Archive for the ‘Morocco Vacations’ Category

Bead Your Way Through Morocco, Moroccan Jewelry & Trade Bead Treasure Hunting Tour, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Bead your Way Through Morocco is a Moroccan Jewelry & Trade Bead Treasure Hunting Tour created by Travel Exploration Morocco and hosted by Sarah Corbett, a Tribal Jewelry Expert. Travel Exploration Morocco is a Ouarzazate based Travel Agency and the first to offer this customized Moroccan Jewelry & Trade Bead Tour to Morocco with a Tribal Jewelry Expert.

Bead Your Way Through Morocco, Travel Exploration’s new quarterly Moroccan Jewelry & Bead Treasure Hunting Tour will launch it’s first Morocco travel itinerary on April 26th – May 9th, 2010. Bead Your Way Through Morocco will take Moroccan antique, trade bead enthusiasts and Moroccan jewelry collectors through a variety of Southern Moroccan cities, (Ait Ouzzine, Agdz, Tarodaunt, Tiznit) Saharan Desert Towns, (Zagora, M’hamid) the Seaside city of Essaouira and the Imperial city of Marrakech.

Berber- Moroccan-Headress

Travel Exploration Morocco has teamed up with Tribal Jewelry expert Sarah Corbett to offer an exciting and enthralling Moroccan Jewelry and Bead Treasure Hunting Tour to the Maghreb. This 14 Day/ 13 Night Moroccan Jewelry & Bead Tour will enable Moroccan jewelry and bead enthusiasts to explore Morocco’s hidden treasures with a focus on antique Moroccan silver and trade beads.

At the lead of Travel Exploration’s Bead Your Way Through Morocco Tour is Sarah Corbett, a Tribal Jewelry Expert who has focused her research, documentation and exploration on ethnic and tribal adornment from North Africa and the Sahara region for the past ten years. Corbett takes immense pride in sourcing and selecting antique tribal pieces for Museums and collectors worldwide. Corbett also makes some of these pieces (Moroccan Jewelry, Antique Silver Fibulas, Moroccan Hamsas, Trade Beads, Antique Beads) available to a wider audience through Vivid Trading.com.

Beaded-Berber-Bag-With-Antique-Amber-Silver-Amzrou-Zagora

Bead enthusiasts and jewelry collectors who attend the Bead Your Way Through Morocco Tour will be able to participate in a bead-making workshop in Morocco and have several viewings and purchasing opportunities of antique tribal beads and trade beads.

Moroccan-Trade-Bead

Bead enthusiasts and jewelry collectors who attend the Bead Your Way Through Morocco Tour will be shown a variety of renowned beads of antiquity such as Moroccan Amber, Moroccan Coral, Moroccan Copal, Moroccan Berber & Tuareg Silver and Venetian Beads (Trade Beads) at private viewings. These Moroccan jewelry treasures will be shown to guests by some of Morocco’s Tuareg and Berber traders who have their pulse on the most valued antique beads, trade beads and silver jewelry in Morocco alongside unique jewelry that passes through the North Africa region.

This 14 Day/ 13 Night Jewelry Treasure Hunting Tour to Morocco will also include a visit to the Bouthgrars’ Valley of Nomads, the Dades Valley region, a sunset camel trek to the M’hamid Sahara Desert Dunes, a visit to Amzrou, Zagora’s Jewish Mellah, known for it ancient silver making traditions and Taradount, often referred to as the mini- Marrakech whose orange ramparts surround its quiet people live tucked beneath the Souss Valley.

Silver-Mold-Berber-Moroccan-Cross-Amzrou

The trip will commence with a visit to Essaouira by the sea, where Moroccan Jewelry collectors and bead enthusiasts who have attended the tour can relax by the beach while still squeezing in one last viewing from a private Moroccan jewelry trader in the heart of old Mogador.

Travel Exploration Morocco’s Tour Host, Sarah Corbett actively participates in world bead studies, to record and preserve the knowledge of these amazing art forms, their creation and evolution. Recently Sarah has become involved in the translation of the works of Mr. Bert Flint the founder of the Tiskiwin Museum in Marrakech. As a result of Corbett’s connection, the Bead Your Way Through Morocco Tour will also include a one-hour private lecture at the Tiskiwin Museum with viewings of priceless pieces.

Moroccan-Perfume-Amulet

Bead Your Way Through Morocco is the perfect tour for Morocco travel adventurers who are also Moroccan jewelry and bead collectors who wish to see Morocco’s cultural and historical sites while treasure hunting in the Maghreb. Bead Your Way Through Morocco is definitely worth adding to your Morocco vacation or Morocco travel holiday plan.

Berber-Moroccan- Taguemout

DAY 1:  CASABALNCA – MARRAKECH

Flight Arrival at Casablanca’s International Airport.

►Have breakfast and then visit the Mosque of Hassan II. Casablanca is home to the Hassan II Mosque, designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau. It is situated on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic, which can be seen through a gigantic glass floor with room for 25,000 worshippers. Its minaret is the world’s tallest at 210 meters. It is an enormous architectural masterpiece and the second largest religious building in the world. On Fridays, the Mosque of Hassan II is open to non-Muslims. The Mosque of Hassan II’s promontory offers lovely views overlooking Casa in the residential Afna quarter.

►After visiting the Hassan II Mosque, take the road to Marrakech. Arrive in Marrakech in the afternoon, check into your Riad. Relax and unwind, then visit Djemma El Fna Square.

►Welcome dinner at Le Marrakech’s which is filled with beautiful, old Zellij tile and has a view of Djemma El Fna Square.

Spend the night at 4 Star Traditional Moroccan Riad in Marrakech.

Souks-Marrakech-Waterman

DAY 2:  –MARRAKECH (GUIDED HISTORICAL TOUR)

►Breakfast at your Riad. Begin your one-day Historical Tour of Marrakech.

►Your introduction to Marrakech will begin in the new city, we will navigate our way to French, Gueliz and head to the Majorelle Gardens, a magical and lush small garden estate designed by Jacque Majorelle and maintained by Yves Saint Laurent. The Majorelle Garden is filled with colorful walkways, ponds, cactus and plants as well as a beautiful shop with hand-made goods. On our return to your hotel, we will pass by the La Mammounia Hotel Garden (where Alfred Hitchcock wrote the famous film The Birds).

►Visit the 19th Century Bahia Palace originally built for Si Moussa, a former slave who became King Moulay Hassan’s chamberlain. The palace holds a courtyard and riads decorated with and the most beautiful carved stucco, Arabic architecture. Next visit the 16th Century Saadian Tombs and El Mansour mosque. Marrakech is a city of underground channels built by the architects from Cordoba, Spain to provide water for the town and Palmary.

►Next visit the old, Medina, the old quarter of the Marrakech. From here we will explore this historically charming area by foot. In Djemma el Fna, you will visit the famous 12th century Koutouba Mosque and its influential minaret.

►Your guide will lead you through the labyrinth streets and alleys of the Djemma. Enjoy aromatic smells, taste fresh squeezed orange juice and venture into the souks specializing in Berber carpets, silver jewelry, artisan workshops, handmade shoes and tanneries.  Enjoy a three- course lunch consisting of fresh salad, tajine and fruit at one of Marrakech most delectable restaurants.

►Next we will visit the Museum or Tiskiwin, a private museum dedicated to popular arts & crafts, styled as a beautiful Spanish-Moroccan house, next door to Dar Si Said palace, a smaller version of the Bahia. Visit the courtyard.

Tiskiwin Museum Lecture: You will have a first hand viewing of the Tiskiwin and listen to a one-hour lecture and exploration of its history, be shown its private bead and jewelry collection.

Jewelry & Treasures of Marrakech Viewing:
Late afternoon/ Evening viewing of Moroccan Jewelry pieces at your Riad by a local Tuareg Trader in Marrakech. Enjoy a private two- hour viewing of fabulous beads, jewels and local silver pieces available for purchase and historical discussion about the origin and meaning of these pieces.

► Dinner at Le Marrakechi or at your Riad.

Spend the night at 4 Star Traditional Moroccan Riad.

DAY 3:  MARRAKECH – TIZNIT (5 Hours Driving Time)

►Breakfast at your Riad in Marrakech, then take the road to Tiznit.

►Pass through Agadir and witness the Argan goats in trees nestling in to eat away at the Argan nuts which are typically used in making Argan Oil, Butter and Cosmetics.

►Stop in Agadir or in a small village for lunch, then continue the road to Tiznit. Tiznit is a town in the southern Moroccan economic region of Souss-Massa- Draa founded in 1881 by the Sultan Hassan I.  It has a population of approximately 50,000. Tiznit is well known for its silver jewelry, daggers and sabres.

►Arrive in Tiznit, check into your Riad and have dinner.

Spend the night at 4 Star Riad in Tiznit.

Asrou-N -Swoul Berber-Silver

DAY 4:  TIZNIT – TAROUDANT (MOROCCAN JEWELRY & SILVER TREASURE HUNTING)

►Rise, have breakfast at your Riad. Then spend half-day visiting the Jewelry Souk in the center of Tiznit and a a journey to Bab Lakhmis Ait M’hamid where you will have access to and study the variety of kinds of Southern Moroccan and Mauranitian beads and jewelry. You will also be able to make purchases there to add to your collection.

►Have lunch in Tiznit, and then take the road to Taradount.

►Arrive in Taroudant, check into your Riad.

Dinner and Spend the night in a 4 Star Riad in Taroudaunt.


DAY 5: TAROUDANT  (TRADE BEAD MAKING WORKSHOP)

►Rise, have breakfast at your Riad, and then begin your exploration of Taroudaunt.

Taroudant is a Moroccan city  located in the Souss Valley in the southern part of the country. It is situated eat from Agadir on the road to Ouarzazate and south from Marrakech. It has the feel of a small-fortified market town on some caravan route. It is also known for its local crafts like jewelry and carpets. Taroudant is often referred to as the “Grandmother of Marrakech” because it is a scaled down, slowed down town that resembles Marrakech with its surrounding ramparts. Unlike Marrakech, Taroudant contains almost the whole city within its walls.

►Visit the old medina for a two-hours, then take the road just outside Taroudant to a small workshop that produces traditional Berber beads and is the original place that makes jewelry for the Souks throughout Morocco. Spend half the day watching the actual production of beads.

View The Trade Bead-Making Process:
View the bead-making process detail at the workshop where you can create your own jewelry from the beads that you have seen produced that day – which will be yours to keep as a souvenir of your visit. There will be access to a wide selection of beads available.  

