Displaying items by tag: erg chigaga
Lost Kingdoms (8- 10 days)
This 9 day off- the- beaten- track private Morocco tour
leaves Marrakech over the High Atlas mountains, reaches the Sahara to then take you deep south into a mystical land where not many have ventured before. We follow the old caravan route from Marrakech over the High Atlas mountains, past UNESCO world site Ait Benhaddou, along the Draa river with its Biblical villages and lush palm grove and into the Sahara desert. After riding a camel and having dinner under the stars, spend the night in Erg Chigaga dunes, in the safety of your private tent. Then, ride through the desert, have tea with the nomads and pick up milennia- old fossils. Later on, continue south, and uncover some of Morocco's besh hidden secrets, with the distinct feeling that you are the first person to ever walk there. Trekking up a dry river bed to find yourself in the middle of primordial gorges, their wax- like lava walls appearing to have caught time suspended. Century- old granaries, fierce mountain- top fortresses, where the village folks still stock their grains. The ruins of a 17th century mosque, hidden in the middle of a palm grove. The millennia old rock engravings, portraying wild animals, hunters and some of the first letters of the Berber alphabet. Then, we head north into the Anti Atlas and spend a night in the highly picturesque village of Tafraoute, a heaven for trekking, hiking and mountain biking. End the tour with some pristine Atlantic beaches, before reaching the 'small Marrakech' - Taroudant.
Click here to see detailed map
Leaving Marrakech behind, we soon take on the High Atlas. Breath taking panoramas and hairpin curbs succeed while the route follows one moment out in the open, the next under dense pine trees. Shortly after reaching 2200 meters altitude, you leave the main route to reach the village of Telouet and the Kasbah of the Glaoui. From the ensemble of three ruined kasbahs only one has maintained its reception rooms where intricate zellij patterns and precious wood greet the eye. Pacha Glaoui 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. Then, our road follows Ounila valley with its mosaic of gardens and tiny douars. Occasionally the valley turns into a canyon, where the nomads have dug centuries ago galleries of grottos to stock grains. Late afternoon is the right time to visit UNESCO site of Ait Benhaddou, the postcard- like adobe citadel. With a bit of luck, the crowds have already deserted the place. 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 yourself in its derbs and explore the honey – comb structures. Spend the night in a refurbished Kasbah, in the vicinity of Ait Benhaddou. Today our itinerary travels along the mythical Draa Valley, a route so often used for centuries by the caravans bringing gold, slaves, ivory or feathers from Mali or Ghana. But first, locally sourced breakfast – better had on the roof terrace from you can admire the palm grove below. Or why not, bake bread with the ladies in the village oven. In Ouarzazate, the only noteworthy site is the film studios, if you are travelling with children. Leaving the plain behind, the road climbs, twists and turns its way up through bare calcified gorges. Right after the pass you catch a first glimpse of the valley and the oases, a green river of palms snaking up into the haze bordered by the Kasbahs, adobe guardians rising as if from the earth where the green gives way to the desert. There is no road sign but somehow you become aware you have entered a different land, le grand sud. Right after Agdz, we turn left and will stop to wander around the eerie kasbah of Tamnougalt. Biblical adobe villages border the palm grove. It is worth visiting at least one of them – perhaps the one where most of the population is still black, descendants of former slaves- the Harratin. A picnic lunch by the river, under the palms, is quite a treat. Or perhaps discover the rock engravings at the end of a dusty off road track. We reach the tranquil town of Zagora late afternoon. After breakfast, our 4x4 Morocco tour will take you through adobe villages bordering the route and the first patches of sand start to show. The nearby village of Amezrou, carries on the Jewish tradition of silver crafting and the adobe synagogue still stands. We will stop for a break in Tamegroute where century old Qorans and Arab treaties on astronomy and sciences are neatly arranged behind glass windows in the zaouia’s library. The same village carries a pottery tradition known throughout Morocco Watch how the clay is being turned into emerald pots and dishes inside traditional earth ovens and glazed into its particular emerald green cover. Before long, our tour reaches M’hammid, where civillization ( or at least the tarmac ) ends. The next two hours of our tour make full use of the four wheel drive as rocky desert gives way to gravel and then sand dunes, past the occasional water well and oasis. The anticipation built doesn’t quite prepare you for the spectacle ahead of you- these are the dunes of Erg Chigaga. Just as you enter the dunes, you are meeting the camels. Ride a camel into the dunes as the sun is slowly dipping into the horizon. While the staff of the camp is unloading your luggage, you climb onto the highest dune you can find. There is nowhere else you would rather be. Have dinner in front of your tent, by the camp fire, under starriest sky. At night, dazed by the millions of stars glittering above, the silence is so thick you feel you could cut a strip and wear it as a scarf as you fall asleep. Should you have missed the sunrise… well, try not to. After toddling across sand dunes, our trip reaches the perfectly flat Lake Iriki, nowadays completely dry, where the Draa river used to form its estuary. Later on, we will have tea with a family of nomads and search for fossils. Then, we take on the hamada, the much dreaded stony desert, to finally reach Foum Zguid. Farewell Sahara, hello tarmac... Though the