May and September when the heat is tolerable. I stayed in inexpensive basic hotels and Pensions ( pronounced "pong-see-ong) and ate in small basic restaurants, always to be found close to the bus stations ( Gare Routiere) where local people and Moroccan travellers also chose to eat.

Travelling like this means you can be your own boss without the regimental regime imposed by a tour company ( I used to drive European tour buses ) so I have some experience of guided tours and would advise you to avoid them if you possibly can.

When you arrive in the desert towns and villages you will always find local tour guides and camel drivers with whom you can do your own deal, thereby cutting out any middle men associated with a tour company who will add their own commission to any deal organised by themselves.

Chefchaouen is an entirely different proposition, especially in mid-winter December, when the weather can be cold and wet, it will also be dark around 4 pm which will restrict your explorations to the Medina and Kasbah, so I would advise concentrating your available time frame in the southern desert region where it will be warmer. Tangier at Christmas is very busy with many Spanish tourists filling up hotel accommodation, so make sure your hotel is booked in advance.

Some more information on Chefchaouen is here to help you decide if this detour is worthwhile.....

https://web.archive.org/web/20170224200602/http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/1658d2/204c37/

Ok, back in the UK now, slowly trying to acclimatise after a wonderful 2 ½ weeks in Cuba. Though I'd report back on how I got on.

I thought I'd head for Playa Giron first, and then if that didn't suit my purposes, continue east to Castillo de Jagua or La Boca. The Playa Giron seafront is dominated by an all inclusive hotel, with the village set further back and most of the casas along the 1 1/2km road leading inland towards Cienfuegos. I was pleased to get a room at Tony's B&B (recommended), which was about as close as you can get to the beach apart from the hotel. I didn't like the first beach with the concrete wave breaker and hotel directly behind it, but the second beach (Playa Coco?) was lovely, especially at the far eastern end with the palm trees and fishing boats. There was some good snorkeling off the beach, though I am not a strong swimmer and never managed to reach the “drop off” that people had mentioned.

Looking at google maps, I noticed a few more intriguing looking little beaches and coves further east, most of which I learnt were either day ticket, uninhabited, private or Cuban only, but there was a casa in the fishing village of Guasasa, which sits on a small sand and rock beach forming a natural harbour. The village only has electricity for half a day, there is only one bus a week and not many tourists go there, so of course I had to investigate further! Tony phoned the casa for me, they were booked, but could put me up in a tent on the beach until a room became free (in the end just one night) and could send one of those three wheeler ricktruck things (I forget what they call them, I think they are made from cannibalised autorickshaws - I never saw two of exactly the same design) to pick me up. The next day, just an hour of Cuban time late after having broke down along the way, my ride arrived. We stopped on the way to help another ricktruck who had broken down (the only other form of transport I saw on that road were horse and carts) and ended up towing them for a bit, only for our truck to break down again, but eventually made it to the village.

Guasasa exceeded expectations, a beautifully rustic little village with chickens, goats,pigs, horses and happy kids running about the place. The casa was directly opposite the little beach, just meters from the sea. While it could never win a beach beauty contest, the beach had it’s own charm and I mostly had it to myself the whole time I was there. The sand was white, but very coarse. No palm trees, but some other trees provided shade and had hammocks suspended from them. It wasn’t the cleanest beach, not so much from plastic (more of this at the peripheries of the beach), but leaves, twigs, driftwood, stones etc littering the beach, but I guess that added to the rusticness!

The snorkelling was fantastic! Just meters from the shore there is a small rock island and on the other side some really healthy looking coral with many species of colourful fish swimming around, much better than I had seen in Player Giron. A local guy took me to a small cove a few KM away where a wreck could be seem from the surface, and there is also an inland swimming hole used by the locals in the village.

There were no restaurants in the village, but the casa kept me well fed on massive seafood dinners including lobster, crab and lionfish.

Thanks again for everyone’s input into this thread, I wouldn’t have found this place without your help. Will post some pictures soon!

Trekking Itinerary:
Day 1 :Arrive at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) Kathmandu
Day 2 :Drive from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi (1610m) by Bus. 7 hours driving.
Day 3 :Trek from Syabrubesi to Lama Hotel (2480 m.), 5 – 6 hours,
Day 4 :Trek from Lama Hotel to Langtang village (3541 m.) 4-5 hours,
Day 5 :Trek from Langtang village to Kyangjin Gompa (3900 m.), 2 -3 hours,
Day 6 :Hiking up to Chorkari ri(5050m) and back to Kyangjn Gompa. 5 -6 hours,
Day 7:Trek down to Lama hotel (2480 m.) 5 - 6 hours,
Day 8:Trek from Lama hotel to Thulo Syabru (2200 m.) 5 -6 hours,
Day 9:Trek from Thulo Syabru to Sing Gompa (3580 m.) 5 - 6 hours,
Day 10:Trek from Sing Gompa to Gosainkunda (4381 m.). 5 -6 hours,
Day 11:Cross over the Lauribina pass (4600 m.) descend to Ghopte (3420 m.) 6 -7 hours,
Day 12:Trek from Ghopte to Kutumsang (2540m) 5 -7 hours,
Day 13:Trek from Kutumsang to Chisopani (2110m) 6 - 7 hours,
Day 14:Trek from Chisopani to Sundarijal and drive to Kathmandu
Day 15:Final Departure
If you trekked until goshikunda and back to Dhunche 13/14 days is enough. Also possible go to pokhara from Dhunche.
Thanks.