Bead Demonstration Of Rare Bead-making Traditions:
During your workshop you will have the opportunity to witness a demo of three different styles of bead making, two of which are “rare’.”  Trade Bead making enthusiasts will enjoy this demonstration, as it will enable them to view how old traditions are still be practiced, produced and carried on in Morocco. Some of these traditions include utilizing couscous and other original Moroccan traditions to create beads. This “rare” tradition will be seen and recorded for the first time during our visit.

►There will be an opportunity to also purchase beads and special silver and other Moroccan Jewelry during your Bead Making Workshop in Taroudant.

►Lunch in Taroudant.  After lunch there is the option to continue Moroccan Bead and Jewelry Treasure Hunting or return to your Riad to relax for the evening.

Dinner & Spend the night at a 4 Star Riad in Taroudant.

Talouine-Saffron

DAY 6: TAROUDAUNT – TALIOUINE – AGDZ  (GUIDED HISTORICAL TOUR)

Breakfast at your Riad. Then spend take the road to Agdz. En route to Agdz, you will stop at the Taliouine Saffron Cooperative. Taliouine is the traditional area of cultivation of saffron in Morocco and has been for hundreds of years.  The Taliouine Souktana cooperative is on the road to Taroudant, in the village of Taliouine, in the heart of Sirwa Mountains. The Taliouine Cooperative sells only truly biological saffron, cultivated according the traditional ways, with natural fertilizers. The mountains dry climate is ideal for such a culture.

After visiting the Taliouine Saffron Cooperative, continue the road to Agdz.

Arrive in Agdz and visit a local, traditional Moroccan small store that is famous for its antique beads such as amber, coral, copal and also offers up a fantastic array of antique silver Moroccan Jewelry.  After treasure hunting in Agdz, take the road by piste to Kasbah Tamnogault.

Dinner and Spend the night just outside Agdz at the famous Tamnougalt Kasbah.

DAY 7: AGDZ – KASBAH TAMNOGAULT – ZAGORA

►Breakfast at your Riad. Take the road to visit the village of Ait Ouzzine.

Aït Ouzzine is a Berber village inhabited by over 300 families who live in beautifully painted crenulated Kasbahs, with their own henna fields, water wells, livestock and gardens. This peaceful village is tucked away along an impressive desert route connecting the Draa Valley (Tansikht) and Rissani.

►Meet a local Berber family, partake in a cooking lesson of how to make traditional bread, couscous and a tajine.

►Then explore and tour the village by foot. Walk in the green fields and see how the traditional Berbers live with their gardens of herbs, livestock, and henna plants.

Lunch will be served to you in Aït Ouzzine by a traditional Berber family. The menu will include a traditional meal of fresh baked bread with spices and a chicken and vegetable tajine and fresh local fruits for desert.

►After lunch, you can have your hands and feet painted with henna or your hair adorned with saffron by a local village artist and relax.  Experience the tradition of Berber perfume made from musk and amber along with the villages own spices.

►End the afternoon in Ait Ouzzine with mint tea and almonds.  Take the road back to Ouarzazate.

Dinner and Spend the night at a 4 Star Riad located within a Palmary of old Zagora.

DAY 8:  ZAGORA – TAMAGROUTE – AMZROU – M’HAMID

►Breakfast at your Riad in the Zagora Sahara, then begin your visit of Zagora, a Saharan desert town in the southern Draa Valley. Zagora is favored by travelers for its desert dunes, palms, 45 varieties of dates and its Hollywood sunset mountain backdrops. Take the road by piste (windy road) to discover the land where caravans once transported sugar, tea, dates and other dry goods to Ouarzazate.

Explore the Tamegroute Pottery Cooperative:
Learn how the local, forest green, glazed pottery is made and fired using regional henna.  The holy village of Tamegroute’s claim to fame through out history is the beautiful pottery created that has a glaze made of henna and is sun dried.

►You will enjoy a workshop lead by Tamagroute pottery masterswhereby you will learn how the pottery unique to this region of Zagora is made.  You will learn the history as well as their local techniques. An English translator will be provided along with all necessary materials for you to make your own Tamagroute pottery. Everything you make you will be able to keep.

►Visit the ancient Zaouia site and the Koranic library. Tamegroute has a Koranic Library that once held 40,000 volumes and theological college dating from the 11th century. The library contains a collection of illuminated Korans, the oldest of which are written on gazelle skins.

Silver-smith-Amzrou

The Art of Silversmiths in Amzrou:
►Next, visit the village of Amzrou and it’s old Jewish Mellah. See how silversmiths work to make hand made silver fibulas and Southern Crosses.  Watch how molds are made from scratch, then how the Sahara’s sand is used to bind the molds for creating jewelry. The Jews who inhabited this village in the 1950’s taught the silver smiths in Amzrou their craft. Before the fled to Israel, they left a long history of craftsmanship along with the land to continue their silver making jewelry tradition. There will be an opportunity for bead buying, silver buying and also for purchasing of old artifacts.

►View the old Mellah’s Museum and artifacts for viewing and for purchase.  Amzrou and the old city boasts a private area filled with artifacts that are of Berber, Jewish and Arabic origin.

►After exploring Amzrou, take the road to the M’hamid Sahara. Sunset camel trek into the M’hamid Sahara Dunes.  Dinner at your luxury bivouac tent in the M’hamid Dunes. Spend the night in the M’hamid Sahara Desert.

DAY 9: M’HAMID – DRAA VALLEY – SKOURA

►Breakfast in the M’hamid Sahara Desert. Then take the road to Skoura.

►En route to Skoura, you will pass the magnificent Draa Valley, its Berber villages and the old routes where caravans once passed. The Draa Valley is surrounded with volcanic rock and breathtaking landscapes.

►Lunch and half-day visit of Skoura.

Skoura is a fertile oasis lined with immense palm groves that provide great views of the Atlas Mountains alongside
deserted landscapes. It is renowned for the cultivation of roses. The palm groves were laid out in the 12th century by the Almohad sultan Yacoub el-Mansour and named after its original inhabitants, the Berbers of the Haskourene tribe. The most beautiful Kasbahs in southern Morocco can be found here. Many of them are still partially inhabited.

►The most imposing of the Kasbahs in this area that you will tour is 17th Century Amerhidil Kasbah. This fortified residence once belonged to the most powerful family responsible for protecting the village and its lands called the Glaoui. Today it is owned by the Sheikh of Amerhidil.

►Touring the Kasbah is a most charming opportunity as its interior is now restored. The Amerhidil Kasbah is featured on a 50.00 note of Moroccan Dirhams and on an Orange Juice box branded, Marrakesh.

After your visit of Skoura, check into your guest house which is located at the peak of Skoura and boasts views of the majestic Skoura Palmary and its one-thousand Kasbahs. Relax by the pool. Dinner at your Guest House with cuisine made with the olive oil that is locally produced in Skoura.

Spend the night at a 4 Star Guest House in the Skoura Palmary.

DAY 10: OUARZAZATE (GUIDED HISTORICAL TOUR)

►Rise early, breakfast at your Riad and then take the road to visit the Ouarzazate region and its famous Kasbahs.

►“See Ouarzazate and die” are feelings often expressed by Moroccans with regards to this magical city that is the door to the Sahara Desert. Located just four hours from Marrakech, Ouarzazate is the main Berber city in the south known for its spectacular sunsets and dramatic mountain and desert scenery. Surrounded by breathtaking valleys, Ouarzazate was once crossing point for African traders seeking to reach northern cities in Morocco and Europe. During the French period, Ouarzazate expanded considerably as a garrison town and became the administrative centre of the Zagora region. Ouarzazate became famous when it’s nearby Kasbah; Ait Benhaddou appeared in the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia.

►Take the windy road by piste visit the Oasis of Fint passing the “Plateau de pierres“.  Journey on a one-hour walk inside the Oasis where you will have a cup of tea with the headmasters family Azziz Ouaziz and tour the surrounding area where date palm oases and dramatic desert scenery are king.

► Then take the road to Ait Benhaddou. Located 32 km from Ouarzazate lays the picturesque village. Aït Benhaddou of Aït Benhaddou is situated in Souss-Massa-Draa on a hill along the Ouarzazate River. Lawrence of Arabia was filmed here and Orson Welles used it as a location for Sodome and Gomorrah; and for Jesus of Nazareth the whole lower part of the village was rebuilt. In recent years more controlled restoration has been carried out under UNESCO auspices. Aït Benhaddou is one of many locations in this region used for shooting Hollywood films. Aït Benhaddou which once served as the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. Most of the town’s inhabitants now live in a more modern village at the other side of the river; ten families however still live within the ksar.

►Your guide will lead you on a private tour through this Berber village of towered and crenulated Kasbahs that once guarded the lucrative caravan route through the Atlas Mountains. Explore the Kasbahs by foot with the option to ride a donkey across a river. Aït Benhaddou which once served as the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. Most of the town’s inhabitants now live in a more modern village at the other side of the river; ten families however still live within the ksar.  Aït Benhaddou was once a significant stop for traders carrying gold, salt and slaves along the famous Southern Caravan route moving through the Sahara.

►Enjoy lunch at a Kasbah that overlooks Ait Benhaddou.

►Next, visit Kasbah Taouirirt. Kasbah Taorirt was built by the Glaoui. Its location was strategic for trading routes and in the 1930’s when the Glaoui ruled the South it was then one of Morocco’s largest Kasbahs. Explore Kasbah Taouirirt’s nooks and crannies and discover some local female painters who sell their art inside as well as the many quality silver shops just steps outside the Kasbah.

Dinner & Spend the night in a 4 Star Charming Riad in Ouarzazate.

Tea-With-Nomad-Family-Bouthgrar-Mount-Mgoun

Day 11: OUARZAZATE – BOUTHGRAR- VALLEY OF NOMADS – DADES VALLEY

►Breakfast at your Riad. Take the road to visit Bouthgrar, the Valley of Nomads and the Dades Valley.

►Begin your visit at the breathtaking Valley of Nomads. Located in Bouthgrar is the Valley of Nomads, a beautiful 10 kilometer valley where Nomads live in caves that are surrounded by Mount Mgoun. Mount Mgoun is the second highest mountain in Morocco and boasts extraordinary views. Have tea with a Nomad family.  See first hand where they make their own carpets and co exist in Bouthgrar with other Nomad families.

►Your journey will then take you through the Dades Valley, which covers 125 km between Ouarzazate and Boumalne du Dadès in the High Atlas Mountains.

►Once you reach Boumalne at first sight you notice the limestone cliffs with uniquely shaped erosions and superb scenery and the valley’s pise (windy roads). Driving along you will pass flower filled fields, fertile fields, riverbanks and several fortified ksours. At the bottom of Gorge of Boumalne Dadès there are ruined hilltop Kasbahs and valley floor gardens.

►Lunch will be served at a nearby guesthouse that offers local Moroccan fare and a panoramic view. Relax and sip mint tea while gazing at the impressive valley view.

