Displaying items by tag: camel ride
Feathers, Ivory and Gold ( 8 - 10 days)
A private tour of Morocco over 8 to 10 days.
This tailor made 8 day Morocco trip tours the imperial cities, palm groves, Kasbahs, gorges, Atlas Mountains and Erg Chebbi desert dunes.Centuries ago, caravans laden with gold, ivory and feathers were delivering their loads at the sultan’s palace in Marrakech and Fes after weeks of crossing the Sahara. This Morocco tour follows some of the ancient route but before that, we start off with Casablanca and Rabat to then witness the splendor of the Roman heritage at Volubilis. After a stop in Fez, we cross Middle Atlas and lush countryside to reach the Sahara. From here, we uncover mysterious adobe honey-comb ksours and their wells of light, trek in the Dades gorges or explore lush palm groves. We then cross the High Atlas and end our tour in sensual Marrakech. The itinerary can start/ end in Marrakech/ Casablanca or be done in reverse order. If you can add an extra night, it would be best spent in Chefchaouen, Fes or Skoura.
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Our private Morocco tour starts off with Casablanca ( we can also start the tour in Marrakech or Rabat, to suit your flights) which does not hold much in the way of historical sites. That is perhaps the reason why King Hassan 2 decided to give the city a landmark- the second largest mosque in the world. The last few years of its completion, 1400 craftsmen worked by day and 1000 by night. The marble, cedar wood and granite all come from Morocco while the glass chandeliers and white granite columns were brought from Murano, Italy. Next, our itinerary takes us to the capital Rabat, recently declared UNESCO world site. A quiet administrative center, Rabat has also a much richer history and makes the perfect introduction to Morocco, suspended somewhere between Europe and the Arab world. We will visit the 12th century Kasbah des Oudayas and its Andalusian Gardens, an important outpost of the Almohad dynasty. We can dwell further into the past and visit the Merenid necropolis of Chellah, where Phoenician, Roman and Merinid traces blend. But perhpas better stories are to be told about Sale, the sister city to Rabat and a flourishing piracy center, centuries ago. Our guide here, a local university teacher will relate how water canals used to run inside its gates and its pirates were famous for rapidly attacking European ships and taking illustrous nobility as prisoners. Once inside the city, the massive doors would close and the European powers had no other choice than to pay the ransom requested. The Republic of Sale, a state within a kingdom, even came into existence briefly and refused to pay any tax to the sultan. After breakfast, our bespoke Morocco tour is headed towards Meknes , an imperial city that rose to prominence with the sultan Moulay Ismail ( 1672- 1727) who set the capital of Morocco to Meknes and gave it its golden age by building his imperial palace, city walls and kasbahs upon dismantling Badi palace in Marrakech and fetching to Meknes most of its marble, ivory and wood. Places of interest in Meknes include Bab El Mansour gate, Masoleum of Moulay Ismail, the imperial palace and the royal granaries and stables. Back on the road we are to reach shortly the Roman ruins of Volubilis with its Galem’s baths, basilica, capitol and forum. Of particular interest is also the nearby sacred village of Moulay Idriss. Moulay Idriss was Prophet Mohammed's great grandson and fled Mecca during the 8th century AD. He established himself at Volubilis, converted the locals to Islam and founded the first Moroccan imperial dynasty. A walk around the village or even a trek in the charming countryside followed by lunch with views on the Roman ruins is worth considering. The journey should reach Fez late afternoon/ evening. Dinner and accommodation inside the medina of Fez. With the first light of dawn, you realize you have travelled in time. Four centuries? Five? If it weren’t for the satellite dishes adorning every roof, it could be more. Perhaps as much as the Kayraouine University and mosque, now 12 centuries old, the oldest still working university in the world. The heyday of the caravan trade coming from Timbuktu is long resolute. 'At the end of the fifteenth century, however, Fez was still enjoying great commercial prosperity and was at the peak of its fame as a seat of learning, its mosques and libraries being the resort of students from many parts of the Muslim world. It was therefore the most natural haven for the exiles from Granada' ( E.W. Bovill - The Golden Trade of the Moors). There are thousands of derbs, streets so narrow you could whisper in your neighbor’s ear. Your private English speaking guide will collect you from the Riad just after breakfast and try to make some sense out of the apparently chaotic old town. The numerous Islamic schools, among which the most ornate are perhaps Bou Inania and El Attarine, will wow you with their intricate stucco and cedar engravings that have so well resisted the passage of centuries. Out in the streets again, you will most likely smell the tanneries before you see them... Dozens of workers toil over open vats, dipping skins in to treat them before hand-dyeing them in bright yellow, red and white, stomping them under the hot sun to distribute the pigment. The guided tour of Fez takes us to