Wish You Were Here: Astride camels in the Sahara Desert
Our readers have circled the world over the last year, heading for Alaska for a bear-watching vacation, the Galapagos for wildlife adventures, England to explore maritime history and more, sharing travel tales and helpful tips along the way.
Today’s reader missive comes from four South Bay friends whose adventures included camels in the Sahara Desert.
Wish You Were Here
MOROCCO: A 15-day tour of Morocco took Pete Anderson of San Jose, Sarah Sherfy of Gilroy, Sylvia Shih of Seaside and Debbie Anderson of San Jose on a guided adventure across the sands of the Sahara (pictured) near Merzouga, a small town near the Algerian border. “We traveled together with a local guide, Youssef and a driver, Nabil,” Debbie says. The tour included Casablanca, Fes, Midelt, Ouarzazat and Todra Gorge, as well as the port city of Essaouira and coastal town of Safi on the Atlantic coast. “We stayed in riads, a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an indoor garden and courtyard located within the old city’s medina walls.”
TRAVEL TIPS: The currency, Debbie says, is the Moroccan dirham, which is about 10 to the U.S. dollar. “Get small bills when exchanging dollars to dirhams — tipping is expected. October-November or in the spring is a good time, weather wise. Bring your water bottle — and toilet paper in your pocket — wherever you go.”
Share your travels with us! Send a photo of yourself on your latest adventures to jburrell@bayareanewsgroup.com. Tell us where you are, who everyone is and where they’re from, and share a travel tip or two to help fellow travelers.