Camel trek into Erg Chebbi, Merzouga

Erg Chebbi is the great sea of Saharan sand dunes beside the village of Merzouga in south-east Morocco, with dunes rising up to 150 m. The classic way to see it is an overnight camel trek: you set off in the late afternoon, ride for an hour or two into the dunes, watch the sunset from a ridge, and sleep in a Berber tent camp with dinner and drumming under the stars. You ride back out at sunrise.

Treks are run by the hotels and guesthouses along the edge of the dunes, and range from simple camps to luxury tents with bathrooms. Bring warm layers: desert nights are cold, especially from November to February. Spring and autumn are the best seasons; summer days are fiercely hot.

Merzouga is a long day's drive from Marrakech or Fès, so most people break the journey in the Dades or Todra gorges.