What is a chèche (desert scarf / turban)?

If you do anything in the Sahara, you'll meet the chèche — and it's one of the most genuinely practical garments in Morocco. A chèche is a long strip of lightweight cotton cloth, often three to five metres of it, that's wound around the head and, when needed, across the face to form a turban. It isn't fashion; it's desert engineering. The wrap shields your scalp and neck from a brutal sun, keeps blowing sand out of your hair and ears, and can be pulled up over your nose and mouth the moment the wind picks up.

The colours carry meaning out there. Indigo blue is the iconic desert shade — the deep dye historically rubbed off slightly onto the skin, which is part of where the romantic "blue men of the desert" image comes from — while white and pale beige are common too, chosen because lighter cloth reflects heat. You'll see Tuareg and Saharan men wearing them with real expertise, the wrap tight and neat, a flap ready to flick across the face in a heartbeat. It's a skill passed down, and a well-tied chèche genuinely looks magnificent.

On every desert trip I send guests on, the wrapping becomes a little ritual, and it's one people adore. Your camel guide or camp host will take your length of cloth and wind it around your head in the proper way — there's a real technique to keeping it secure on a windy dune — and you'll feel instantly cooler, shaded and, frankly, rather dashing for the photos. It transforms the experience: suddenly you're not a sunburnt tourist squinting into the glare, you're properly equipped for the dunes.

I tell people to buy their chèche before heading into the desert — they're sold cheaply all over Marrakech, Merzouga and the southern towns, and you want one in hand for the camel ride and the overnight camp. Indigo is the classic souvenir choice. Beyond the desert it doubles as a sun scarf, a wrap on cold camp nights, a beach cover and a packable bit of shade anywhere. Light, cheap, beautiful and genuinely useful — the chèche earns its place in your bag.