Is the desert suitable for young children?

The desert is, for most families, the highlight of the whole trip — and yes, it suits young children well, provided you plan it sensibly rather than roughing it. Children are mesmerised by the dunes: the sheer scale of the sand, rolling and sliding down the slopes, the camels, and a night sky so thick with stars that city kids fall silent. A comfortable camp with a campfire and drumming is pure adventure to a child, and I have taken families with kids as young as three or four out there happily.

The honest caveat is the journey, not the destination. Reaching the Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga dunes from Marrakech is a long drive, so I never do it in a single brutal push with young children — I break it into stages over two days, with an overnight in the Dades or a kasbah valley, stops to explore Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, and the long leg timed around naps. Done in stages, the drive becomes part of the adventure; done in one hit, it becomes the thing everyone remembers for the wrong reasons.

Choose the camp carefully, because "desert camp" ranges from basic to genuinely luxurious. For families with little ones I book a well-equipped camp with proper raised beds, real bedding, private or clean shared bathrooms, and good food — comfort makes all the difference to a child's experience and a parent's sleep. Keep the camel ride short for small children (twenty to thirty minutes is plenty; little legs and bottoms tire), or do a shorter ride and let a 4x4 carry you the rest if needed. There is no rule that says everyone must trek for an hour.

Pack for the desert's extremes: blazing sun and dust by day, surprisingly cold nights even in warmer months. So hats, SPF50, sunglasses and a scarf for the day, and a warm fleece or jacket plus long layers for the evening when temperatures plummet. Bring plenty of water and a few familiar snacks. With staged driving, a comfortable camp and the right kit, the Sahara is not only suitable for young children — it is the memory they will carry longest. Tell me their ages and I will design a desert leg paced exactly right for them.