Sahara desert the jewel of morocco

1. Sahara Desert The Jewel Of
Morocco
If you are a travel freak and you have been in places than you may know what
morocco is famous for and why so many people around the world comes to
morocco. It is because they want to see the worlds largest hot desert. If you talk
about its area than it is the third largest just behind Arctic and Antarctica. It
covers the area of more than 3.4 million Square miles and spans across the 11
countries. If you have never been in Morocco or heard about Sahara Desert than
you may think of Sahara Desert as barren or another ordinary Desert. But this is
not the case with Sahara Desert. This Orange sand desert has so much to offer
like wild life, variety of herbs, different species of plants and most importantly
its habitant’s unique culture. There are some tribes in the Sahara Desert which

2. follow some unique practices and by visiting the Sahara Desert you will explore
their culture firsthand. Finally, if you are eager to visit Sahara than first you
have to land in Morocco and we have written a detailed guide on Morocco for
those who are planning to visit this beautiful country do check it out.
After reading this detailed guide on Sahara Desert you will come to know about
the life of the desert? The temperature of the desert throughout the year and
about from animals and plants you will also come to know how life in general
survives in the hottest place of the world? And at the end we will shed some
light on what you should pack for Sahara Desert? So, lets jump into the realm of
Sahara Desert.
There is life in Sahara Desert and many people wonder how life survives in
such a daunting Conditions. Let first see how wild life survives in this kind of
environment.
Wild Life Of Sahara
Over the years the wild life of Sahara Desert is evolved and adopted the harsh
conditions of the Sahara Desert. They survived the fierce temperature, winds,
intense sand storms and it everchanging temperature swings. Mammals of the
Sahara Desert are small and it helps them to minimize the water loss so it helps
them to survive longer without the requirement of water. It’s a huge plus for
them considering that water is very rare in the center of Sahara Desert.

3. According to the recent reports every year there are less than 11 inches of
rainfall and less than 6 inches of rainfall in the middle of the Sahara.Many
animals of Sahara fulfil the need of water from their diet.
Most of the animal’s hunt in night because of the high temperature in day they
usually come out at night when the conditions get favorable. Although there are
some animals like some ants, birds and lizards do come out in the day but they
also fetch their prays very quickly early in the morning or at the dusk. Lizards
have hard skins you can find it during day time under the rocks.
If we talk about the species of animals in Sahara Desert then its more than 90
species of mammals, more than 100 of birds and more than 130 of reptiles.
Jackals, oryx, sheep, hyenas, beetle’s ostrich, cobra, Ants, Crocodile, white and
black finches, Lizards are some of the popular animals which can be found
throughout the Sahara Desert. Surprisingly you will not find lions in Sahara but
you will find some cheetah in the middle of that Sahara Desert and that too can
only be found at night when they come out from their dens to hunt. You will
also find some endangered species in Sahara like wild hogs which are now less
than 4000 throughout the Sahara Desert and their number is also decreasing
very rapidlyand the other endangered species is Addax antelope.
Finally let’s talk about the domestic and the most popular animal of not only
Sahara but also of whole morocco which is Camel. Camel is highly suitable and
adaptable to the harsh conditions of Desert. Its hump stores fat which helps
them to walk for long hours and their rough and tough skin helps and protect
them from the heat of sun. People use camels mainly as a transportation in the
desert. Finally do you know how many gallons of water Camels and drink? The
answer is more than 35 gallons. Yes, they can drink more than 35 gallons of
water in less than 15 minutes and can store them which helps them to travel for
days without the need of water. They heavy and wide foot pads helps them to
walk on the hot desert and heavy nostrils allows them to break in sand storms.
Now let’s see some wild plants and their species in the Sahara.
Plants Of Sahara Desert

4. Sahara is a home of different plants, trees and of herbs. But if we talk about
pure wild plants than there are not that much of it because as you know that
every desert has few plants and Sahara Desert is no different. Although you will
find many plants near oases and drainages but if we compare it with the whole
desert than it is very minimum. You will also find eatable plants and herbs like
prickly Cactus which is very high in fiber and in protein and contains more than
80% water. The size of most of plants and trees in Sahara Desert is small
because of less rain. The other edible shrub is chia Sage which is high in
Caffeine and boost your energy just like coffee. Now it does not mean that you
should go and start eating plants and shrubs because Sahara is also home to
many poisonous shrub and herbs. The most poisonous one is Nerium oleander
which is very dangerous. The Christmas cactus tree can also be found in the
desert and these trees can grow up-to 4 feet and they produce red barriers which
gives you the taste of strawberries.
Civilization Of Sahara Desert

