MA4: M’hamid El Ghizlane
Long before we had a van we were following a couple of "van-life" folks on YouTube. Most of them are no longer on our subscribed list, but one particular channel somehow managed to keep our interest for a long time. It is that channel that gave us the initial idea to visit Morocco. We saw in their videos that all kinds of RVs are going to Morocco and reassured us that you don't need a monstrous overlander truck with massive tires to get anywhere interesting.
It was also on that channel that we learned about a campsite called "CAMP BIVOUAC HASSI SMARA". The moment we saw it on one of the videos we knew we had to get there one day. It looked stunning and seemed as if you were camped right in the desert. We marked it on Google Maps and almost forgot about it until we met Dave and Mandy, a full-time van life couple from the UK, on one of the campsites in Zagora.
We chatted about this, that and the other and about our immediate travel plans, of course. It turned out, Dave and Mandy were headed to M'hamid El Ghizlane (most just call it M'hamid). The name rang a bell and we checked our Google Maps and re-discovered the campsite we had marked so long ago. When we asked where exactly they were headed, they said there really only is the one place everyone goes to as it is the best: Camp Bivouac Hassi Smara! "No elec though" was the only reservation, which wasn't a problem for us as we are more than good with power.
After that chat we decided we, too, would head to the camp next and meet Said, the owner everyone speaks about.
As we headed out to M'hamid, which is only about an hour and a half from Zagora, we quickly noticed the change in landscape. It felt like we were truly entering the Sahara, the desert. It was fantastic to take in the scenery. M'hamid town underlines that you are in fact in the desert: Safari operators left and right with proper 4-wheel drive vehicles lining the streets. Apart from that it's a town like any other with a small souk, a vegetable market, a couple of cafes and the usual chaos that takes over the streets. There is not much to see at M'hamid, but the cafes do make a nice orange juice 😋.
The last 3km are proper "washboard piste" and anything faster than 10 km/h will rearrange your entire household as well as make your chiropractor very happy.
Once we managed to get Wilma undamaged to the camp we were immediately greeted by Younis (we believe it's Said's son) who invited us into their home for the formalities as well as tea and some snacks.
With Wilma parked at our new home for the next couple of days, Younis rolled out the red carpet and we set up camp.
This was the best stay in Morocco without a doubt. The location, the people, the community, the calm in the evenings and the darkness at night is nothing short of spectacular.
Every evening you can have a three course dinner in the desert.
Every evening they will light a bonfire (unless there is a sandstorm) and everyone is free to join and most do. This makes it so easy to get in touch with new fellow travellers.
Every evening Younis, Fatima or Said will go around the entire camp and light candles in little paper bags everywhere, especially around the carpets in front of the vans, giving it a very special atmosphere.
Every morning Fatima or Younis would knock on the door delivering freshly made bread.
Said will organise a fully organised trip to Erg Chegaga for you — "no problem, my friend" — and of course we took that opportunity --> wait for the next post!
On the first day, a French couple arrived with a regular-ish truck converted to an RV. They got stuck and within seconds everyone with a shovel was helping them get unstuck.
We met Dave and Mandy again, got to know Diane and Nige (another full time van life couple from the UK), Matthias a fellow German who was traveling southern Morocco by bike, Mario a former rescue helicopter pilot who was visiting old friends in Morocco, Peter and Heidi who have sailed the world and many others. Most of them we are still in touch with and this is what made this stop so special. So many like minded people coming together, open to meet and share their experiences and happy to help. We felt incredibly at home and thought "this is what life should be about".
We spent many unforgettable days and nights here and we will be back for sure. The hospitality is second to none and the experience is so authentic, it's fantastic.
The only downside? You have to leave at some point ....