dunes are behind, the immensity is still present. The tarmac swirls past barren plateau and sun- burnt ridges while you barely cross another soul. Continue south and stop by the nearby waterfalls. A couple of hours later, reach your accommodation for the night, a five- century old noble house erected on a top of a village overlooking the palm grove. The many hidden corners, passages and patios will delight adults and children alike. Food is rustic, locally- sourced and really tasty. In the morning have breakfast on the roof terrace – one can hardly imagine a breakfast with a better view. Spend the morning learning how a water clock works in the nearby palm grove, preparing traditional bread in the village stove, visit the grottoes or trek by the cliffs. Picnic in the nearby palm grove to then reach a very old Berber village where you will be able to push the gate of a 18th century old granary, recently restored. Inside the palm grove an unfinished mosque from centuries ago stands as a silent guard. Your accommodation for tonight resembles an African lodge more than a Moroccan kasbah. Today, we will discover the local area and its not- so- obvious attractions. The remoteness of the spaces is why most people would come and stay here. But don’t let yourself be fooled by the appearances. In the surroundings, at the right place and time of day you can glimpse foxes, eagles, wild boar, hares, mountain gazelles, bustards or partridges. After breakfast, leave the guest house and take the route to the old village at the foot of the local djebel. Visit the old streets of the village, the museum created by Abdesalam, and the women’s cooperative who make colorful rugs and other home objects ( who also adorn the rooms of the guest house). Back in the 4x4, travel to Id Aissa to drop the luggage at the guest house and have lunch to trek up the river bed and find yourself in the middle of primordial gorges, their wax- like lava walls appearing to have caught time suspended. Natural pools of deep- green transparent water appear here and there, where fish swim. The climb is sometimes steep, but it's worth all the effort. At the end of it, the 300 meter high gorge opens up and you can make your way back through the deserted plateaux above. Dinner and accommodation in the gorges. After breakfast, walk up the mule track and wander through the 70 odd rooms of the local granary overlooking the village from 600 meters high and see where locals used to stock grains, raise bees and collect rain water. The documents attest the granary is around 800 years old. It was also used as a back drop in times of attack from a different tribe or the nomads from the Sahara. Back inside the vehicle, a most stunning off road crosses the Anti- Atlas , via one of the former piste des legionnaires. Arrive in Tafraoute late afternoon. In the morning, if any energy left from the previous day, hop on a bike and explore the local gorges and awe at the games of light and shade the palm grove and the bare mountains offer. For those interested, a few tracks are available for trekking or rock climbing. As you thread your way through the gorges and deep red villages, there will be a flash of quicksilver to your left: an oasis of deep- green water, ringed by a white granite bed of rocks, glinting in the sun. The local painted rocks and Napoleon’s hat are also worth a detour. Or the Lion’s head… After lunch, take the route over the Anti Atlas and stop on the way to admire the 360 rooms of a local agadir, set on 5 stories where rock slabs are used as staircases. The route then goes up to cross the tranquil town of Ighrem and then descend on Taroudant and its fertile plains, the snowy peaks of the High Atlas in the background. Arrive in Taroudant in the evening. Taroudant lies in the middle of a fertile agricultural plain that crashes into the foothills of the Anti Atlas while nudging the Sahara in the south. Also called sometimes ‘Petit Marrakech’ due to its similar looking walled old town, it is in fact older than its northern sister. Its walls were built by the Saadi sultans back in 16th century when the city was their capital and the main base to attack Portuguese invaders on the nearby Atlantic coast. In this quiet town where most folks go around on their bycicle, hop on a caleche and have a tour around the city walls or wander the souks best known for silver, honey and argan oil and imagine how Marrakech used to be 30 years ago. There are two ways to return to Marrakech. One is via the highway from Agadir, after having enjoyed some time on the beach just north of Agadir. The beaches around bohemian Taghazout are embraced by a warm sea current and you can swim in the Atlantic most of the year. Agadir is only a 1 hour drive from Taroudant and 3 hours on the highway to Marrakech. Or, you can choose the other route and stop on the way to visit a 500 year- old apiary where the owner will introduce you to traditional bee- growing, have you taste the different sorts of honey (our favorite must be argan honey) and invite you for an organic lunch in his home. Arrive in Marrakech late afternoon. Most of our guests prefer adding an extra day to either allow for some relaxing time by the beach in Essaouira or trekking in the Atlas Mountains. DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1: Marrakech- Tizi n Tichka – Telouet – Ait Benhaddou ( 3 hour drive) *driving times don't include the various stops along the way.
Day 2: Ait Benhaddou – Ouarzazate- Agdz – Zagora ( 3 hour drive)
Day 3: Zagora – Tamegroute – Mhamid – Erg Chigaga ( 3 hour drive)
Day 4: Erg Chigaga – Lake Iriki – Foum Zguid – Tata ( 4 hour drive)
Day 5: Tata – Akka – Icht ( 2 hour drive)
Day 6: Icht - Id Aissa ( 1 hour drive).
Day 7: Id Aissa – Tafraoute ( 3 hour drive)
Day 8: Tafraoute – Taroudant ( 3 hour drive)
Day 9: Taroudant – Taghazout/ Chichaoua – Marrakech ( 5 hour drive).
Salt and all that glitters ( 13 - 16 days)
A 14 day private tour to classic and off- the- beaten track sites in Morocco.
