After traveling to Erg Chebbi, near Merzouga and come back. Spend sometime on the topic whether it indeed part of the Sahara Desert also brother me. Human nature we want absolute sure where we are, in particular we had GPS geo location can be use for confirm the geo location.
My journey, wake up at 4am early morning at Erfoud hotel, pick up by 4×4 wheel drive to Merzouga near the desert edge, change camel ride to high sand dunes location, climb up to the high spot and wait for sunrise, sand the sunrise moment with the love one.
In Morocco got two Saharan ergs (dune sea, sand dunes) – large seas of dunes formed by wind-blown sand. One is Erg Chebbi, and other is Erg Chigaga near M’hamid. I am checked on both Google Maps and Google Earth to get precise geo location for the area.
Merzouga, the local tourist center, is located near the edge of the dunes. A number of companies offer camel trips from Merzouga and into the desert, taking tourists on overnight trips several kilometres into the erg, which is enough to bring the village out of sight. The dunes of Erg Chebbi reach a height of up to 150 meters in places and altogether it spans an area of 50 kilometers from north to south and up to 5–10 kilometers from east to west lining the Algerian border. The nearest sizable town is Erfoud, about 60 kilometers further north. One other city is Rissani, around 40 kilometers from Merzouga.
As far as for human eye can see, at Erg Chebbi, is endless of sand dunes, changing color as the light change, it epic when camel ride to the high sand dunes and wait for the sunrise moment see it pass thru from far sand dunes. Take the 4×4 wheel drive to enter inside the desert and change the camel ride to the high sand dunes location, and then back to the camel ride pick up location and change back to 4×4 wheel drive back to you hotel.
From geography and political bounder, Morocco do not in the Sahara Desert, it is very close to that. Or whether it is Sahara Desert sand blow over to the current Morocco after for so many years or not, no sure. But one thing I can confirm, the scene endless of sand dunes, you no really need to see in the truly desert said take a month of the journey to travel inside. As the modern traveler, since Morocco is strategically can make the travel experience for camel ride, night camp in the desert for the night stars, saw the sunrise and sunset for that experience in part of the overall Morocco epic journey, why not take it as part of the desert safari and your life time experience.
Sunrise experience (I dress with Star Wars Jedi Cloth and dress)
In the end what we really want is “incredible Sahara desert experience”. It matter of fact you most likely get more or less the same shot for the endless desert scene, where I saw it at different part of the world for the desert, whether at Egypt or China. So, it important for you to plan and make it amazing travel experience for your family and love one together, that is really what matters most.
After make a series study for the “true Sahara Desert”, I am question myself whether I am adventure type, as go in deep of the Sahara desert, that is no tourist location, you got to facing sandstorm, and endless of sand dunes day after day, I think I will get bored, maybe I looking for different kind of travel experience as the modern traveler, epic in a way.
