Western Sahara

Western Sahara is a barren strip of land in the western part of Africa. It was part of the Spanish colonial empire until 1975 and it is now under the jurisdiction of Morocco, even though there are independence claims from Polisario, who represents  the  autochthonous  Saharawi population.

Western Sahara is an improbable destination if you are  not  a  kite-surfer,  but  the magic  and  the  history of  Villa Cisneros (now  Dakhlia) and  the  Sahara desert convinced  me to check  it  out. The desert is overwhelming, the wind powerful, the people welcoming and friendly and, if know  any  of  the  basic  languages (English, French, Spanish), it  is  easy to get  by.

Dakhlia  is  the  typical North African city  with  colorful  building,  millions  of  unfinished  project,   glaring  sun, stray dogs, and plastic  garbage  floating  around  the  streets.  But you can  use  it  as  a  base  to  do  excursions up  the  peninsula to the  lagoon and  down  to  Tropic  of  Cancer.

My favorite spots are the White Dunes, an agglomeration of white and red rocks and fine sands  near  the end  of  the Daklia lagoon, the  Oum el Bouir beach, where  you can see  the  sunset at the  Hacienda bar  and  restaurant, the  enormous tea pot  stone  statue in  the  center, the  Moroccan  whiskey (wiz.,  the ubiquitous mint  tea)  and  the Tahla Mar  restaurant. Here you get a nice view of the  lagoon, take a  swim  if  you  like,  but  more  than  anything  you can  have  fresh  oysters  at  a  ridiculous prices (for  12  large  ones about  5  euros).

But I think the best experience is just talk with locals and people in the streets.  They will politely approach you and go out of their way to help. If you like a restaurant, go back there. They will treat you like a king when you return and will make  you  feel like  you have  never felt before.