Glamping in the Sahara desert? Madu Desert Camp is the perfect place for you!

You like nature? would you like to stay in the middle of nowhere in a tent, but you hate camping? Do you want your bed, your private toilet, your shower and your tranquility, but at the same time the feeling that you’re in the middle of nowhere, away from the crowds and mass tourism? Me too!!! So, you’re reading the right post in order to find out the solution of this problem, which is called…… GLAMPING! Meaning, Glamorous Camping, with a dose of luxury and lots of amenities!! There are different kinds of glamping, but here, Ι will talk about my first – and I hope not last – experience so far, in one of the most imposing places in the world, the Sahara Desert.

In an idyllic landscape surrounded by orange dunes in the middle of the desert of eastern Morocco, lies the Madu luxury desert camp, where I was a guest for one unforgettable night. The camp consists of tents only, (7 rooms and 1 restaurant). Despite they are placed in the middle of nowhere, they offer the luxury of a 5* hotel.

My adventure in the Sahara started the previous night, while I was accommodated at Riad Madu. Α luxurious riad as well, which is the owner of the camp, located outside of Merzouga village. My booking of the glamping was already arranged by Riad Madu staff, so all I had to do was enjoy the magic of the desert and the hospitality of the Berbers.

The magical sand dunes of the Sahara desert

On my way to the camp

The transportation to the camp is possible only by jeep 4×4 or camels. I tried both ways: I went riding a camel and came back riding a jeep. I left the riad late in the afternoon by jeep, to the place where the camels were waiting for us. During the noon, the temperature was unsuitable for people to go outside, so moving around the desert was possible just before the sunset (it was August and the temperature was 45C during that afternoon!!). The camel drivers were already waiting for the customers of the camp, to take us to our destination through a magical route watching -theoretically- the unique sunset of the Sahara desert.… I WISH!

Unfortunately, during our transfer to the camel point, it was raining!! Rarely, but it rains in the desert too! The result was disappointing: grey sky, no sunset at all! However, the ride was one of a kind. For almost one hour and a half, my Berber camel driver was leading my camel, walking barefoot on the cool desert sand. We were surrounded only by dunes, a vast sea of sand in blinding orange color!!! The whole landscape looked unreal and painted, as if someone from the sky had thrown orange paint all over the place!

Arriving at the camp, a young Berber welcomed us, wearing the traditional blue kaftan of the desert. He offered Moroccan tea and nuts, and then he accompanied us to our tents. The tents are actually luxurious rooms, offering all the amenities a hotel can offer: A/C, a double bed, a small lounge with a wardrobe, a sink, shower and separate toilet. Of course, there was running water at room temperature and electricity from generators (only during the night). The temperature in the desert at that time ranged around 35C, so the Air Condition was absolutely necessary, as were the bottles of cold bottled water, already placed in the room. Needless to mention that everything was absolutely clean and the room was decorated in a cute and simple way, matching the desert colors. In any case, the pictures say it all!

After a short photo tour of my room, I went out to enjoy my dinner with local and European flavors. The quality of the food was excellent and the scenery looked out straight of the 1000+1 nights. The tables were beautifully placed in the outdoor area in the middle of the camp, but as it was already dark, the surrounding sand dunes were not visible. Later, we gathered around the bonfire and enjoyed local music from Berber musicians. My night ended up with another failed attempt to capture the Milky Way on the neighboring dunes. It was my second overnight in the Sahara that I couldn’t enjoy the starry sky, because of the clouds and a sudden sandstorm.

When I woke up the next morning , the temperature was already around 40C. Since by the afternoon the generators were not working, and therefore neither did the a/c, the heat had started to become unbearable inside the tent. Thankfully, most of the camp guests had already departed for various activities, and I was the last one for the breakfast. The sky was cloudy again, so I chose to sit outside the restaurant tent, to enjoy the Moroccan delicacies, as well as the tranquility of the desert and the endless view to the orange dunes.

Time flied fast – how else – by taking photos of the outdoor camp area and the restaurant in the daylight. Immediately after the photo-shooting, I departed for my return to the riad in Merzouga, this time by a 4×4 jeep, driving over the endless dunes.

Another amazing experience that no one should miss!!!!

I don’t know if I will go glamping again soon, but that overnight in the Sahara desert was one of the most breathtaking experiences of my life! If you haven’t tried it so far, you should definitely add it to your list!