Nejjarine Square you can catch your breath enjoying a mint tea on the roof terrace of Nejjarine Foundouk, an 18th-century caravanserai, turned woodwork museum after six years of painstakingly renovation. “There is a good deal of frustration involved in the process of enjoying Fez,” wrote Paul Bowles about Fez and that still holds true nowadays. Just when the walls seem to cave in on you, a little square comes up and suddenly all menace disappears. The secrets to be found around every corner draw you into the long forgotten world of travels of Ibn Battuta and Leo Africanus. With Fez in the background, our custom Morocco tour serpents its way up into the shade of cedar forests. Our trip takes us first through Ifrane, the ‘Switzerland of Morocco’, quite popular during the snow season when it becomes Morocco’s prime ski resort. Prettier walks are to be had in the foothills of the next town, Azrou. Country lanes wind through pine forest and lush villages. Hard to believe that tonight you'll be treading desert dunes... The dense forest is also home to the Barbary macaque, almost domesticated now and the 800- year old Gouraud’s cedar. On the other side of the Middle Atlas, the countryside is pigmented by apricots, walnuts and plum trees and pictures of rural Berber life as we approach Midelt. A few hours later, our Morocco trip arrives in Erfoud and the change in landscape is sharp - Sahara is not far now. Given the time we will visit the ancient Jewish district and the Musee des Oasis. Reach the kasbah by the dunes and trade the 4x4 for camels. The camel ride is swift and the transfer can also be made by 4x4. Shortly after, while the staff are busy unloading your luggage, try to find the highest dune and reach the top. For as far as you can see, there is nothing but sand, an ocean of it as set to conquer everything that stands in its way. And while the sun sets, there is nowhere else you would rather be. Dinner and accommodation in a private tent in a camp in the dunes. Here, you have the choice between a basic tent with toilets/ bathroom outside or a comfort tent/ luxury tent with en suite bathroom and toilets. If possible, we recommend adding an extra day in the dunes, especially more so during winter time, when days are short. Have tea with the nomads, visit the old mines, pick up fossils, discover the rock engravings or dinosaur sites or quad bike in the dunes. Try to wake up to catch the sunrise- there is nothing quite like it... Have breakfast back at the kasbah by the dunes in Merzouga. After breakfast our route takes us first to Rissani that used to serve as a caravan trading post until a century ago. Gold and slave auctions were taking place here as late as 1800’s. Before it, the caravan trade and the most important city in Morocco was Sijilmassa, the ruins of which lie opposite Rissani. From its gates, Ibn Battuta and Leo Africanus left Morocco to embark on their illustrious journeys across the Sahara into African countries, at a time when Sijilmassa was the trading hub between Europe and Africa and Arab pure bred horses from Morocco a much coveted commodity at the court of Timbuktu: [Here ( in Timbuktu) are many shops of artificers and merchants, and especially of such as weave linnen and cotton cloth. And hither do the Barbarie merchants bring cloth of Europe... Here are verie few horses bred, and the merchants and courtiers keepe certainn little nags which they use to travel upon: but their best horses are brought out of Barbarie. And the king so soon as he heareth that any merchants are come to town with horses, he commandeth a certain number to be brought before him, and chusing the best horse for himselfe he payeth a most liberal price for him.] ( Leo Africanus - History and description of Africa) Before Tinerir, we'll explore a local ksour, a honeycomb traditional village where sun shafts trickle through open pits. The spectacular Todra Gorges, lie only 15 km from Tinerir, presenting an arresting spectacle with its crystal clear river emerging from it, its huge walls changing colour to magical effect as the day unfolds. We are back in the Atlas mountains as we pass through Tinerir, an important center for the Berber nomad tribes with its extensive palm grove, the decaying ksours and 19th century adobe mosque. Less touristy, the Dades Gorges are worth a detour, with their awkward monkey fingers rock formations and great trekking opportunities. We can stop for the night in Dades or continue for one more hour and spend the night in the palm grove of Skoura. This morning our boutique Morocco tour takes us first to the immense palm grove of Skoura. Tour the palm grove with Abdel and learn about kasbah architecture, marriage customs and life in the community. In the shade of the palm trees, you will walk past pumpkins and figs, grapes and tomatoes, coriander, parsley and rosemary. Olives are pressed into the precious oil – dip your bread into it and try a local’s breakfast. Fire, water, earth and dye are what make most of things here. Or else, go for a trek at the foothills of the High Atlas mountains. In Ouarzazate, time allowing, we can visit the film studios where more recently some of the episodes of Game of Thrones were shot. Half an hour later, our tour turns right to shortly arrive at post- card perfect UNESCO world site of Ait Benhaddou. There is always someone willing to guide you but the best is to just lose