ABOUT: Blessed with unusually good facilities for a hotel so far south, the kasbah-style Dar Azawad is just 400m away from the first Saharan dunes. Run by a Frenchman called Vincent – with help from attentive Berber staff, and accompanied by Madonna the pet donkey and a camel called Azroual – it offers organic food, a pool and a terrific spa, plus three satellite bivouacs out in the desert.
ROOMS: Decorated in Moroccan style – which meanstadelakt plaster, rugs and zellige tiling – all quarters boast air-conditioning, TVs, comfortable beds and private bathrooms. In the gardens are the Saharan Rooms (which can be twin-bedded), slightly bigger Sultan’s Rooms and the Sultan’s Suite, which has two large patios and a whirlpool. The main building contains three Saharan Suites, each with a private balcony, and two family-friendly Suites of the Dunes boasting terraces. Every suite has a lounge and a NESPRESSO machine.
FACILITIES: Azawad’s restaurant serves traditional Moroccan dishes within a fireside lounge, or beside the heated, 12m pool. Created from scratch in 2010, the splendid 7.5-acre gardens contain tamarisk trees, desert basil, mint and cotton plants, date palms, thousands of acacias, various vegetables and some turtles. The spa is equally comprehensive, with two hammam rooms, massage cabins, black-soap scrubs and Ghassoul body wraps on offer.
EXTRA INFO: Those camps are reached astride a camel or by 4X4. Cookery courses are available at the hotel and guests may participate in the August–November date harvest.
Ideal for an onward journey to spend a night in one of our various desert camps.
The Lawrence of Morocco map displays the locations of the destinations and accommodation that we have selected and visited; for each item, hovering over or clicking the marker will display a short summary and photo of that place or hotel, and hotel pricing. Follow the links in the info box to the full page listing which has much more information.
Note that the online map offers both a satellite view (click satellite in the top right) and, for some locations, a street level view (Drag the person in the top left onto the map). These let you explore the country; and when you wish to explore in person, or if you have any questions about the places you see, give our staff a call, or request a quote. Our staff regularly visit the places and accommodation that we feature.
When you book a holiday with us we will provide full driving instructions for reaching your accommodation, where necessary; these can be used by yourself, or you could enjoy the luxury of a driver. Alternatively we will arrange private (car rather than coach) transfers for you; helicopter transfers are also possible for some destinations.
We really know Morocco and have had the pleasure of making many people's dream trips become reality over the years. It has been our privilege to be asked to manage holidays, weddings and productions for so many fantastic and discerning clients. We remain small and dedicated to providing excellent honest advice to enable you to sit back, relax and enjoy the fun bits without having to manage the unpredictability of this fascinating country.
If you want it done right, look no further!
