Garden project at the edge of the Sahara
Morocco
Salaam! Azoul! Hello!
We are Abdoul and Youssef and we would like to welcome you to our garden project!
We are two friends who grew up together in Tagounite, near the Sahara desert. For more than 6 years now, Youssef and his family own a garden on the outskirts of the town and I (Abdoul) help them with it. We grow various vegetables, palm trees and food for the camels and goats.
We need your help to maintain the garden. Sometimes there might be some work on the houses, including making mud bricks etc. Youssefs father owns camels and lives as a nomad. In summer the camels sometimes come to the garden for food and water and you can help us take care of them.
We work about three hours a day, depending on what needs to be done each day. Don't worry, if it gets too hot you can always take a break. You will also have plenty of free time where we can teach you how to cook traditional Moroccan dishes, make music and learn about each other's cultures or teach you some Darija.
We are going to start the woofing new, and would love to have you as one of our first helpers. But don't worry, I have spent the last two years helping another friend with his project and have a lot of experience. I love meeting people from all over the world, making music together, laughing and talking and I am looking forward to making new memories here :)
As we are very close to the Sahara, we are also happy to help you organise a trip to the desert if you are interested. Just let us know when you arrive :)
We are staying in a traditional Moroccan mud-brick house. We have electricity from solar panels and hope to install another source of energy in the future. Unfortunately we cannot offer Wifi, but you can find Moroccan sim cards at the airport or in town and it is easy to recharge them.
The town of Tagounite is located in the Draa Valley, famous for its oasis along the river. In recent decades, the climate has changed and water has become an increasingly scarce resource. It rains only about twice a year and the water comming from the mountains of Ouarzazate is regulated by a dam. This is having a major impact on the oasis's systems. Please be mindful about your water use when you are here. We are very lucky to have a well that provides us with a reliable source of water for our garden. You will be very happy about our water resorvouir where you can also go for a swim and cool down from the warm temperatures.
Talking about temperatures. In summer it can get quite hot, while in the winter nights we sometimes make a fire to keep us warm.
The garden is a quiet and relaxing place. Bring a book or something to draw to entertain yourself. We also like to play games and make music together. I (Abdoul) am a musician and have a band. We play concerts all over Morocco and have been to countries in Europe, Canada and Russia. A few times a year there are festivals in Mhamid (the nearest town) where you can come and see us and other bands play and dance.
We look forward to meeting you soon :)
How to get here:
There are several buses to Tagounite and we will pick you up at the bus station.
Marrakech → Tagounite by CTM bus (every day):
leaves at 11.30am, arrives around 9pm.
(you can buy a ticket at the bus station or online)
Night bus from Agadir → Tagounite (every day):
leaves at 9pm, arrives at 6am
(you can buy a ticket at the bus station)
There are also some other local buses and many shared taxis (grand taxi) that you can take at any time.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Grain farming
Raising of other farm animals
Aquaculture
Flower farming
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Green Building
Food justice / sovereignty
Methods or systems
Holistic management
Host type
Production farm
Abdoul
Member since 2025
Languages spoken:
Arabic, English, French, Spanish
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 1 day
Morocco
Tagounite
Reviews
Lieke
Netherlands
•
March 2026
Saskia and me stayed at Bakalis garden for about 1 week, and we had an amazing time there. We really enjoyed being outside a lot and we slept in a cute mud house. Youssef and Bakali are really kindhearted and welcoming, and made sure we had everything we needed. The food was amazing, we always had lunch and dinner together with the other volunteers as well.
We helped with building a mud house and worked on the rabbit house. We also had plenty of time to relax and chill, every day was a surprise!
We also did an overnight tour to the Sahara with Hafid, a friend of Bakalis garden, which was really nice. We would recommend going with other volunteers, as the price will be lower then, but this wasn't an option when we were there.
All in all, we would really recommend going to Bakalis garden!! We had a wonderful time there, thank you Bakali, Youssef, Abdoul and all the others ❤️
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Nicolas
Canada
•
March 2026
Alf shoukran à Bakali et Youssef! Ils m’ont accueilli avec tant de gentillesse et de générosité! J’ai passé plus d’une semaine sur leur ferme durant le Ramadan. Puisque moi et les autres volontaires ne jeunaient pas, ils ont accepté de cuisiner des repas juste pour nous durant la journée. Et nous mangions de délicieux festins avec eux une fois que le soleil était couché. Tajines, dates, msemens, thé (avec beaucoup de sucre!), tout y était!
Le travail était léger et varié. Nous avons fabriqué des briques de boue, coupé des branches de palmier, construit une maison, etc. Nous pouvions travailler à notre rythme, d’une à trois heures par jour. Nous avions amplement de temps pour relaxer.
Abdoul a organisé un tour au désert pour nous. Nous étions 3 et avons négocié pour payé 100€ par personne. En 24 heures, nous avons vu des autruches, une tempête de sable, fait un tour de chameau, mangé d’excellents repas et admiré les étoiles au camp. Le désert était immense et il n’y avais pas trop de touristes, ce qui donnait vraiment l’impression d’être au milieu de nul part. Ça en valait vraiment la peine!
Finalement, je dois mentionner qu’il y a beaucoup de mouches à la ferme. Elles peuvent devenir exaspérantes après un certains temps, mais ce n’est pas la fin du monde.
Merci encore à Bakali et Youssef!
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Caroline
France
•
March 2026
I had an amazing week at Bakali’s Garden! The place is peaceful and the dream team is so welcoming ! There’s a great atmosphere, both during the day while working in the garden or on the guesthouse construction projects, and in the evening hanging out with the guys and their friends. They do everything to make you feel comfortable. I even extended my stay because I didn’t want to leave! Tagounite has great vibes, the region is really lovely. I’ll definitely come back! See you guys and all the best! 😊
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Zariah
Germany
•
March 2026
I had an unforgettable time on the farm. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and friendly, and the place itself is very peaceful with beautiful views. Although I stayed for only four days, every day was different and full of new experiences. We made bricks, watered the plants in the fields, planted mint, and did many other tasks.
The working atmosphere is very relaxed and pleasant. You can always take a break, and the hosts are very patient and considerate. We usually worked in the mornings and then spent the afternoons and evenings together—playing games, cooking, and relaxing (during Ramadan).
I shared a room—mainly used for sleeping—with another volunteer, and we got along really well. The bathroom is shared with everyone, and if you want a warm shower, you first need to heat water over a fire.
All in all, I had a wonderful time on the farm and would definitely recommend visiting. I really hope to come back again someday. 😊
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Maxence
France
•
March 2026
I spent some time at La Ferme de Bakali, and I honestly really enjoyed being there.
The place has a calm, natural vibe that makes it easy to disconnect and just enjoy the surroundings. It feels authentic and relaxed, which I liked a lot.
During the period I was there, we didn’t work that much, partly because of Ramadan, so the rhythm was slower. But that actually made it even more chill. I had a great time just hanging out with everyone — we laughed a lot, played card games, and simply enjoyed spending time together.
It wasn’t just about the place, it was about the people and the moments we shared. I’m really glad I got to experience that.
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Jelena
Germany
•
March 2026
I had a really good time with Abdoul, Bakaly, Youseff, Hambo and the volunteers! During Ramadan we didn’t do too much during the day (which is normal for Ramadan) but at night we had the best food and fun! ☺️ Everyone is really kind and the farm beautiful! Thank you for everything 🫶🏽
