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Dining tent, long table set with vegetable salads, bread and glasses

The Camp

Eight handcrafted Berber suites in the silence of Erg Chegaga

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Where You'll Rest

Each tent is crafted with traditional Berber materials and modern comforts

Double bed framed by tied-back canvas drapes inside a white tent

1 tent · 2 guests, up to 4 with extra beds

Noor Suite Tent

The largest tent at camp, and the one families take. A luminous suite with a king-size bed, a private en-suite bathroom and an intimate terrace opening straight onto the dunes.

  • King-size bed with premium linens
  • Private en-suite bathroom, hot shower and flush toilet
  • Private terrace facing the dunes
  • 24/7 solar electricity
  • Extra beds for children, on request and charged as a supplement
  • Welcome amenities and toiletries
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Double bed framed by tied-back canvas drapes inside a white tent

7 tents · 2 guests, up to 3 with an extra bed

Saida Berber Tent

Traditional Berber tent adorned with handwoven textiles, embroidered cushions and solar lanterns. Authentic desert comfort, with a bathroom of its own.

  • Comfortable double or twin beds
  • Private en-suite bathroom with hot shower
  • Handwoven Berber rugs and textiles
  • Solar lanterns and charging point
  • Extra bed for a child, on request and charged as a supplement
  • Traditional wool blankets
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Beyond the Tent

The camp unfolds across open dunes and sheltered gathering spaces, each one designed for stillness, conversation, or simply watching the light change

View from under a canopy toward a white tent and the dunes.

The Lounge Tent

A generous Berber salon draped in handwoven textiles, scattered with floor cushions and low tables. Mornings begin here with mint tea; evenings end with quiet conversation beneath the lanterns. It is as much a dining room as it is a refuge, yours to inhabit however the moment asks.

Couple holding hands in an outdoor lounge, camels on the dune behind

Open-Air Lounge

Rugs, low seats and woven shade structures laid out on the sand between the tents. A place to read, to doze after lunch, or to share a tea ceremony with the Berber team. No walls, no schedule, just the desert breeze and an unbroken view of the dunes stretching to the horizon.

Two men in turbans serve tea to a woman by candlelight

The Fire Circle

When the sun drops behind the dunes, the camp gathers around the fire. Flames, Gnawa rhythms, stories told in three languages, and a sky so thick with stars it feels close enough to touch. This is the heart of Umnya Desert Camp, the oldest form of hospitality, unchanged for a thousand years.

Sun over a field of dunes, with tire tracks in the foreground

The Dunes

Umnya sits nestled among some of the tallest dunes in the Moroccan Sahara. Step outside your tent and the sand rises in every direction, golden at dawn, amber at noon, violet at dusk. No neighbouring camps, no roads, no sound but wind. This is not a backdrop; it is the entire point.

See the camp

A Glimpse of Umnya

Watch the camp come alive, the dunes at sunrise, the fire circle at night, the silence between.

Erg Chegaga · M'Hamid El Ghizlane · Morocco

Dining at Umnya Desert Camp

Slow food, ancient recipes, and the magic of the open fire

At Umnya Desert Camp, food is more than nourishment, it is hospitality made tangible. Our chefs prepare every meal using time-honored Berber recipes, fresh ingredients sourced from local markets, and the smoky magic of cooking over open fire and embers.

From slow-cooked tagines and fluffy hand-rolled couscous to flatbread baked directly in the sand, every dish carries the soul of southern Morocco. Vegetarian and vegan diners are warmly welcomed, and we accommodate most dietary needs with advance notice.

White tent with torch stands seen from under a canopy, dunes behind.

Breakfast

Fresh bread, local honey, olive oil, jams, eggs to order, fresh fruits, mint tea and Moroccan coffee, served as the dunes turn gold.

Set table in a dining tent, the camp and dunes outside

Lunch

A lighter Berber spread of seasonal salads, lentils, fresh bread and fruit, perfect for the heat of the day.

Table set in a tent with vegetable salads, bread and olives

Dinner Under the Stars

A multi-course feast: hearty tagines, couscous, grilled meats or vegetarian options, traditional pastries, served beneath a sky thick with stars.