yourselves in its alleyways. There is always a new way to reach its peak, from where the snowcapped Atlas Mountains framed by the denim blue sky will steal your breath away. If the climb up hadn’t already. Past Tamdaght and the kasbah made famous by the slave scene from 'Gladiator', the beauty of the valley serpenting underneath the route is beyond words. In the wall of the canyon, the nomads have dug galleries of grottoes where they used to stock their grains. Telouet is next, where the former pasha's palace dominates the village, a fortified citadel that is both a microcosm of an empire and its demise. Pacha Glaoui overshadowed the sultan by controlling most of nowadays Morocco and decided to erect a palace in the middle of nowhere, where his family had originated from. He had employed the most skilled artisans to build and decorate his main residence and, in its golden age, armies, stables and Christian slaves were confined within its walls. Shortly after Telouet, the trip joins the main road again and after innumerous twists, over Tizi n Tichka pass, we descend the High Atlas and reach the plain. Ahead in the night, lays dormant and sensual Marrakech, its walls and eighteen gates enveloping hundreds of foundouks, once protecting the caravans and their precious cargos. Where Fez is the bashful scholar, the ‘red city’ is the exuberant dancer. More than its opulent night life and luxurious palaces, the design boutiques or the French restaurants, it’s something in the air. The light of the south as some may call it, a certain feeling that nothing can go wrong, a certain je ne sais quoi… A good point to start is perhaps Maison de La Photographie, located in one of the most authentic districts of Marrakech. The photos on display document life in Morocco from late 1800’s all the way to the 1950’s. The roof terrace offers 360 degrees views over the Medina and is the perfect spot for a mint tea and postcard- photo shoots. Crossing the souks you may want to spoil yourself with some shopping. Miles of Ali Baba closet- size caves where everything glitters will lure you in. Marrakech has the finesse of craft met in Fez but also bears the influence of foreign artists that have taken residency in the city, making it a mecca for the intrepid global shopper. If too early in the day for shopping, you can also admire the dyeing of the wool or the looming of a Berber carpet on site. Past Place des Epices and its shops stuffed with turtles, colorful spices and witchcraft accessories, we make our way into the Kasbah. Not before entering the gardens of 19th century Bahia Palace, an epitome of Islamic art of the era and residence of the grand vizier. Uncovered by chance in 1917, the nearby Saadi Tombs hold the remains of the sultans responsible for the last golden age of the city , the 16th and 17th century. The Carrara marble stands witness to the wealth of the dynasty and so does the nearby El Badi palace, albeit only a ruin nowadays. The palace never completed and the next sultan dismantled the marble, ivory, precious wood and used it all to build his royal palace in Meknes. As the sun sets and the shades of its towers lose their contour, the fumes start rising on the nearby Jemaa El Fna square. Musicians, acrobats, snake charmers, witch doctors and food stalls all come alive as if they had never left. This is the city at its most essential, a place where people from everywhere mingle, perform and people- watch, half way between a tableau vivant and a circus show. Try to catch one of the story tellers in action, a tradition perpetuated for centuries, likely to disappear soon. A different way to discover Marrakech is booking a cooking class complete with lunch inside a local's home and a tour of the medina to sample the various ingredients that make up the staple of Moroccan cuisine: the preserved vegetables, the smmen butter, the farnatchi, the herbalist, the souika market, mechoui ovens and more. Should time allow for it, we recommend spending the morning visiting some of the gardens that made the 'red city famous'. The Almohad dynasty of 12th century built most of them. Agdal gardens, south of the city was where the waters from the Atlas Mountains were converged by ingenious Arab engineers. They also created Menara gardens with its ornate pavilion overlooking the waters, still a favorite of marrakchi families for picnic on Sundays. One other garden belonged to a painter who had fallen in love with Marrakech in the 1920’s and decided to create his own version of paradise on earth. Majorelle Gardens were subsequently acquired by Yves Saint Laurent and then made available to the general public. They are best visited early in the morning before they become overcrowded. Or perhaps you fancy a Moroccan hammam ( steam bath) and body scrub with the locals in one of the dozens well- kept public baths scattered around the Medina. If you still have the energy, the village of Imlil, an hour drive from the city, offers tremendous trekking opportunities for a few hours or a full day. Depending on your flight out, the driver will drop you off at the airport two hours before your flight. If you are flying out of Casablanca, keep in mind it takes 3 hours to make it to the airport there from Marrakech. DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1: Casablanca - Rabat ( 1 hour drive).*driving times don't include the various stops along the way.
