Sahara Blues

Many of us have seen it on television or in movies – a sea of beige-colored dunes, turban-swathed travelers in long djellabas, and camels slowly pacing across the endless sands, their s-curved necks keeping pace with the rhythm of their stride. To see the Sahara in person is an entirely different experience, one that transcends sight and sound and arouses a feeling from deep within. There is a palpable shift in perception of how the rest of the world lives. At least, this is how it felt for me.  

I joined a group trip to the Erg Chebbi dunes so that I could get a firsthand look at the Sahara. The dunes lie near the town of Merzouga. The highlight of the trip was to visit the dunes, enjoy a camel ride into and out of the sandy landscape, and to spend the night under the stars in an Amazigh (Berber) camp site. The trip stretched across three days from Marrakech. We drove across the Atlas Mountains and to various villages that dotted the route to the Sahara.   

One of the stops included the village of Aït Benhaddou, a popular site where several box office hits have been filmed. It wasn’t hard to see why, based on the scenery. Hollywood aside, the kasbah (fortress) and delicate village structure perched on a hill were impressive sights, and the view from the top of the village was of lush oases and snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Village of Aït Benhaddou near the Sahara Desert

View from above the village of Aït Benhaddou

While in Aït Benhaddou, we were strongly advised to purchase head scarves commonly worn by the locals when out in the desert. Our guide referred to them as “passports” to the Sahara since they proved to be essential. This was sound advice. We would soon find out how strong the winds are and how invasive the fine sand particles are to any area of the body they can find a way into.

Our caravan guide wearing a traditional headscarf to protect against the desert elements

With so many beautifully-colored head scarves draped in and around Moroccan shops, it could be hard to choose. Our guide warned us to avoid black. He said half-jokingly, “If you go black, you don’t come back.” This was understandable since black absorbs heat and the desert is, well, hot.

Indigo is the most popular color. There are various reasons for this that I heard during trip; the color protects from the heat, acts as an insect repellent, and prevents fine particles from penetrating the cloth. I went with indigo to align with tradition.

Me wearing indigo head scarf in preparation for the camel ride to the dunes

As a side note, “Blue Men” are commonly known throughout the Sahara. They are a nomadic tribe referred to as Tuaregs and are thought to have descended from the Amazigh (Berber) tribes. They’ve traveled the desert for centuries using stars as navigation, and they commonly wear blue scarves as it is a symbolic color in their culture.

After a few more scenic stops, we finally reached Merzouga. We mounted our camels and traveled in a caravan with other eager tourists towards the desert campsite. On the way, we stopped in the middle of the dunes to watch the sunset, clumsily climbing the sand dunes the best we could to get a good view.

Tourist caravan in Erg Chebbi dunes, Sahara Desert

The show-stopper of the trip was watching the dunes at sunset and again at sunrise. The sand shifts in unpredictable patters, reminding me of how the Northern Lights erratically shifted in the sky during my trip to Iceland just a few weeks earlier. I hadn’t seen so many colors change on a landscape in such a short time. The sand went from different shades at sunset to another palette in the morning. Colors varied from beige to orange, rust, mocha, pink, brick red, and even the color of skin. 

One of many vivid colors and texture of the dunes, this one taken at sunrise

The dominating sound in the dunes was the wind, but not just the wind. It was the sound of the wind blowing across countless sand dunes, the sound of wind moving the sand and reshaping the desert for the umpteenth time. Having kept close company during our caravan stop, occasionally there was also the sound of a camel extracting and munching on desert grass.

Camels roaming freely and eating desert grass

Having lived most of my life in bustling urban areas congested with cars and people – the never-ending buzz of sirens, bells, talking, barking, and other sounds of a densely populated area – it was unavoidable to be silenced by the desolate and ever-shifting landscape. And wrapping my head around the fact that people continue to travel across and survive in this landscape was an exercise unto itself.

Campsite at night, village of Merzouga in background, and constellation of Orion above

For the brief time I was there, it was enough to enjoy the magic of the landscape and appreciate the communities who dwell in the desert for their strength and durability. I couldn’t help but feel an immense responsibility after having witnessed an impressive mountain range and now life in the dunes; a responsibility to the environment and also to our fellow travelers on this delicate planet.

Two travelers facing north as the sun set in the west, Erg Chebbi dunes, Sahara Desert

Travel links

The trip was booked through GetYourGuide and the group I traveled with was Marrakech Travel Services: https://www.marrakeshtravelservices.com/