28 March 2019 (Marrakech, Morocco) Morocco-based tour operator Wild Morocco is providing visitors to the North African kingdom a unique opportunity to experience the Sahara Desert and Sahraoui culture beyond the popular sunset camel ride and night in a desert camp. Expanded flights from both Casablanca and Marrakech make the destination more accessible for travellers with limited time.

Wild Morocco owners Emily Burrows and Yahya Boulfrifi have combined their love of trekking and the outdoors with Yahya's experience growing up in the Draa Valley and navigating the desert to offer guests truly unique backcountry trekking options in the Sahara Desert.

“I came to Morocco in 2008 for the Atlas Mountains, but what drew me in and kept me here was the Sahara Desert, in particular Erg Chigaga south of Zagora,” says Burrows.

“After visiting bustling Marrakech, many travellers add on a couple of nights in the Atlas Mountains, Agafay Desert or coastal Essaouira to relax and unwind,” says Burrows. “But with new internal flight options and an abundance of opportunities to be as relaxed or active as desired, the Erg Chigaga in the Sahara Desert provides a perfect add-on to a Marrakech city break.”

City break combined with the Sahara Desert getaway

“As a tour operator we receive a lot of requests for a quick desert trip, and part of travelling to this region is to slow down and experience the Sahara Desert," says Burrows. "The silence, the Amazigh way of life, the canopy of stars that light up the night sky, and sunrises over the sea of sand combined with experiencing the true local hospitality and culture make for an unforgettable adventure."  

Erg Chigaga provides the opportunity to enjoy a few days of disconnected glamping and hiking. Given the daytrip options and opportunity for cultural immersion, Burrows encourages travelers to use Erg Chigaga as a base to unwind and engage in activities such as a remote picnic lunch or visiting the local souk (market).

Other options include:  

• Setting up camp under the large tamarisk trees at the oasis village of Erg Smar will have you doubting you're still in the heart of desert terrain, yet near the dry riverbed of the Draa where co-owner Yahya Boulfrifi's family once farmed.
• Hiking a circular four-day route to reach the remote Erg Zahar dune field, little-visited and offering astonishing views from its highest point across the erg. Erg Zahar truly represents a 'sea of sand'. Zahar is also known as the 'screaming dunes', for a legend that tells of a village buried beneath the sands there.  
• Trekking by camelback beneath the palm trees through M'hamid's old settlements on the banks of the Draa River course. Stop for lunch in the shade once the palm trees give way to the beginnings of the dunes in the west. Complete the circuit back to M'hamid across the open desert terrain, or be driven onwards to the Erg Chigaga.
• Switching off from civilization for a six-day trek through some of the least visited parts of the Iriqui National Park accessed by following southern banks of the Draa River, through the vast palm groves and original settlement of M'hamid, the marabout (the shrine of a holy man) of Sidi Naji, and the remote Erg Zahar dunes south of the Draa River and Zagora.
• Baking fresh bread with a nomadic family in the sand beneath the embers of the campfire to enjoy with a cup of tea.

At the time of release, the following domestic flights serve the Sahara Desert town of Zagora (three hours from Erg Chigaga):

• From Marrakech (a hub for European travel) two times per week
• From Casablanca (a hub for trans-Atlantic flights) four times per week

To Ouarzazate, the Hollywood of Africa, just 5.5 hours from Erg Chigaga, flights from both Marrakech and Casablanca depart several times per week.

About Wild Morocco

Business partners Emily Burrows and Yahya Boulfrifi launched Wild Morocco in 2012 to share Boulfrifi's rich Sahraoui culture and their combined love of the outdoors. Boulfrifi is an experienced desert trekking guide and knows the Sahara Desert routes intimately, and, naturally, how to handle any situation in the desert wilderness. Boulfrifi's family left the desert in 1990 as water, previously provided by the Draa River to deep wells, became too scarce and life in the desert untenable. Burrows left corporate life in London and, as a fan of Morocco, eventually made the country her base. For her, the country offers it all in one captivating package – mountains, desert, coast, and an enthralling culture.

For more information, interviews, press images, and press trips, please contact Mandy Sinclair at Mandy Sinclair PR in Marrakech Morocco at +212622536436 or mandy@mandysinclairpr.com.