The Oasis in Mezgarne is born, in November 2002, from the encounter of Moroccan and French people, all loving this Deep South, and willing to make it discovered the best way, in a respectful frame of ethical tourism.

Built on the ground of a former farm, which was abandoned because of the drought, the Oasis in Mezgarne builds its walls and opens its doors in autumn 2003. It enables inhabitants of Tazzarine to live in their country. Hassan, first of all, our caretaker, but also Ahmed, the cook, Toufik, who helps us regularly, Lahcen and the camels herders of Timganine, and other guides helping us for the tours.

Hassan	Ahmed	Toufik	Lahcen

The Oasis is managed by Bilal Ballouk, who was also born in Tazzarine. He get his experienced in tourism by the large tour-operators, for more than 10 years, as driver and guide.

He decides to become his own boss and revive the family farm, transforming it into a Berber camping place, and also discovering his country to tourists.

He knows the classical tours as well as the roundabouts through gorges and to unknown kasbahs better than his own pocket. Berber, born and living in the Berber country, he is happy to facilitate your encounters with the local people, and wishes that you leave after your stay with your most beautiful dreams now a reality.

Brigitte, a French woman from Nantes who lived in Morocco, and Marie-Aude, a French photographer living in Germany are part of the adventure.

They are your contacts in Europe and can help you to organize your trips. Marie-Aude takes part into the photographic tours.

An association was created at the same time as the Oasis “Ayour de Mezgarne, friends of the nomads”. Grouping French and Moroccans, its goals is to help the nomads still living between the Dades and the Sagho, and to support the development of Tazzarine and the villages around.

This helps consists into distributions to the nomads, when our tours pass by the tents, distributions of clothes and food. We also help to send school items to the villages.

The association is in line with our goal of sustainable development, either in an economical frame (the Oasis) or a non-profit one.

We accept bookings by phone but with a confirmation by mail or fax. In return, we confirm your order, but this confirmation will be final only after we received your deposit (see our payments and terms).

For a tour in the high season (October-November and April-May), as well as for Christmas and New year, we advise you to book as soon as possible.

• tourist activities are respectful of the local social structure, resources and environment.
• Development o such activities is viewed in a long-term perspective.
• Revenues generated by this activity must be earned by whom works for it, and the inhabitants of the country must be the direct beneficiaries.

On a more detailed level, ethical tourism is a pack of services and activities offered by operators to responsible travellers, and built up by local people (or at least with them). These people have a important part in the evolution of these activities, and can modify, re-orient or stop them.

They also take a significant part in the daily management, limiting as much as possible intermediates who do not apply these ethics.

Social, cultural and financial benefits of these activities are mostly locally received, and shared between the members of the local community.

The Oasis, created, managed by and employing Moroccans, applies these principles.

Also, the guides we employ are conscious of the impact of tourism on local people. For example, they know how to give something, to whom, and who they should ask to know who needs help in a village. If you wish to take part into our distributions, or in a tour, listen to their advices, and for example, do not encourage children to beg, even for a candy or a pen.

To know more, the World Tourism Organization, and its pages on Sustainable Development of Tourism