5. There are less than million people live in Sahara Desert and they are known as
nomads because they shift from one place to another throughout the year. You
can find them near the river. Most of them have settled in Sahara from
generations and they have Berber roots. Most of these also like other Moroccans
speak Arabic because Berbers are mixed race of Arabic, French and of Spanish
but the dominant one is of Arabs. Because of that most of them follow the
religion Islam which is introduced there in early seventeenth century by Arabs.
If we dig into the history of Sahara Desert than you will find that major chunk
of history of Sahara is full of hunting, wars and of colonization. In recent
century Sahara is the victim of of European, French, Spanish and English
colonization. It also suffers huge in the world war 2 by the Germans. But at the
end the Muslims colonization prevails and still the most dominant in that area.
How To Reach Sahara Desert

6. The gate way to Sahara is Merzouga which is the small village near the desert
and many tourists first comes there and spend a night over there before
commencing their journey to Sahara. Now in order to reach Merzouga you first
have to land in Marrakech or in Fes because you will find many tour operators
over there who will book your 3- or 4-day tour in Sahara. Remember you can
not see the whole Sahara Desert in a day so they will not offer you a day trip to
Sahara. If you have short time than visit Zagora desert which is also a part of
Sahara and can be seen in a day. You will need at least 3 days to enjoy your
Sahara Desert experience.
Anyways if you are in Marrakech than you have to cover around 600 km in
order to reach Merzouga and if you are in Fes than this distance would be
around 500 km.
Activities In Sahara Desert

7. You can do multiple activities in Sahara Desert apart from seeing the orange
sand and wild animals you can do Sand surfing because Sahara Desert is the
home of largest sand dunes. You can also enjoy quad biking in the desert which
is very popular in Sahara. Also, you can do camping and do star gazing all night
because the sky in the desert is quite different, I know it sound absurd because
sky is sky but in Sahara the color of sky is pure because there is no pollution
and you can see thousands of stars very clearly in the night. Many tour
operators would provide you the luxury desert camping with dinner, breakfast
and attach bath in the desert but that would be expensive. You can do the
camping on your own but be sure to have a local guide with you otherwise it
can be dangerous at night. Finally, camel riding is must in Sahara Desert
otherwise you cannot experience the desert culture in its full form.
Best Time To Visit Sahara

8. Well if you ask me or any pro traveler than they will tell you that you can visit
Sahara throughout the year but there are certain times of the year which are
consider best because of the temperature like from December to March it is
consider as an ideal time to visit the Sahara but it does not mean that you can
not visit it in other times. December to March is recommended for Europeans
and Americans or for those who live in cold places because at that time of year
the temperature of Sahara Desert is mild. If you are from Asia or from middle
east than you can come at any time of the year. If you book your tour online or
from some tour operator than you can not come in summers because many tour
operators are closed in summers. You can book your tour to Sahara Desert in
Advance but in my opinion, you will must book any tour by reading the
comments and star ratings because many tour operators would not give you the
facilities which they enlisted on their website. So, its best to book your tour with
some entrusted tour operators. You will find many on trip advisor or on get your
guide. Also, you will be given an option to do your own tour or guided tour
means that you can drive all the way to Sahara from Marrakech or fes on your
own risk. You just have to pay as you go like for car rent, food, for activities
like camel riding or for quad biking and finally for desert camping. In guided
tour the company will arrange a private bus, food, and arrange the luxury or
ordinary desert camp for you. For the first timers it is always recommended to
go with guided tour although morocco is safe for men and women but the
western Sahara is still not safe. By booking your desert tour with some reputed
travel agency will give you safety and security.

9. Packing For Your Desert Tour
You will find number of articles online on this topic but if you ask us then there
are some essentials which you must have to pack like black sun glasses to
protect your eyes from the scorching desert heat. Some sunscreen to protect
your skin from the sun rays. Buy full sleeves trousers because at day you have
to travel and that can not be done in Shorts. If you love shorts then wear long
one but when it comes to women then it is advised that they wear full clothes
and if possible, wear scarf also. Wear Some tough sandals and shoes would be
very good idea because you will travel a lot in Sahara and for that you need
some rough and tough shoes or sandals. Finally, do not forget to buy water
bottles and water jugs if you are planning to visit Sahara on your own because
there are very less shops in Sahara most of the people buy snacks and water
bottles from Merzouga. A portable charger for your mobile or tab would also be
a good idea.
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