You’re dreaming at…
UMNYA DESERT CAMP
Morocco
A nomadic dreamscape woven into the Agafay’s lunar hush, where desert silence is sacred and every sunrise feels cinematic
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WILDLY PLACED: Just 45 minutes from Marrakesh, Umnya rises from the rocky plains of Agafay like a mirage; stark, poetic, elemental.
EDITORIAL VIBE: Burning Man goes barefoot Berber. Soulful minimalism with desert surrealism.
CORE PILLARS: Sacred stillness, nomadic elegance, ecological footprint lightness, soulful immersion.
MUSE MOOD: She drinks rose tea at dawn, rides a camel through twilight, and reads celestial maps by starlight.
BEST TIME TO GO: October – April (cooler desert nights, golden mornings, and stargazing at its peak).
THE LOOK: Canvas tents dressed in neutral tones, natural materials, handwoven rugs, low lantern light, and wide open sky.
WHO’S IT FOR: Lunar lovers, slow seekers, desert dancers, and soul-led wanderers who crave the wild within.
INDULGENCE SPECTRUM: From €220 per night, including breakfast, Moroccan dinners under the stars, and local cultural encounters.
There are no palm trees here. No curated palm-frond luxury. Just space,vast, holy, silent. At Umnya Desert Camp, luxury is not imposed but unearthed. It comes in elemental form: fire, sky, clay, breath. It’s the kind of wealth you feel in your bones,a silence so complete it recalibrates your nervous system. Here, silence doesn’t just fall,it settles, a balm for overstimulated souls.
You arrive by 4x4 or camel. The terrain shifts beneath you,Marrakesh dissolves into memory and the world quiets into stone and shadow. The Agafay Desert is not sand,it’s rock, wind, light. A place where echoes carry centuries and the land speaks in textures rather than sound. The air is dry but never harsh. The wind moves like an elder, reminding you to listen.
Umnya is built for reverence. The camp blends Berber minimalism with poetic restraint,a constellation of luxe tents that ripple across the plains like linen mirages. Their interiors are tactile and grounding: woven throws, raw linens, handcrafted woodwork, ceramics cooled by dusk air, and light only where necessary. You’ll find no over-decoration, only the kind of pared-back elegance that invites introspection. There’s no Wi-Fi, no noise, no rush. Only breath, horizon, and time unfolding like a ritual.
Days here stretch open. You move slowly, not because you're told to, but because everything in your body begins to respond to the rhythm of the land. Mornings begin with quiet walks or camel rides, afternoons pass in shaded nooks with mint tea and soft wind through canvas. The light shifts constantly,golden at breakfast, molten by sunset, violet and indigo at night.
Evenings unfold with ancestral rhythm. As golden light fades, the camp comes alive in candlelight. You sip mint tea, share stories around the fire, taste slow-cooked Moroccan dishes passed down through generations. The sound of desert drums begins to rise, their rhythm echoing across the stone. Overhead, a galaxy spills out, wild and unapologetic. You’ll forget electricity ever mattered,and wonder why it ever did. What remains is something deeper,firelight on your skin, laughter shared in many languages, and the comforting truth that this desert has seen it all before,and still welcomes you home.
UMNYA’S BEATING HEART
Umnya’s soul lives in the silence. Its design honours traditional Moroccan nomadic life while reducing impact on fragile desert ecosystems. It is a camp that leaves no trace but memory.
The SLOJOURN spark
FIRST. Camel caravan rituals, sunset rides through the plains, echoing ancient trade paths and shifting shadows.
SECOND. Fire ceremonies, nightly desert drum circles and storytelling by flame, echoing centuries-old Saharan traditions.
THIRD. Dawn stillness, pre-sunrise meditation facing the Atlas Mountains as the desert exhales into light.
Where you dwell
LOVED UP COUPLES or LONE RANGERS
Superior Suite Tents
Tents are sanctuaries, cool by day and cocooned in warmth by night. Interiors are earthy and elegant, merging rustic soul with refined comfort. Each space features handwoven Berber rugs underfoot, the soft glow of solar lanterns flickering against canvas walls, and thick wool blankets layered for the crisp desert air. En-suite bathrooms are designed with intention, incorporating locally sourced materials and natural textures, ensuring continuity with the surrounding landscape. Clay basins, copper fixtures, and eco-friendly amenities complete the experience. Everything has a purpose, everything is in conversation with the desert itself.
DON’T SLEEP ON THESE ROOMS (BUT DO SLEEP IN THEM)
GROUPS OF FRIENDS & FAMILY
The Royal Suite: Noor
The art of living
Wake with the first light and walk barefoot on warm stone. Sip coffee with date jam while the mountains still hold mist. Join a desert yoga session or explore the dunes on foot.
Lunch is slow and shared,tagines, seasonal salads, fire-grilled vegetables. Afternoons are made for naps in the shade or journaling with mint tea and nothing but sky above you.
And when night falls? The desert becomes theatre. A candlelit dinner, music that feels older than language, and stars that stretch belief.
The forever lens
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WATER: There is no running water at Umnya Desert Camp. Fresh water is brought in twice a week and used sparingly for drinking, food preparation, and guest showers. Guests can request warm or cold showers at least 30 minutes in advance, reflecting a deep respect for water in this arid landscape.
WASTE: The camp operates with eco-toilets that are cleaned twice daily to ensure comfort and hygiene. While there is no formal composting or recycling program publicly detailed, the remote setting and minimal infrastructure promote mindful consumption and waste limitation.
ARCHITECTURE: Tents are elevated on wooden platforms and made of canvas to withstand desert extremes. Structures are non-permanent and leave no lasting mark on the land. Locally sourced decor, including handcrafted rugs and ceramics, reflects Moroccan artisan traditions.
ENERGY: Umnya is completely off-grid. Solar panels charge batteries for basic electricity use in common areas. There is no electricity inside the tents, preserving the sensory quiet of the desert. Wi-Fi is available in the shared spaces, offering balance between unplugged immersion and digital access.
The together lens
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Umnya is deeply connected with local Amazigh communities. Meals are cooked by women from nearby villages using traditional techniques and local produce. Camel rides are led by experienced local guides, ensuring ethical treatment and fair wages.
The camp sources all textiles and furnishings from nearby cooperatives and artisans, and supports desert reforestation efforts through a portion of its profits.
This is tourism as cultural stewardship, not extraction.
The take it with you
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• Numerous treasures created by the amazing Amazigh people.
• A handful of desert stone, smooth from the wind
• The drumbeat of a night you’ll replay forever
• The scent of mint and firewood woven into your soul
WE SLOJOURNED HERE
“There’s nothing out here,so everything matters more. At Umnya, we felt closer to time, to silence, to the part of us that still listens. The desert didn’t echo, it answered, and we embodied our inner Moroccan Jane Digby.”
The ways you can move
SLOJOURN is a members-only platform for the new vanguard of conscious travellers. That’s you.
In that vein, we support a multitude of ways to book your travel.
Book directly with SLOJOURN’S travel team (we just don’t book flights, friend).
Book via our preferred travel partners that we can connect you with.
Use this as your guide and DIY your way through the world (love that for you, just take note of the destinations that prohibit this such as Bhutan, Socotra… etc.)

