Oxygen Lodge Agafay

Location: Remote, secluded Agafay Desert setting with breathtaking views of the desert and distant mountains.

Agafay Lodge was beautiful and my family and I (husband and two boys, 13 and 10) LOVED IT. The layout was perfect with all the tents set out in a semi circle around the pool area to capture the exceptional views of the resort, the desert surrounding us and the snow capped mountains in the distance. It was close together but we honestly didn’t notice, it felt almost like a little haven just for us. The pool was beautiful - unfortunately a bit cold (that only stopped me, not the kids!), the patio was lovely with lots of seating and eating areas to sit communally without guests being on top of each other and the restaurant bar was nicely decorated and comfortable in keeping with its surroundings, again set out to capture the wonderful views. At night it would come alive with flames burning in every corner, magical. The camp seemed lovely and secluded and very special. Also, as there’s only a small number of tents even if it’s full it can’t be busy so it feels like a well kept secret! The staff were excellent. Jamal and his team made us all feel welcome from start to finish and nothing was too much for them. We did a family buggy ride in the evening and a camel ride in the morning. Very different experiences but both hugely fun. The individual accommodation itself was so well laid out; huge, comfortable, practical and beautifully done, inside and out with everything we needed for our one night stay. Unlimited hot water, even WiFi, all the towels, robes, decoration, seating areas etc you’d expect from any good hotel - but in a tent! The food served in the restaurant was great. There was a limited choice but more than enough for a short stay, which is really all you’d do there. You would choose your lunch and dinner but the breakfast they served was the same for everyone with plate upon plate arriving of traditional Moroccan offerings. I had a salad for lunch, a tagine with bread in the evening and all the eggs, pancakes, fruit and cake I could manage in the morning. All delicious! The boys enjoyed their mixed grills and fries too. We were entertained throughout the evening by traditional musicians and dancers. They were great, not imposing but we got involved! When we’d finished eating we stayed at the table to play cards as it was so relaxed. Sadly the night we were there saw the first rain in 7 years - it was one of the worst storms we had ever seen! This meant we couldn’t sit outside around the fire pit, which would have been amazing, or star gaze or anything. But the staff kept us all cheerful and provided umbrellas and a smile. It almost didn’t matter. The rainfall was pretty noisy in the tent unfortunately so we all found it difficult to sleep but I’m sure it would have been fine were it not for the rain. None of us wanted to leave the next day and left it as long as we could, notwithstanding all the new lucky guests arriving. We all felt this experience was amazing - it was definitely the highlight of the boys’ stay or even year so far