Camels in the Sahara

There’s more than one way to celebrate Hump Day.

Today, I want to revel in one of the family friendly ways – with the humpiest of all critters, camels! It’s been a while since I visited Morocco with Intrepid Travel, so why not celebrate making it to midweek with one of the best experiences of the 15 day excursion – camel riding in the Sahara Desert near Erg Chebbi.

If it’s not already on your bucket list, I sure hope this photo essay will encourage you to add it!

You may recall late last year, Kirsten Alana and I partnered with Intrepid Travel to give away two trips to Morocco, and then we invited the winners to join us on the adventure in December.

I really couldn’t have asked for a more willing travel partner… I mean, who else would indulge my desire to dress like a movie character for every possible travel scenario? 

Frankly, you don’t HAVE to dress like Princess Jasmine to enjoy a camel ride in the Sahara. But I tell you what, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Our camel handlers met us at the back door of Auberge Yasmina, the 20-room property we stayed in for only one quick night. If I could change anything about my trip to Morocco, I would’ve spent more time in the desert – particularly at Auberge Yasmina.

I was there at the cool beginning of winter, but it seems like it would’ve been a perfect place to settle in to do some writing in the warmer months – vegging by the pool, sand boarding, star-gazing, camel riding in the dunes and enjoying consistently spectacular cinnamon-and-saffron sunrises and sunsets.

There’s nothing terribly graceful about getting on a camel.

It sits on the ground, you clamber on, it gawkily straightens its gangly legs and lurches forward across the sand, guided by colorfully turbaned handlers who are never far off. After a while you do get the hang of the rhythm, and you and your camel settle into a pattern, and you make your tracks across the sand.

If not always comfortable, it’s a consistent backward and forward sway.

I’ve spent less than .000001% of my life in desert climates, so I am beyond fascinated with the vast expanses of gold, red and orange sand.

How does it all stay put?

Why doesn’t the wind pick it all up and carry it away?

How can anything survive here?

And how about the way the blue sky looks bluer than it’s ever been in contrast with the sand?

Breathtaking.

And how to describe the majesty of the sun setting over the dunes?

Too pretty for words. Thank goodness for pictures!

Once the sun slipped below the dunes, we lurched back toward Auberge Yasmina for a dinner of Moroccan staples – pastila, tagine, couscous and harira.

What was truly a banner day in the desert dunes of Morocco has been the perfect Hump Day reminiscence for me. Thanks for coming along for today’s adventure!

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Huge thanks to Intrepid Travel for making the Morocco Experience possible! Opinions and affinity for costumes are my own.