Bivouac Retreat 

NEXT DATES :

17 - 24 november 2024

12-19 january 2025

We're off on an eight-day journey to the heart of the Desert and yourself.

You book your flights, we coordinate everyone's flights and arrivals so that everybody arrive more or less at the same time. We'll put you in touch, and we'll be there to welcome you.

Day 1:

On arrival at the airport (Marrakech or Ouarzazate), you and your traveling companions are picked up by minibus or premium taxi to arrive at the foot of the desert and the dunes. This 6-hour journey gives you a chance to relax and receive the energy of the Moroccan earth. There are scheduled stops for tea, toilets and shopping. Then you have an hour's walk through the desert to reach your bivouac. It's when you first set foot in the desert sand that your initiation and adventure begin, so look forward to it!

Arrive and settle in at the Bivouac, meet Ahmed's team and the other members of the group with whom you'll be spending an extraordinary week. A well-deserved rest after this first "outward journey". Welcome circle and celebration around the fire

Day 2 - Day 7

We offer activities that allow you to live at nature's pace. We put ourselves in a benevolent and virtuous loop, where the desert does its work for you and the magic of life comes knocking at your door. I advise you to open the door!

• Around 07:45 : Contemplation of sunrise

We climb to the top of a nearby dune to enjoy the majestic spectacle of the rising sun. A dazzling light show, unique and different every morning, that will renew our view and thoughts of the world. Walking in the dunes before sunrise is a very special experience. As Ahmed says, by day you see with your eyes, by night you hear with your ears

• 09:00 Breakfast

We enjoy a hearty breakfast in the outdoor lounge to build up our strength.

• 10:00 - 13:00: Desert walk

Each day we set off on a loop through the desert, discovering the dunes, the animals and the rocky terrain. Landscapes that will teach us and a walk that will confuse us but bring us back safely. Discover the joy of walking in the desert and rolling down the dunes. Experience the deep sense of belonging to nature and of inner security in the face of this immensity that brings you back to yourself. Water will be provided.

• 13:30 : Lunch

Back at the Bivouac, a delicious lunch awaits you.

• 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm: free time

This is a time of integration for you if you wish. A time you can spend alone or sharing with others. There will be books for reading and writing, as well as creative art materials for those who want them. There's also snowboarding for dune bashing for the more adventurous. Anything is possible in the desert, and I guarantee that inspiration will strike a chord! And that's what's so great about it: you'll find your inner child, who's delighted to be living in the moment.

During this time, of course, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy a glass of mint and thyme bubble tea, beautifully served with a master's hand, accompanied by snacks.

• 4:30-6pm: Group activities

Each day we'll have time for a group activity. The practice of Yin Yoga will help us recover from the hike and relax tensions in body and mind. It's a deep and harmonious way to recharge our batteries, in line with the theme of this stay. We'll also have time to share what we're experiencing in the desert, our impressions, what we understand. And times for group dynamics: movement to music, exchanging glances, exercises in body awareness and relationships with others.

• Around 7pm: contemplation of the sunset

We head to the top of a dune opposite the morning one, to contemplate the magic of the sunset. At this time of day, a special atmosphere is created, as the earth prepares to sleep, and all becomes silent and calm. It's a deep calm that invades the space, and invades us too. A time of absolute silence and wonder.

• Then: dinner

We enjoy a delicious Tajine or other speciality in the tent restaurant.

• Around 9pm: celebration and sharing around the fire - contemplation of the Milky Way

As night falls and the sky darkens, the stars shine brightly and dance when the sky is clear. You'll be amazed by the Milky Way and the starry glow in your heart. It's a chance to lie back and contemplate once again the immensity in which we live our daily lives, and which we had perhaps forgotten...

We gather around the fire to listen to Ahmed and his team play the drums, and not only that! Let your body join in the dance, and experience the exhilaration of the present moment! A time to celebrate and give thanks for the day gone by, a time to share and send good words to each other and to heaven to guide our next day. Each evening invites us to its own magic: you'll experience sand bread, the sounds of djembes, quiet discussions around the fire, times of gratitude, rhythmic dances...

On the last evening, we hold a closing circle of this journey into the heart of the desert and ourselves, where everyone shares their experience and what they've taken with them

Special day on Day 4:

We set off on a guided camel trek for the day. We hike and ride camels, picnic in the wilderness and then return to the bivouac. You'll have become acquainted with the desert and the bivouac, this is the middle of the trip, a good one-day adventure to get away from it all and find the pleasure of returning home.

Day 8:

It's time to leave. We bid farewell and thanks to Ahmed and his team. We turn back the way we came, an essential moment for integrating what we've experienced. We take the same route back across the desert and to the airport, but we're not the same. The desert has done its work on us, and it's important to realize this and live this stage with full awareness

Remarks:

• Activity times may vary significantly from those quoted here. Time in the desert is not quite the same! The program may be adapted according to weather conditions, group characteristics and flight times.

• We reserve the right to change the location of the last night depending on the above-mentioned conditions. No extra charge.

• Depending on arrival and departure times, you may visit local artisanal producers along the way.

Entry requirements:

• Good health and full mental capacity.

• Openness to life and human beings.

• Ability to adapt to living conditions and nature.

• Ability to share a large tent with another person, depending on the number of participants.

• Be in possession of a passport valid for at least 3 months after your entry into Morocco.