Day 2: Rabat - Meknes - Volubilis - Fez ( 3 hour drive).
Day 3: Fez - guided tour of the city ( no drive).
Day 4: Fez - Ifrane - Azrou - Mildelt - Merzouga - Erg Chebbi ( 7 hours drive).
Day 5: Erg Chebbi - Tinejdad - Todra Gorges - Tinerir - Dades/ Skoura ( 4-5 hour drive).
Day 6: Dades/ Skoura - Ouarzazate - Ait Benhaddou - Telouet - Marrakech ( 4- 5 hour drive)
Day 7: Marrakech - visit of the city ( no drive).
Day 8: Marrakech.
Fortress or palace?
A day trip from Marrakech to Ait Benhaddou and Telouet.
Best for Kasbah architecture, Atlas Mountains views and a taste of the Grand Sud.
UNESCO Ait Benhaddou site, Atlas Mountains, pasha's palace at Telouet, Fint oasis and film studios in Ouarzazate can be included in this day tour.
DETAILED ITINERARY
Leaving Marrakech behind, our journey encounters beautiful scenery and small villages built in tiers succeeding among oak trees, walnut groves and oleander bushes. The road snakes up before arriving at the spectacular Tizi n Tichka pass. We are now at 2260 meters high. Once over the pass a totally different landscape is unveiled: the lunar landscape of the Anti Atlas and the plain beyond it. Scent of thyme from the bushes around fills the air.
Just after the pass, our itinerary turns left and we find ourselves on the ancient route caravans used to bring the much sought- after goods at the court of the Sultan. We soon reach Telouet. The ruins of the pasha's palace dominate the village, a fortified citadel that is both a microcosm of an empire and its demise. He had managed to overshadow the sultan by controlling most of nowadays Morocco and decided to erect a palace in the middle of nowhere, where his family had originated from. He had employed the most skilled artisans to build and decorate his main residence and, in its golden age, armies, stables and Christian slaves were confined within its walls while a flourishing Jewish community managed the nearby salt mines.
Leaving Telouet behind, the trip crosses spaghetti western backgrounds to then meet the canyon. The gardens by the river bed melt into a gigantic green serpent imprisoned between the brown ridges, only to escape out into the horizon. The road follows the green serpent and on the other side, carved into the wall of the canyon, grottoes are still being used for keeping the stock or grains over the winter by the semi nomadic people of the area. Here and there, decaying kasbahs stand witnesses of an age soon resolute.
Late afternoon. Then is the time to visit Ait Benhaddou, the postcard- like UNESCO adobe citadel. A fat, red sun, only underlines the beige tones of the mud and straws mixture and through the covered passages and stone walls, the past filters itself into the present. In spite of the local ‘guides’, the best is to just lose yourselves in its alleyways. There is always a new way to reach its peak, from where the snowcapped Atlas Mountains will steal your breath away. If the climb up hadn’t already. Half hour later, our trip crosses Ouarzazate, made famous by its film studios where recently scenes of 'Game of Thrones' were shot. With this background, you may want to ride a camel along the kasbah's walls, by the river bed. Further away, the Oasis of Fint is a great example of life within an oasis.
We will then start our way back crossing the High Atlas, this time on the national road, once a camel track that was turned into a proper road suitable for vehicles in the 1030's with the help of the French Foreign Legion. The excursion serpents its way past abrupt valleys and mountain peaks to descend onto Marrakech later in the evening.