►Take the road back to Ouarzazate. Explore Ouarzazate’s famous areas that offer countless places to purchase old beads and Moroccan Jewelry.

Dinner and Spend the Night at a 4 Start Charming Riad in Ouarzazate.

Majorelle-Gardens-Marrakech

DAY 12: OUARZAZATE – MARRAKECH

►Rise, have breakfast at your Riad and then take the road to visit the Ouarzazate region and its famous Kasbahs.

►During your journey to Marrakech you will also pass the olive groves of the Oued Zat, as you ascend onto the Tizi-N-Tichka Pass Road. Built by the French in the 1920’s, the Tizi-N-Tichka Pass can be described as having mountainous barriers, Mediterranean and oceanic influences and desert borders. Along the route you will see panoramic views of the High Atlas Mountains as well as sights of fertile valleys, blue and red colored pise villages and other striking mineral environments.

▶En route you will go by piste to visit Kasbah Telout, one of Morocco’s hidden jewels and a famous Kasbahs that is the origin of the Pacha Glaoui Family. Kasbah Telout is hidden among a tiny road in a small village that is 20 minutes outside Tichka. Its history stands alone with its original zellij tile, authentic, preserved silks and grand remnants of the Glaoui family. Unlike the other Kasbahs in Southern Morocco, Telout was occupied by the Glaoui’s instead of the slaves and has stunning views. This Kasbahs has yet to be coined a UNESCO World Heritage site and while it appears in parts to be in ruins on the exterior, its interior is one of true splendor.

►En route stop for lunch and visit the Argan Cooperative where Argan Oil, Butter and Cosmetics are made with the Argan nut by hand as Berber women crack the nuts and the grind them one by one. Have a complimentary tasting.  This cooperative is run entirely by women. Lunch in the village of Tadart.

►Arrive in Marrakech. Evening Free.

Spend the night in a 4 Star Riad in Marrakech.


DAY 13: MARRAKECH – ESSAOUIRA (GUIDED HISTORICAL TOUR)

▶Rise, breakfast at your Riad. Then take the road to visit the seaside port of Essaouira. The journey to this former Portuguese fishing village offers up only a few roadside towns and the occasional Berber village. In the ’60s and ’70sEssaouira was a pitstop on the hippie trek from Marrakesh. Jimi Hendrix made the pilgrimage, as did Bob Marley and Cat Stevens. Essaouira was the inspiration for Hendrix’s song “Castles Made of Sand.”

▶ Visit this sea-side medieval town that boasts lovely white-washed and blue-shuttered houses, colonnades, thuya wood workshops, art galleries and mouthwatering seafood. Once called Mogador by European sailors and traders, Essaouria is known for its annual Gnaoua Music Festival that attracts 300,000+ people in June. It also has an expansive beach for surfing called Plage de Safi.

▶ Take a stroll along the town’s sunlit pedestrian main square, Place Prince Moulay el Hassan and the Skala du Port, the fishing harbor, offer breathtaking views of the Portuguese ramparts. Explore the ramparts and the spice and jewelry souks of the medina. Your guide will take you to the old Jewish Mellah and explain the entire history of Essaouira.  The medina of Essaouira (formerly “Mogador“) is a UNESCO World Heritage listed city, as an example of a late-18th century fortified town.

Bead & Jewelry Hunting in Essaouira:
Take time out in Essaouira’s old medina to visit the jewelry shops that specialize in antique Venetian beads, Berber Silver, Amber and Copal.

▶ Have lunch at the fish-grill cafes, with wooden tables and benches laid out overlooking the sea that was once- in the 19th century- the only Moroccan Port south of Tangier. After lunch take a relaxing walk on the beach in Essaouira.

▶ After lunch visit Orson Welles’ Square and memorial, designed by Samir Mustapha, one of the town’s artists, which pays homage to Orson Welles filming of Othello in EssouariaEssaouira’s history is a reminder of the times when Spain, Portugal and England fought to maintain control over its coasts. It has a typical Portuguese harbor that is a stunning example of Moorish and Portuguese architecture.

▶Before departing from Essaouira, take a stroll along Essaouira’s beach for a relaxing seaside experience before your departure back to Marrakech.

Jewelry & Treasures of Marrakech Viewing:
Evening viewing of Moroccan Jewelry pieces at your Riad by a local Berber Trader in Marrakech. Enjoy a private two- hour viewing of fabulous beads, jewels and local silver pieces available for purchase and historical discussion about the origin and meaning of these pieces.

Spend the night in a 4 Star Riad in Marrakech.


DAY 14: MARRAKECH DEPARTURE

Departure from Marrakech’s Menara Airport.

For more information on Bead Making & Moroccan Jewelry or Customized Morocco Travel Vacations

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate.

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806  or 1 (917)703-2078  and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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Morocco 4×4 Tours, 4×4 Excursions to Morocco’s Sahara Desert and 4×4 Private Morocco Travel, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Morocco 4×4 Tours offer the best way to discover the Sahara Desert & Berber Villages in the Maghreb. When visiting a country like Morocco, your journey is best served when traveling by luxury accommodations to the Sahara Desert such as a 4×4 Toyota Land cruiser. A Morocco Travel journey to the Sahara Desert and Berber Villages offers the opportunity to discover old pistes (windy roads) that were once traveled through by the old caravans.

Morocco-4x4-Tour-Toyota-Landcruiser -Lake-El-Mansour

Covering the routes of the old caravans and rocky Sahara Desert pistes is best done in a 4×4 when touring Morocco. A Morocco 4×4 Tour allows you as a Moroccan traveler and your family to visit tiny Berber villages and hamlets that are located throughout the country’s Sahara and Atlas Mountain regions in relative ease and comfort.

Morocco-4x4-Tour-Road-Map-Piste-Lake-El-Mansour

When traveling in a 4×4 during your Morocco Tour, you will also be able to feel care free as a result of long distances that exists between cities such, as Marrakech and Ouarzazate, Ouarzazate and the Merzouga Sahara Desert, Ouarzaztae and the M’hamid Sahara Desert and Marrakech and the Tizi N’ Tichka pass. 4×4 Morocco Travel enables guests who take a private tour to Morocco to relax in comfort in between arriving at their local Morocco holiday destinations.

Tichka-Pass-Morocco-4x4-Tour

Morocco 4×4 Tours also offer a kind of unique adventure that cannot be found when traveling in large tour buses or small cars in Morocco. A 4×4 Morocco Tour feels more like a Morocco expedition then a standard Morocco vacation. Morocco 4×4 Tours are your key traveling through the Atlas Mountains, the Sahara Desert and Tizi N’ Tickha Mountains with the utmost ease. A 4×4 enables Moroccan travelers to see a wide range of stunning Moroccan scenery and the option to be free and stop to take photographs at leisure.

Morocco-4x4-Tour-Toyota-Landcruiser

4×4 Morocco Travel also allow for a customized Morocco Tour itinerary. When traveling throughout Morocco in a 4×4 there is an opportunity to explore a variety of different routes within the Sahara and Atlas Mountain regions then when traveling by bus or car. Some say, that to see the “Real Morocco,” a journey must be done in no less the 10 days in Morocco and the best way to accomplish this is on a private Morocco 4×4 Morocco Tour. Traveling in a 4×4 also offers the privacy to explore on your Morocco vacation without the nuisance of other travelers.

Morocco 4×4 Tours also offer 4×4 excursions to the cities of Marrakech and Ouarzazate. As a Morocco Travel Agency and Destination Management company based in Ouarzazate, Travel Exploration Morocco promises to deliver the best on road and off road experience during a 4×4 Morocco Tour. With our American-Moroccan partnership, Travel Exploration Morocco guarantees that our guests will discover the best of Morocco through our expertise of planning and placement in the best Riads in Marrakech, the best Riads in Fes, the best Riads in Ouarzazate and luxury bivouacs in the Sahara Desert.

Best-Riad-Fes-Travel-Exploration-Morocco

Travel Exploration Morocco also works with the top 4 and 5 Star Riads in Morocco that offer a palace-like unique atmosphere with spectacular Moroccan Food. In Southern Morocco Travel Exploration Morocco works with some of the best Riads and Guesthouses that offer the most majestic views and magnificent traditional Moroccan cuisine.

Best-Quality-Riads-In-Morocco

Travel Exploration Morocco is a proud member of ASTA– the American Association of Travel Agents. As a member of ASTA, Travel Exploration Morocco guarantees our guests trip through an ensured plan. ASTA- The American Association of Travel Agents offers Americans, Europeans and other foreigners the option to travel with ease, knowing that the Morocco Travel Agency and American- Moroccan Destination Management Company that travel agents collaborate with is officially approved by American Travel counterparts.

ASTA Logo

When planning a Morocco 4×4 Tour it is important to consider the wide variety of options that agencies offer. Some helpful tips that will make your Morocco 4×4 Tour….simply the best.

Hand-of-Fatima-Tips-Traveling-To-Morocco

Five Tips For The Best Morocco 4×4 Tour

  1. Make a list of what is most important to you during your Morocco 4×4 Tour and ask the Morocco Travel Agency to answer the questions you have in full detail.
  2. Ask a Morocco Travel Agency or Morocco Destination Management Company what they plan to provide you with during your 4×4 Morocco Tour that is different from others travel agencies which will enable you to have the best Morocco travel experience.
  3. Make sure that the Travel Agency you book a Morocco Tour with is either a member of ASTA- American Travel Association or a member of his/ her own country’s Travel Association. A true sign of this is for the Morocco Travel Agency to have the logo of the association they are a member of posted on their website and included in their brochures. You can also log on to ASTA- American Association of Travel Agents website and check if an agency is a member.
  4. Make sure that the Morocco Travel Agency you work with during a Morocco 4×4 Tour guarantees that they will spend more per guest and on your comfort through providing the best quality Riads or Hotels and food accommodations. Travel Exploration Morocco has a reputation of spending 20% more per guest to ensure safe, enjoyable and comfortable travel and accommodations. This is a must when traveling to the Maghreb.
  5. A good Morocco Travel Agency always asks you questions about yourself, lets you know that, as the guest who is traveling to Morocco, you come first and provides you with a complete organized list of what to bring for your travel experience.

For more information on Morocco 4×4 Tours

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate.

