Western Sahara wildlife vacation

Planet

We know the wildlife of the Western Sahara intimately and are committed to protecting this diverse and fragile ecosystem. We never allow guests or suppliers to cause undue disturbance to wildlife. We are particularly conscious that most of the sightings during this vacation take place in the hours of darkness, and we always limit the length of our sightings of all species to ensure they can go about their business unhindered by our presence. We use spotlights during this tour, but will never spotlight an animal for a prolonged period of time, and will never shine a light in the eyes of a diurnal animal. We will also never spotlight a young animal to avoid drawing attention to their presence. When on drive, we typically remain on rough tracks in the desert, but may sometimes leave the road. When we do so, we always strive to avoid driving over vegetation.

We are conscious that the area in which this area operates frequently encounters drought. As such, we always ask clients to be careful when it comes to using water during their stay. Our accommodation in the desert for the bulk of our stay is deliberately designed to have minimal impact on the environment, and this includes a lack of provision for showers. Smaller amounts of water will be provided for washing as needed.

People

We believe in protecting the incredible ecosystems found across Africa. Our suppliers in Western Sahara employ a significant number of staff from the local area, including guides and cooks, ensuring that our visit benefits the local community in a very real way. Our accommodation for the bulk of our stay is traditional in nature, reflecting a way of life that has persisted here for centuries.

During our stay, we are keen that clients immerse themselves within the local culture as much as possible. We strongly recommend using our stay in Dakhla to visit local markets, but we are also keen that our visit benefits more isolated communities deep in the Sahara - our days are generally at leisure here, and guests are free to spend time with local communities and visit local projects here. During our stay in Aousserd, we highly recommend using your 'down-time' during the day to learn more about the fascinating history and culture found here - the market in particular is a great spot to spend time with local people and get a sense for the Saharan way of life.