This 14 day custom Morocco tour covers Marrakech and Fez, the Erg Chigaga dunes, Taroudant and the Atlantic coast over two weeks. The itinerary picks up the ancient caravan route (this side of Sahara) after stopping in Marrakech and Fez, the most fascinating imperial cities. It also entails a 5 hour drive across the Sahara. It reaches Taroudant, the ‘little Marrakech’, to then follow the Atlantic coast along deserted beaches and turqoise waters and unveil the unique architecture and farniente of Essaouira or to-die-for sea food of Oualidia. The pace is carefully balanced and ample time for relaxing and leisure has been thought of. The myriad of landscapes is only matched by the diversity of cultures and their heritage: Arab, Berber, Touareg, Jewish, Portuguese and French. From suspended- in- time fishing villages to Berber adobe palaces, desert oases and Portuguese fortresses to the best conserved historic town of the Arab world, this is Morocco's a-thousand-and-one facets' tour.
Click here to see detailed map
Salt for gold. Literally. Salt mines were present all around Morocco but for a long time, caravans used the salt mines of Taghaza, in the heart of the Sahara. From there, the salt slabs were loaded onto camels and exchanged at the end of a 9-week journey across the desert for gold in Timbuktu, Gao or Oudaghoust. When salt was scarce, an ounce ( 28 grams) of gold was worth a pound ( 454 grams) of salt. The caravans would return with gold, slaves and ivory and reach Morocco through the oases of Akka or Sijilmassa to then cross the Atlas Mountains and deliver their loads to the courts of Marrakech and Fez. Already at the time of the Almoravid dynasty, in the 11th century, their gold dinars were highly sought after at the courts of Europe, which proves that the Almoravids were by then supplying themselves with gold from south, across the Sahara. Five centuries later, the Saadi sultan of Marrakech sent an expedition across the Sahara, seized the salt mines and with them, the monopoly of the gold trade, yet failed at finding the gold source. When the Portuguese discovered the maritime route along the African coast in 15th century, the Saharan trade started to decline. Notwithstanding the Art Deco heritage, Casablanca is nowadays mainly a large metropolis devoid of any monuments. King Hassan 2 wanted to change that and decided to erect a landmark to match the city - 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. With a rich history and recently included on the select UNESCO site list, Rabat lies suspended somewhere between Europe and the Arab world. The 12th century Kasbah des Oudayas and its Andalusian Gardens are a delight. We can dwell further into the past and visit the Merenid necropolis of Chellah, where Phoenician, Roman and Merinid traces blend. Or loose yourself inside the splendid 'Jardins d'Essais Botaniques'. Sale, across the bay, harboured a pirate nest and a republic onto its own. But perhaps it is best to hear all about it from our local guide, a passionate university teacher who will give you a comprehensive behind- locked- doors visit. The journey should reach Fez late afternoon/ evening, just in time to freshen up and get ready for dinner. As the dusk gives way to night, the meal is set in the décor of your 1001- nights riad, the most appropriate introduction to the highly- praised Moroccan cuisine. 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. Instead, the migration of wealthy Moors and Jews from the courts of Granada and Cordoba in 15th and 16th century is more present. The numerous Islamic schools, among which the most ornate are Bou Inania and El Attarine, will wow you with their intricate stucco and cedar engravings that have resisted the passage of centuries. Out in the streets again, you will most likely smell the tanneries before you sight them... Little has changed here since Fez took over Cordoba in Spain as the center of leather production around the Mediterrenean. 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 trip through the souks 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 into a woodwork museum. One can only awe at the level of craftsmanship infused by the Arabic calligraphy imbedded on 12th century wood beans or musical instruments and other chests of drawers. “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. There are thousands of derbs, streets so narrow you could whisper in your neighbor’s ear. 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 pull you into the long forgotten world of travels of Ibn Battuta or Leo Africanus. On your second night in Fes, it would be a pitty not to try one of the local excellent restaurants. After a full day spent visiting the old town, you should be by now, better with directions or at least more confident about it. Lately, many derelict palaces of Fez have turned into riads ( boutique hotels built around an inside garden) while others became museums, like Palais Batha. On display are fine examples of woodcarving, stucco, and zellij, much of it rescued from Fes's crumbling medersas, along with embroidery, Berber carpets, jewelry, textiles, astronomical instruments and calligraphy. The gardens are an oasis in the bustling Medina and especially come to life during the world- famous Fez sacred music festival. Back inside the maze, you will sooner or later end up next to the zaouia of Moulay Idriss, the site where the founder of the city is buried, which at any time of day is packed with women, burning candles and incense looking for the much coveted baraka (good fortune). Up until the 1980’s any Muslim had the right to claim asylum from prosecution or arrest and so the area was a heaven for fugitives and outlaws. If you feel you had a culture overdose by now, venture in the country side for a picnic (just one hour drive from Fez the countryside is peppered with lakes and forests) or indulge in a traditional Moroccan hammam ( Arab steam bath and body scrub with eucalyptus soap) in one of the hundreds of public baths available. Trekking opportunities also abound eastwards around the holly village of Moulay Idriss, overlooking the Roman site of Volubilis. Perhaps you should allow some time for shopping as well: the leather and brass trade in Fez is without equal in all of Morocco. If you want to try your hand at a Moroccan cooking class, Fez offers the possibility of a complete immersion into the Moroccan culture and family life. Learn how to bake hubz, preserve lemons, the name of the different spices and make mint tea, before embarking on to prepare the ubiquitous tagine. ( If you wish to avoid