Riad Madu

A business of four brothers

Riad Madu is a family business founded by the four Anaam brothers. According to the house, madu means "respect", and its motto invites guests to "feel at home with the Madu family". The group brings together the kasbah, two camps in the erg, excursions and the organisation of desert events: weddings, hen and stag parties, corporate retreats.

The house is in Hassilabied, a small village at the foot of the Erg Chebbi dunes, very close to Merzouga and away from the area of the large hotels. It is open all year. Its website is written first in Spanish, with English, German and French versions.

The kasbah

The kasbah is built using the region's traditional method, with natural local materials; the walls are finished in tadelakt (polished lime plaster), in earth and ochre tones. The 10 rooms and 8 suites open onto a private inner courtyard, separate from the common areas. Each has a full private bathroom, air conditioning, heating and Wi-Fi.

The choice is simple:

• single or double rooms, with a double or two single beds, for a couple or a solo traveller;
• single suites, more spacious, for a couple staying two nights;
• double suites, designed for families.

The lounges are furnished with hand-carved wood, chased metalwork, bone and mother-of-pearl objects and hand-woven rugs, with reading and tea corners. The restaurant, under a dome, serves regional food with produce delivered daily, from a seasonal menu that adapts to allergies and intolerances. Breakfast, lunch and dinner can all be booked: full board is possible.

Outside, the pool has parasols and loungers and a separate chill-out corner, where you can order tea with homemade pastries. Guests describe watching the stars from it at night.

Two camps in the dunes

The family runs two camps in Erg Chebbi, so the whole stay can be spent with the same team.

• Madu Luxury Camp has 15 khaimas (Berber tents), each with a terrace, private bathroom and heating. You get there in about an hour by camel across the dunes, and are welcomed with tea and pastries. In the evening, local music, dancing and a gathering.
• Madu Premium Camp is smaller, with six decorated tents, private bathrooms, heating and air conditioning, and a pool. Meals are served in a large dining tent, or outdoors under the stars when the weather allows.

Our reading: the Premium Camp, with its six tents and pool, suits those who want an intimate camp; the larger Luxury Camp suits families and groups.

Around Hassilabied

The house arranges camel rides, including at sunset, and 4x4, quad and buggy outings. It also offers trips to the traditional market, a nomad village, the souk and kasbah of Rissani, the M'Fis mines and the Saf Saf oasis.

Sabaro's view

For whom: families and travellers who want to combine a night in a kasbah with a pool and a night in a camp in the dunes, with the same family from start to finish.

Strengths: an 18-room house run by its owners; rooms around a courtyard separate from the common areas; two camps of different sizes; 4.8/5 on Tripadvisor from 544 reviews.

Good to know: rated 4 stars, it is a mid-range family house; some reviews mention poor soundproofing and, at the camp, irregular hot water. Room sizes are not published.