Akabar – Sahara Treks, specialised tour operator for trekking tours

Philosophy

• Hafid Benyachou has made it his mission to support the nomads of the Sahara. For the trekking tours, Berber nomads from the Jebel Bani mountains and the dune foothills – with whom he is friends – are engaged along with their own dromedaries. This ensures that they can continue to live in their local environment and maintain their caravan and nomadic culture. Further information on this topic can be found under ‘Aid projects for nomads’.
• Our trekking tours follow ancient caravan and herders’ trails through the varied and fascinating rocky wilderness of the Jebel Bani and the dune landscapes. On our caravan journeys, with impromptu overnight stays with nomadic families, we gain a small insight into their way of life. Hafid Benyachou attaches great importance to quality, whether in terms of catering, equipment, the nomadic team, route selection or camp sites. Transport to the desert or to other towns is provided by jeep and taxi drivers from Zagora.
• Hafid Benyachou attaches great importance to quality, be it in the catering, the equipment, the nomad team, the selection of the route and the campsites. He employs nomads and semi-nomads as camel drivers, cooks and helpers, because we greatly value their community and a familiar, friendly relationship and learn so much about their living environment in the desert, their everyday life, their festivals and celebrations, their stories. We work with some small, cosy riads located 2 km outside Zagora in the oasis gardens of Amezrou. Transfers, whether to the desert or to other towns, are provided by jeep and taxi drivers from Zagora.
• The guiding principle of ‘fair to people and fair to nature’ also applies to the dromedaries used in our caravans. We are nomads and consider those animals to be part of the family. Unlike in other parts of the Sahara in Western Morocco, we do not slaughter dromedaries in our area. Our dromedaries work in caravans from the end of September until the end of May. After that, they are free to roam the Sahara again. There are no ropes; they just go from one place to another. That’s why most of our dromedaries don’t remember their names, as they live in the wild Sahara for half the year. There is now nomad Dawd, who looks after them from time to time. In dry years, we give them water and food. During the Sahara tour, we try to take as many dromedaries as possible so that there isn’t too much luggage for each one. We also take food with us to give to them during the tour. Sometimes we only walk in the morning and then stop so the animals have enough time to relax and eat before the next day. When we have a lot of bookings, we send some dromedaries to rest and bring others to take their place on the tour. We encourage clients to book more camel rides as we believe it is good for the caravan to have less heavy luggage.This also helps to create income for other nomadic families.
• At Akabar – Sahara Treks, it is customary for guests and the team to eat most of their meals together and to travel as one big family. Guides and trekkers walk together throughout the tour, and the guides are not prevented from speaking to the guests. Almost all the trekking guides are married and provide for their wives and children through these tours.
• Our desert treks are offered without fixed daily itineraries, as this does not reflect the nomadic way of life. In extreme landscapes such as the desert, weather conditions may occasionally cause deviations from the described itinerary. We are therefore very grateful if all participants can bring a certain degree of flexibility and adaptability with them. On our tours of the Sahara, we gain an insight into the harsh everyday living conditions of the desert dwellers, who have to cope with sandstorms, heat, sudden downpours or years of drought.