My 3000-kilometre adventure in seven stages: from Europe to the heart of the Moroccan desert. An unforgettable adventure for me, my husband and our legendary historic Panda.
The Panda Raid is an adventure that everyone who owns a historic Panda dreams of entering and finally this year, we too were able to participate.
I kept a small diary on board to record every detail, so that I wouldn’t forget anything about this escapade in our faithful Panda.
Saturday 4 March 2017.
Madrid-Almeria (544 km)
After a short briefing on the safety rules, my husband and I leave Madrid in the rain. Obviously, we have to keep checking our position with the road book and compass and, of course, make sure are stocked up on water and petrol! We arrive in Almeria in the evening, where a quick dinner awaits us, and then we take the ferry to Africa.
Sunday 5 March.
Nador-Tissaf (322 km)
After a 6-hour crossing, we disembark at the port of Nador. What a sight: 300 historic Pandas and at least 800 people are waiting to continue the adventure! Then finally we set off. Dunes, stones, potholes, bumps. We arrive in Tissaf at 7:30pm. There’s just enough time to set up the tent before falling asleep exhausted.
Monday 6 March.
Tissaf-Boudnib (296 km)
We wake up at 5:00am, then the panorama takes our breath away. Hard ground, oases with palm trees, small plots of cultivated land, dried up rivers. An enchanting sight that we soon have to leave behind, as our Panda awaits us and we want to get back on board. The climate is pleasant, the altitude varies from 1200 to 1400 metres. Once we arrive at Boudnib, we try to find a wind-sheltered spot to pitch our tent. The sunset in the desert is unforgettable.
Tuesday 7 March.
Boudnib-Merzouga (179 km)
A tough day of dirt tracks for our Panda! We also cross a wadi, which is a dried up stream bed. Everywhere there is fesh fesh, a very fine desert dust that can make driving even harder. We have to stop at the Café Sahara, a building made of mud and straw in the middle of nowhere. At 4:30pm we arrive in Merzouga. It’s like a scene from that film by Gabriele Salvatores, Marrakech Express!
Wednesday 8 March.
Merzouga-Tafraute du Sud (193 km)
An expanse of sand and fortified villages accompanies us the whole way and, at one point, we also pass the place where they filmed that movie "The Mummy". In the evening, we set up camp beside an immense chott, a lagoon of brackish red water that takes our breath away. But the most memorable part of the day was delivering school materials that we brought from Italy to the children of a remote Moroccan village.
Thursday 9 March.
Tafraute-Tansikht (297 km)
We wake up at 5:30am. What a dawn and what colours! The only noise we hear is of people emerging from their tents and preparing to dismantle them. Today's stage is 100% desert, so long, hot tracks and masses of dust. Our Panda driving adventure is almost at an end and even though we realise we are ranked in the middle of the pack, we’re satisfied all the same.
Friday 10 March.
Tansikht-Marrakech (306 km)
We take on the Tichka Pass at 2260 metres high, also known as the pass of 1100 turns. The road is very panoramic and makes for some really stunning photos. Then, finally, we arrive in Marrakech in the early afternoon. We cross the finish line happy, but with the bitter-sweet feeling that our adventure is over. We receive a medal for finishing and then it’s time for obligatory photos on the roof of the Panda, which also serve to say: thanks for having brought us this far, to the end of the 2017 Panda Raid. You’ve been as durable and reliable as ever!
Saturday 11 March.
Marrakech, Malaga (770 km)
We wake up at 4am, take photos with the mechanics and hurriedly drive to Tangier. The ferry to Malaga is at 4pm. And then we’re all home: us and our Panda!
As I reread my account, I feel proud of all the miles we covered in our historic Panda and the experiences we had. A magic time that I won’t forget in a hurry.
Read more about the 2017 Panda Raid event.
