Desert Berber Fire Camp

We were fine with the basic camp, since it had what we needed and we weren’t expecting luxury. The other camp has private bathrooms and showers in each tent, real duvets, and maybe heating. The shared bathrooms on our side stayed fairly clean, though the hot water ran out after the first guest showered. It was freezing at night, so we asked for extra blankets and were comfortable under five; some other guests didn’t enjoy the cold. The staff were friendly, if not especially well trained. Both breakfast and dinner were great, though dinner cost an extra €10 per person. Activities like a one-hour quad ride, jeep tour, or camel ride ran about €30-40, so costs can add up. Overnight rates also varied a lot by date, with prices tripling or more over New Year’s, so a quieter time may be cheaper.

Youssef and Mohamed made us feel at home, and the whole stay had a warm, family-like feel. The guides knew their stuff and were helpful, and we ate really well. It was cold outside, but we stayed warm in our tent. Parking was easy, and communication and customer service over WhatsApp were excellent. We nearly canceled because we couldn’t find a website and there were so many places to choose from, but Desert Berber Fire Camp turned out to be a great experience.

We came to Morocco knowing the trip wouldn’t feel complete without the Sahara, a camel ride, and a night in a desert tent under the open sky. Mohamed and Youseff welcomed us so warmly that it felt like visiting old friends. Planning two nights with them was easy, and I’d choose two nights again over staying in a Riad. It’s a much more relaxing way to enjoy the desert. After the long nine-hour drive from Fes, we reached the Riad around 5 pm, tired but still set off on a two-hour camel ride to camp. It felt unreal. Pack light: next time I’d leave most of my things at the Riad and take only a T-shirt. Riding without a backpack is much nicer. The camels were calm, and long, light sleeves on your arms and legs help with the strong sun. Mohamed gave us cold water, which we really appreciated. At camp there were carpets on the sand, tents all around, and two gazebos in the middle. The quiet was lovely, and we met people from other countries while dinner was being prepared. There was soup, salad, tagines and fruit, so nobody will go hungry. Later came a fire, drums, dancing and singing, though you could just lie back and watch the sky. Time seemed to slow down. We had a filling breakfast with mint tea or coffee the next morning, then went out by jeep. We saw a Berber and nomadic settlement, an old fossil mine, a camel lake, a local pigeon-related spot, and finished at a swimming pool. Around 5 pm Mohammed came to collect us. We assumed we’d return by jeep, but it turned out we were going back on camels. None of the three of us was keen at first after the previous day, and we were tired. The first ride had been harder on our legs, thighs and arms; the second was more difficult because of the sun and dehydration. Still, I wouldn’t change it. How often do you get to ride camels twice in two days? This time it was just our guide, the three of us, and three or four spare camels, almost like a private trip. It was memorable, even if the sun made it hard, and we left with a huge smile. Best trip of my life. A+ from Hrvoje, Martin and Mladen in Croatia!

I checked on my guests at Desert Berber Fire-camp’s basic camp on March 8, 2022, and was happy to hear they’d enjoyed their stay and found the food tasty. I’ve decided to recommend the camp. They also have a luxury camp, where we had breakfast.