Catch the first episode of Explore MOROCCO #1: White-Blue City Rabat at https://th.readme.me/p/3007

Catch the second episode Explore MOROCCO # 2: Travel back in time to the Roman city of Volubilis at https://th.readme.me/p/3010

Watch Episode 3 Explore MOROCCO # 3: **Entering the alleys and exiting the alleys in Fes** at https://th.readme.me/p/3011

I was dozing in and out of sleep the whole time. The bus stopped for a break along the way, similar to how tour buses in Thailand stop for a late-night meal break. However, here, if you want to eat something, you have to buy it yourself. There are no meal vouchers like in Thailand.

Merzouga is a town in the Sahara Desert, the largest desert in the world, spanning 10 countries in Africa. Over the course of a day and a night, we will fully experience the Sahara Desert.

At around 5:45 AM, the car came to a complete stop at the bus stop. We had arrived in Merzouga safely. The sky was still pitch black, and our group was the only one left in the car. As we stepped out of the car, we began to realize how freezing cold it was outside. We tried to look for the person from the tour company who was supposed to pick us up, but we couldn't see anyone. However, within a minute, a car's headlights shone on us, and our name was called. We were relieved not to have to stand shivering on the side of the road any longer. For our Sahara adventure, we had to purchase a package tour from a local company.

The tour company dropped us off at the Riad DAR TAFOUYTE hotel and let us rest to recharge for a bit before we set off for the day. The accommodation is divided into 2 bedrooms, 1 living room and 1 bathroom. I still had about 2 hours before breakfast, so I decided to take a nap to regain my strength.

8 am, I came out to eat at the hotel restaurant.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant is great. They even have wifi here. Who would have thought that there would be wifi on the edge of the desert? However, the wifi signal here is quite unstable. It keeps going in and out.

Breakfast was similar to all the hotels I've been to before, with bread, jam, cheese, eggs, yogurt, orange juice, and coffee.

There is also a swimming pool. You can swim and enjoy the desert view at the same time.

This is our room. There is also a terrace on the top floor where you can enjoy a high-angle view.

The view from the observation deck on my room offers a breathtaking 360-degree panorama. I can see the seaside villages of the indigenous people who live in the Sahara Desert, most of whom are Berbers from the Tuareg tribe. I can also see the massive sand dunes, behind which we will be spending the night.

After breakfast, we started our car trip around the desert.

Normally, the Sahara region is not suitable for agriculture because of the very low rainfall. However, there are still some water sources near the hotel, which allows local residents to engage in agriculture as a secondary occupation. The only crops that can be grown in this area are dates, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes.

The Mitsubishi Pajero 4x4 is the vehicle that takes us around the desert mountains. Today, even though the sky is overcast and cloudy, we still get to see the sun's corona.

The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world, covering an area of about 9.3 million square kilometers, which is roughly the size of the United States. The Sahara is located in northern Africa.

Our driver first took us to a village. After a while, a black man wearing a white tribal costume, which contrasted sharply with his skin color, came out to greet our group.

Inside the home of a black person.

The performance featured live music with three instruments: drums, a stringed instrument resembling a guitar, and a hybrid instrument that seemed like a cross between castanets and cymbals. During the show, we were served mint tea and roasted peanuts. At the end of the performance, we were invited to join them in dancing.

After the show, they will have CDs of their work available for purchase. If you are interested, you can buy them and listen to them at home. However, I did not buy any CDs, but instead gave them a tip for their performance.

Black musical instruments that have been brought to us to see and hear.

The second destination, let's continue to the viewpoint.

On one side, you can admire the beautiful sand dunes, while the other side gives you the feeling of being in the black desert of Egypt, a place I had the chance to experience before.

Through the abandoned village

And stopped by a mine, I heard that the minerals here are sent to Europe.

At the mouth of the quarry, there were vendors selling fragments of rock that they claimed were fossils. Additionally, the driver mentioned that the mineral powder was used as an ingredient in eyeshadow. However, I cannot confirm the veracity of this claim as it was relayed to me secondhand.

From there, we sat and enjoyed the scenery for a while. In the distance, you can see the mountain range, which is actually Algeria.

After a while, the sharp-eyed driver spotted a nomad tending to his camels, so he took us in for a closer look.

Our driver and tour guide were excellent. They were very accommodating and always willing to stop wherever we wanted.

We then stopped at the nomadic tribe's shelter. The driver stopped the car for us to take pictures, so we asked to use the dome shelter as our resting place for lunch.

The homeowner welcomed us with a bowl of mint and roasted peanuts. The driver volunteered to make tea for us. I must say that the roasted peanuts are so chewy that you can't stop eating them. Paired with a hot, sweet, and fragrant mint tea, it's a perfect combination.

Our lunch is bread. The ingredients are cheese, tomatoes and pickled olives. The cooking method is simple. Just stuff the three ingredients into the bread and it's done.

