Good to have you with us 🙂
Before you go any further can you please fill out this form?
There will be a Whatsapp group set up for the retreat a couple of weeks before it begins. The link will be here.
We’re going to have a really cool time in one of the most mind-blowing landscapes on the planet. There’s nowhere like the Sahara – after a couple of days you really do start seeing ‘a world in a grain of sand’.
We’re meeting to find some peace of mind, enjoy the desert and find a sense of community among travelers. While all the food, water and fuel for the fire will be taken care of by our guides, we’re going to be living a pretty authentic desert experience, sleeping under communal tents with limited water available for washing – we’ll all change colour again after the first shower back in civilisation 🙂
Arriving to Morocco
Most people fly into Marrakech but Fes is also an option. The easiest way into town is with the bus that costs 30 dirhams. Be aware of taxi drivers trying to overcharge you – they live in hope of finding a tourist who will pay them 50 euros to drive them to their hotel!
From Marrakech to the desert?
Most people catch the bus together from Marrakech to the desert on Sunday the 25th January.
I can buy a bus ticket for you if you want to come that way. This isn’t part of the retreat package, just something extra I do to help out.
Supra tours does have a website but it doesn’t work very well and offers misleading information – so in practice it’s simpler if I get the tickets for you..
You need to be at the Supratours bus station at 0730 on the Sunday morning. Take a taxi there for 40 dirhams – it’s too far to walk from the main square.
So the latest you can arrive to Morocco is Saturday the 24th of January.
On the Sunday evening we’ll have dinner and stay in the hotel in the village before walking out to the dunes the next morning.
You can also make your own way to the desert in which case you should get to the village of Hasalbied which is between Rissani and Merzouga. You can catch a shared taxi for about 20 dirhams from Rissani. Then head to the hotel Riad Flaments Rouges.
From Fes to Merzouga
There are overnight buses with Supratours to Merzouga which arrive very early in the morning. So you could fly to Fes on Saturday ( or even Sunday and catch up with us early on Monday morning before we walk out to the dunes).
Coming Back
We will arrange these only when we get to the desert!
If you’re in a rush to catch a flight on the Sunday after the retreat you can catch a night bus on Saturday to Marrakech or Fes which arrives early Sunday morning. The night bus to Marrakech is with a different company.
Otherwise you can catch the Supratours day bus back on Sunday arriving to Marrakech at 8pm.
So the earliest you can fly back will be Sunday the 1st February after 11.00.
But if you’re not in a rush then you can stay another night in the village for 150 dirhams including dinner. The groups usually splits half in half.
What to Do If You’re Late
Don’t worry, you can still join us – just follow these instructions.
Red Tape
You need a passport that isn’t about to expire in the next 6 months.
Most nationalities don’t need a visa and just get a 90 days stamp in their passport at the border.
You DON”T need a visa if you belong to: any of the Schengen member states, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Chile, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Republic of Congo, Guinea, Hong Kong(30 days), Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Kuwait, Libya, Macau, Mali, Malaysia(Just signed on July 19th 2017) Mexico, New Zealand, Niger, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore(30 days), South Korea, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela
But please do your own research as the above list changes a little from time to time. If you’re in any doubt just check it out with the nearest Moroccan embassy.
Things You Might Want to Bring
– A good sleeping bag (there will be blankets but the nights do get cold for a few hours before the dawn). People never listen to me on this one and then complain about the cold! Bring a GOOD sleeping bag or 2 bad ones to be sure of sleeping warm.
– no need to bring a yoga mat unless you want to. There are mattresses there.
– a warm jacket and thick socks for the night! This is the desert: a place of extremes.
– a flashlight
– thick socks to wear at night. By day we mostly go barefoot.
– moisturiser, lip balm, sun cream.
– a head scarf against the sun. Temperatures only reach about 25 degrees during the day but the sun is strong. You can buy one in the village though.
– instruments to play round the fire.