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806  or 1 (917)703-2078  and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

Morocco 4×4 Tours, Morocco Tours, Morocco Tours & Excursions, Morocco Tours & Excursions from Marrakech, Morocco Tours & Excursions from Ouarzazate, 4×4 Morocco 4×4 Excursions, Morocco Destination Management Company, Ouarzazate Travel Agency, American Association of Travel Agents, Private Morocco Tour, Customized Morocco Tour, Travel Exploration Morocco, 4×4 Toyota Land cruiser, 4×4 Morocco, Five tips for a Morocco 4×4 Tour, 4×4 Sahara Desert Tours, 4×4 Marrakech Tours, 4×4 Ouarzazate Tours, Morocco Travel, Tours to Morocco, Morocco Vacations, Morocco Holidays

Berber Tours To Morocco, Discover Berber Villages, Ancient Kasbahs, Camel Trek in the Sahara Desert, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Berber Tours to Morocco are authentic way to Discover a Berber Village, visit ancient kasbahs and camel trek in the Sahara Desert. Discover a Berber Village is a Southern Morocco Cultural Tour that is an EXCLUSIVE Travel Exploration Morocco. Discover a Berber Village is a historical journey where Moroccan travelers can have an up close and authentic experience in a Moroccan, Berber Village while visiting the Ouarzazate and Zagora regions of Morocco. When traveling to Morocco, a Morocco vacation is not complete without visiting Morocco’s indigenous people and discovering its Berber Villages. A Berber Tour to Morocco is the most important Moroccan voyage for those who are interested in Morocco’s history and old world traditions.

Berber-Family- Berber-Tours- Ait-Ouzzine

Visiting Morocco on a Berber Tour, offers Moroccan travelers the opportunity to spend the day and an over night stay with a Berber family in Ait Ouzzine, (translated from Berber as “the nice village”) near the small city of N’kob within the Zagora region. Ait Ouzzine is a Berber village that tucked beneath the Middle Atlas Mountains within the Draa Valley region. Visiting the Berber Village of Ait Ouzzine on a Berber Tour guarantees a unique Morocco Travel adventure. A visit to the Berber village, Ait Ouzzine includes partaking in a cooking lesson of how to make traditional bread and a Moroccan tajine, exploring the village’s Kasbahs by foot, strolling the green fields and seeing first hand, how the traditional Berbers live among their live stock and at peace within their natural surroundings.

Ait-Ouzzine-Village-Old-Kasbahs

During the Berber Tour in Ait Ouzzine, a traditional Berber family will serve lunch and host you as a Moroccan traveler with top quality and genteel service. The menu for your Berber Tour in a Berber village for lunch will include a traditional meal of Moroccan couscous, followed a Moroccan tajine and fresh local fruits for desert.

Ait-Ouzzine-Tajine-Berber-Tour

After lunch, part of the Berber Tour includes having your hands and feet adorned with henna by a local village artist and experiencing the tradition of Berber perfume. The Berber Tour does not end here. After experiencing the unique making and enjoyment of Berber perfume, Moroccan travelers will be able to spend the night with a Berber family in their traditional family Kasbah.

The Berbers are the original inhabitants of Morocco. It is said that the origin of the Berbers is Afro-Asiatic. The Berbers refer to themselves as Imazighen, meaning “free people.”  The Berber population in Morocco fled to the mountain regions when the Arabs invaded the Maghreb in the seventh century. The Berbers witnessed several invaders come and go such as the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines – while they remained secure in the mountains and the depths of the desert.

Henna-Hands-Ait-Ouzzine-Village-Berber-Tours

When the Arabs invaded in the seventh century, the Berbers quickly adopted Islam. Today, a majority of North Africans are of mixed Amazigh and Arab ancestry yet consider themselves Arabs. Of the minority that identifies as Amazigh, the largest group lives in Morocco, making up about a third of the country’s 32 million people.

Since the Arabs conquered Morocco, the Berbers in the Middle Atlas Mountains and other regions of Morocco have maintained ancient traditions and preserved a unique, semi-nomadic lifestyle that is authentic Moroccan. As converts to Islam, the Berbers kept their original cultural and religious traditions in tact while accepting those imposed by the Arab population. Today Berbers practice both their own cultural traditions and observe Islamic religious and cultural traditions as well.

Tea-Pouring- Ceremony-Berber-Village-Tour

As one of the most modern Muslim country’s in the world where Arabs, Jews and Christians have lived side by side in relative peace for centuries, Morocco boasts the largest Berber population who maintain their oral, agricultural and ancient traditions through the expression of Berber music, Berber culture, Berber food and Berber dance. The Timitar Festival in Agadir which is held annually in July is a celebration of both Berber Music &  other styles of Moroccan music. Another tradition that is recognized among the Berber population is the Imilchil Marriage Festival which is an authentic marriage ceremonial mousseum whereby Berber men gather to choose their brides. The Imilchil Marriage festival takes place in the Middle Atlas Mountain regions in September annually and is also referred to as the “September Marriage Festival.”  The Berbers also carry on this tradition of peace that Morocco upholds through their gracious hospitality, love and genuine kindness for each other as a community and foreigners, Moroccan travelers who visit them.

While Morocco’s population is approximately 85% Berber, the main language spoken and taught in schools is Arabic with the recent addition of French as a second language and in some cities English is offered as a third language. Since the reign of King Mohamed VI, who is often referred to as “the peoples King,” recognition and respect for Berber culture, their traditions and the Berber language has heightened significantly. Mohamed VI is seen as one of Morocco’s most progressive King’s who has modernized Morocco’s Imperial Cities and Morocco’s countryside. Mohamed VI of has lead the Kingdom of Morocco into further development on the world stage and is a modest King who is deeply loved and respected by the entire population of Morocco, as well as international leaders, world wide.

The Berbers are still considered a minority in Morocco however this is rapidly changing. The Berber language is now being taught in schools and there 2010 marked the launch of a Berber “Tamazight” television station dedicated to broadcasting in Tamazight, the language of the country’s Amazigh, or Berber, people.

Amazigh TV Logo

Officially launched the first week in January 2010 by Morocco’s state-owned TV and Radio Company, “Tamazight Channel is the latest effort to boost Amazigh culture and language by a government keen to avoid political clashes along ethno-linguistic lines,” claims The National. Tamazight Channel’s director, Mohamed Mamad, is adamant that his team “serves to consolidate the unity of the country”. While 30 percent of the Tamazight Channel’s programs will be in Arabic, the bulk of its 70 percent will air – with Arabic subtitles – in Tamazight.

Tamazight Channel Director Mohamed Mamad

There are three main Berber dialects spoken in Morocco: Tamazight- Middle Atlas Mountain region, Tarafit in Northern Morocco and Tashelhit in the Souss- Agadir Region. When traveling on a Berber Tour to the Ouarzazate and Zagora region it is best to use a Ouarzazate Travel Agency and make sure that your driver speaks fluent Berber which will enable you as a Moroccan traveler to have the best travel experience on your Berber Village Discovery Tour.

BERBER TOURS TO MOROCCO: 7 Day  Berber Village Tour

DAY 1:  OUARZAZATE

►Arrive in Ouarzazate, a French developed area that became a garrison town and is now the administrative centre of the Zagora region. Relax at your hotel and visit the souks. Enjoy dinner at the Berber Palace Hotel at their luxurious Moroccan Palace restaurant.

“See Ouarzazate and die” are feelings often expressed by Moroccans with regards to this magical city that is the door to the Sahara desert. Located just four hours from Marrakech, Ouarzazate is the main Berber city in the south known for its spectacular sunsets and dramatic mountain and desert scenery. Surrounded by breathtaking valley, Ouarzazate was once crossing point for African traders seeking to reach northern cities in Morocco and Europe.

DAY 2: OUARZAZATE – ATLAS FILM STUDIO –  AIT BENHADDOU – OASIS OF FINT

►Fill up on a savory breakfast of baguette, fresh fruit, jams and a café cassis (Moroccan cappuccino) at a local pâtisserie and then begin your one-day excursion to Atlas Film Studios, Aït Benhaddou and the Oasis of Fint.

►Start your morning by touring the Atlas Film Studios. David Lean filmed Lawrence of Arabia at The Atlas Film Studios in the early 1960’s. Since then many famous directors have followed in his footsteps to exploit the magnificent scenery. International blockbusters shot here in recent years include: the French version of Cleopatra, Bertolucci’s Sheltering Sky, Scorsese’s Kundun, Gillies MacKannon’s Hideous Kinky, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, Black Hawke Down, Oliver Stone’s Alexander The Great, Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven, and Penelope Cruz’s Sahara.

►After visiting the Atlas Film Studio, we will take the road by pise to the picturesque village of Aït Benhaddou located 32 km from Ouarzazate. Aït Benhaddou is situated in Souss-Massa-Draa on a hill along the Ouarzazate River. Lawrence of Arabia was filmed here and Orson Welles used it as a location for Sodome and Gomorrah; and for Jesus of Nazareth the whole lower part of the village was rebuilt. In recent years more controlled restoration has been carried out under UNESCO auspices. Aït Benhaddou is one of many locations in this region used for shooting Hollywood films.

►Your guide will lead you on a private tour through this Berber village of towered and crenulated kasbahs that once guarded the lucrative caravan route through the Atlas Mountains. Explore the kasbahs by foot with the option to ride a donkey across a river.

►Aït Benhaddou was once a significant stop for traders carrying gold, salt and slaves along the famous Southern Caravan route moving through the Sahara. Only six miles away, is the village of Tamdaght, dominated by the canyon walls of a Glaoui Kasbah. The Kasbah is famous and you will find its towers inhabited by storks. Walk outside the Kasbah’s lush terraced gardens and witness the same desert scenery that used in Gladiator and Alexander the Great.

►For lunch, relax on a terrace with clear views of Aït Benhaddouand enjoy a traditional Moroccan meal of mfouar (steamed wheat), Takila (a Berber tajine), couscous and fruit. After lunch, browse the village shops then climb back in the comfortable air-conditioned/heated 4×4 and head to the village of Tamadaght.

►After lunch, we will depart Aït Benhaddou and take the pise (windy road) towards the Oasis of Fint passing the “Plateau de pierres”. On this road you will find a shining Oasis of palms. Visit this Oasis of Fint that hovers under the Atlas Mountains. Journey on a one-hour walk inside the Oasis where you will have a cup of tea with the headmaster’s family Azziz Ouaziz and tour the surrounding area where date palm oases and dramatic desert scenery are king.

►After visiting the Oasis of Fint we will take the road to Kasbah Tifoultoute which stands majestically on the banks of Oued Tifoultoute. From a distance this old Kasbah is impressive with its castle-like architecture. In the 1960’s the Kasbah was converted into a hotel for the cast of Lawrence of Arabia. Tour the Kasbah and have lunch at its restaurant which is known for delicious mint and herb teas. See panoramic views from the rooftop.

DAY 3:  OUARZAZATE– SKOURA – EL KELLAT DES MGOUNA– BOULMANE DADES

►After breakfast at your hotel, we will depart Ouarzazate, taking the “Road of One Thousand Kasbahs” and passing by the large lake of Ouarzazate to drive to Skoura.

