About us
Desert Candles is a Moroccan/Norwegian tour company dedicated to providing high-quality, authentic experiences and unforgettable moments for our travelers.
We offer individual and private tours in Morocco. Day tours, multiple days tours, round tours, cultural tours, Sahara desert tours, Sahara wild camps, camel treks, sandboarding, excursions to tourist attractions, guided tours etc.
In addtion we customize group trips in collaboration with private indivduals or companies. Tours which can include special themes and activities.
All travellers are welcome, whether you are a single traveller, student, family, small or big group etc. Our tours can be suited to fit all budgets.
On our website you will find a selection of our customized tours. If you, however, want to make adjustments according to your own wishes, we are happy to advise and create the best possible solution for you.
For transportation we use comfortable and air-conditioned 4×4 vehicles and minibuses. Our drivers and guides are experienced, knowledgeable and speak English, French and Arabic.
We collaborate with local establishments and partners in Morocco, with the goal of contributing to job creation, community development, and sustainable growth. We believe that our guests are best served by local experts who understand Morocco’s rich culture, traditions, and landscapes.
All our tours begin and end within Morocco’s borders.
Partners/owners:
Abdellah Hajja manages and organizes all our tours in Morocco. Abdellah is a nomad, born in the Sahara desert. The desert was his home for the first 6-7 years of his life. He then moved with his family to the nomadic village M’hamid, located at the edge of Sahara. Abdellah has long experience and a vast knowledge in tourism. He started to work as a camel man, doing tourist tours in Sahara for more than 3 years for different companies. After that he worked as a tourist driver, doing tours all over Morocco, which helped him to know most Moroccan cities. Being a nomad, hospitality is a natural part of his cultural heritage. He speaks several languages, such as Sahraoui, Moroccan Arabic, French, English, a great deal of Spanish and even some Norwegian.
Solveig Gromholt is from Norway. She handles the bookings and marketing. She likes to travel, to organize trips and events and is keen on giving people good service and good experiences. She got in touch with the nomadic life and the Sahara people and culture from her first trip to the desert in 2009.
Our drivers are experienced and know Morocco well. To drive a 4wd car through different features of the desert, especially the sand dunes, takes both skills and experience. To know the area is essential. Their driving is good, safe and smooth, always looking after your safety and comfort. And such gentlemen, they gladly open your door with a friendly smile.
Our guides speaks English, French, Spanish and Arabic. They know the country’s history well. For any questions you may have, they are happy to answer and share stories. Their friendliness and hospitality is deeply rooted in the culture and their sense of humour and relaxed appearance creates a nice atmosphere.
Our chefs and caretakers in the desert camp are nomads from Sahara. The nomads are friendly and hospitable with an easy-going and calm personality. They serve fresh, tasty meals and take care of everything in the camp. At night they come together with the guests and play traditional nomad music under the stars.
LOCATION OF CAMP:
GPS coordinates: N29º51.116’W6º12.942′
The partners in Desert Candles have been owners of a desert camp in Sahara since 2010 . The camp is used by many various travel companies and always provides good service for its guests.
Desert Candles camp is located by the highest sand dunes in the Erg Chigaga area. It takes about 1,5 – 2 hours off-road driving from the nomadic village M’hamid El Ghizlane, Zagora region, to get there.
The camp features a spacious restaurant building and 17 private sleeping tents, each with 4 comfortable beds. The tents are equipped with wall-to-wall carpets, bed linens, warm blankets, and both interior and exterior lighting. There is a separate building for showers and water toilets, as well as a separate kitchen facility.
The camp restaurant has been upgraded from a tent to a solid concrete building, offering improved comfort. The new structure ensures a cool atmosphere during the summer and warmth during the winter, making it far more comfortable than the traditional tent, which tends to become very hot during the warmer months.
As our guest, you will be served Moroccan tea and snacks, breakfast, lunch and 3 course dinner. We also have sandboards available at all times, if you like to try it down the dunes. In the evening the nomads gather around the fire place, in the lounge area in the middle of the camp. Here they play traditional drums and sing together with the guests.
The camp has solar panels which provide electricity for the kitchen’s fridge for storage of food and drinks, for lamps and chargers etc.
DESERT CANDLES PHILOSOPHY:
Desert Candles welcome all our guests to experience the genuine hospitality of the nomad people. Our wish is to make you feel like you are part of the nomad family. We wish to share the nomadic culture and traditions in particular, but also to show other Moroccan culture in this contrasting country.
Our team in Morocco are knowledgeable and experienced and we all value respect, open-mindedness and happy moments. We take pride in being reliable and safety-oriented.
Everything is, of course, served with several cups of tea, which is Morocco’s national drink. Marhaba (= welcome).