– take out cash in Marrakech as there are no ATM’s in the desert. There are also any number of money exchange places in Marrakech.
– a good sense of humour.
What Not To Bring
– alcohol and drugs. We want to keep a conscious, thoughtful vibe on the retreat)
– bikinis (doesn’t really go down well with the conservative locals)
– electronics apart from cameras (the idea is to take a break from our phones)
Get Travel insurance
It’s up to you to get your own travel insurance that also covers the retreat – I don’t give refunds so you’ll need the insurance in case you can’t make it for some reason beyond your control eg. your flight is cancelled or you get ill.
The Program
To give the retreat a sense of rhythm we have some workshops going on each day but the structure is meant to be loose and there’s no obligation to take part in anything, it’s up to you. We’re in the Sahara to reconnect with ourselves so just follow your instincts…
The envisioned program is as follows but isn’t set in stone and so might change a bit:
Sunday
● Meet in Hasalbied at the Riad Les Flaments Rouges at 2100 when the Supratours bus arrives. We’ll have dinner and sleep there.
Monday
● a quick breakfast, grab some last minute supplies, then late morning we’ll walk for an hour and a half or so out to the camp.
● welcoming circle.
● sunset meditation
● dinner
● music round the fire
Tuesday
● early morning yoga
● breakfast
● explore the dunes
● lunch
● creative movement and voice workshop
● sunset meditation
● dinner
● sharing circles and music round the fire.
Wednesday
● early morning yoga
● breakfast
● hang out in the dunes
● lunch
● creative movement and voice workshop
● sunset meditation
● dinner
● storytelling
Thursday
● early morning yoga
● breakfast
● walk to the highest dunes
● lunch
● creative movement and voice workshop
● sunset meditation
● dinner
● sharing circles and music around the fire
Friday
● early morning yoga
● breakfast
● hang out in the dunes
● lunch
● creative movement and voice workshop
● sunset meditation
● dinner and closing circle
● music round the fire
Saturday
● early morning yoga
● breakfast
● strike camp and head back to the village, arriving around midday to eat junk food and take a shower.
Travelling in Morocco
The main about travelling in Morocco is to stay calm. The Moroccans are a lovely people but sometimes the ones in the street who work with tourists can be quite pushy. Stay calm, be firm and you’ll be fine.
Just be aware of the most popular scams: the taxi drivers who try to ask too much from the airport, the henna ladies who take your hand, draw on it and ask you for 20 euros, and the guys with monkeys who do a similar trick!
Where to stay in Marrakech?
There are a million hotels around the main square of Jem Ef Na. Prices range from 100 dirhams a night for a room in a simple place to 900 for a suite in a beautiful riad. You don’t really need to book ahead – if you just walk around you’ll find something. If you let someone take you to a hotel he’ll probably demand a big tip though! Just smile and walk on.
There are so many places to choose from and it’s hard to find any particular hotel as Marrakech is a labyrinth of sidestreets! One thing we don’t recommend is to book a hostel deep inside the riad – it’s not so safe to find your way back at night through the dark, narrow streets.
Better is to stay at one of the hotels just off the main square like Hotel Mimosa which is on a bigger street off the main square. Other possibilities are Hotel Atlas or Hotel Dar Youssef. But really, just follow your nose and you’ll find somewhere..
Or the Riad Jnane Mogador if you want something a bit more fancy.
How hot/cold will it be?
We don’t know. It changes each year!
But you can reckon on it being from 3-10 degrees at night and 15-30 in the day….
Anything else?
If anything else comes to mind please check the FAQ on http://roadjunkyretreat.com/faq and if you don’t find what you’re looking for just write me an email to tom@roadjunky.com
My phone number is +420722609453. PLEASE don’t call unless it’s an emergency!
I’ll be arriving in Morocco a few days before the retreat starts and will then send my telephone number in case of emergency!
Welcome to the retreat, we’re going to have an amazing time!
Tom Thumb