Hotel Deyzor

26/07/2025

We just had the pleasure of hosting the kindest guests this season - a wonderful group from Russia.

For 2 full weeks they travelled around Spiti with curious eyes. No rush, no fuss - just deep appreciation for the mountains, the people and the pace of life here.

They were thoughtful, respectful and full of genuine warmth - always smiling, always saying thank you (spasiva). It's unfortunately rare to come across such gracious travellers.

Thank you . See you next year hopefully

Next time someone calls us asking if 3 days is enough to 'explore' Spiti, we'll tell them to call the Russians

23/07/2025

06/07/2025

09/06/2025

Our attempt at a bookstore - The Pilgrim's pages

14/04/2025

22/02/2025

The modern nation state known to the world as Mauritania was once revered as the land of Chinguetti. Named after a remote Saharan town with a rich heritage of scholarship and learning that gave rise to ancient libraries. So significant was this town it was believed that if one could not achieve the Haj to Mecca Chinguetti was a close second.

The nearby town of Ouadane shared a similar history. An ancient settlement towering over the dunes, handcrafted from the surrounding stones, once home to a street of forty scholars. Strategically positioned as part of the Trans Saharan trade route. Oral history tells of a time when 30000 camels were surrounding the village. Camels as the ships of the desert played a crucial role in the transport of ivory, gold, salt and slaves across Africa to the Middle East and north into Europe.

Even now these amazing creatures seem to outnumber the people of this enigmatic country. Oualata much further south near the border with Mali was during one period the most important village at the southern end of the Saharan trade routes, later usurped of its role by the infamous Timbuktu.

Oualta is also home to a remarkable mural tradition practiced by the women of the community. To this day the children practice a unique tradition of writing on wooden panels known as Kitab (book in Arabic). The ink they use, a mixture of charcoal and gum arabic. A sharpened twig for their Qalam (pen in Arabic). Each day they diligently write verses from the Quran, later washing it down with water, the liquid carefully collected and consumed with the belief it will foster the memorisation of these sacred words. Witnessing this scene alone, made it worth the effort to park our bikes and make a 900km journey by bus and 4x4 just to experience them.

03/02/2025

Sand dunes are the image that comes to mind when most of us think of the Sahara. They are a regular feature in the Mauritanian desert (Sahara in Arabic), and they are exceptionally beautiful.

But those dunes are interwoven with a diversity of landscapes like we have never seen before. Ever changing, sometimes rocky, sometimes high plateaus, sometimes Oasis bursting with Date Palms and humidity, other times grasses, yet other times withered shrubs awaiting the rains, ready to spring to life once again. Even after 400km cycling into headwinds, camping all the way we never tired of Mother Nature's skilled hands.

It's a good thing those dunes were so striking, we couldn't hold a grudge for all that pushing we were forced to do. It seems the Sahara is home to more camels than people. We easily crossed 100 per day, they curiously watched us roll by. Perhaps amused or at least entertained for a moment in their day.

The people who inhabit this land live simply. Their homes make best use of the winds for natural cooling. No electricity means intelligent design still reigns supreme. Tents or straw domes are the perfect solution.

We were forced to reflect when an old man told us that they submit to the desert. They are humble before mother nature. They know they can not control her. She must be obeyed. You will see just what that means in our next post on the ancient caravan towns of the Sahara.

28/01/2025

Tourism Gimmik
Tourism loves a gimmick. In Spiti it is the World's Highest everything. In Bolivia the World's Most Dangerous Road. In Mauritania it is the world's longest Iron Ore Train. Surprisingly attracting tourists from across the globe to this otherwise rarely visited country. Youtube videos tell tales depicting this Saharan train journey as the experience of a lifetime, daring, invigorating and surrounded by stunning views of the ever changing desert landscape. Tourists looking to push their boundaries follow in the footsteps of the youtubers who went before them.... Never to experience the joy of self discovery that comes when one journeys to a new land with no preconceived idea of what you might find.

We took the iron ore train not for adventure but rather to transport ourselves into the heart of the Sahara without riding 500km into a headwind. Our experience? Well, our train arrived 9 hrs late (or right when it was supposed to, just a matter of perspective). The locals arriving just 15 minutes before the train obviously had better informants than we did. The empty train rolled up at 11:30pm. Up we scrambled with our bikes and luggage into a recently emptied iron or carriage. Little did we know we would spend the next 10 hrs huddled under blankets in an attempt to not only keep warm but also divert the constant shower of fine Saharan sand being kicked up by the very momentum of the rattling, rolling desert enigma.
Certainly there were moments of jaw dropping scenery when we dared peek from under our covers. Lurching and jolting, jerking and jamming, all night our sleep disturbed by thoughts that the steel under our carriage might just pierce through at any moment. The experience definitely had us in fits of laughter. Mostly because we could not believe people would travel all the way to Mauritania to knowingly subject themselves to this...

Tourism is a funny thing. For us it was a means to an end. We managed to avoid the headwinds. However we also had the privilege of cycling across a large swathe of the country, exploring the culture, history, landscape and lifestyle of this unique and diverse country. Be weary when you spot a tourism Gimmick. Rushing to the world's highest anything might just distract you from the real essence of the place you are visiting

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25/12/2024

There is something magical about mountains and desert landscapes. We find ourselves cycling across the Atlas mountains in Morocco on our way south towards the Sahara.
Our days have been filled with awe inspiring geological formations on the mountains (sounds familiar), ancient manuscripts locked away alongside precious grains and guarded by cats in an agadir( earthen communal village safe), spectacular village oasis- heavenly gardens of dates, figs, grapes and pomegranate.
We are slowly starting to grasp the complexity of cultures merged and preserved over thousands of years of trade and conquest across this continent.
Luckily, we have 2 more months of discovery Still left

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08/12/2024

Another year flew by.
After our most rewarding year yet, we would like to thank all of our guests for making Deyzor a part of their Spiti adventure.
We spend our time during the summers ensuring your travels are memorable and spend our winters making sure our own are too.
This year we are heading to Northern Africa - Morocco. Mauritania and Senegal.
A journey across the Atlas mountains and into the Sahara. The next post will be coming to you from another landscape certain to ignite your wanderlust