the long drive, we can book you a one hour internal flight from Fez to Marrakech. We will arrange for pick up with the hotel in Marrakech and your driver will join you there next morning). After breakfast, leave Fes behind and take on the Middle Atlas. With Fez in the background, our trip meanders its way up into the shade of cedar forests. The route takes us first through Ifrane, the ‘Switzerland of Morocco’. Pretty walks are to be had in the foothills of the next town, Sefrou. Country lanes wind through pine forest and lush villages. The dense forest is also home to the Barbary macaque, almost domesticated now and the 800- year old Gouraud’s cedar. It will be a rather long day and stops will be frequently accommodated to enjoy the dramatic twists and turns that the Middle Atlas provides. We are soon crossing lush pastures and olive groves, each with its own olive mill. After lunch, we can take a detour and stop by the 110- meter high Ouzoud waterfalls. From the top, it is possible to trek down to the bottom of the waterfall taking a number of stone steps. The oversized grottoes here used to shelter watermills, grinding wheat into flour as the river is diverted through the wheels before plunging over the edge. A path through a grove of olive trees leads to the pools carved out of the rock at the base of the falls: here you can swim, in the right season. Leaving the falls behind, our boutique Morocco tour bumps off a rutted road, through rich farmland. Fields of golden grain, patched by deep green and thickets of trees, fade to haze in the distance. Here and there stands a farm compound and, in late afternoon, the village is softly hushed, the only sound the bleating of far- off goats. Ahead in the night, lays dormant and sensual Marrakech, its walls and eighteen gates enveloping hundreds of caravanserais that used to accommodate 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, documenting life in Morocco from late 1800’s all the way to the 1950’s through photographs and a worthwhile documentary on the Berbers. Crossing the souks, the shops do look like they just got Ali Baba's last shipment and shameless snooping turns compulsive. If it is too early in the day for shopping, you can also admire the dying 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. Uncovered by chance in 1917, the Saadi Tombs hold the remains of sultans responsible for the last golden age of the city, the 16th and 17th century. An English merchant that lived at the sultan's court in 16th century relates: 'Six days past here aryved a nobleman from Gao (in Mali), whoe was sent by thins King 10 yeares paste to conquere the said countrye. He brought with him thirtie camels laden with tybar, which ys unrefyned gold; also great store of pepper, unicornes horns and a certaine kynde of wood for diers, to some 120 camel loades, and great quantitye of eanuches, duarfes, and weomen and men slaves, besydes 15 virgins, the Kinge's daughters of Gao, which he sendeth to be the kinge's concubines. You must note all these to be of the cole black heyre, for that contry yeldeth noe other.' Unfortunately, the palace was to be dismantled by the succeeding dynasty and only the walls and towers remain nowadays. As the sun sets and the shade of its towers loses its contour, the fumes start rising on the nearby Jemaa El Fna. Musicians, acrobats, snake charmers, witch doctors and food stalls all come alive as if they had never left the place. This is the city at its most essential, a place where people from everywhere mingle, perform and people- watch, half way between a village market and a circus show. The popularity of Marrakech is with foreigners and Moroccans alike. Its gardens are a magnet to people living in traffic jammed Casablanca or conservatory Fez. Ali Ben Youssef, the Spain- educated son of the founder of the city, brought with him the refinement of Spain with its elegant houses built around an inside garden back in the 11th century. The Almohads then built the Kasbah and the vast manicured gardens still in use today. Agdal Gardens and Menara Gardens are examples of the garden culture permeating the 12th and 13th century. Majorelle Gardens were subsequently acquired by Yves Saint Laurent and then made available to the general public ( 2018 has seen the opening of Yves Saint Laurent museum adjacent to the gardens). They are best visited early in the morning before they become too crowded. Our favorite gardens must be those of La Mamounia hotel, where for the price of a coffee at the bar, you are free to roam around the afternoon. If gardens are not your things, worry not. Cooking lunch with a local family, Arab caligraphy, making slippers, a tour of the modern art galleries, a food tasting tour, hot air balloon ride, are but some of the activities you can choose from. Or perhaps you'd like to immerse yourselves into the local Berber culture and hike into the Atlas mountains, to then have lunch inside a Berber home or at Richard Branson's. Shortly after leaving Marrakech, our itinerary breasts the Atlas mountains. It is one of the most winding roads, filled with twists and turns and making its way up to 2300 meters altitude to then descend onto Ouarzazate and the Grand sud. Before arriving at the Tizi n Tichka pass, mesmerizing views alternate with the shade of the pine forest, argan oil cooperatives and goat herds. Shortly after the pass, our itinerary takes us away from the tarmac and into the back country roads. The tour reaches Telouet with its imposing derelict palace dominating the village, a fortified citadel that is both a microcosm of an empire and its demise. Pacha Glaoui had managed to overshadow the sultan by controlling most of nowadays Morocco. 