Our environment

The desert is a delicate and subtle environment. On the surface it appears desolate and empty, devoid of life but if one looks closely, there are myriad lifeforms working together for survival, including the people who share the land. Plants can lay dormant until they spring into life after a good (and rare) rain. Animals that inhabit the desert are generally nocturnal, choosing to hunt and scavenge in the cooler hours. Many people of the land are nomads, travelling from place to place to find the food to feed their herds of goats, sheep and camels. The introduction of tourism to this region has had a remarkable effect on this balance and the way of life for many here but hospitality remains generous and warm.

walking the dunes

Many people want to experience the desert but many want one that is sanitised with swimming pools and airconditioning in summer; fires in the hearth in winter. Many Berbers bend over backwards to make life comfortable for their guests as hospitality is the number one priority for them, but sometimes this is at the expense of the environment (such as quad bikes tearing up the land). At Cafe Tissardmine we offer berber hospitality in the berber way, we conserve water, are totally solar powered and when we use wood it is for cooking outdoors and winter warmth.

We try and reduce rubbish and recycle as much as we can and ask visitors to be mindful of what they bring into the region and take away what they brought in. Plastic bottles are an issue all over developing nations where the water supply is not potable, we bring in water in large containers and ask visitors to bring their own reusable water bottle for refilling.

Washing water comes from our well and we ask that you be mindful of this precious resource and keep your showers short and toilet flushing to a minimum

Tread lightly through this delicate landscape

photo; Rosa Frei