Erg Chigaga

城市概覽

M'Hamid gets fewer visitors than Merzouga and therefore is less touristy. However, it is also more remote and therefore overall more expensive, while in Merzouga the dunes are right next to the village. M'Hamid is about 7-8 hr by car from Marrakech and 5 hr from Ouarzazate. M'Hamid is next to the last major oasis one encounters on the way south into the greater Sahara. The area was historically important as the site (Sidi Khalil) where trade caravans gathered (some as large as 5,000 camels) before setting off to Timbuktu and other destinations. Little of its interesting history is to be found on websites or in tourist guide books, but knowledgeable locals share the facts and stories with pride and a touch of melancholy. M'Hamid is also known as Bounou, once a thriving village made out of a mix of local Ait Atta Berbers, local Draoua (the indigenous and mixed Arabic-speaking communities of the Draa Valley in southern Morocco), and local Hassani tribes. The villages of Oulad Youssef, Oulad Mhaya and Ezouaya, amongst others, are scattered throughout the oasis. Local people get around on foot but small motorbikes are very popular too. Donkey carts are in widespread use for transporting goods. The environment is harsh and fragile. You are urged to appreciate how scarce water is in the town. In the past taps went dry by early afternoon on many days. Despite this and to the severe frustration of locals, a number of the hotels have swimming pools. Choose wisely where you invest your money... it seems more sensible to head to the Moroccan coast if you are keen for a swim, desert temperatures notwithstanding.

Erg Chigaga

Erg Chigaga (or Chegaga) is one of the largest and most impressive sand dune systems in the Moroccan Sahara Desert. It is about 50 km west of M'Hamid, near the southeastern end of the Draa Valley. Erg Chigaga covers an area of around 35 km, with some dunes reaching heights of up to 60 m (almost 200 feet). The vast expanse of sand dunes, which can change s

如何抵達

By bus You can take a CTM bus from Casablanca, Marrakech, or any city along the N9 road (Ouarzazate, Zagora, Tagounite). From Ouarzazate the trip is 80 dirham; from Marrakech it is 160-190 dirham. CTM leaves from Marrakech at around 11:15 and from Ouarzazate at 16:00 and arrives M'hamid around 21:45 (as of Mar 2017). M'Hamid is listed by the CTM as "Lamhamid Ghozlane". Other bus companies include Supratours, and Voyages Farah.

By car There is an asphalt road to M'Hamid so you can reach the village from Ouarzazate by virtually any car. The trip from Ouarzazate is memorable, passing through small villages, the regional center of Zagora, and over a pass into the open desert.

當地交通

M'Hamid is a small town that is easily explored by foot.

必看景點

There is a mosque in town, but as with the rest of Morocco, is not open to non-Muslims. A kasbah is about 2 km away on the road out of town (take a left at the mosque). The kasbah is inhabited by black Africans who came from Mali many years ago.

體驗活動

The main thing people come to M'Hamid for is trips to the desert to see the 1MISSING WIKILINK Erg Chigaga. Getting out is basically what one does in M'Hamid. Camping in the desert, trekking and expeditions to the high dunes are very popular. You can do them overnight or for several days, by camel, 4x4, motor bike or quad bike. If you plan to take two activities in desert, consider starting with a less intensive experience and proceeding to a more adventurous. Overnight trips can be arranged by many outfitters in M'Hamid.

Camel trekking. This is undoubtedly a blissful experience, travelling into the heart of the Moroccan desert on the trail of the nomads of the Sahara with the rhythm of the caravan of camels, to meet the nomadic culture and beautiful desert landscapes. (updated Apr 2020) 4WD, ATV, quad bikes and buggies. Quad bikes are one-driver-a-time, while buggies are two-persons-at-once. Always with guide—so, do not be too excited. Also, some people consider this an inappropriate approach to seeing the desert, but it can be argued. Trips are provided by many outlets in the village. They can also be arranged from Marrakech and Ourzazate. (updated Apr 2019)

購物

Markets on Mondays: vegetables and fruits brought from other regions by camels. Besides that, nothing special with typical tourist shops selling mediocre carpets and usual stuff.

住宿

Camping Most tourist companies working in town offer tent rental for your own trip to desert.

Estates 1 Erg Chigaga Luxury Desert Camp (located in the Erg Chigaga dune field), ☏ +212 654 398520, [email protected]. Established in 2010, the camp operators have been offering discreet, understated, and simple luxury in the Moroccan desert. Their guiding ethos is to combine an unforgettable and enjoyable desert adventure with refined simplicity. The three camps (Main Camp, Private Camp & Private Nomadic Camp) operate on an all-inclusive basis, covering all meals, beverages, camel rides, and various activities (excluding quad biking). Dar Azawad (located 5 km before M'Hamid), ☏ +212 524 848730. Rooms are stylish imitations of Berber tents and small kasbahs. Otherwise, small package tour-style impersonal hotel: tourists in crisp clothes, not talking to each other; swimming pool as a centre of entertainment; sleep-eat-swim-drink routine with little interest to the world outside the hotel. Overall, the place is more European than Moroccan, with local flavour found only in decor, slightly in the cuisine and in duty free-like souvenir shop. However, helpful hosts attend daily cleaning in rooms. Tent floors are not swept for days, and are full of sand dust. Some staff speak limited but functional English. Dar Sidi Bounou, Bounou, M’Hamid (5 km before M'Hamid), ☏ +212 524 848730. A traditional daub house in a palmerie garden. Renovated by a Canadian artist Nancy and her Berber husband. A small traditional daub house has been enlarged and improved with modern facilities and using, as far as possible the beldi (country) style materials such as daub, palm and cassia wood. It is both functional and comfortable whilst still retaining a stylish yet rustic theme. 3 double and a single bedrooms are in the house, they have terrace and en suite bathrooms with hot water and European style toilets. There are also Nwalla huts and traditional black Berber tents with garden

順遊推薦

Nowhere ... "end of the road" as mentioned at the beginning. Enjoy!