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 ruled the nearby salt mines. Leaving Telouet behind, our 4x4 Morocco tour crosses spaghetti western backgrounds to then follow the canyon. The gardens by the river bed melt into a gigantic green serpent imprisoned between the barren light brown walls of the canyon, only to escape out into the horizon. Here and there, decaying kasbahs stand witnesses of an age soon resolute. Leave your luggage at the kasbah and go visit the troglodyte grottoes. Then, hop on a camel or take the 4x4 and head to Ait Benhaddou. Late afternoon, just before sunset is the ideal time to visit the UNESCO world site 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. Dinner and accommodation in a kasbah by Ait Benhaddou. Early in the morning, bake bread with the local ladies on almond corks. Back on the road, our trip crosses Ouarzazate, famous by its film studios where scenes of ' Game of Thrones ' and 'Gladiator' were shot. , the tour sways its way through barren rocky hills and valleys before entering the gorges and picking up altitude. The Draa runs underground until the oasis of Agdz. From the pass, under hazy skies and past the djebels , you just about glimpse the palm grove following the river and only wonder where the Sahara commences. As we come out of Agdz, the magnificent Kasbah Tamnougalt deserves a visit. The adobe honeycomb is a testimony to the grandeur it used to shed on its neighbors centuries ago. Across the palm grove, we will stop and visit the Black People village, a small untouched community of Harratin, likely descendants from traded slaves. Further on, you can also admire megalithic rock paintings depicting animals and hunting scenes. Reaching Zagora we are headed to the local Jewish old quarter with its pise synagogue and still- surviving silver craft, once the monopoly of the local Jewish community. Silversmiths, in the shade of alcoves, melt and shape wire-thin segments of metal into intricate earrings and pendants while masks and chests from Mali adorn the walls. Back at the guest house, the dusk is upon us when the breeze stirs the palm trees swaying in the enveloping night. The wind has so many stories to tell but speaks its own secret tongue. Our tour takes us past Tamegroute. Seemingly a ghost town on the way to the desert, there is more than meets the eye. The local Sufi zaouia used to be one of the most important in the country, dating back to the 1600’s. Among the thousands of priceless manuscripts on display in its library, works of mathematics, philosophy, astronomy and a 900 year old Koran. The emerald- glazed pottery cast in the open- air earth ovens is famous throughout Morocco. If you wish, you can try your hand yourself at a short clay pottery class. The palm grove is soon put behind us and a few twists and turns later, the tour reaches the end of civilized world. Or at least the end of the tarmac. The next two hours of our trip make full use of the four wheel drive as rocky desert gives way to rocky hamada and then sand dunes, past the occasional water well and oasis. The anticipation built doesn’t quite prepare you for the spectacle ahead of you: sleepy yet shifting leviathans of sand as far as the sight can stretch, dotted by the occasional desert camp. Here, we can arrange for you to be met and taken by camel ride to the desert camp for the last bit of the way, next to the highest dunes. These are the dunes of Erg Chigaga. While the staff of the camp is unloading your luggage and preparing your dinner, you climb onto the highest dune you can find. And lose yourself. And while the sun sets, there is nowhere else you would rather be… Dinner and accommodation in a private tent under the stars. (If you have an extra day at hand, it is worth spending an extra night in Tata inside a 500 year old noble house to then reach Taroudant on the evening of the next day following one of the most dramatic and off the beaten track roads in Morocco). Should you have missed the sunrise… well, try not to. If yesterday was about getting away from civilization, today is about getting back to it. After toddling across sand dunes, we reach the vast Lake Iriki, nowadays completely dry, where the Draa river used to form its estuary. We'll have a break and have tea with the nomads, then search for fossils. Further on we take on the hamada, to finally come out to Foum Zguid. Good bye Sahara, hello tarmac. On the way to Taroudant, we pass through Tazenakht, reputed for its carpet weaving and then Taliouine with its magnificent Kasbah. This is where most saffron is harvested in Morocco . Or you can stop for small detour and discover the suspended granary. Arriving in Taroudant, there is hardly anything more relaxing after the desert trip than a plunge in the refreshing pool and/ or ridding off the sand inside the in- house hammam ( steam bath) at the local guest house. As the lights start to twinkle, in the gardens the scent of jasmine perfumes the air while dinner is set. Dinner and accommodation inside the medina of Taroudant or in the palm grove nearby. Taroudant lies in the middle of a fertile plain that crashes into the foothills of the Anti Atlas while nudging the Sahara in the south. Also called sometimes ‘Petit Marrakech’ due to its similar looking walled old town, it is in fact older than its northern sister. Its present walls were built by the Saadi sultans back in 16th century when the city was their capital and the main base to attack Portuguese invaders on the nearby Atlantic coast. Taroudant retains the inscrutable aura of the caravan trading outpost it was centuries ago with a ride in the cheerfully painted horse drawn caleches around the city walls and a visit to the silver souk the only activities worth undertaking. If you are curious about the surroundings, there is quite a lot on offer. Only 40 minutes drive north of Taroudant, you are at the foothills of the High Atlas mountais and trek opportunities abound. Accommodation as previously. Less than 1 hour drive from Taroudant lies Agadir and the wide beaches of Taghazout, famous for their surfing and warm currents. Our tailor made Morocco tour is now headed towards Essaouira folows the Atlantic coast, past surfer villages and unspoilt beaches. Past Taghazout the region lays claim to a windswept, untouched spot on the western coast with empty, golden beaches, clear blue sky and waves to surf on. Or, you can choose to take the highway towards Marrakech and stop on the way to visit a 500 year- old apiary where the owner will introduce you to traditional bee- growing, have you taste the different sorts of honey (our favorite must be argan honey) and invite you for an organic lunch in his home. As we approach the wind city, shepherds—very young boys or very old men—dressed in hooded djellabas tend flocks of sheep and goats. Before long, a curious town comes into sight, white cubic buildings with blue doors and windows. With its strong breezes, Essaouira is one of the world's top windsurfing and kite boarding spots. It has a lot more going for it though, besides water sports, glorious trading past and European military architecture. In recent years, the city has become a cultural center, a place where the calendar is studded with two world-class music festivals and galleries display internationally known local artists. Should you arrive before sunset, you can have a quiet walk on the vast beach, passing the impromptu soccer matches, out to the dunes where hooded horseback