Do You Have the Courage to Travel Deep Into the Sahara?
February 02, 2015
Do you have the courage to travel deep into the Sahara? When we took 6 year old Mozart on a camel trek overnight trip deep into the Sahara ( by land - ie bus, ferry, train, car from Europe) we felt very adventurous as it's not something done by most American travelers.
We did have fear, especially doing it with a young child, but focused on our courage.
It turned out to one of our best choices on our world tour, that we all still remember well and cherish, even Mozart, because it was such a totally exotic and unique experience.
Mozart was also thrilled to do a service project of riding in on a camel, bringing a bag of healthy treats and playing her violin for kids who had never seen one! They happily greeted her singing songs, so it was simply magical.
So I write this to encourage you to face your fears when it comes to travel and see this amazing country and the world's largest subtropical desert, as these type of one-of-a-kind places are disappearing in our world that is shrinking and becoming more homogenized.
Morocco and the Sahara Desert are like no where else on the planet, so it is worth going just for that reason.
French and Arabic are the main languages, thus there is not much English spoken, so that adds to the challenge.
There will be challenges, but it is worth the effort and part of what makes it special.
We like to get off the beaten path and get to know the locals, as we feel to really get to know a country, one needs to interact with it's people.
Through a travel friend & Morocco expert I met on the internet, Joao Leitao, we met the amazing Hmad and Alessandra at Les Nomades that helped us get a very authentic, heartfelt ( & safe) experience of the Sahara and it's people.
Do gather your courage, do your research and head for this country and the Sahara. Done well, it can be a life changing experience that you will cherish forever! Any questions?
Do you have the courage to travel deep into the Sahara? When we took 6 year old Mozart on a camel trek overnight trip deep into the Sahara ( by land - ie bus, ferry, train, car from Europe) we felt very adventurous as it's not something done by most American travelers.
We did have fear, especially doing it with a young child, but focused on our courage.
It turned out to one of our best choices on our world tour, that we all still remember well and cherish, even Mozart, because it was such a totally exotic and unique experience.
Mozart was also thrilled to do a service project of riding in on a camel, bringing a bag of healthy treats and playing her violin for kids who had never seen one! They happily greeted her singing songs, so it was simply magical.
So I write this to encourage you to face your fears when it comes to travel and see this amazing country and the world's largest subtropical desert, as these type of one-of-a-kind places are disappearing in our world that is shrinking and becoming more homogenized.
Morocco and the Sahara Desert are like no where else on the planet, so it is worth going just for that reason.
French and Arabic are the main languages, thus there is not much English spoken, so that adds to the challenge.
There will be challenges, but it is worth the effort and part of what makes it special.
We like to get off the beaten path and get to know the locals, as we feel to really get to know a country, one needs to interact with it's people.
Through a travel friend & Morocco expert I met on the internet, Joao Leitao, we met the amazing Hmad and Alessandra at Les Nomades that helped us get a very authentic, heartfelt ( & safe) experience of the Sahara and it's people.
Do gather your courage, do your research and head for this country and the Sahara. Done well, it can be a life changing experience that you will cherish forever! Any questions?
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I'm glad you had this experience and it was positive! Personally, I'm not one for heat or sand. I'm from the U.S., in Goa, India currently and the environment affects my health. I can only imagine how the Sahara desert would be!!
Posted by: Jeff Bronson *Kraven* | February 19, 2015 at 03:21 AM
Thanks Jeff, but you don't have to worry about heat there surprisingly for much of the year!! It's not like sweltering heat and humidity in Southeast Asia that often affects peoples health.
As you can probably tell by the clothes in the pictures, we were not dealing with heat at all in the spring when we took these photos. It was very pleasant during the day and sunny, but not hot. One usually needed a long sleeve shirt and pants and sometimes a sweater or jacket. It got quite cold at night in the Sahara.
So it is seasonal weather not like every day hot and muggy at the equator.We've been there done that in Asia. ;)
Now, sand, you will run into that in the Sahara and huge dunes, but then that is part of the joy as you can see in Mozart's face as she slides down a huge dune!
Trust me, this is a place a traveler shouldn't miss! I've personally been to almost 90 countries and this is one of the "Must-See" places!
Posted by: Jeanne @soultravelers3 | February 19, 2015 at 06:19 PM
You named your kid Mozart?
Posted by: Jack Wilson | February 28, 2015 at 06:31 AM
Hi Jeanne,
We are currently staying in a tiny village in La Alpujarra in Andalucia and we have been all over southern Spain in the last month, but we are planning on heading to Morocco for an extended weekend in about 3 weeks. I have been considering a Sahara trek, because it would be such an amazing experience, but we haven't made up our minds yet. Our daughters are 4 and 6, so our youngest is a bit younger than Mozart was when she went. We are planning to stay in Fez because it sounds like the most authentic experience with the least amount of Medina craziness. I was hoping you might share your thoughts on length of stay and taking our 4 year old into the Sahara?
I just discovered your blog yesterday, and I'm thrilled to be able to read about another vagabond homeschooling family's experiences, especially because we are only a month into our new lifestyle.
Posted by: Dominica | May 02, 2015 at 04:29 AM
Yes, Fez is wonderful. A weekend is not long enough for Morocco as it is very spread out and takes a long time to get anywhere.
Fez and best place to do over night camel trek is a long distance apart. I would give it more time.
I can really say anything about the 4 year old as it is subjective. I know some have gone. My daughter was barely 6 and still remembers and cherishes this experience ( she is now 14 and also rode camels in Petra Jordan at 10 and China at 12)
Good luck!! Read all our posts on Morocco for more info!
Posted by: jeanne @soultravelers3 | May 02, 2015 at 08:36 PM