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Colors of the Sahara Desert: A Travel Photography Exposé

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Sahara Desert, Morocco

The colors of the Sahara are more dramatic than we expected.

The array of golden-orange that paints the sand dunes is both impressive and ever-changing.

We visited Morocco several years ago as the last stop on our around-the-world adventures.

The photos below represent what we saw in 2012. We kept them here as is, as they are beautiful, regardless of any changes that may take place over time.

Did you know? … Sahara facts

  • The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world.
  • Overall, it is the world’s third-largest desert, after the cold deserts of Antarctica and the Arctic.
  • It covers an area of 9.2 million square kilometers in parts of Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Western Sahara, Sudan, and Tunisia. All photos on this page were shot in Morocco between Ait Ben Haddou and Merzouga.
  • “Sahara desert” is a redundant name as “Sahara” is Arabic for desert.

Photo highlights of the colors of the Sahara

Here are some of the photo highlights from the Sahara desert, the center point of our Moroccan road trip:

Classic image of the camels with the colors of the Sahara in the background
The colors of the Sahara sands create the perfect backdrop for this classic moment as the camels passed.
Sahara desert in Morocco
The riad owner looks out over the desert. A riad is a traditional Moroccan house with an interior garden or courtyard. Many riads have been converted to guesthouses (hotels) and we stayed in one in nearly every town we visited in Morocco.
Colors of the Sahara desert in Morocco
The colors of the Sahara change as the day progresses.
Ruins in Sahara desert in Morocco
I loved the contrast of these motorbikes against the ruins.
Mosque in the Sahara desert in Morocco
Mosque in the desert on a hazy day.
Sarah jumping in the sand dunes.
Sarah jumping in the sand dunes.
Colors of the Sahara desert in Morocco
Motorbikers enjoying the dunes help to show the vast openness.
No roads on the dunes.
No official roads on the dunes.
Colors of the Sahara desert in Morocco
More colors of the Sahara
Camel in the Sahara desert
Camel in the desert
Women carrying the crops on a donkey in the Sahara in Morocco
These women are carrying the crops on a donkey.
Sunset in the Sahara desert in Morocco
Sunset and a photo from the series in which I made the Albom Adventures logo.
morroco desert skiing
Of course, we tried sand skiing.

Two of our Sahara highlights not featured above include our visit to a Bedouin camp and one to a livestock market in Rissani.

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Colors of the Sahara desert in Morocco

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Comments

  1. Lovely pictures! The area now is a bit different. Most of the camps are more luxury camps and are outside of the dunes, however, it still a good experience to travel there. Thanks for sharing these amazing photos.

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  2. Ah, you have some outstanding photos here, Rhonda. This must have been a great journey. Hope to get to Sahara someday and compete with your pictures (LOL)!

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  5. Wow These photos are amazing Rhonda, I see them and wish to come back to the dessert and try to do more photos although I will not even get half as good photos as yours
    Great job xxx

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  6. They are magnificent indeed. We went to Egypt and Morocco but we missed the dessert tour. It reminded me of the Death Valley, California as well… I hope I will visit Sahara soon 🙂

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    • We didn’t tour, we drove ourselves out to the desert. We did go with a guide onto the dunes. That was a good choice as our driver made a poor choice and we had to dig the car out of the sand. Or should I say, the men had to it.

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  8. I want to see the world. Instead I cyber travel to places. Oh how I enjoyed going to the Sahara Desert with you. I loved how Sarah was jumping in the sand like it was the ocean. I loved how you show the viewer there wasn’t any roads. My favorite was seeing the woman moving their crops on a donkey. Thanks so much for these wonderful photographs. Do you live near there?

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    • I am happy to take you with us on our adventures. We couldn’t live much farther from the Sahara, we live in New Zealand. The Sahara is just one of many special places we have visited in our lifetime.