►Skoura is a fertile oasis lined with immense palm groves that provide great views of the Atlas Mountains alongside deserted landscapes. It is renowned for the cultivation of roses. The palm groves were laid out in the 12th century by the Almohad sultan Yacoub el-Mansour and named after its original inhabitants, the Berbers of the Haskourene tribe. The most beautiful Kasbahs in southern Morocco can be found here. Many of them are still partially inhabited.

►The small, sleepy town of Skoura has a big market Souk every Monday and a small group of administrative buildings. Most impressive in Skoura are the many Kasbahs that ripple through its dry rocky oasis. Skoura is referred to as the “Valley of OneThousand Kasbahs.” You will visit the 17th Century old Ben Morro Kasbah, which has been converted into a guesthouse and see the most imposing of the Kasbahs in this area, Amerhidil Kasbah. This fortified residence once belonged to the most powerful family responsible for protecting the village and its lands called the Glaoui. Today it is owned by the Sheikh of Amerhidil.

►We will visit the Kasbahs of Aït Abou, built in the 1800’s and the oldest Kasbah in the palm grove, is six stories and walls 25 m high. Its outside buildings have been turned into a garden filled with pomegranate,apple, pear, fig, quince and olive trees that provide the necessary shading for growing crops.

►Pass by Skoura, drive north heading towards the Amagoun Mountains and Berber villages standing among splendid landscapes and the Valley of Roses.

►Your driver will stop for you to view the Capp et Florale distillation factories laid out in El Kelaa Des Mgouna, a small Kasbah town that manufactures the entire nation’s products of eau de rose. The rose water and other products such as hand and body soaps, oil, crème perfume and dried flowers are for sale and also popular among Moroccans. The factories produce 3000-4000 petals a year. With ten tons of petals required to produce a few liters of precious oil, the harvest is understandably a labor of love and the culminating Festivities of the annual Rose Festival are all the livelier for it.

►Once in the Valley of Roses, you will immediately notice that the fresh mountain air in this part of southern Morocco has a hint of fresh roses which makes it a particular nice place to go for walks, short hikes and a long drive through the Hdida Valley to the plateau of Imi-n-Louh. Your driver will stop along the way so you can meet the friendly locals, many who are nomads and spend their winters in the nearby caves. There are many photo opportunities in this Dadès Valley town of ancient kasbahs.

►For lunch, we will relax on a petite terrace at Kasbah Itran, a local auberge that overlooks two large abandoned crenulated Jewish Kasbahs and a river.

►After lunch drive to the Boulmane Dades and spend the night in a local hotel amidst the gorge.

DAY 4: TODRA GORGE – N’KOB

►After a hearty Moroccan breakfast head for the adventure of a lifetime to experience the Todra Gorge in the High Atlas Mountains. The drive is scenic as with the new roads built, you will drive past the hotels at the mouth of the Gorge and up to the villages of Aït Hani, Tamtatouchte, and Imilchil. The Gorge extends from the village of Tamtatoucheto Tinerhir.

►The Todra, with cliffs rising dramatically up to 300m on each side of a narrow corridor, make up some of the most impressive cliffs and are by far, the highest in Morocco. The Todra Gorge is a spectacle with its gigantic rock walls changing color to create magical effects with the sunlight. In the morning, when the sun permeates through the bottom of the gorge, the rock changes from pink rose to deep ochre gradually throughout the rest of the day.

►A day at the Todra offers the option of extreme climbing or light hiking and sightseeing. A more strenuous hike would involve a three hour loop used by donkeys and mules heading north of the main gorge to Tizgui, home of palmeries and ancient kasbahs. For a lighter hike, try the Petit Gorge entering at the mouth of the gorge. The mouth is an enclosed section with overhanging cliffs and is the most dramatic scenery in the gorge. Climbing in the Todra Gorge is an unforgettable experience

►It is possible to have lunch inside the Todra Gorge or at one of the restaurants beneath the overhanging cliffs with a panoramic view. After lunch you can continue by road or hike by foot, or horseback to explore the surrounding area and its Berber villages. Sometimes you can find the Nomad women with children from the Atlas Mountains visiting the Gorge to carry water by donkey to their village. Your driver will give you the option to visit the picturesque village of Tamtattouchte, whose red toned earth houses are located at the other end of the gorge.

►End your day with a drive to the village of N’kob for an overnight stay at a beautiful Maison de Charme in a riad style, built with the materials of the Moroccan tradition such as taddelakt and zellig. Ksar Jenna has wide open spaces, 7 rooms with every comfort, with large bathrooms and large common spaces, plunged in an oasis of quiet, in the heart of a luxuriant garden, with lots of palm trees, bougainvilleas, rose bushes, jasmines.

DAY 5:   N’KOB– DISCOVER THE BERBER VILLAGE OF AIT OUZZINE

►Enjoy breakfast at your Riad and then walk to the village of Ait Ouzzine for a traditional Berber experience.

►Just 5 kilometers after N’kob is Aït Ouzzine (the nice village). Aït Ouzzine is a Berber village inhabited by over 300 families who live in beautifully painted crenulated kasbahs, with their own henna fields, water wells, livestock and gardens. This peaceful village is tucked away along an impressive desert route connecting the Draa Valley (Tansikht) and Rissani.

►Meet a local Berber family, partake in a cooking lesson of how to make traditional bread and a tajine. Then explore and tour the village by foot. Walk in the green fields and see how the traditional Berbers live with their gardens of herbs, live stock, and henna plants.

►Lunch will be served to you in Aït Ouzzine by a traditional Berber family. The menu will include a traditional meal of fresh baked bread with spices and a chicken and vegetable tajine and fresh local fruits for desert. After lunch, you can have your hands and feet painted with henna by a local village artist and relax. End the afternoon with mint tea and almonds. Then rest at your hotel before having a traditional dinner with the Berber family of couscous and sheep’s stomach that is grilled by fire. This is similar to an American barbecue. After dinner spend the night with a Berber, Moroccan family in their traditional Kasbah.

DAY 6:  N’KOB –  ZAGORA – OUARZAZATE

►Fill up on a savory breakfast of baguette, fresh fruit, jams and a café cassis (Moroccan cappuccino) at a local pâtisserie and then begin your excursion to Zagora. Zagora is a Saharan desert town in the southern Drâa Valley.

►Zagora is favored by travelers for its desert dunes, palms, 45 varieties of dates and its Hollywood sunset mountain backdrops. Take the road by pise (windy road) to discover the land where caravans once transported sugar, tea, dates and other dry goods to Ouarzazate.

►Walk the palmery and hamlet set amid lemon, almond and olive trees, and gardens of the village of Amazrou. Visit the former Mellah (Jewish quarter), where a mosque now stands. Amazrou is inhabited by Arabs, Haratines and Berbers who continue the Jewish tradition of silver making.

►Later enjoy a camel excursion across the Dunes of Tinfo and visit the old Kasbah Ait Lkaid in the village of Tamegroute. At the end of the main road you will find the famous road sign to Timbuktu that reads “52 jours” – 52 hours by camel.

►Enjoy lunch at a local kasbah hotel restaurant in the town of Zagora. The Dunes of Tinfo (as well as many other sand dunes in Morocco) are famous for their healing qualities for rheumatoid arthritis. Ask your guide to bury you in the sand from head to toe for this a 20 minute spa-like experience.

►Upon return to Ouarzazate we will take the road to visit Zagora’s unique, beautifully glazed forest green pottery at the local cooperative in the desert town of Tamagroute and pass by the Koranic library.

►Take the road back to Ouarzazate, check in at your hotel, have dinner and relax for the evening.

DAY 7:  OUARZAZATE

►Rise early for your departure to the airport in Ouarzazate. This ends your Berber Tour and Morocco Travel experience with Travel Exploration, a Ouarzazate Travel Agency.

Ait-Ouzzine-Berber-Tours-Henna-Hands

BERBER TOURS TO MOROCCO: A One Day Excursion to a Berber Village From Ouarzazate

►Enjoy breakfast at your Riad in Ouarzazate. Then take the road through the Draa Valley to Discover the Berber Village Ait Ouzzine. Arrive in Ait Ouzzine in early afternoon.

►Just 5 kilometers after N’kob is Aït Ouzzine (the nice village). Aït Ouzzine is a Berber village inhabited by over 300 families who live in beautifully painted crenulated kasbahs, with their own henna fields, water wells, livestock and gardens. This peaceful village is tucked away along an impressive desert route connecting the Draa Valley (Tansikht) and Rissani.

►Meet a local Berber family, partake in a cooking lesson of how to make traditional bread and a tajine. Then explore and tour the village by foot. Walk in the green fields and see how the traditional Berbers live with their gardens of herbs, live stock, and henna plants.

►Lunch will be served to you in Aït Ouzzine by a traditional Berber family. The menu will include a traditional meal of fresh baked bread with spices and a chicken and vegetable tajine and fresh local fruits for desert. After lunch, you can have your hands and feet painted with henna by a local village artist and relax. End the afternoon with mint tea and almonds. Then rest at your hotel before having a traditional dinner with the Berber family of couscous and sheep’s stomach that is grilled by fire. This is similar to an American barbecue. After dinner spend the night with a Berber, Moroccan family in their traditional Kasbah.

►After visiting a Berber Village on a one-day excursion, Berber Tour from Ouarzazate, take the road and return to Ouarzazate. En route to your return, stop to visit the Berber Village & Ait Benhaddou Kasbah. Explore Ait Benhaddou by foot and then have tea in a lovely auberge that overlooks Ait Benhaddou. End the day watching the sunset in Ait Benhaddou and then return to your Riad in Ouarzazate.

For more information on Berber Tours To Morocco

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate.

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806  or 1 (917)703-2078  and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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Fes Festival of Sacred World Sacred Music Trip, A Travel Exploration Morocco Tour, Your Morocco Travel & Tour Guide

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

The 16th Edition of the Fes Festival of World Sacred World Music will take place in Fes, Morocco from June 4th -12th, 2010. Travel Exploration Morocco offers a tour to the Fes Festival for 11 Days/ 10 Nights that includes the opportunity to visit the Best of Morocco while enjoying Music at the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music.

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music Morocco Tour Itinerary gives Moroccan Travelers the opportunity to discover Morocco’s Imperial Cities in a 4×4 on a Private Morocco Tour visiting Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes, Meknes and the Roman Ruins of Volubilis while basking their ears in International World Music alongside Traditional and Contemporary Moroccan music traditions.