From the Blog

Stories from the Sahara

Table set in a tent with a tagine, salads and bread

Travel Guide

What to Expect at Umnya Desert Camp
Champagne glasses on a candlelit dune ridge, a tent below

Behind the Scenes

Building a Camp 60 km from Any Road
Tent bedroom: double bed, leather poufs and a brass tray table

Travel Guide

M'Hamid vs Merzouga

Our philosophy

Quiet luxury in the Sahara, why silence is the rarest amenity

No wifi, no other guests, no ambient noise of any kind

Where we are

Erg Chegaga luxury camp, the verified facts about this location

Sixty kilometres past the last paved road, eight tents, twenty guests, one group at a time

Frequently asked questions

How many tents does the camp have, and how many guests does it take?
Eight suite tents: one Noor Suite Tent, the largest at camp, and seven Saida Berber tents. The camp is taken privately, from 2 to 18 guests and up to 20 with extra beds. The Noor Suite sleeps 2, up to 4 with extra beds, and each Saida sleeps 2, up to 3 with an extra bed. Extra beds are on request and charged as a supplement.
Is the bathroom inside the tent?
Yes. Every tent has its own private en-suite bathroom, the Noor Suite Tent and the seven Saida Berber tents alike. There is no shared block and no walk across the sand at night. The Noor Suite bathroom has a hot shower and a flush toilet, and each Saida tent has a hot shower.
Is there hot water?
Yes, a hot shower in every tent, in the Noor Suite Tent and in the seven Saida Berber tents. The camp runs on its own solar installation, which also powers the lights and the charging points.
How does electricity work at the camp?
On solar. The Noor Suite Tent has solar electricity around the clock. Each Saida Berber tent has solar lanterns and a charging point, enough for a phone or a camera battery. Sixty kilometres past the last paved road there is no grid, and nothing at the camp depends on one.
Will another group be at the camp at the same time as us?
No. Umnya takes one group at a time and the camp is privatised for your stay: the tents, the lounge tent, the open-air lounge and the fire circle are yours alone. There are no neighbouring camps and no roads around the site, only dunes in every direction.
What do you eat at the camp?
Full board, cooked on site. Breakfast: fresh bread, local honey, olive oil, jams, eggs to order, fresh fruit, mint tea and Moroccan coffee. Lunch: a lighter Berber spread of seasonal salads, lentils, fresh bread and fruit. Dinner: several courses, tagines, hand-rolled couscous, grilled meats or vegetarian options, traditional pastries, served under the stars. Flatbread is baked directly in the sand. Vegetarian and vegan guests are welcome, and we accommodate most dietary needs with advance notice.
Who works at the camp?
A Berber team lives and works on site. The chefs prepare every meal over open fire and embers, from time-honoured Berber recipes and ingredients from the local markets. The same team serves the mint tea in the morning, lays the table in the lounge tent, and gathers at the fire circle in the evening, where the stories are told in three languages. Guests often share a tea ceremony with them in the open-air lounge.
How do you get to the camp?
The camp is in Erg Chegaga, 60 km past M'Hamid El Ghizlane, the last paved road. By road from Marrakech it is about 8 hours 45, of which 7 hours 15 is tarmac to M'Hamid and 1 hour 30 is piste over the final 60 kilometres. By helicopter from Marrakech Menara it is 1 hour 40, five or six seats per rotation, landing at the camp.
Which season is the camp open?
The camp is open from September to June and closed in July and August. From October to April the days run 18 to 28 degrees. In December and January the days run 18 to 24 degrees and the nights 2 to 8, which is why the wool blankets and the fire circle matter.
What phone signal is there at the camp?
There is no wifi and no network in the camp itself. The only usable signal is 4G at the top of the big dune, about twenty minutes there and back on foot, and the team keeps a satellite link for emergencies. Each Saida Berber tent has a charging point, so batteries are not the problem: the silence is deliberate.

Ready for your desert journey?

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Private buyout

Ask for your dates

The whole camp for your group, from two guests to eighteen. Tell us when and how many of you: a written proposal for the whole camp comes back within 24 hours, with no commitment.

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  • 2019

    Open since

  • 4.8★

    TripAdvisor

  • 8 tents

    One group at a time

  • 24h

    A written proposal, no commitment