Guest User
April 10, 2023
Nkhila Lodge 2023 “This is where the adventure begins” said our guide and driver as he turned the 4x4 off the metalled road and onto a rough track which crossed a water course, led between very narrow stone walls, left behind the last village, passed the almost hidden camel lines, and then climbed upwards along the side of a steep hill into the wind and silence of the stony Agafay desert. We had not realised that only about 2 hours outside Marrakech you can find the awesome solitude of Agafay with Nkhila Camp alone in it. Like the majority of deserts, this is a stone desert (not Beau Geste, etc, struggling over the last sand dune), so it has the majestic loneliness, the sweep of far horizons with the snow capped Atlas Mountains in view and the clear starlit night skies untroubled by ambient light. Above all, it has solitude. You are not in close proximity to other people ticking “desert” off their bucket list. If that’s what someone wants, fine, but come to Nkhila Lodge for a unique experience. The camp has been carefully and sensitively made so that its footprint rests lightly in its environment, and using the lie of the land, there is no sense of crowding. There are two types of accommodation, the Stargazing Tents (like tents on a wooden platform stilts) and a small boma of Tents in a circle round a fire pit (ideal for a group). And when I say “tent”, they look like traditional tents from the outside but they are luxurious! We had one of the Stargazing Tents: large comfortable double bed, en-suite shower, wash basin and toilet. Cupboard space, a heater if you needed one and a veranda/balcony where you can sit and eat if you choose. We chose! We sat and saw the sun set, the stars (oh, how many) come out, the moon rise, and finally the sun rise. Stress dropped away, the peace of the Agafay desert replaced it. Providing the genuine desert experience, so physically close to Marrakech yet so distant, Nkhila Lodge is unique.