Guest Post: Authentic Desert Experience in Morocco: Why We Chose M’hamid Over Merzouga
This is a guest post by Beth & Joel, who traveled with Aziz.
Choosing the Right Gateway to the Sahara
There are really two main gateways to experience a desert tour in Morocco: M’hamid and Merzouga. From our research, Merzouga desert tours seemed the most popular, but that popularity also comes with drawbacks. The dunes there are smaller, the town is always in view (meaning the night sky suffers from light pollution), and the desert area itself is limited — described by some travelers as a “large sandbox.”
M’hamid desert tours, on the other hand, are more remote and harder to reach, but that extra effort pays off. The Sahara here feels endless, wild, and untouched. Most travelers from M’hamid head towards Erg Chigaga, famous for its vast dunes and fixed camps. But we wanted to go further off the beaten path — and that’s how we found Erg Ezahar.
Discovering Erg Ezahar
Rising nearly 200 meters out of the desert, Erg Ezahar dunes have no fixed camps and remain largely unknown. It is the second largest dune near M’hamid, yet far fewer tourists make it here. Our guide, Aziz Ennaji, promised us silence, solitude, and skies clear enough to see the Milky Way in the Sahara. He was right.
The only other traveler we saw stood tiny against the vastness of this golden dune — proof of how remote and authentic this Moroccan desert experience really is.
Meeting Aziz – From Nomad to Guide
Our journey truly began in M’hamid El Ghizlane, where we met Aziz Ennaji, a former desert nomad and now professional Moroccan desert guide. We had been searching for something authentic after turning down endless offers of “cheap desert tours.” Through Instagram and Airbnb, we found Aziz — and he turned out to be the key to one of the best experiences of our time in Morocco.
Aziz’s story is inspiring. For the first ten years of his life, his family lived a traditional nomadic lifestyle in the Sahara Desert. Life was free but also hard: sandstorms, escaping camels, and dangerous wildlife were constant challenges. As Aziz says:
“Being a nomad is like freedom, but the hard times are hard.”
Now, Aziz runs Sahara Wonders, offering tailor-made desert trekking tours in Morocco, yoga and meditation retreats in the Sahara, camel caravans, and authentic nomadic experiences.
The Journey into the Desert
From Agdz and the Kasbahs of the Draa Valley, we headed deep into the Sahara with Aziz and his companions Omar and Hassan. They led our small caravan into an ocean of dunes, where every detail was prepared with care. Each evening they set up camp, cooked unforgettable Moroccan meals, and adapted everything to our needs — all carried on camels.
Nights under the stars, silence of the dunes, and the warmth of Moroccan hospitality made this trip one of the highlights of our journey.
Aziz also shared his knowledge of Sahara traditions: catching a yellow desert lizard, explaining desert plants, and telling stories of nomadic life. Our conversations covered love, marriage, spirituality, and freedom — proof that a desert trip is not just about landscapes, but also about connection.
Why Travel with Aziz and Sahara Wonders?
If you want a real desert adventure in Morocco, Aziz is the person to contact. He organizes:
Transport from Marrakech to M’hamid Accommodation in a traditional Kasbah in M’hamid Multi-day camel trekking tours Erg Chigaga and Erg Ezahar expeditions Yoga and meditation retreats in the Sahara Desert Authentic nomadic cultural experiences
Aziz is more than a guide. He is a storyteller, a bridge between nomadic heritage and modern travelers, and someone who truly makes the Sahara come alive.
Plan Your Sahara Desert Adventure
Whether you want to trek to Erg Chigaga, explore the untouched dunes of Erg Ezahar, or experience life under the Sahara stars, Aziz and Sahara Wonders will make it happen.