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  12. WOW I love the colors. They are so rich. We went to sand dunes a few years ago. My boys loved it. The camel photo is a great one for sure!

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  13. What a beautiful area of the Sahara desert. I enjoyed your photos. The colors are amazing and the area is so vast and undisturbed. Well, except for Sarah jumping in the perfectly formed dunes….lol

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  17. Not a place I have ever thought to go, although I have been in the Negev and barely in the Sinai. Just not at the top of my list. Cool images and culture thought. Enjoyed viewing these photos.

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  18. I didn’t realize Sahara was desert in Arabic. (Shows you how poor my Arabic is even after 20 years here.) I know everyone calls them sand dunes but if the Moroccan ones are anything like in Egypt, they’re more like dirt dunes where the dirt is as fine as flour, and it turns to yucky mud if any water gets into it. The shores in the west are more of a glassy sand and water passes through. Thanks for the great pics!

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    • I think that we never become truly fluent in another language unless we learn it as a child. We were never on the dunes when they were wet. It was hot and dry, so I have no idea if they turn to mud. It felt like sand to me.

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  20. Hi Rhonda – I haven’t seen the Sahara – though at some stage I’d love to … but the Skeleton coast in Namibia has dunes and is known as the Namib Desert – the colours are extraordinary, and constantly change with the various rocks … beautiful shots you’ve given us – modern and old .. .fascinating and your header – great .. cheers Hilary

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  21. I love the desert, and the Sahara brings so many cultural differences to marvel at as well as the flora and fauna. Beautiful photos.

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  22. You really captured the essence of the Desert Rhonda. The motorcycles caught my attention & the camel photo is really great.

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    • LOL – Morocco is far more affordable than you might think. And, Emirates soon flys Auckland- Dubai – Casablanca.

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  25. Wow! Sahara desert was really a great place though it’s a little bit hot but being there will be a kind of dream for me. Stunning photos indeed! Thanks, Rhonda.

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  26. I enjoyed the journey through the Sahara desert with you. Thanks for sharing your lovely photos. I’ve lived in New Mexico where there is alot of desert for about 10 years. Far different than living in Oregon for sure. It has it’s own beauty as well though.

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    • I love New Mexico. I spent about 6 weeks driving through your lovely state when the girls were little. However, I will admit that I like Oregon even more. We just drove the coast earlier in 2016 and I am in love with it. If we ever move back to the states, I could see myself living there.

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  27. Your photos are beautiful. I’m glad that you rediscovered them. I had a big external hard drive with a gazillion images and went bad and I mourned the loss and then like six or seven years later office depot had a $49 special where they could recover data from a hard disk and I took it there and they did it. I got them all back and uploaded them to flickr. It took months to tag them all but was I ever happy and grateful.

    That said, I love your photos and the colors and the exotic scenes and I am glad that you rediscovered them.

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    • I think my heart stopped for a moment when I read your comment. I always have two copies of every photo, and when we travel, they are never together. I am so glad you got your photos back.

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  30. There’s something very special about desert light, and you’ve captured it in these photos. Well, you’ve captured a lot more, too. Love the textures and the way you’ve set shown people against this vast space. Really beautiful.

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  31. These are awesome shots! I haven’t been to Sahara, but i have seen the Dubai Dessert for a safari. Though it is not as grand the views and colors are amazing too, and the night show and dinner after the safari is an experience to stay for life.

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  33. Gorgeous photography ~ they belong in National Geographic or similar publication ~ thanks

    Wishing you a Happy Week ahead ~ ^_^

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  36. How dead looking. All I see is sand upon sand, upon sand. How hot was it outside when you there? Did you have a lot of water for you?

    Have a great night my friend. See ya.

    Cruisin Paul

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    • I don’t see that when I look at my shots, nor when I was in the desert. I find it alive with color variation. As for the heat, I love hot weather. I don’t really remember how hot it was. I would imagine it was in the high 30s at times (90s F).

      Reply

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