Four days in the Sahara folded into a Dar Daif envelope -- a package so close to perfection the only criticism I can muster is chipped cups at the Dar and sub zero temperatures night and morning in the dunes. But we expected the latter and forgave the former because the rest fulfilled our R&R dreams like no previous holiday. We are middle aged and appreciative of creature comforts offered by an impeccably managed, elegantly presented and brilliantly located Moroccan guest house. A few kilometres from the outskirts of Ouarzazate, Dar Daif is a short stroll from the shores of Lake Ouarzazate -- a RAMSAR designated wetland, teeming with birdlife. An ornithological delight -- we sat for hours in pleasant winter sunshine gazing through our "jumelles" at hundreds of cormorants and storks, alongside osprey, spoonbills, black wing stilts, ruddy shelduck, great crested grebes, ringed plover, many varieties of wheatear and wagtail -- and that's just a sample of the ones we could identify. We had two days of luxury either side of the bit in the middle that satisfied our craving for novelty and adventure. We camped, walked and rode with three camels and three Berber gentlemen -- Echou the guide and Omar and Idir the camel men. Zaid the driver completed the ensemble. The trek was glitch-free and enormously good fun. The stars at night, the silence of the days and the awesome beauty of the dunes exceeded our expectations. We want to do it again -- next time for longer. Dar Daif and its sister outfit Desert et Montagne.com offer a complete package that includes long distance drives in a comfy Toyota Land Cruiser, half board at the Dar -- plus the services of our guide/chef and the camel men during the trek. The package is reasonably priced -- and tailored to to individual requirements.