riders offer bonjours and a shimmering lagoon is filled with birds. The present Essaouira dates from 1765, when the sultan decided to build a port on the site of the ancient Mogador, a Phoenician settlement, which would open Morocco up to the world and develop commercial ties with Europe. The influence of the French architecture of the time as used at Saint Malo can be seen within the ramparts, especially the Sqala of the Port and the Sqala of the Medina and the Bastion of Bab Marrakesh. The new port became one of the country's main commercial hubs; it was called the 'port of Timbuktu' as it was the destination of caravans bringing a variety of products (including slaves) from black Africa. The local Jewish community played a very important role as the sultan made use of them to establish commercial relations with Europe. On the way to El Jadida, the picturesque fishing village of Oualidia, built around a wide lagoon midway up Morocco’s Atlantic coast, is a quiet, slightly out-of-time place. For much of the second half of the 20th century, the Moroccan bourgeoisie decamped here in the summer, eschewing the urban fug for their modest white-and-blue vacation houses. Today, well-to-do Moroccans come for the clean air, the tranquility and the best oysters in the country, which are shucked tableside on the terrace at L'Araignee Gourmande or the posh Sultana Hotel. The lagoon is right on a wide and deserted beach, with sand gently sloping into the palest blue water. UNESCO world site El Jadida radiates with the memories of the Arab sultans and Portuguese explorers who came and went on the trade winds, enriching the surrounding coast with their cultural patrimony. It was one of the very first settlements of Portuguese explorers in West Africa on the route to India. Built in two phases in the 16th century by the Portuguese, applying the Portuguese technology of new architectural concepts of Renaissance adapted to the advent of the firearm. When Portuguese left in the 18th century it fell into decline and revived in 19th century. Eeriest of all, the Church of the Assumption, keeps the echoes of its past corralled in impregnable walls. Echoes of Orson Welles' Othello still resonate within the 16th century old water cistern. The trip to Casablanca takes no more than 1 hour and a half and the driver will make sure to drop you off at the airport at least 2 hours before your flight. Most of our guests prefer adding an extra day to either allow for some relaxing time by the beach in Essaouira or trekking in the Atlas Mountains. We can also break the distance in two on Day 4 and/ or Day 10 if you think the drive is too long. DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1: Casablanca/ Rabat – Fez ( 3 hour drive). *driving times don't include the various stops.
Day 2: Fez.
Day 3: Fez.
Day 3: Fes - Azrou - Beni Mellal - Ouzoud Waterfalls - Marrakech ( 8 hours drive).
Day 5: Marrakech - visit of the city.
Day 6: Marrakech - visit of the city/ relaxing/ cooking class.
Day 7: Marrakech – Telouet - Ait Benhaddou ( 4 hour drive)
Day 8: Ait Benhaddou – Ouarzazate - Agdz - Zagora ( 4 hours drive)
Day 9: Zagora – Tamegroute - Mhamid - Erg Chigaga ( 3 hours drive)
Day 10: Erg Chigaga – Foum Zguid - Tazenakht - Taroudant (7 hours drive)
Day 11: Taroudant
Day 12: Taroudant – Agadir - Essaouira ( 4 hours drive)
Day 13: Essaouira – Oualidia - El Jadida ( 4 hours drive )
Day 14: El Jadida – Casablanca ( 1H30 drive).
Azalai Desert Lodge, Zagora
In the shade of the eucalyptus, I am just about to finish my lunch with a fresh mellon- infused home made ice- cream and a glass of what the owner of the house calls a 'citronnade': a freshly squeezed lemon juice mixed with mint, sugar and lots of water, served frozen. Nothing more refreshing given the outside temperatures as September is still lingering about. Yet nothing more uncommon within this palmgrove, a world unto its own- 300 km south of Marrakech, where the usual desert is dates and mint tea. I can't decide whether to go for an afternoon nap or take a plunge in the inviting pool. Set in the middle of what some say to be the largest palmgrove on earth, Azalai Desert Lodge Zagora is a luxury guest house where only the architecture and decor is modern. The hospitality is altogether from a different age. Nothing forced or artificial in the attitude of Khouloud and Bouchaib, the young couple of owners who share their passion for the desert and travel with their guests. They have the gift of immediately making you feel like an old friend, on a repeat visit. Bouchaib is an architect and Khouloud holds a master degree in business management. Together they created something altogether different: the Moroccan hospitality and warmth complemented by a chic design, 5 star service and attention to detail. I can't help but wonder: why hasn't anyone done this before? Perhaps because Zagora is often thought of just as an overnight stop for the 4x4 tours of Morocco going to or coming from the Sahara. Azalai is there to prove them wrong. Khouloud was kind enough to unveil some of the secrets behind this success story for us. | |
Sun Trails: How did you come upon the idea ( of opening a guest house) and why Zagora ?
Khouloud Belkahia: It all started on a trip with friends, we literally fell in love with the palm grove. There were several options available to us: either take on an existing structure or create a guest house from scratch. We assumed that the latter option was the best, so that we make sure to offer guests the comfort that we wanted to. The location | ![]() |
![]() | is very important and the palm grove of Zagora was the perfect choice for that.
ST: Do you see Azalai Lodge as a hotel or rather a guest house? Why? ST: In the area of Zagora there are quite |
a few guesthouses, but you're the only ones who have chosen a rather colonial- chic design despite the typical choice where adobe is the main ingredient. What do your guests think? KB: Our guests are always pleasantly surprised to find a place “beyond fashion and time" in the middle of the palm grove. They never imagine that when stepping through the main gate, they will be transported into another era. ST: You have named your suites/ rooms: Paul Bowles, Saint- Exupery, Henri Matisse. Who are these characters and what is the relation with Azalai Lodge? | |
ST: When I stayed with you last, I tried your cuisine and found that your dishes were quite tasty but different from the Moroccan dishes typically served in restaurants in Morocco. Are these secrets from the cuisine of yesteryear? Grandma’s recipes? Who inspires you in the kitchen?