After lunch, we continued to enjoy the scenery around the desert. The route that the driver took us from morning to afternoon will circle around the desert.

Around half past two in the afternoon, we returned to our accommodation to pack some essentials, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and warm clothes, for our desert adventure. We were going to spend the night under the stars in the middle of the Sahara Desert.

At three in the afternoon, we started our journey to the Sahara Desert. But this time, we didn't take a car. Instead, we rode camels into the desert.

The camel boarding point is located in front of our accommodation. Before the journey, the camel leader will tie a rope to the lower lip of the camel and then loop the rope around the camel in front to form a procession.

With the camels organized, we set off on our journey.

The camels here are dromedaries, which means they only have one hump. This makes it important to hold on tight when riding, as they can be a bit bumpy. I've ridden camels twice before, both dromedaries and Bactrian camels (the ones with two humps), so I wasn't too worried. But you do have to be careful when they stand up and sit down, or you might fall off.

Of all the deserts I've experienced, this one has impressed me the most. The vast, golden sand dunes stretch as far as the eye can see, creating a breathtaking and captivating landscape. It's truly a sight to behold.

The sky today is not very cooperative, with many clouds covering it. The sun is setting and rising intermittently, and sometimes the sunlight seems very weak. I have given up on seeing the last light in the middle of the desert. The camel has been taking us through the desert for a while, so I asked the camel driver to stop for a photo while there is still some sun. Because if we go to the accommodation, I think the light will be gone. I recommend that if you want to stop and take photos anywhere, please tell the camel driver. Otherwise, he will take us on a camel ride all the way to the accommodation.

I stopped by for a while and then hurried on my way, because I was afraid it would get dark on the way.

The green area you see on the right is a wetland, which will be our accommodation for tonight.

It took us about an hour to reach our accommodation. Our tents had a communal area for activities around the campfire, and there were tents arranged around it. There were also 2 shared bathrooms.

After settling into our tents, the camel handler suggested we hurry up to Erg Chebbi Dunes, a high sand dune located next to our accommodation, to watch the sunset over the desert. I craned my neck to assess the height of the dune. The camel handler said it would take about 45 minutes to climb. I calculated the time and realized that we wouldn't reach the top in time for the sunset. So we looked for a dune that wasn't too high for us to climb, so we could sit and watch the ripples of the desert.

It was incredibly difficult and tiring to climb each hill, as if we were just treading water. On top of that, we were racing against time as the sun began to set, adding to my exhaustion.

Not far from our tent accommodation, there is also a wetland area that is made into accommodation like our tent.

It's a pity that the weather didn't cooperate, so we didn't get to see the beautiful sunset.

The condition of our tent is as follows: The outer part of the tent is made of thick fabric, while the inside is decorated with beautiful fabric. There is one lamp to provide light. Most importantly, there is a bed to sleep on.

After playing around for a while, it was time for dinner. So we sat down to wait for the food in a tent that had been set up as a dining room. After a while, the food was served. This meal had two menus. The first menu was like rice salad, with a variety of vegetables. I can't describe the taste. The other menu was roasted chicken with vegetables. These two menus were served with bread and soup. The soup tasted like millet. For this meal, I had bread, roasted chicken, and millet soup to save my life.

Before going to bed, let's go out and admire the sea of stars for a while. But I don't think I can stand the cold for long, so I'll have to go back to the tent and snuggle up in a warm blanket. In the evening after dinner, there will be singing and dancing by the local people, but I don't want to be cold, so I'd rather go to bed and rest. Because I have to leave early in the morning.

At dawn, we had to ride camels back to the hotel at 5 am to catch the bus to Ouarzazate.

I must admit that the camel guide's expertise in navigating the path is truly impressive. All around us, there was nothing but darkness, with only a small light shining ahead. Even with a visibility range of less than 2 meters, he was still able to guide us back to the hotel. The atmosphere on the camel's back at this time was incredibly cold.

We arrived back at the hotel with the first light of day, feeling a pang of regret for not having the chance to stay and watch the sunrise bathe the ripples of the desert in its golden glow.

Seeing this kind of light really hurts my heart. If anyone wants to experience the grandeur of the Sahara, I recommend renting a car. You will have more time to experience the Sahara during important times, such as sunset and sunrise, than I did.

After a delicious breakfast, I went back up to the observation deck above my room to capture some more stunning views. Then, the driver took me to the bus station.

For those of you who are interested in a camel riding trip and sleeping in the middle of the Sahara Desert, you will probably have to buy a tour package. The package price for a round-trip camel ride, sleeping in a tent in the middle of the desert, accommodation at RiadDAR TAFOUYTE, including 2 breakfasts and 1 dinner, is 40 EUR/person. And if you want to take a car to see the atmosphere around the desert like me, you can rent another car for 150 EUR/car, including a picnic lunch. One car can accommodate 4 people.

Follow Explore MOROCCO #5: Explore the city of cinema Ouarzazate at https://th.readme.me/p/3013