The beginning of 2014 was one of the best new years I've ever experienced. 3 days earlier I travelled through the High Atlas mountains before finally arriving in the Sahara desert to spend my new years eve star gazing, chilling around a campfire and listening to live traditional moroccan music.
GETTING THERE
Entering the desert happened almost instantaneously, we were driving through rocky terrain amidst weathered rocks when the environment morphed seamlessly into a desolate desert filled with sand dunes.
After 3 days driving through the High Atlas mountains we bid farewell to our awesome guide Hamou and continued by camel back trekking through the dunes to the small Saharan town Merzouga.
Approaching the Sahara desert.
The Merzouga inn (Riad Maison Adrar) we arrived at before heading out to desert campsite.
CAMEL TREKKING
After a short break we continued our camel trek to our campsite where we would camp overnight for new years eve. The air was crisp and it was surprisingly cold as we made our way to our campsite. The scenery around us was surreal, as soon as Merzouga disappeared from sight it felt like I was on another planet. And for as far as the eye could see there was nothing but waves of gold sand that had been moulded by the wind cascading all the way to the end of the horizon.
The ride took us roughly an hour, but it was so much fun taking all the scenery in, I would have loved to have continued for a little longer.
A 1 hour camel trek to camp.
Camel trekking through the dunes.
My ride.
From a distance I can hear the faint sound of melodic drums echoing through the air. It felt like I was being ushered into an African tribal village. When we arrived there was live traditional music welcoming us into camp.
When we finally settled into our tents we headed out to spend some time exploring the dunes around the campsite.
Locals performing their ceremonial activities by the fire.
Desert flames.
Making some awesome music.
THE CAMP
After dinner everybody gathered around the campfire in the middle of the campsite where some of the local musicians were performing folk dances and more traditional music.
In between all the music, dance and star gazing I spent the the night meeting other travelers and trading stories.
It became insanely cold when the sun set and the temperature plummeted. In the Sahara the temperatures can drop as low as 0 degrees celsius after dark. Luckily for us we were given 3 thick camel blankets to sleep in. Unfortunately it wasn't enough for me, it was so cold I slept that night under 3 layers of camel fur and fully clothed - with my beanie, thermals, jacket, boots and socks!
Everybody gathered around the bonfire in the middle of camp.
From under our campsite there was an incredible view of the milky way.
The highlight of the whole trip for me was definitely seeing the sky so clearly. Being out in the middle of nowhere, far from buildings and street lights meant that there was no light pollution in the air. So when you looked up into the sky, you could literally see the cosmos! It was incredible.
THE DUNES
The next day we woke up super early to climb one of the nearby sand dunes and watch the sun rise. It was insanely difficult for me to wake up because of how cold it was in the morning but definitely worth the effort.
Morning hike up the sand dunes.
Racing to the top.
Epic view of the Sahara in the morning.
Trekking on sand was tough because the sand litterally sinks under the weight of your shoes. Every step I took dragged and I felt like I was constantly taking two steps forward and one step back.
After our hike we returned to camp, had a quick breakfast and made our way back to Merzouga.
The gang jamming to some music before riding back to Merzouga.
Having a quick breakfast before riding our camels back to Merzouga.
One of the talented guides at the camp. He spoke a tonne of languages including, English, French, Japanese and Arabic - really impressive.
Before leaving the Sahara desert, we played catch with some of the local children.
Back at the Riad we took the Vortex out for a throw as the sun set over the sand dunes. We noticed there were two local children watching us so we asked them if they wanted to join in. They were super eager to play and got really into it. Playing catch with the local kids was a fun way to close out our trip.
A nomadic family moving in between villages.
Getting to spend new years eve in the Sahara desert has been one of the most amazing experiences I've had. If you are ever heading to Northern Africa, definitely do not miss the opportunity to check it out!