KB: I guess I wanted to get a little out of the ordinary by providing a Moroccan cuisine somewhat forgotten, but with a personal touch that will set us apart and appeal to our | ![]() |
ST: Tell us a little about your career. Have you ever had a previous experience in the hotel business? And what is that takes most of your | |
energy at Azalai ? What fulfills you the most? KB: I have a degree in hospitality and a master's degree in business management. The setting up of Azalai Lodge coincided with the end of my studies. I found myself immediately immersed in an exciting job, which requires a lot of being present, focus and leaving nothing to chance. We put all our energy into fulfilling the dreams and wishes of our guests. These people that come to stay with us and escape. Our greatest satisfaction | ![]() |
![]() | is to help them make their dreams come true. Because above all, the desert makes one dream.
ST: Knowing that you are born and have lived on the Atlantic coast, how do you get along in Zagora where climate and landscapes are so different? Was it easy to adapt? KB: I admit that the change was radical, but I adapted without problems! The conditions for |
work are ideal, especially since it’s always sunny and the dry climate of the region is excellent for one’s health. ST: Where do your guests come from? Which nationalities do you get best along with ? ST: What is there to do around Zagora? Guests stay for a few days or just spend one night on the way to the desert? ST: You have also opened a luxury camp in the dunes of Erg Chigaga. What is the difference between a basic camp and a luxury camp in your opinion? ST: I heard that guests from Mamounia hotel ( in Marrakech) would come to have lunch in the desert by helicopter and return to Marrakech in the evening. It seems that soon you will be able to offer this service, by small plane. Can you give us more details? | |
![]() | KB: There is certainly a demand for this kind of VIP service, people who do not necessarily have the time to cross the Draa Valley by car but can’t afford to miss the magic of the desert. We do offer a picnic lunch that we call "Gentleman traveler” where a table with white tablecloth and silverware is set up in the dunes, to then offer a refined meal served under the shade of palm trees. ST: What other future plans do you have for |
Azalai Lodge? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
KB: We have just launched Le Lodge and Villa Azalai in Marrakech and we are working on Azalai Lodge Oualidia (on the Atlantic coast). ST: All the toiletries that you put at the disposal of guests are made using natural products. Tell us a bit more about this. What other steps do you take to preserve the | |
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![]() KB: Our skin care products are based on natural products not only for the benefit of our guests but also to preserve the environment. To this purpose, we treat wastewater to water the garden , the hot water is sun- heated, our constructions are built in local stone , we do selective sorting and no palm tree was ever cut or transplanted . ST: What is the best time of year to visit you? Why? ST: You told us about the other 2 Azalai guest houses in Marrakech and Oualidia. Are they similar to Azalai Lodge? | |
| KB: The three houses have the same spirit "Desert Lodge" but not the same story. The Lodge Azalai Marrakech is a real exclusive lodge for 2 persons in the village of Oumnes, at 30 km from Marrakech.
Villa Azalai is 20km from Marrakech on the road to Lalla Takerkoust dam and is rented as a whole, for a group of friends or a large family.
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ST: Tell us something amazing that happened to you at Azalai Lodge with your guests. KB: We recently witnessed a very special moment with a young English couple. The gentleman had asked us to organize a surprise birthday party in the desert for the young lady, so the ambiance was already intense: a dozen candles around a dining table on the top of a dune. The lady was so glad when she found the surprise birthday party. But not as surprised as she was when the gentleman proposed to her right there and then in the middle of the dunes. We were just as surprised as she was… She did say yes. | |
Azalai Desert Lodge and Azalai Luxury Camp are currently offered on our 'Caravans Dust' and 'Oases and Palm Groves' tours as well as other tailor- made tours in the Privilege option of accommodation. For more photos of their luxury desert camp and facilities, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.617027101663802.1073741830.190567174309799&type=3 | |
© Sun Trails. All rights reserved. No part of this interview may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Translated from French by C. Martinus. |
Oases and palm groves ( 3 - 4 days)
This 3 day Morocco desert tour takes us over the Atlas Mountains and reaches Sahara's dunes by the second evening to return to Marrakech via a different route.
Our itinerary crosses the High Atlas at 2300 meters high, visits UNESCO world site Ait Benhaddou, the Kasbahs of the south, the Biblical adobe villages, serpents along mythical Draa Valley, stops by the oasis, walks through the palmgroves, deciphers century old Qoran's and Arab treaties, bakes emerald pottery at Tamegroute, uncovers honey- combed ksours, rides a camel into the Sahara, sleeps in the desert under the starriest sky, awes at the extravagant Pasha's residence - all highlights of a bespoke trip of Morocco.
