Auberge Kasbah Derkaoua by Joanna Monkhouse

Auberge Kasbah Derkaoua, aka The Desert Inn, aka Chez Michel, is an outpost of nearly 20 years standing. The owner, Michel, is French by birth but Saharan by preference and has created an oasis half an hour’s drive from Erg Chebbi, the huge orange dune which rears out of the dusty landscape.

Low buildings constructed from pisé mud walls that are so much cooler than concrete, house the 20 rooms, all with a/c. Clean and simple in desert pink and soft green with berber rugs and painted wooden furniture, there isn’t much to them but you won’t need more. There is an endless battle with the desert dust to keep the tiled bathrooms spotless.

Traditional Moroccan food is served outside under palm-frond shades during most of the year, or inside in the dining room during cooler months. The hotel closes in January when all of Morocco is quiet, and in July and August when it is just too hot to be fun.

The new pool is large, and has a rather French holiday camp feel to it when the hotel is busy, but is a welcome relief in the heat of the south. The auberge sports a tennis court for those who feel the need to test their stamina. There are horses and camels to ride along with a whole menagerie of other animals. A variety of excursions can be arranged, from sunrise/sunset camel rides to desert camps complete with real beds and a proper loo.

Whilst the views are not as spectacular as those from the hotels in Merzouga, the atmosphere here is more tranquil and the affection for the desert life comes through in all that they do at Auberge Derkaoua.