Orient Desert Camp — Hotel in caïdat d'Er-Rissani

where do we begin! Orient Desert Camp was referred to me by a friend and we can't be happier with our Sahara Desert experience. i actually booked directly with Said via email and he was happy to set up 2 nights for us at his camp! we could not believe how warm and welcoming the family and staff they were right off the start. we had arrived late from Marrakech on the Supratour bus and Said waited to greet us and take us back to the camp. upon arrival we put our bags in our rooms and was immediately fed the mostly delicious dinner - we are still so grateful for how well we were fed. lthe chief here is so wonderful and his food is absolutely DELICIOUS, by far the best meals we've had in Morocco. really - eveything he makes is so flavourful, he was able to make veggies so tasty!

these are absolutely luxury camps - it really is what you see in the pictures, completely exceeded our expections. the beds are king size and so comfy. this time of the year is a bit chilly so at night it is freezing - they had a heater in warming the room for us already. the blankets are made from wool so they're very warm, had the best sleep after our 12 bus ride. you also have hot water, water pressure is great which was such a luxury in the desert (especially after a day in the dunes)! we woke up for the sunrise at 730 am and we were mesmerized at how beautiful the camp was at dawn.

if you're concerned about activities, let Said know what you want to do and he'll arrange an itinerary for you. his brothers, Zaid and Mohamed took us on a tour of the desert. They brought us to a beautiful Nomad family where we sat and had Berber tea. We then arrived at a local village for music of the Berber people. We finally ended the day with a sunset camel ride! Zahid was so patient and waited during each stop and Mohamed talked to us even though he's still learning English. we had the best first day with them!

we cannot thank the Azoural family and staff at Orient Desert Camp more. they treated us like family and Mustapha is an absolute gem. he's the absolute sweetest and will bring you anything you need and more! we truly felt like royalty here and we will miss everyone at the...

My girlfriend and I booked a 3-day Sahara tour through an established agency in Marrakesh, opting for a "luxury" camp experience. Our group consisted of 12-14 other people on the same bus, part of 80+ travelers en route to various desert camps. However, by the second evening, we realized that everyone else had been taken to other camps, leaving only the two of us at Orient Desert Camp. That night, the individual who was both our driver and evening entertainer harassed my girlfriend, touched her without consent, and later knocked on our door to intimidate her into silence while she was alone. She was so uncomfortable that she couldn’t sleep. The next day, we discovered that this individual gave us a fake name (Aziz) and is closely connected to the camp owner. The other staff seemed afraid to speak but we managed to get his real name which was Mostafa. When we contacted the camp, the tour agency, and the owner, they all stopped responding when we asked for names or receipts. We filed a police report and have photo and video evidence. Orient Desert Camp advertises on Instagram, Booking.com, and TripAdvisor—travelers should be warned.||||The attached pictures include screenshots from video footage taken on our phones. When he first picked us up, he was uncovered and smiling. The next day, after the incident, he was fully hooded and had the rearview mirror angled down. When we arrived at the main tour bus stop, he hurried back into his car and drove off without saying a word or showing his face.||Other images include the receipt of the tour package, which confirms the overnight stay at Orient Desert Camp. There is also a photo taken inside the Fes police station where we filed the report. Screenshots show our conversations with the camp owner, who initially engaged with us but stopped responding when we requested full names. The pictures also confirm our stay at the camp and include two social media pages linked to Orient...

Rode a lovely, friendly and highly photogenic camel to the camp site. However, the lead camel was foaming at the mouth, took random snack breaks to eat the vegetation on the desert. The penultimate camel was most unfriendly and camera shy (but still obedient). The rear camel was highly competitive and tried multiple times to overtake the others.

Unfortunately, while on the camel, my stomach felt like the inside of a washing machine, on a full load. The ride was quite long, and it can be quite a trip if you're having stomach issues like me.

We did stop for a period of time along the dunes to watch the sunset 🌇. It was most lovely to see the sun set on the backdrop of the dunes. Reminded me of the movie "Dune", to which my friend tried valiantly to sand walk, only to fail spectacularly (though thou doth protest much to my opinions).

The camel guide hawked his wares upon reaching the campsite. We collectively purchased small trinkets from him, as a tip for his services.

The campsite site was a blazing tableau of carpets and campfire, reminiscent almost of Arabian nights (or in my country's context, Sarimbun campsite). We were greeted with warm hospitality, sweet treats and mint tea.

As the darkness fell upon the desert, we watch the dunes turn dark, towering silhouettes illuminated by the moon, planets and stars. Away from the light pollution of the city, our eyes feasted on the iridescent, scintillating display of the night sky.

According my friends who were well, the food was great. I was holed up in my tent, bent over and suffering, and thus ends...