Dar Sidi Bounou

Dar Sidi Bounou is a small family-run establishment offering a personalized service and feels like a small family home rather that a large commercial tourist hotel. You can stay in the house upstairs with views of the oasis with a fabulous rooftop to watch the sunrise and sunset or practice yoga if that's your thing. Alternatively, there are the n'walla huts - made of adobe - out in the garden with shared facilities near the dunes, or Berber tents if you come as a large group. Let them know in advance. Daoud and Raja are great hosts and excellent cooks, and not just your regular couscous or tajine; this is imaginative cooking. Enjoy the village life in comfort. There is wifi in the main building but obviously not on the dunes where you should be enjoying an open fire and stargazing at night instead. Despite being right in the desert, access is relatively simple. The journey from Marrakech is over the spectacular Tizzi n'Tichka mountain pass (2260m). Buses depart daily at 11 a.m. from Marrakech (CTM bus) and also from Ouarzazate. There are shared taxis from Zagora, too. The CTM bus will drop you at Bounou, 6 km before M'hamid which is the last stop. Coming by rented car, Bounou is 1.5 hrs. drive south west of Zagora, just past the picturesque village of Oulad Driss. Dar Sidi Bounou is a good base from which to explore the desert and the oasis settlements in the region, or just simply enjoy the desert atmosphere from the comfort of the garden. Give yourself several days here to go walking in the different oases or rent a camel. Visit Ksar Bounou, the old village that is being slowly engulfed by sand dunes - and it is still inhabited! Ouled Driss is lovely, and the Monday market at M'hamid is quirky - "men's market" in the morning and the "women's market" in the late afternoon, though the sexes intermingle at both. On Saturday afternoon/evening the Joudour Sahara Culture Center in M'hamid (by the CTM office) has live music and a café. This is a celebration of local culture not to be missed. For the very best sunset views at the far west end of M'hamid, visit La Boussole camp for a mint tea and look out across the River Drâa floodplain, usually dry. It's 52 days to Timbouctou by camel from here, apparently. If you have transport, cross the bridge over the dry riverbed, Oued Drâa, at M'hamid and tour the oasis at the other side and visit the 7 Kasbahs Museum. Further afield, there is a Thursday market at Tagounite, and at Tamegroute, the green-glaze potteries should not be missed. Nearby, the underground alleyways of old Tamegroute and its ancient library nearby are also very interesting. Excursions to the dunes of Erg Chigaga are also possible from Dar Sidi Bounou, rather than organizing them from M'hamid town center. Overall, for a laid-back desert experience without the crowds and commercialism of Merzouga, Dar Sidi Bounou is the place to be for an authentic desert experience.