The Zahora Journey
So, you’ve met Brahim. An Amazigh. A Berber Nomad. Born and raised in the desert, owner of five camels, two mobile phones, a puppy, kitty and a traveling business in the Sahara. A modern child of the desert and a good friend.
For a few weeks after having returned from my trip to the Sahara, this was back in 2018, I felt strangely bereft. The powerful connection, which I could feel between the inner nomad in my soul and the desert life was nagging at me, though the meaning of its message was still unclear. For a while I walked around lost, confused, cast in some sort of an existential vacuum.
Often I find that from deep dark moments a flicker of light is born.
A flash of inspiration!
And then I made one phone call.
Brahim and I put our two heads together and came up with an idea.
What we wished for was that more people would experience authenticity on their travels in Morocco, that they would feel true warmth and kindness of the Berber people, just as I did, when I travelled there.
Inspired by my colleagues, who all wished for adventures I came home with but liked their trips planned in advance and safe, I asked Brahim what he thought of providing a home-stay kind of experience to such audience. He was all in, and together we started to think, plan and work.
Brahim leads a camel trekking enterprise down in the south-east of Morocco, just outside of the remote oasis town of M’hamid El Ghizlane, a few kilometres from the Algerian border. He caters to simple travellers as well as to those seeking more comfort on their journey.
Getting in touch with him through the Zahora Project and visiting the desert and some of the ancient oases dwellings with him, you will have the opportunity to be in closer contact with the people you meet and stay with, with their culture and lifestyle, and you will go back home enriched, yet also knowing that you’ve given something back to the community in return.
