Things You Should Know Before Hopping on a Camel

Regardless of how much or how little time you’re spending in Morocco you have to ride a camel… I mean you can’t come to Morocco and not ride one! We managed to get on one on our last night in the country, and as always I did my research before our trip. So, here is my advice for anyone that’s thinking about riding one, with some anecdotes thrown in for good measure, I hope you enjoy it!

They are not the comfiest of animals…

Camels are not the comfiest of animals and they are bloody tall! If you are like me and afraid of heights, you might need a little bit of an adjustment period. Mine was while we were waiting for everyone to get on their camels. This little bit of time allowed me to calm down and become accustomed to being so high up – oh the joys of getting on your camel first. Requiring an adjustment period does depends on how much of a wimp you are when it comes to heights though. I have had multiple panic attacks due to heights and bum-slid (yes, that is now a verb) down my fair share of spiral staircases, so if I can manage it, I’m sure you’ve got this!

Another thing to consider is that they are extremely strong and powerful creatures, which for us non-riders can be a little intimidating to start, but again, you’ve got this. Just listen to the advice of those that are leading the trip as they should know what they are doing, so try and relax and enjoy the ride!

Matthew and I on our camel, he looks a lot calmer and more natural than I do that’s for sure. It was a good experience, even if my face in the photos doesn’t always reflect this…

Before we start what do I wear?!

Wear something comfortable. I wore a long floaty dress and Matthew wore comfortable chinos, both worked beautifully. The last thing you want, especially if you are hanging on for dear life, is to be aware of your builders bum as your jeans start to head south mid-rid. Wear something that is comfortable but won’t be slipping over the place. Trust me rearranging yourself atop a camel is not fun.

One of the official photos that they took for us on the trip.

When they stand up and falling off…

Okay, so you have done it. You’ve booked your trip, dressed appropriately, got on the camel and posed for some photos to prove to the world and social media that you’ve actually been on one. Now what?!

Well, camels get up back legs first so hang on when they are getting up else you may not be going for a camel ride. To be fair, they are fairly hard to fall off of. The couple in front of us had a stubborn camel who would sit down whenever he fancied. Despite this, all of our party managed to remain on their camels. There were also a few times I almost lost Matthew off the back of ours, however, he managed to stay on, even though he didn’t really hang on to our camel´s handlebars, ever. Personally, I was white knuckling the whole way, but you will be pleased to know both methods worked sufficiently, although my arms and shoulders did ache for a few days post our ride.

This one was taken while we were on the camel, it was a long way down…

Their personalities and your guides

They are not the friendliest of animals, Jacques not included. Our camel was called Jacques and he was an absolute delight. He did what he was supposed to, didn’t spit, randomly sit down when he fancied or even really groan at us. He was a very calm and content camel, not the brightest, but a sweetheart. He had a tendency to be in a little world of his own, which led to us constantly walking into the camel in front of us, which it didn’t seem to appreciate too much, but that was it.

Others however, weren’t quite so lucky. As I have mentioned the camel in front of us loved to sit down whenever he liked. This led to a few of the others copying him, again Jacques didn’t really know what was happening, so we didn’t have that problem. Others would groan before turning their head to grunt at their normally concerned riders. Some others were quite visibly generating spit which luckily never got directed at any individual. All this aside, no-one got injured, thrown off or spat on, so it was all good. The key with this is to ensure that you go with individuals that know what they are doing. The Berbers that took us for the ride were constantly in control. They were never phased and this made a big difference. You can feel the power of these animals so knowing that the individual in charge is actually, well in charge, is extremely important.

Matthew with Jacques post-ride.

Enjoy the ride!

One thing I can guarantee is that you have more than likely paid for this experience, so enjoy it. I don’t know about you, and I could be wrong, but there aren’t many camels roaming around my home town/where I live now. Therefore, this is probably a one off. You never know, it could turn out that you are a natural camel-driver, decide to quit your job, move to Morocco and have a complete career change, but for most of us this isn’t the reality. So sit back (not too far though), don’t breathe in too deeply (they are not the freshest of animals) and enjoy the ride. It will be worth it.

Matthew and I on our sunset camel ride. It was definitely an experience.

Let me know in the comments if you have ever ridden a camel, or any other animal for that matter. How did it go? As always I hope you all have a wonderful week. Take care and I shall see you in the next post!

Frankie x