Meet a Nomadic Amazigh (Berber) Family in Morocco

Meeting a nomadic family in the Saharan Desert is one of the most memorable things my son and I did while exploring Morocco. (And we had a lot of amazing experiences!) The Berber people, or Amazighs, are native Moroccans who lived in this country long before the Arabians arrived in the 6th century. Connecting with local residents adds a special depth and meaning to any trip. Learn why our encounter with a Moroccan family made such a big impact on us and how you can book a similar authentic experience.

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Amazigh vs. Berber

The Amazigh people are better known as Berbers. Keep in mind, however, that Amazigh is the name they prefer. That’s because Berber was the name given to indigenous North Africans by Arab and Roman conquerors. It means barbarians or people whose language is incomprehensible babble. Meanwhile, Amazigh, in their native language, Tamazight, means free man and the plural Imazighen means free people.

Moroccan Hospitality

Imazighen are well-known for their hospitality, and I can see why. This family welcomed us to their nomadic tent with mint tea and bread made in the traditional way with wheat flour, camel lard, onions, and spices.

Then, the kids in our tour group played soccer with the children of our host family. Kids don’t need to speak the same language to make friends—they just need a ball!

Nomadic Lifestyle

With a long tradition of living as nomads, today, Amazighs typically live a nomadic lifestyle as sheep and goat shepherds for only a portion of the year. A nomad family will typically travel for a portion of the year with their animal herds but live a more modern way of life in urban centers during the school year. Meanwhile, parents can work to earn additional income, often in the hospitality industry.

Nomadic Moroccans often let their donkeys and other animals roam free in the desert. The Amazigh nomads know they can find their animals at the springs when they need assistance for transport.

An Ancient Civilization

The Amazigh are the indigenous people of Morocco. In fact, they may be closely related to the oldest civilization on the planet. That’s right — the oldest homo sapien fossils on the planet, dating back to over 300,000 years old, were found in Morocco in North Africa!

Amazigh Religion

Sephardic Jewish in heritage, most of the last nomads of Morocco have converted to the Islamic faith. Many are considered Sunni Muslim. Some of the remaining members of this ethnic group, however, maintain their Judaic religion and traditions.

Purchases and Education

My son and I bought a tiny hand-carved stone camel and a little hand-sewn dromedary from this Amazigh family as a souvenir of our Moroccan vacation. When buying items like this from Moroccan families, be sure to hand the money to one of the parents, not to one of the kids. This is to deter the exploitation of children and to encourage parents to send their children to school for formal education, which is free and required by the Morrocan government through age 15.

How to Connect with Locals in Morocco

Want to connect with locals during your Moroccan travels? We had this eye-opening experience as part of our amazing hosted multi-day National Geographic and G Adventures Family Journey: Ancient Souks to the Sahara Tour.

If you are looking for a shorter experience, consider booking a Home Meal with a Local Family or a Moroccan Cooking Class with a Local Family in Marrakech through our trusted partner, GetYourGuide.

Learn More

Discover the best things to do in Morocco with kids, from Marrakech to the High Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert.

Taste a variety of famous Moroccan food that all ages love.

Explore additional destinations in Africa and the Middle East.

Take a look at my favorite family vacation spots around the world.

Save this Information

Is Morocco on your bucket list? For future reference and inspiration, save this information about visiting a nomadic family in Morocco Simply pin the image above to Pinterest. I hope you’ll follow Travel Mamas on Pinterest while you’re at it!

Do you like connecting with local families when you travel? Let us know in the comments below!

A Note from The Travel Mama: National Geographic and G Adventures hosted our tour of Morocco. I did not receive any monetary compensation related to this blog post. All opinions are mine, as always.

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