DAY 53
Week 8
FÊS (Fès-Meknès, MAR) to MERZOUGA (Drâa-Tafilalet, MAR)
Monday January 2nd, 2017
TODAYS MILEAGE – 278 miles or 447 kilometres
TRIP MILEAGE – 26,286 miles or 42,303 kilometres
Spent most of the day driving south into our Bedouin camp outside Merzouga on the edge of the Sahara Desert.
We left the relative warmth of Fès, passed through the snow covered Atlas Mountains and climbed aboard our camels at the Hotel Yasmina for an hour or so ride to our isolated desert camp for the night.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, so did the temperatures - looks like a cold night in a tent is on the cards. 
• IFRANE ~ Atlas Mountains (Fès-Meknès, MAR)
• ROAD N13 ~ Atlas Mountains (Drâa-Tafilalet, MAR)
• ZAIDA ~ Pit Stop & Coffee (Drâa-Tafilalet, MAR)
• AIT AYACH ~ Police Vehicle (Drâa-Tafilalet, MAR)
• FOUM ZABEL ~ Mountain Pass (Drâa-Tafilalet, MAR)
• AIT KHAROU (Drâa-Tafilalet, MAR)
• VALLÉE DE ZIZ ~ National Park (Drâa-Tafilalet, MAR)
• MERZOUGA ~ Hotel Yasmina (Drâa-Tafilalet, MAR)
• MERZOUGA ~ Sahara Desert (Drâa-Tafilalet, MAR)
Day 4 - Fès/Merzouga
Drive south to the edge of the Sahara Desert before riding a camel into the dunes and overnighting in a desert camp.
Start early today for a drive through the Middle Atlas Mountains to reach the edge of the Sahara. In the late afternoon, set off by camel to a desert camp deep in the dunes. Learn to tie a turban to keep the desert sun off your face and add a little flare to your photos. Enjoy a warm welcome (with mint tea). A traditional dinner under the stars, cooked by our hosts, awaits. In the evening, listen to stories about life in this region and, perhaps, some traditional music on the drums.