Bucket lists have never really been my thing; I want to do so much that I find it difficult to narrow everything down. However, there was always one place that fascinated me – I’ve always dreamed of going to the Sahara Desert.

I saw deserts in music videos and movies when I was younger and assumed every desert was the Sahara.

To finally be here was a milestone for me, so I thought I’d do it in style. I had the privilege of luxury/glamorous camping (aka ‘Glamping’) in the Sahara Desert of Morocco; the experience was the absolute highlight of my entire 10-day trip.

Our camp driver picked us up promptly at 5:30 pm to take us to camel trekking in the dunes. The evening breeze was starting to kick in but it was still very warm. After dropping our things in the tents, it was time to climb the dunes of Erg Chebbi and watch the most vibrant sunset I’ve seen in all of my travels.

Capturing these photos were far from easy. Hiking up the dunes in the Sahara heat while wearing a gown was far from fun or glamorous, but I was grateful to be here and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything else. Between the warm breeze, the soft sand in my toes, and that unforgettable sound of silence, this was arguably one of the best experiences I’ve had as a traveler.

The silence in the Sahara is surreal at night. Living in New York City I didn’t think it was possible for silence to be this distinct. When I’m home, I’m usually awakened by my annoying alarm clock or someone’s annoying car alarm. This time I was awoken by the sound of birds chirping on the top of my tent which was much more pleasant. At 5:30 am, we climbed the dunes yet again for a gorgeous sunrise followed by filling breakfast.

If there is one thing I could convince you to add to your bucket list – if you have one – this is it. It’s an amazing experience and worth every part of the journey. Visiting here showed me that we get caught up in the noise of our everyday lives (especially for us busy city living folk) that we don’t appreciate how loud yet soothing and serene silence can be…

This post was written by Devorah Walker

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