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After a day spent taking in the spectacular scenerey on the drive from Ouarzazate, camels awaited our arrival at Merzouga. We rode for a couple hours, following our driver as he lead us, on foot, to a campsite located in the midst of the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Quite a comfortable ride compared to an elephant or a donkey.

ERG CHEBBI

Erg Chebbi (Arabic: عرج شبّي‎) is the sole Saharan erg in Morocco. The erg is 22 km long (North-South) and 5 km wide. Its dunes reach a maximum height of 150 meters. It is located roughly 40 kilometers south-east of Erfoud.

The local center for tourists is the village of Merzouga. Supposedly, the locals believe that these dunes were sent as a punishment for turning away a weary traveller from the desert. They say that after they sent away this traveller, the gods made the dunes pile up right outside their town; to teach them a lesson and to never send away weary men and women ever again.