Last stop before the desert

It’s late March and we’re at Hotel Ighiz in Errchida. It’s a city in Morocco and this hotel has a campsite too, which is almost our last stop before the desert.

As we’re here off season, the hotel and campsite are quiet and undergoing maintenance. The location is ideal for our overnight stay.

Before reaching here, we came across a small supermarket, in the town of Midet. It’s just in time for us to re-stock, after running low on essentials.

Luckily, there’s a car park and everything we need at the store, they even take Apple Pay!

Topping up a Sim card

We were also able to fill up with fuel using Apple Pay, which can be hit and miss in Morocco. Next we’re on the hunt for a SIM card, after our Maroc Telecom sim ran out of data.

We think we can just top this up, but after several attempts online failed, we’re on the look out for a store.

Thankfully, there’s a Maroc Telecom shop in town, so we park up and dash inside. Unfortunately, the employee isn’t the most helpful, looking like he’s having a bad day, he tells us to carry on trying online!

Well, that’s not quite the response we were looking for, but we’ll keep trying!

An automatic washing machine

Back on the campsite and it’s a hot morning made even better by the fact there’s two automatic washing machines! Goodness, we are in luck. There’s a small fee to use the machines, so I tootle over to reception and pay before getting to work.

With washing lines provided too, we’re in clean laundry bliss for the next few hours. Watching washing blowing in the warm air is quite therapeutic.

Back to the Sim card

We’ve still no success with the sim, so we’re off to a different Maroc Telecom store in town.

It may sound like these are in abundance, but they aren’t at all! Although there are plenty of kiosks offering SIM cards everywhere to buy.

Luckily we find the Maroc Telecom store and park outside. This time, the staff are really helpful, and show us how to top up our existing sim on a terminal inside.

We pay by card and opt for a 7.5gb top up, by choosing *3 and a data only option. While the going’s good, we also buy an extra sim. This time a 30gb, costing 200 MAD.

It’s worth noting you have to show a passport to buy a sim. Also, the guy in store set it up for us and making sure it was connecting, using our iPad and a mi-fi device too.

Driving south – Last stop before the desert

Finally, we think we’re ready to begin the drive south towards the desert. Then, just as we’ve left the sim store, we pass another supermarket. We decide to stop and just buy an extra few bits as these supermarkets are like gold dust.

It proves to be a better one than yesterday, a more out of town store with a good selection of stuff.

At last, we’re off, driving through the Ziz Valley and it’s a beautiful scenic route. We’re passing dramatic gorges and long swathes of greenery from the oasis palms spanning the landscapes.

Amongst the ever arid landscape are remains of buildings, many mud and straw in colours of the earth.

It’s dry, sandy, stoney and everything the desert holds dear. The roads are good, with numerous forms of transport sharing the journey.

As usual for Morocco, there’s all sorts of vehicles, from donkeys, push bikes, cars, taxis, buses, carts and motorhomes to motorbikes and scooters.

You name it, we’ve seen it.

Camel sighting

It’s about now that we also have our first camel sighting, as the sand increases, so does the feeling of becoming ever more remote.

The desert is calling and a night stop is needed. This comes at Camping Karla in the middle of nowhere but close to Erfoud.

It’s chaotic as we arrive, after masses of 4×4 tours pull in at the same time. It turns out the off road groups aren’t staying but are just here for food and a rest stop before leaving.

Mint Tea and sales talk

A jolly chap beckons us inside his office which is also a dining area. It’s a large cool space of tables and chairs, dimly lit with air flowing through the open doors. Before we know it there’s a serving of mint tea and jokes, which begin with an offering of Bourbon Whiskey, otherwise a pseudonym for mint tea.

We’re really a little tired and could do with a rest at the camper, but it’s hard to refuse the offer of mint tea and small talk.

As the tea goes down, the chap sits beside us and begins the sales talk with a helping hand of a folder showing numerous tours to the desert. As we’re shown through each tour available, offers to join them in our camper through desert dunes become a recurring theme. After half an hour or so the chap gives up and begins the same procedure with a new set of guests.

Campsite stay – Last stop before the desert

Suddenly we’re alone and drift off back to the campervan. The campsite is rather nice, with a restaurant and spacious camping area with clean toilets and showers.

A night stay is 100 MAD, roughly £10, one of the more expensive of our stays in Morocco, but obviously very reasonable.

As usual on campsites here, it’s cash only. Cash really is still king in Morocco, so we’re having to make sure we have enough with us to last.

A fire heats the water to the amenity block, and as smoke billows from the chimney, we take our chances on a warm shower.

Success, it’s warm enough for a quick wash down, feeling fresh and clean and ready for the next part of the drive.

Filtering water

We’re now filtering our water with a Lifesaver water filter which we bought from home. It’s really useful for not having to buy plastic bottle water, as it filters water to a safe drinking standard.

After stocking up on water, we’re ready to leave for the final stage to the desert and the town of Merzouga and Erg Chebbi.

This is the Sahara and we can’t wait to see this desert region for ourselves.