This superb desert biking adventure focuses on the deep south of Morocco, a land of big skies and stark mountain ranges where mud-brick kasbahs appear to rise up out of the desert, sitting in tranquil palm oases and framed by dramatic backdrops of snowcapped mountains. We ride along Morocco’s dirt roads, taking us from Marrakech to the Tichka Pass, the highest in the High Atlas, and then southward, descending along the Draa Valley to the fringes of the Sahara Desert.

The riding is on non-technical hard-pack trails, which are normally in a good condition although they can be rough, covering, on average, about 50km per day. En route we pass through numerous traditional villages, on the way visiting the ancient kasbah of Ait Benhaddou and making plenty of mint tea stops to experience close-up the legendary hospitality that has risen up from the remote outposts of the desert. As we descend from the High Atlas we see a gradual change in flora and fauna as the desert starts to make its imprint on the landscape.

We follow a route of palm oases, finding the occasional refreshing pool for a dip, cycling alongside ruined villages and kasbahs which, in the early morning and late afternoon are bathed in a sublime desert light; it’s not surprising that the whole region has become popular with filmmakers. As we arrive at the fringe of the Sahara Desert, not far from the town of Zagora, where we take a break from bikes and kasbah hotels and instead opt for camels and a night under the stars in a Berber desert tent, surrounded by pre-Saharan dunes.

To keep things varied, we use different styles (and standards) of accommodation en route, from cosy auberges, traditional family homes, camping under the stars to three-star hotels with pool.

In the evening we have the chance to sample Morocco’s cuisine, whilst lunches are normally taken picnic-style, usually in beautifully remote places.