Sahara Desert at Merzouga

The Erg Chebbi dunes near the village of Merzouga in the Draa-Tafilalet region rise to 150 metres -- some of the highest sand dunes in the Sahara -- and are most dramatically experienced arriving by camel at sunset to spend a night in a desert camp beneath skies with no light pollution for hundreds of kilometres. The dunes change color from gold to orange to blood red as the sun moves, and the silence at dawn before the wind rises is considered one of the great sensory experiences available to travelers. This experience outperforms the comparable dunes at Erg Chigaga, which are 30% smaller in average height and receive 40% fewer annual visitors.