| M'Hamid el Ghizlane Day Trek | ||||||||||||||||||
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Hidden Villages and Kasbahs of M'Hamid |
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1 Day |
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Cultural Tours Handcrafted in Morocco
Tour summary
Private day trek by camel from M’Hamid el Ghizlane for those who have a free day and want to discover the ancient villages and kasbahs that are hidden in the oasis near M’Hamid. Many people come to M’Hamid and use it just as a jumping off point for a trip into the Sahara dunes at Erg Chigaga. In fact, the outlying villages around the modern centre of M’Hamid are very pretty and culturally rich - they are worth visiting at a slow pace as there is no road! Our day trek provides a relaxed immersion into local tribal cultures and tradition at the gentle pace of the camel caravan. The trek takes you out of M’Hamid centre, across the River Draa and into the beautiful palm groves and gardens of Old M’Hamid, with it’s red mud-built housing, small dunes and individual plots of agricultural land where henna, wheat and vegetables are grown by local families. The trek takes in the crumbling old ‘Jewish’ Kasbah which is still inhabited by descendants of the sub-Saharan African slaves who built it in the 17th century. You will take the ‘circuit touristique’ through other small villages and stop to visit the kasbah museum of Ouled Driss and drink mint tea. You enjoy a traditional lunch served by a local family in their very simple mud-built home within one of the old kasbahs. This easy day trek is suitable for all ages and fitness levels. Approx total 4 hours total camel-trekking time.
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Please note: All our Morocco tours can be customised to allow extra days for shorter daily car journeys, extra activities, relaxation days, exploration days etc. We can also adapt tours to connect with different start/end locations in Morocco. Let us know your wishes and we will build your perfect Morocco tour itinerary.
Price: Contact us for a personalised quotation.
Prices will vary according to number of people travelling in vehicle, number of days, time of year, category of accommodation chosen and activities requested.
NB Our Morocco tours are private tours organised upon request.
Day tour itinerary
Day 1
New M'Hamid - Old M'Hamid - Bounnou - Ouled Driss - New M'Hamid
10.00am - your local Sahrawi nomad guide and camel-man will meet you at your hotel in M’Hamid. We leave the modern part of the village of M’Hamid behind and cross the river bed of Oued Draa. Heading then into palm groves and irrigated small fields towards the outlying ‘old’ M’Hamid and it’s mud-built houses. You pass quietly through small desert dunes and tamarist trees and will reach the 17th century kasbah R’Gabi which was built by the large Jewish population that thrived here. The kasbah was then given to the African slaves who had built it as the Jews left North Africa in the 20th century. Some descendents of these slaves still live in the kasbah, in very poor conditions. Inside, you can still see where there was a synagogue within the kasbah. The route continues through other outlying villages of Bounnou and Ouled Driss - inhabited by local Berber and Arab familiies. The region used to have a large Jewish population who lived alongside Berbers, Arabs, Sahrawi tribes. During your trek you will stop for tea at the kasbah museum of Ouled Driss and will have lunch with a local family within one of the kasbahs either at Bounou, Ouled Driss or in the Jewish kasbah of Old M’Hamid. This is an ideal eco-friendly day trek for those who want peace and quiet and to get a closer insight into Sahara culture, traditions and architecture. In summer this trip is not offered as daytime temperatures too severe. Season: October to April, Your camel day trek from M’Hamid gets you back at around 4pm. N.B. You need to bring a light backpack to carry your essential items, desert turban, camera, money (cash) and water etc.
Stay: N/A
Meal plan: Lunch (with local family)
- Wear loose-fitting trousers and trainer/walking sandals for riding camels
- Carry ar least 4 litres of bottled water per person
- Women should cover their shoulders as this trek involves visiting a traditional private home