Fes-Festival-Of-World-Sacred-Music-Sephardic-Concert

The Fès Festival of World Sacred Music is 9-day celebration held in June that takes place in the Imperial city of Fès. The Fès Festival has featured wide range of global musicians such as: Miriam Makeba, Ismael Lô, Mohamed Abdou, Tartit Women’s Ensemble, Ghada Shbéïr, Sabah Fakrih, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Jan Garbarek and The Hilliard Ensemble and the Whirling Dervishes of Konya, Turkey. Performers like Youssou N’Dour, Ravi Shakar and Salif Keita have been juxtaposed with less known musical genres such as Japanese Gagaku, Indonesian Gamelan and folk music from Central Asia.

The Fes Festival of Sacred World Music Tour Includes:
► Intimate afternoon concerts at the Dar Batha Museum and its surrounding Andalusian gardens.
► Art, film exhibitions and poetry readings at the Dar Bartha Museum and other locations in Fès.
►A one-day excursion to the Roman ruins of Volubilis for a musical performance.
► Evening concerts at the Bab Makina Palace courtyard.
►Sufi nights: Sufi music rituals concerts that begin at midnight performed in the Dar Tazi gardens.

JOIN A FES FESTIVAL OF SACRED WORLD MUSIC GROUP TOUR OR VISIT FES ON A PRIVATE MOROCCO TOUR

FES FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC – TOUR ITINERARY – 11 DAYS OF PURE AVENTURE

DAY 1:  CASABLANCA
►Start your morning off with coffee and baguettes at one of the cafès at Parc de La Ligue Arabe, a huge garden with avenues lined with tall palm trees, ficus, arcades, pergolas and flower beds. Visit Place Mohammed V and the Place des Nations Uniones, the main focal points of Ville Novelle,Casa’s new town.

►Visit the famous residential blocks: the Glaoui, the Bessonneau and the Asayag. The Boulevard links Place des Nationes with the railway station and is the gateway to the central market. Continue a short way to the Avenue des Forces Royal, a commercial area that leads into the old medina. See the squala, a fortified 18th century bastion.

►Enjoy lunch at one of the international restaurants by Casa’s port, the Corniche.

Casablanca-Hassan-II-Mosque

►After lunch visit the Mosque of Hassan II. Casablanca is home to the Hassan II Mosque, designed by the French architectMichel Pinseau. It is situated on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic, which can be seen through a gigantic glass floor with room for 25,000 worshippers.A further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque’s courtyard. Its minaret is the world’s tallest at 210 meters. On Fridays, the Mosque of Hassan II is open to non-Muslims.

►After touring the Mosque of Hassan II, head over to the New Town of Casablanca also designed by the French architect Henri Prost. The main streets of the New Town (Ville Nouvelle in French) radiate south and east from Place des Nations Unies, where the main market of Anfa had been. Their style is a combination of Hispano-Mauresque and Art Deco styles. End the day with a visit to The Parc de la Ligue Arabe (formally called Lyautey) which is the city’s largest public park. On its edge is situated the Cathedrale du Sacré Coeur, which is disused, but is a splendid example of Mauresque architecture.

►After touring Casa, take the road to Fès and arrive in the early evening and settle in at your hotel.

►Enjoy dinner at Le Maison Bleu, one of the most elegant Fassis restaurants with traditional music.

Moulay-Idriss

DAY 2:  FES – MOULAY IDRISS – VOLUBILIS
►After a traditional Moroccan breakfast travel on a two hour excursion outside of Fès to explore the breathtaking archaeological site of Volubilis (Walili). Once occupied by the Romans, Volubilis has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site and gained international acclaim when Martin Scorsese made it a feature location for his film, The Last Temptation of Christ. Begin your visit by discovering the fascinating Romanruins adorned with beautiful mosaics and colorful tiles depicting Roman mythology.

►The ruins are spread out across several acres and what remains visible is several fragments of wall, parts of massive columns, the capitol, the basilica and a triumphal arch. You can view how the Roman Empire transformed the original Carthaginian settlement into a typical Roman city complete with mansions, a town center, a triumphal arc and temples devoted to the Roman gods.

► Explore the sacred town filled with defensive walls, a monumental gate, koranic schools, fountains and a new dome for the mausoleum. While the Tomb of Moulay Idriss is closed to non-Muslims, from the terrace near the Mosque of Sidi Abdallah el Hajjam, you can see views of the town and the mausoleum.

►Enjoy light fare for lunch at the small café that sits just below the Volubilis ruins.

►Depart back to Fès where you will enjoy an evening Festival performance.

DAY 3: FES
►After a breakfast of Semolina break, fruit, coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice, your day will begin at the Merenid Tombs of Fès. Standing among olive trees and blue agaves, the 16th century elegant ruins of marble and epitaphs face a breathtaking view of the Fès. Visit the Musée des Armes.

►Next, enter the Fès el- Bali through the symmetrical horse shoe arches at Bab Boujeloud (The Blue Gate). Fès -el Bali, best characterized as a sea of rooftops embellished with minarets and domes, is too narrow for cars. Aside from walking, donkeys and mules are still the best way to travel within the cities old walls.

►Upon entering Rue Talaa Kebira, the main street in the medina, you will see lines of shops covered by canopies. Make your way to the Karaouiyine Mosque. Located in the Karaouiyine quarter, the Mosque is one of the oldest in the world and functioned as the first university in Morocco. After your visit, continue along the streets which will lead you to some of Fès’ most important buildings including Dar el- Magana, a 14th centurywater clock and Zaouia el Tijaniya, containing the tomb of Ahmed el Tijani. Next we will visit the UNESCO recognized site, Fondouk el- Najjarine.

►Lunch within the medina at one of the fine Moroccan palace-restaurants that serve mezas (small plates of food) common among Fassis tradition. Enjoy mezas of Choukchouka salad, Zaalouk salad, Carrots with Cumin Seed, raisin and orange salad, cold radish, orange, and fennel Salad. The mezas are traditionally followed by the main meal which will include the option of a: Lamb, Prune, and Date Tagine, a Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons or a Vegetable Tagine. For desert you will be served with fruit/ or local Moroccan pastries along with Mint Tea.

Fes-Metalsmith

Within the medina, we will the following historical sites:

Medersa Bou Inania: An (Islamic school) founded by Abu Inan Faris that is highly decorated from floor to ceiling. The medersa is one of the few religious places in Morocco that is accessible to non-Islamic tourists.

Kairaouine Mosque: Morocco’s second largest mosque was built by Fatima in 857. The Kairaouine Mosque became the home of the West’s first university and the world’s foremost center of learning at the beginning of the second millennium.

University of Al-Karaouine: Founded in 859, this university is one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the Muslim world and is considered the oldest continuously operating institution of higher learning in the world.

Medersa el Attarin: A (Koranic school) that was named for local spice merchants known as attar. Founded by Sultan Abou Saïd in the 14th century as a students’ dormitory, it is attached to the Kairaouine Mosque.

Zaouia Moulay Idriss II: A zaouia (shrine) dedicated to and the tomb of Moulay Idriss II, who ruled Morocco from 807 to 828 and founded the city of Fès for the second time in 810.

Dar Batha: A Hispano-Moorish palace dating from the end of the 19th century that houses admirable collections of traditional art from Fès.

DAY 4: FES – MEKNES
►After a breakfast begin your tour of Meknes at Bab Mansour. We will take the road from Fès to Meknès.

►We will stop and visit the Musée Dar Jamaï, a museum showing modern Moroccan arts, woodwork, ceramics, carpets, costumes, jewelry and metalwork. Next, we will stop by Bou Inania Medersa to explore the beautiful Koranic school established by the Merinids in the 14th century. Opposite of the Medersa, is the Grand Mosque.

►Browse Rue de Souks, a street filled with hardware merchants (akarir), corn chandlers (bezzazine) and metalsmiths (haddadin). Next we will stop at the En-Nejjarine Mosque, a 12th century Almohad built structure. View the zellij tilework of the Bab el-Berdaïne gateway.

►Among the most impressive elements of this imperial city is the grand gate named after the architect, El-Mansour, a Christian renegade who converted to Islam. It was completed 5 years after Moulay Ismail’s death, in 1732. The design of the gate plays with Almohad patterns. It has zellij mosaics of excellent quality. The marble columns were taken from the Roman ruins of Volubilis. The gate was finished after Moulay Ismail’s death and is now used as an arts and crafts gallery with an entrance by the side gate.

►Lunch in the heart of the medina at Zitouna, a charming restaurant serving traditional Moroccan cuisine.

► Explore Dar el-Kebira, a fortified quarter that is known as the imperial city. Visit the palaces and mosques located within the heart of Ksar Dar el-Kebira, the heart of the Imperial city. Dar el-Keibra features a suite of three rooms, twelve columns and a sanctuary hosting the tyrannical sultan, the tombs are reminiscent of the Saadian Tombs in Marrakesh. Next, drive to see Koubba el-Khayatine and Habs Qara, an imperial pavilion that once received diplomats who came to negotiate the ransom of Christian prisoners. Continue on to see Dar el Makhzen, the “Palace of Labyrinths” and then to Bassin de l’Aguedal, a water tank built to supply water to the palace and imperial city. Before returning to Fès, we will visit the well known Haras de Meknès, the largest national stud that can accommodate up to two-hundred and thirty one horses. Created in 1912, Haras de Meknès promotes the best breeds of horses to be used during a fantasia or competitive horse races.

►Evening Fès Fèstival performance.

DAY 5: EXPLORE FES VILLE NOUVELLE
►After breakfast drive to Ville Nouvelle, the new town dating from the French Protectorate that lies south of Fès el Bali. Originally the shopping center was designed to accommodate westerners living in Morocco, however, today it is considered to be a modern Moroccan city.

►Have lunch in one of the out door cafes in Ville Nouvelle then explore the shops in the new town.

►In the morning, visitors can participate in round table discussions covering topics related to the theme of the Fèstival. In the afternoon, evening, and late at night, there are concerts given by performers arriving from every angle of the globe. The musical spectrum heard includes early European classical, Sufi ritual songs and trance music, Arab-Andalusian rhythms, a Bulgarian orthodox choir, Hindustani chants,Celtic sacred music, Christian Gospel, Swedish chamber choir, Pakistani Qawwali incantations, Egyptian madhi odes, flamenco-style Christian saeta, ancient Indian gwalior chants and Turkish whirling dervishes.

►Traditionally, the Festival’s afternoon concerts take place by the Dar Batha Museum, which is set amidst a beautiful Andalusian garden and has a backdrop of the Atlas Mountains. During the evening concerts are held at the Bab Makina and Palace Boujeloud.  Every evening at midnight, there are free “Sufi Nights”. These highly popular Sufi ritual trance performances are held at the Dar Tazi Palacegardens where Sufi brotherhoods like the Hamadcha, the Aissaoua and The Master Musicians of Jajouka perform while you relax on Berber rugs and sip mint tea.

