The word "luxury"
There is no standard. In Merzouga "luxury" is used for anything from a tent with a nicer rug to a camp with a swimming pool. The only way to know is to ask the seven questions below — or read them answered on the stay page, which is how we write ours.
The checklist
- Is the bathroom in the tent or in a block? 2. Is the shower hot, and how (solar, gas)? 3. Real bed with a mattress, or a mattress on the floor? 4. Heating in winter — heater, stove, or blankets only? 5. Electricity: when, and can you charge a phone? 6. Dinner: set menu, à la carte, private? 7. How many tents in the camp, and how far from the next camp?
Bathroom
The single thing that separates standard from luxury. Standard: a bathroom block, flush toilets, hot showers, a walk across the sand. Luxury: a private toilet and shower inside your tent. Hot water in both is heated by the sun or gas and carried in — expect warm and short, not endless. → The camp night, hour by hour
Bed and tent
A luxury tent has a proper mattress on a frame, sheets, several blankets, bedside lamps, rugs, somewhere to put a bag and, usually, a small terrace with two chairs. Standard tents have a real bed too, with fewer of the extras. Elite tents are the size of a hotel room, with furniture.
Heating and electricity
Winter nights (November–March) drop to 0–5 °C. Most luxury camps give thick blankets and a heater or stove; standard camps rely on blankets. Electricity runs from a generator or solar in the evening and morning — enough for lights and charging phones, not for hairdryers. Bring a power bank.
Food and drinks
Dinner and breakfast are included everywhere: harira, tagine, salads, bread, fruit, mint tea; eggs and bread in the morning. Vegetarian and vegan on request, told in advance. Water and tea included; soft drinks usually for sale; alcohol depends on the camp and its licence . Elite camps add a chef and the option of a private dinner on a dune with lanterns and musicians.
Privacy and camp size
Luxury camps are smaller (a dozen tents or fewer) and sit in their own hollow; standard camps are larger. Elite camps are smaller still and further from everyone. On a busy night in the season you may see the lights of another camp; in Erg Chigaga you usually don't.
Wi-Fi and phone
No Wi-Fi in the dunes at any tier. Mobile signal often works at the camp itself. Treat it as a night off.
What ours include
On shared tours the standard camp is included — private tent, real bed, shared bathrooms, dinner, breakfast, camel trek, sandboard, music — and the luxury camp is an option at booking pp. On private tours the luxury camp is included: en-suite tent, better bedding, lounge tent, same meals and activities. → Desert Luxury Camp — standard tent · Sahara Stars Camp — luxury tent
Elite
Room-sized tents with proper bathrooms and terraces, a chef, private dinners on the dunes, a 4x4 instead of a camel if you prefer, and camps chosen for their position. → Merzouga Luxury Desert Camps · Kam Kam Dunes · Ali & Sara's Desert Palace · Sahara by Moonlight
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