Should I do a long camel trek or stay longer in the desert camp?

I'll be candid, because this saves a lot of sore backsides: a camel is charming for the first half hour and tiring after the first hour. The iconic image — silhouetted against the dunes at sunset — is real and worth doing, but a long, multi-hour trek is far less comfortable than people imagine. So the question is really how much of your desert time you want spent on the saddle versus off it.

The case for a longer trek is romance and journey. If you've dreamed of crossing the Sahara by camel, plodding deeper into the dunes as the light changes is unforgettable, and arriving at camp 'the old way' rather than by 4x4 has a magic that a short ride doesn't quite match. Some travellers genuinely want that slow, earned approach, and for them I happily arrange it.

The case for more camp time is, frankly, what most of my clients end up loving most. A short camel ride out to a dune for sunset, then back to camp to lie on rugs, eat a tagine under the stars, listen to drums around the fire, and watch a sky thick with the Milky Way — that's the part people describe for years afterwards. The desert's real gift is its stillness, and you taste that far better lounging at camp than bouncing along a caravan route.

My honest recommendation for most people: a 45-to-60-minute sunset trek for the experience and the photos, then maximise time at the camp itself. If you're a true camel-and-caravan romantic with a sturdy back, go longer. But don't sacrifice a magical night under the stars just to log more hours in the saddle.