DAY 6: FES- MOULAY YACOUB
►After breakfast drive to the hot springs of Moulay Yacoub. The springs of Moulay Yacoub are known for their healing powers. Located in a small, Berber village at the foothills of the Rif mountains Moulay Yacoub is a relaxing Spa excursion.

►Return to Fès for afternoon concerts.  Dinner at your hotel. Festival events. Sufi Nights at Dar Tazi Palace

DAY 7: FES SEFROU – B’HALIL
►After breakfast, drive to the ancient Jewish city of Sefrou. This city predates Fès by one thousand years. Sefrou has played a large role as the last stop of Subsaharan caravans transporting goods for the European markets.

►Visit the shrine of Sidi Lahcen Al Yussi a well venerated Sufi master considered to be the custodian of this ancient outpost.  Other Rabbi’s Mausoleums and synagogues will also be part of this journey into antiquity.  On our way back to Fès we will stop to visit the ancient Christian village of B’halilknown for its fascinating troglodytes (cave) dwellings. Evening:  Festival events. Sufi Nights at Dar Tazi Palace.

DAY 8: FES
►Visit the Andalucian part of the Fès Medina to discover the history of the Moors who immigrated to Morocco from Spain in the 13th century.

►Afternoon concerts at Dar Batha.  Evening: Closing ceremony of Fès Festival.

DAY 9: FES KHENIFRA – MARRAKECH
►Depart Fès via Azrou and Khenifra across the Middle Atlas Mountains. Visit Berber villages, scenic views and local markets.

►Lunch in Khenifra. Dinner and accommodation in Marrakesh.

DAY 10:  BEST OF MARRAKECH GUIDED TOUR
►Depart from your hotel. Your introduction to Marrakesh will begin in the Medina, the old quarter of the Marrakesh. From here we will explore this historically charming area by foot. In Djemma el Fna, you will visit the famous 12th century Koutouba Mosque and its influential minaret.

►Explore the aromatic streets, taste the fresh squeeze orange juice and venture into the souks (shops) specializing in Berber carpets, silver jewelry, artisan workshops,handmade shoes, tanneries, etc.  Marrakesh is a city of underground channels built by the architects from Cordoba, Spain to provide water for the town and Palmery. We will drive to the Lower Medina to explore more of Marrakesh’s secrets: El Mansour mosque, the sixteenth century Saadian Tombs with its stark towers, the ruined 16th century El Badhi palace, and the Mellah and the Jewish quarter.

►Enjoy a three- course lunch at one of Marrakesh most delectable restaurants. After lunch we will head north of the Mellah to visit the 19th centuryBahia palace, originally built for Si Moussa, a former slave who became King Moulay Hassan’s chamberlain. The palace holds a courtyard and riads decorated with intricately carved stucco and Arabic architecture. Next we will visit the contemporary Moroccan Art Museum or Tiskiwin, a private museum dedicated to popular arts & crafts, a Spanish-Moroccan house, next door to Dar Si Said palace, a smaller version of the Bahia.

►Next we will visit the new city, French, Gueliz, the garden district, and then head to the Majorelle Gardens, a lush garden estate designed by Jacque Majorelle and maintained by Yves Saint Laurent. The Majorelle Garden is filled with colorful walkways, ponds, cactus and plants as well as a beautiful shop with hand-made goods. On our return to your hotel, we will pass by the La Mammounia Hotel Garden (where Alfred Hitchcock wrote the famous film The Birds)

DAY 11:  MARRAKECH CASABLANCA
►Early morning transfer to Casablanca Airport. This ends your Fes Festival of Sacred World Music & Morocco Travel Tour.

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FES FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC PROGRAM
2010
Fesi Festival of World Sacred Music Dates: June 4th -10th, 2010

June 4th
Bab Makina 20h30
Royal Ballet of Cambodia (Cambodia) The Legend of the Creation of the Khmer Kingdom

June 5th
Batha Museum 16h00
The Young Gotipuras Dancers (India) Ritual acrobatic dance from the temples of Orissa

Bab Makina 20h30
Ben Harper (USA) The roots of popular American music, from gospel to blues, from reggae to folk

June 6th
Batha Museum 16h00
hakila Saidi & the Rajab Suleiman Trio (Tanzania) The art of taraab in Swahili tradition

Bab Makina 20h30
Africa Spirit: The Sufi Ensemble Mtendeni Maulid (Zanzibar) and Les Maîtres Tambours (Burundi) Sufi ritual and sacred rhythm

June 7th
Batha Museum 16h00
Ahmed Essyad and the Accroche Note Ensemble (Morocco) Forbidden Voices: mystical poems of Hussain Mansour Al-Hallaj

A Night in the Medina 20h30
Various locations including the Batha Museum, Dar Tazi, Dar Mokri, Dar Adiyel and the Ben Danan Synagogue
Camille with Clément Ducol (France) God is Sound and Bach, Le Canon Perpétuel
The Constantinople Ensemble and Barbara Furtuna (Iran & France) Canti di a Terra
Ustad Gholam Hossain and his ensemble (Afghanistan) Sufi Chants and Robab Lute
Epi (Mongolia) Songs of the Steppe Nomads
Gülay Haçer Toruk (Turkey) Songs of Anatolia
Kiya and Ziya Tabassian (Iran) Sitar and Persian tombak
Musicians of the Nile (Egypt) Tanoura Sufi dance and song from Luxor

June 8th
Batha Museum 16h00
SamulNori Hanullim Ensemble (South Korea) Percussion and Sacred Dance of Korea

Bab Makina 20h30
Shahram Nazeri and the Rumi Ensemble (Iran) The Sufi poetry of Jalâl ud Dîn Rûmî

June 9th
Batha Museum 16h00
Parvathy Bâul (India) Mystical poetry of the Bauls of Bengal

Bab Makina 20h30
Jordi Savall  and the Hesperion XXI Ensemble (Spain) with guests from Morocco, Iraq, Greece, Israel, Galilee and Armenia Jerusalem, City of Heavenly Peace and Earthly Peace

June 10th
Batha Museum 10h00
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia (India) Morning ragas on a bansuri flute

Batha Museum 16h00
Bagdad-Jerusalem Ensemble (Israel & Iraq) Music of the Jewish tradition of Baghdad

Bab Makina 20h30
Sizero Tabla Experience (India & United Kingdom) Rhythmic India

June 11th
Batha Museum 16h00     
Dhafer Youssef and his Ensemble (Tunisia) Sufi Songs revisited

Bab Makina 20h30
Great Voices of Aleppo with Sabah Fakhri, Sheikh Habboush, Mustafa Hilal, Ahmad Azrak and Safwan Abid (Syria)

June 12th
Batha Museum 16h00
David Murray and the Gwo Ka Masters invite Archie Shepp (USA & Caribbean)

Bab Makina 20h30
Gospel Voices:
Part I: Sista Kee (USA)
Part II: The Blind Boys of Alabama (USA)

Fes-Festival-Forum

FES FESTIVAL ENCOUNTERS- FORUM
09h00 to 13h00 June 5th -9th at the Batha Museum in Fes

June 5th:  Journey to the Inside
June 6th: Journey into scripture
June 7th The pilgrimage
June 8th: Exile
June 9th:   The mythical journey

Plus: Discussions every evening from 18h00 to 20h00

Ben-Harper-l-Fes-Festival-2010-Artist

FES FESTIVAL IN THE CITY PROGRAM
June 5th -13th

– Concerts at 18h30 at Place Boujloud
– Concerts at 20h00 at Ait Skato
– Sufi Nights from 23h00 at Dar Tazi
– Educational activities for children and artistic workshops at 15h00 and at 18h00 at al Qods Complex and al Houria Complex
– Exhibitions at Batha Museum and at Dar Tazi

For more information about the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music or a Travel Exploration Morocco Group Tour

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate.

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806  or 1 (917)703-2078  and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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Morocco Travel Blog Nominated For Moroccan Blog Awards, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Morocco Travel Blog has been nominated for the Moroccan Blog Awards under the category of MOROCCO TRAVEL BLOGS – TRAVEL. To vote for the 2010 Moroccan Blog Awards click here http://moroccoblogs.com/ and cast your vote for “Morocco Travel Blog” under BEST OF MOROCCO BLOGS – TRAVEL.

Morocco-Travel-Blog -Nominated-Logo Jpeg

The Morocco Travel Blog was created in December 2008 by Alecia Cohen a Moroccan Travel Specialist and former magazine publisher of eighteen years.  Morocco Travel Blog’s goal is to offer A Sensual Journey to Morocco through stories and photographs. With so many new travel blogs on the frontier and blog software available to enhance blogs, what is still lacking are travel blogs that are written not only with passion, but those that include journalistic and photographic expertise on Morocco travel, the culture and its people. Traversing the country of Morocco can be done on a private 4×4 tour, bus or train however Westerners who want to explore Morocco with ease and comfort need to consider researching their best private tour options online through professional Morocco Travel Agency websites and Morocco Travel Blogs.

Morocco Travel Blog seeks not only to offer an authentic reading and visual online experience but to take its readership into another world where they can instantly become an arm chair traveler on a Moroccan Adventure to the Sahara, an exploration to Morocco’s Imperial Cities or journey into the lives of Nomads in Berber Villages within the Middle Atlas Mountains of Southern Morocco. Morocco Travel Blog is the perfect read for those who are interested and passionate about the Maghreb.

Morocco-Travel-Blog Screen-Shot

The Morocco Travel Blog shares with its audience entertaining and informative content about Morocco’s natural wonders, Morocco’s ancient monuments, kasbahs and art museums, Morocco’s Music Festivals (Fes Festival of Sacred World Music,  Gnaoua Festival and Sufi Festival), as well as the colorful souks of the Maghreb and positive social and artistic changes Morocco is undergoing as a country. Morocco Travel Blog offers fascinating articles and high end photography that  give YOU a true taste of Moroccan hospitality through lively, interesting and heartfelt stories about Morocco.

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Morocco Travel Blog welcomes visitors and subscribers of the blog to submit their own posts, comment on the visual elements and written stories plus learn more about the beauty of Morocco. Morocco Travel Blog’s sister company Travel Exploration Morocco is a Morocco Travel Agency that specializes in Morocco Tours, Morocco holidays, Morocco Travel Excursions and boutique trips that enable travelers to engage in an authentic experience with Morocco’s culture and people.

Morocco-Travel-Blog-Screen-Shot-2

To participate in posting content and stories at Morocco Travel Blog email our Director Alecia J. Cohen. If you are interested in a Morocco Tour, it would also be our pleasure to help you plan your next Morocco adventure.

For more information about planning your next Morocco Travel Adventure

To Cast Your Vote for Morocco Travel Blog

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate.