Click here to see detailed map
As the private tour of Morocco leaves Marrakech, the distant haze begins to resolve itself into a jagged mountain range - the High Atlas mountains, jutting abruptly from the plain. Our route follows the same one caravans used centuries ago, to bring into Marrakech slaves, gold and precious wood from the other side of the ocean of sand, the Sahara. [... in the sands of that country is gold, treasure inexpressible. They have much gold and merchants trade with salt for it, taking the salt on camels from the salt mines. They start from a town called Sijilmasa... and travel in the desert as it were upon the sea, having guides to pilot them by the stars or rocks in the desert. ] ( Tohfut-ul- Alaby by anonymous author, 12th century) Beautiful scenery and small villages built in tiers succeed among oak trees, walnut groves and snow patches as we brave the pass Tizi n Tichka pass at 2260 meters high. Scent of thyme fills the air. We then dwell into back roads, to shortly reach Telouet and former pasha's palace dominating the village, a fortified citadel that is both a microcosm of an empire and its demise. Pacha Glaoui 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 was managing the nearby salt mines. Leaving Telouet behind, our journey crosses spaghetti western backgrounds to then follow the canyon. The gardens by the river bed melt into colourful mosaic and decaying kasbahs stand witnesses of an age soon resolute. Late afternoon. Then it's the right time to visit UNESCO site of Ait Benhaddou, the postcard- like adobe citadel. A fat, red sun, only underlines the beige tones of the mud- and- straw mixture and through the covered passages and stone walls, the past filters itself into the present. You will be offered guidance 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... As we pass through Ouarzazate, we can stop and visit the famous film studios where recently scenes of Game of Thrones were shot. Soon after leaving Ouarzazate behind, the road climbs, twists and turns its way through dark orange calcified ridges, before breaking through the scarp at the pass of Tizi n'Tinififft and descend onto the lush palmgrove of Agdz. Right after the pass you catch a first glimpse of the valley and the oases, the green swath of palms snaking up into the haze bordered by the Kasbahs, adobe guardians rising as if from the earth where the green gives way to the desert. There is no road sign but somehow you become aware you have entered a different land, Le Grand Sud. Dinner and accommodation in a guest house inside the palm grove. Draa Valley , with its numerous oases, Biblical villages and kasbahs, used as overnight stops by the caravans until not too long ago is the beginning of the 'caravan highway' connecting for centuries Timbuktu, Gao and the kingdoms of Ghana and Mali to Barbary ( present day Morocco). [As a result of the conquest of the states of the Sudan, the Sultan of Morocco received so much gold dust that envious men were all troubled. So from then on Al- Mansour only paid his officials in pure metal and in dinars of proper weight. At the gate of his palace 1400 smiths were daily engaged in making pieces of gold. This super abundance of gold earned the sultan the surname Adh - Dhahabi ( the Golden).] ( Al Iffrani- 'History of Saadi dinasty in Morocco', 18th century). Have a guided tour of the palm grove after breakfast. Then, cross over the palm grove and visit the Black People village, descendants of the Harratin, the black slaves from across the Sahara. Stroll around the eerie kasbah of Tamnougalt to then follow the route along Biblical villages all the way to Zagora. More ancient than Zagora is Amezrou, nearby. The important Jewish community had left behind the silver jewelry craft and the adobe synagogue. Later on, in Tamegroute, visit the library which hosts a fine collection of Qorans printed on gazelle hide and 12th century old works on mathematics, medicine and history. What makes Tamegroute famous though, is the typical green glaze cast inside the local earth ovens. Roof tiles, jars, dishes and pottery produced here are traded in souks from Tangier all the way to Agadir. The last stretch of the day will take us from Zagora to M'hamid, where the tarmac ends. The first dunes, Erg Lihoudi, are only a 30 minutes drive away. For those that want to experience the true desert, the more remote dunes of Erg Chigaga await in the distance, a 2 hour off- road driving from Mhamid. As you approach the dunes, you will be met by our camel man and trade the 4x4 for camels to arrive at the desert camp by the time the sun dips onto the horizon. While the staff of the camp unloads your luggage and sets up your dinner, you climb onto the highest dune you can find. And lose yourself. There is nowhere else you would rather be. Have your dinner in front of your private tent, by the camp fire. At night, dazed by the millions of stars glittering above, the silence is so thick you feel you could cut a strip and wear it as a scarf, as you fall asleep. Should you have missed the sunrise… well, try not to. After toddling across sand dunes, our trip reaches the perfectly flat Lake Iriki, nowadays completely dry, casting the fata morgana mirage... Later on, we will have tea with a family of nomads and search for fossils. Then, we take on the hamada, the much dreaded stony desert, to finally reach Foum Zguid. Farewell Sahara, hello tarmac. Have lunch by the pool at a local lodge or a casual snack in the village. On the way to Taroudant, we pass through Tazenakht, a carpet weaving center and center of Berber carpets trade. Later on, we complete the loop and get back to the route we left behind after visiting Ait Benhaddou on the first day. We will then start our way back crossing the High Atlas. Few people know it but this road was first laid out by the French Foreign Legion back when Ouarzazate was no more than a French army outpost. The journey serpents its way through the abrupt valleys and mountain peaks and our custom Morocco tour arrives in Marrakech late in the evening. DETAILED ITINERARY
DAY 1: Marrakech - Telouet - Ait Benhaddou - Agdz.
DAY 2: Agdz - Zagora - Tamegroute - Erg Lihoudi /Erg Chigaga.
DAY 3: Erg Chigaga - Foum Zguid - Tazenakht - Ait Benhaddou - Marrakech or Erg Lihoudi - Zagora - Ouarzazate - Marrakech.
If you can add an extra day to the itinerary, you could thus avoid the long drive to Marrakech on the third day. If you can add two extra days ( 5 in total), our Caravans Dust tour continues on to Taroudant and the Atlantic coast before returning to Marrakech.