You are free to choose your time of departure. However, in order to make the best out of your day out, we recommend leaving no later than 8 AM. Forecasted return time in Marrakech is 7- 8 PM.
PRICE.............................................................................................. 75 EUROS PER PERSON ( BASED ON 2 PERSONS SHARING THE VEHICLE). DISCOUNTS APPLY FOR 3 OR MORE PERSONS.
The rate includes: private ( sole use) of the modern air conditioned Toyota 4x4 and the English fluent driver- guide, entrance fees to all sites and monuments, refreshing drinks inside the vehicle, pick up and drop off from/ to the hotel/ Riad and transport insurance.
Atlas & the 3 Valleys
A day trip from Marrakech into the 3 valleys.
Our day trip from Marrakech shows you the most diverse of landscapes while immersing you into the Berber culture. Ourika Valley, visit of a Berber market, camel trek, Lalla Takerkoust lake, tea with a family are all highlights of this itinerary.
DETAILED ITINERARY
Starting off on the road to Ourika Valley and leaving Marrakech behind, the journey reaches Rhmat, to then skirt the river past Berber villages, while the snowy peaks of the High Atlas take shape in the background. Before taking on the Atlas Mountains, we recommend a break in the village of Tafza, to visit a typical Berber house overlooking the area. The house used to belong to a noble local familly and has been restored to its original state by its French actual owner. The traditions and customs of Berbers can be admired throughout the rooms and hallways where the different objects and furniture intertwine with ancient photos, some of them taken as early as 1900's.
Back on the road, our excursion takes us towards Oukaimeden, one of the few ski resorts in Morocco. But just when you start wondering when was the last time you skied, we turn rightand dwell into back- roads. If so far we were crossing valleys and gorges, we are now immersed in complete wilderness. Slide down the car's window and reach out - you can almost reach the pine trees lining the road. We are not likely to encounter anyone here, except maybe the local forest guard waving his hand as we pass him by or the ladies of the village nearby doing the laundry in the river. Time to take out your cameras- there are quite a few photo opportunities along the way. Starting the descent towards Asni on the other side of the valley, you can admire Richard Branson's mesmerizing Kasbah Tamadot in the distance, tucked between the cliffs and the lush vegetation. Lunch at Kasbah Tamadot can be arranged on request.
After the impressive landscapes, your appetite might call for some attention too. Lunch can be had either inside a traditional Berber house or just by the road in one of the impromptu snack- restaurants serving succulent, fresh tagines. Each village around the area has its own Berber market a certain day of the week, something to witness if you get the chance.
After lunch our excursion takes us up onto Kik Plateau, crossing Moulay Brahim, a picturesque village famous for its shrine where women from the surrounding villages come looking for the baraka. The limestone plateau is set at 1800 meters altitude and offers spectacular 360 degrees views and, in the spring, a marvellous spread of alpine flowers. The contrast between the two mountain ranges is nothing short of amazing: a barren plateau with hardly any vegetation, the deserted landscape occasionally interrupted by scattered Berber hamlets. It is certainly worth stopping and having tea in a Berber house.
Starting the descent on the other side, you may be suprised by strange objects flying above you - paragliders shooting off from the cliffs above. We can stop for a moment if the light is right and capture the amazing landscape unfolding in front of our eyes. The vast panorama is only interrupted by Lalla Takerkoust lake, spreading out for miles. In the distance, on a clear day, you can see Marrakech as our day tour passes by the ruins of Kasbahs once property of the local Pasha. We will stop for a tea and a camel ride by the lake before returning to Marrakech.
You are free to choose your time of departure. However, in order to make the best out of your Marrakech day trip, we recommend leaving no later than 9 AM. Forecasted return time in Marrakech is 5 PM.
PRICE.............................................................................................. 65 EUROS PER PERSON ( BASED ON 2 PERSONS SHARING THE VEHICLE). DISCOUNTS APPLY FOR 3 OR MORE PERSONS.
The rate includes: private ( sole use) of the modern air conditioned Toyota 4x4 and the English fluent driver- guide, entrance fees to all sites and monuments, refreshing drinks inside the vehicle, pick up and drop off from/ to the hotel/ Riad and transport insurance.
If you wish to walk / trek in the High Atlas for a few hours, we can include that with our other day trip, Atlas and the Lake.