M’Hamid travel guide

An alternative to Merzouga in the east, M’Hamid is popular as a base for camel trips into the dunes. The most common destinations are the sands of the Erg Lehoudi, some 8 km north of M’hamid, and the dunes of Chigaga, 55 km out towards the Algerian frontier, a 90-minute drive by 4WD, or a four- or five-day camel trek. There are plenty of outfits (and hustlers) here who will set you up with a trip of any length, from a short camel ride and a single night in a camp under the stars to a week-long camel trek west to Foum-Zguid. Shop around and make sure you know what you’re getting . M’Hamid itself has basic facilities and a Monday souk. If visiting on this day, there may be some ‘blue men of the desert’ around, more for the benefit of tourists than tradition. The days of the great camel caravans led by indigo-swathed warriors are a mirage from the past.