|| Emeraude camp: A green jewel in the desert of Morocco ||
Last month, February 2023, we were back in the beautiful Agafay desert. A stone desert in Morocco that's just a 45 minute drive away of the centre of Marrakech. This part of Morocco is such a gem for photographers. We had a splendid time at Emeraude camp. If you are travelling to Morocco anywhere this year and still haven't figured out which camp you should choose, well in this article you will read all you have to know about why this is an great choice as a stay for your holiday in Morocco.
Written by: Stephanie Gabriella
As you may have already read in our previous article, this was our second time visiting the beautiful Agafay desert. We partnered up with Emeraude camp and stayed here for 3 days. We captured this stay in order to show you the atmosphere of this camp and why this could be a great choice for you, for when you are visiting Marrakech. Especially, when you don't have enough time to visit the Sahara desert. A luxurious glamping desert camp that gives you a memory that will stick with you forever.
Three days at Emeraude camp
Day 1
We had a very late arrival on our first day at Emeraude Camp, this was due to our day trip to Essaouira. It took us to get from Essaouira back to Agafay desert. Our trip ended at 9PM and enjoyed every bit of travelling from Marrakech to Essaouira, but that is a story for another blog.
At 11:30 PM we finally arrived in Agafay desert and couldn't wait to see our new stay and watch the stars from our bed. We got a warm welcome from Simo, with freshly made Moroccan tea and cookies. After a quick chat we walked upon our first stay of this camp: 'The Emeraude dome'. This included a heated room, a very comfortable 2 persons bed, from where you could watch the sky and mountains (by day). Also, a bathroom that included warm water showers, but not as hot as we were used to. This is a quick view of what sleeping under a sky full of stars in the dome looked like:
Day 2
The next morning we woke up and enjoyed a very delicious breakfast before checking into our second 'room' of the camp. Did we like sleeping in the dome? 'Yes'! However, sleeping in the dome has a few points to consider. The bed is very low to the ground, so if you are very tired this might be a bit rough to get in and out of. Also, it was really cold during the night. Thia was because there wasn't an option for 'constant heat'. Also, the curtains are a bit heavy to move before you're going to sleep.
The breakfast had loads of choices! We loved that it wasn't a walking buffet, but that the staff gives you their personal service. I ordered an omelette with cheese and it was very tasty and full filling! After our breakfast we were able to check in to our new room, which meant staying in: 'The Emeraude Tent'. It is a tent with Moroccan details in the interior, a beautiful carpet, a thick top cover in all types of nude colors. Personally, we preferred this tent over the dome, even though experiencing sleeping in a dome is one of a kind experience. The water of this shower was a bit warmer and the tent itself was warmer. We also liked the location of this particular tent more. Here are a view images of what the tent looked like:
We took a break of an hour after creating some content for the camp and waited for our appointment on 1PM. This was going to be our first time together on a quad. Wow, I was so excited. Joe had already driven a quad, but it was my first time. I love trying out new things and that is also our motto for this year, because we want to get everything out of 2023. No matter if it seems a bit scary at first. So, it was 1PM and our quad driver arrived with a quad. We took our camera and drove through the beautiful Agafay desert. I can tell you that this felt so freely! It was an experience that is definitely a great date option to do with your partner. The quads are a partner of Emeraude camp (Raid Quad Maroc) and decided to partner up with us as well. Krimo was our driver and didn't speak a lot of English, but we managed to have a conversation in French for a bit.
After doing such an exhilarating activity it was time to enjoy the pool. Unfortunately, it was a bit too chilly to go for a swim, but we can assure you that during summer this will be a great spot for a refreshing time. It was so good to see every guest enjoying the rays of the sun and drinks.
I can't forget to share the delicious lunch we had. It was honestly, one of the best lunches we had in Morocco. After this we managed to create some food photography and this is one of the photography categories we really like to capture. Their freshly made salads and delicious barbecue is one of the best aspects they have. While enjoying the serene views of the atlas Atlas Mountains and beautiful Agafay stone desert, you can enjoy your lunch. There are plenty of vegan or vegetarian options to choose of. All the herbs of the dishes make it such a special and terrific lunch.
Day 3
The second morning waking up at Emeraude camp. We woke up early to catch a sunrise and to make sure we would leave Emeraude Camp on time to check in to our next stay: BE Agafay. We had a nice chat with another couple and they both agreed that spending a night or two in Agafay desert, is well spend time worth the value. We enjoyed our breakfast and managed to arrange a taxi to our next stay. Did you know that Inara Camp is really close by, so in case there is no taxi service available on Emeraude, it is optional to get in touch with the reception of Inara and order a taxi here.
Activities to do at Emeraude Camp
If you are staying at Emeraude Camp you can choose to do several activities, such as the following:
Quad driving: Book an quad tour through the hills of Agafay desert.
Yoga: Book a yoga class for you and your partner/family/friend, you can choose different time slots and enjoy the serene view while doing yoga.
Massage: What's more relaxing than a full body massage? Book your treatment and get your muscles to relax and your mind to feel completely free.
Buggy driving: Book an buggy tour through the hills of Agafay desert.
Camel ride: Book a camel ride and walk through the beautiful Agafay desert, this is even more special during sunset.
Additional options:
Did you know that you can also spend just an afternoon at Emeraude Camp? It's possible to contact the camp and let them know that your are interested in the activities they offer and would like to have lunch, dinner and book (some) activities. It's also optional to just enjoy the pool and book make a lunch or dinner reservation for the day. However, we loved immersing into the full experience and included one night of sleeping here and can recommend doing this instead of visiting just for a day.
Next week, I will share a new experience of another beautiful stay. Can you guess which one this will be?
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