Are the desert camps romantic for couples?

The desert camp is the part of a honeymoon couples are most nervous about and most thrilled by. The fear is roughing it; the reality, at the camps we use, is a proper bed with crisp linen, an en-suite bathroom with a hot shower, rugs underfoot and lanterns everywhere. It is glamping in the truest sense — canvas on the outside, comfort on the inside.

What makes it romantic is the scale of the silence and the sky. After the camel ride in at sunset, you are served a candlelit dinner — often just for the two of you if we book a private camp — tagines and Moroccan wine under the stars. Then the drumming starts around the fire, the milk-white Milky Way comes out, and there is no light pollution for a hundred miles. I have had couples tell me it was the most awe-struck they have ever felt together.

My strong advice is to pay for a private or semi-private camp rather than the big budget bivouacs where forty people share a long table. The difference between a romantic night and a crowded one comes down entirely to that choice. We arrange the dune-top breakfast, the rose petals, sometimes a small surprise — and the morning walk up the crest for sunrise is non-negotiable.

Be honest with yourselves about the season. Summer desert nights are warm but the days are brutally hot; winter nights can drop near freezing, which is wonderful with extra blankets and a fire but a shock if you arrive in flip-flops. Spring and autumn are the sweet spot for a romantic camp night, and we pack accordingly.