The Sahara
The name itself conjures up romantic images of vast unending sands, charming desert oases, and of course the sheltering sky. If visitors to Morocco really want to lose themselves and get away from it all, there is no more extreme way to do so than to set off across the great desert. Morocco, however, is really little more than a starting point--it is Algiers that contains the Grand Ergs of rolling dunes that most of us associate with Saharan adventure. Although Morocco does offer a glimpse of Saharan dunes at the southern extremity of the lovely Draa Valley, it is also a convenient starting point for a trip to the Grand Erg Occidental (the western sand sea of the Sahara) in western Algiers. The border crossings at Oujda and Figuig are the most common departure points.

To the Desert’s Edge
For anyone wishing to leave the humdrum modern world behind, this is like travelling back to a different age. You fly into the south-west of Morocco and enter the northern fringe of the desert via the intensively cultivated Draa valley. You’ll sleep in traditional nomad tents with a backdrop of sand dunes.