Ouarzazate & Erfoud
The desert town of Erfoud is also known as the door to the desert. Erfoud is a popular place for adventurers to stock up on necessities and rest before entering for a Sahara desert journey.
I highly recommend the Kasbah Xaluca Hotel for a unique stay as the entire hotel is thoughtfully furnished with everything from light furnishings made from woven baskets to oriental carpets leading guests from the entrance to the Berber style rooms.
Another desert town that is well worth a visit is Ouarzazate. Because of the resemblance of the surroundings to Mars, there’s even been space research done here. It’s also a popular spot for filming with Atlas Studios being the biggest movie studio. Movies such as The Mummy and Gladiator and several episodes of The Game of Thrones were filmed in Ouarzazate with Ait Benhaddou being the focal point.
The buildings in this ksar (fortified city) look neglected since villagers have abandoned their homes for newer villages that have electricity and water but they look amazing from afar, especially since it blends seamlessly into the red earthen surroundings. This fortified earthen city is along the caravan route between the Sahara Desert and Marrakech at the footfills of the Atlas Mountains.
A short hike across the dried river bed up to the ksar offers beautiful views of the red earth rock formations and inside views of some of the kasbahs or fortresses. A number of them have been refurbished as boutique hotels while others serve as souvenir shops. Only a handful of villagers still live there, retaining the most traditional Berber lifestyle that is highly dependent on animals like donkeys for labour and transport. I highly recommend visiting around sunset time as the sun’s rays make the golden glistening ksar even more magical.
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