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806  or 1 (917)703-2078  and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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Travel Exploration Morocco Travel Excursions & Tours 2010, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Let 2010 be the year you choose to Travel to Morocco! Morocco is a cold country with a hot sun and offers a wide array of exciting travel opportunities. Travel Exploration Morocco’s Excursions and tour include the great Sahara Desert which stands alone offering a majestic beauty that is second to none. The Sahara Desert’s dunes make way for camel treks and 4×4 exploration. Foreigners from abroad come to Morocco to enjoy sunset camel treks to an Oasis where they can have an overnight stay in a traditional bivouac tent in the Sahara Desert, sleep under the stars and explore the Sahara’s unique flora and fauna. The Sahara Desert’s mélange of Berber, Arab (Sahrawi) and Tuareg people give it immense character.

Berber-Girl

Moroccan travelers who visit the Sahara can pay homage to its history by visiting Saharan Desert towns such as Merzouga, M’hamid, Rissani, Erfoud, the capital of Fossils, and Zagora. The Sahara Desert region continues to produce some of Morocco’s most original silver jewelry, amber and trade beads, handmade wooden items such as mirrors and boxes that have an overlay of animal skin or leather that are painted by the Tuareg people. Sahara artists also produce a stunning array of Berber and Tuareg silver crosses that are indigenous to the Sahara Desert Zagora region.

Beaded-Bag-Zagora

There is also a rich heritage of weaving traditions in Morocco. The Berber and Tuareg weaving techniques are unique to Southern Morocco and when visiting Morocco for a travel and exploration adventure, make sure to seek out local villages and carpet shops recommended by Travel Exploration in Southern Morocco. The Ouarzazate and Zagora region offer unlimited shopping opportunities for Berber carpets that can be purchased at a reasonable price; with a portion of the proceeds given to local Berber villages.

Berber-Carpet

Other Morocco Tours for the adventure traveler include trekking in the Atlas Mountains of Jbbel Toukbal or spending a week in Morocco to discover Morocco’s Imperial Cities such of Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, Fes, Meknes, the holy city of Moulay Idriss and the Ancient Roman Ruins of Volubilis.

When taking a Morocco Tour to the Imperial cities, it is important to explore Morocco’s old medinas’ (cities), Morocco’s historical monuments, palaces and mosques plus its lush gardens. La Mammounia Hotel & Garden, Le Koutoubia Mosque and Le Koutoubia Garden, the Majorelle Gardens and the Menara Gardens are just a few located in Marrakech that will enable travelers to Morocco to engage in the natural surroundings this unique, modern and moderate Muslim country offers.

High-Atlas-Toukabal-Trekking

When visiting Morocco for a travel and exploration opportunity, don’t miss out on the exploration of Moroccan cuisine for a taste of Morocco and Moroccan music festivals. Morocco’s red hamra city of Marrakech has paved the way for a new style of Moroccan cuisine. Marrakech boasts the hottest restaurants that serve up an mélange of French, Moroccan flavors alongside the trendiest International imported food chains that enable foreign travelers to Morocco and locals to eat sushi, pizza and hamburgers.

Morocco’s music festivals and local mousseums are another travel and exploration opportunity. There are over 50 annual mousseums and music festivals held annually in Morocco. Each mousseum and music festival has a different meaning, theme, and musical repertoire that make them an attractive option for a Morocco Tour.

Imilchil-Wedding Festival

For singles or independent travelers who wish to explore Morocco alone, Travel Exploration Morocco offers specialized tours lead by an English speaking driver and guide for reasonable prices. Travel Exploration Morocco also offers the option of customized, private Morocco group tours. Travel Exploration Morocco Travel guarantees you will discover the best of Morocco while having an up-close, authentic experience with Moroccan people.

TRAVEL EXPLORATION MOROCCO TOURS 2010

Tuareg-Man-Erg-Chegaga-M'hamid-DunesMOROCCO SAHARA TOURS & MOROCCO EXCURSIONS FROM MARRAKECH

M’hamid Sahara – A Morocco excursion from Marrakech that includes a sunset camel trek to the Erg Chegga M’hamid Dunes and visit of Zagora

Merzouga Sahara Desert – An excursion from Marrakech that includes a sunset camel trek over the Erg Chebbi Dunes and sleeping by an Oasis

Zagora Dunes of Tinfo – An excursion from Marrakech that includes visiting Tamagroute, Spiritual Zaouira, Koranic Library and Dunes of Tinfo

MOROCCO SAHARA TOURS & MOROCCO EXCURSIONS FROM OUARZAZATE

M’hamid Sahara – A Morocco excursion from Ouarzazate that includes a sunset camel trek to the Erg Chegga M’hamid Dunes and visit of Zagora

Merzouga Sahara  Desert – An excursion from Ouarzazate that includes a sunset camel trek over the Erg Chebbi Dunes and sleeping by an Oasis

Zagora Dunes of Tinfo – An excursion from Marrakech that includes visiting Tamagroute, Spiritual Zaouira, Koranic Library and Dunes of Tinfo

Skoura-Palmary

MOROCCO NATURE TOURS & MOROCCO EXCURSIONS FROM OUARZAZATE

Ait Benhaddou – UNESCO World Heritage Site

Oasis of Fint – An Oasis Just 20 Minutes from Ouarzazate

Mount Mgoun & Bouthgrar – Valley of Nomads

Dades Valley – Dades Pins and windy roads

Todra Gorge – A spectacle of immense colored rock

Skoura – A Palmary With One thousand Kasbahs

4x4-Tour-4x4-Landcruiser

4×4 TRAVEL & TOURS IN MOROCCO

MOROCCO ADVENTURE TOURS

Ancient Kasbahs & Waterfalls – Visit Ait Benhaddou, Kasbah Taouirirt, Kasbah Amerdihl, the Cascades D’Ouzoue, Oum er Rbia

High Atlas Trekking Jbel Toukbal – Journey to Imlil and Trek to Jbel Toukbal, Overnight in Berber villages, and Summit at sunrise

Magical Sahara Desert – Discover the Sahara Desert on a one-week journey that takes you to Southern Morocco’s Sahara towns and a camel trek

Berber Village Discovery – A week with the Berbers – Discover how the indigenous people of Morocco live in ancient Kasbahs in a community

Discover Ouarzazate – The best of Ouarzazate, this Morocco tour offers a true Southern Morocco trip of this region

Pottery-Zellij-Tour-Morocco

MOROCCO ART & CUISINE TOURS

Pottery & Zellij Design Tour – A journey into the world of Marrakech, Fes and Zaogra’s Pottery and Zellij tile making traditions

Cuisine Tours – The Hottest cuisine and Moroccan food from fresh market souk, straight to your plate. Learn how to cook Moroccan style

Gnawa-Gnaoua-Festival-Musicians

MOROCCO MUSIC TOURS

Fes Festival of Sacred Music Tour – The 16th Edition of this famous Sacred World Music Celebration and VIP passes plus front stage seats

The Gnaoua Festival of World Music Tour – Spend your holiday seaside, exploring Portuguese Ramparts in Essaouira and the Gnaoua Festival

Sufi Festival – An ancient tradition of Sufi Music celebrated in Fes, a UNESCO World Heritage site each year, trance-like music Sufi-style

Meknes-Fantasia-Mousseum

MOROCCO MOUSSEUMS

Aid Al Adha / A’d el-Khebir – Commemoration of Abrahams sacrifice
Imilchil Marriage Festival– A Marriage Festival held in the Atlas Mountains

Meknes Equestrian Mousseum – A traditional Fantasia Equestrian Horse Extravaganza
El Kella des Mgouna – Valley of Roses, A Rose festival celebrated each year where the Ms. Roses is chosen

Goulimine – A fair for camel traders

Sefrou – A Festival of the cherry harvest
Setti Fatma – The most popular moussem held in the Ourika valley

Moulay Idriss Zerhoun – Moussem of Moulay Idriss, the patron saint of Fes The Date Festival – Held in Erfoudz

Ramadan – Month of fasting where Muslims honor the holy holiday with special foods eaten in the evening and meals after sunset only

Eid al Fitr – End of Ramadan, a celebration of “meat” and the confidence and honor that Ramadan has been fulfilled

For more information about a Travel Exploration Morocco Travel Excursion or Tour for 2010

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate.

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806  or 1 (917)703-2078  and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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Fes Festival of World Sacred Music Program, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Monday, January 25th, 2010

The 16th Edition of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music will take place in Fes, Morocco from June 4th -12th, 2010. The Fes Festival’s theme for 2010 is “Journey of Initiation: from mystery to revelation.

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music is 9-day celebration held in mid-summer (June 2010) that takes place in the imperial city of Fes. The festival was founded in 1994 by the Moroccan scholar and philanthropist Faouzi Skali and was created to showcase major musical traditions of sacred, spiritual music and world music. The current Artistic Director is Cherif Khaznadar, a pioneer of world music and one of the most influential Artistic Directors on the scene. Each year the festival celebrates artists from Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu and other faiths to perform together in a spirit of mutual respect and collaboration.

Bab-Makina-Fes-Festival-Of-Sacred-Music-Whirling- Dervishes

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music is comprised of:

A four-day Forum called Rencontres de Fes under the rubric “Giving Soul to Globalisation” where politicians, social activists, academics and religious leaders come together in dialogue to discuss the urgent issues of our times. These include conflict resolution, climate change, urban renewal, social justice and much more. Intimate afternoon concerts are held at the Dar Batha Museum and its surrounding Andalusian gardens. Art and film exhibitions, poetry readings at the Dar Bartha Museum and other locations within Fes.

Fes-Festival-World-Sacred-Music-Batha-Museum-Afternoon-Concert

Sufi nights: Sufi music rituals concerts that begin at midnight performed by Moroccan Sufi brotherhoods in the Dar Tazi gardens, in the heart of the Fes medina. Sufi brotherhoods (tarikas) are common in Morocco, and music is an integral part of their spiritual tradition, in contrast to most other forms of Islam, which do not use music. Sufi music is an attempt at reaching a trance-state which inspires mystical ecstasy. The brothers hold hands in a circle and chant or dance. Marrakesh and other regions of Morocco are home to the Gnaoua Brotherhood, which claims descent from the Ethiopian muezzin Sidi Bilal. Gnaoua ceremonies (deiceba) are used to protect against mental illness, scorpion stings and malicious spirits. Deiceba may be related to Sub-Saharan African ceremonies and use a long-necked lute of African origin called the guembri, as well as castanets called garagab.

Fes-Festival-Of-World-Sacred-Music-Sufi-Nights-Celebration

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music has featured wide range of global musicians such as Miriam Makeba, Ismael Lô, Mohamed Abdou, Tartit Women’s Ensemble, Ghada Shbéïr, , Sabah Fakrih, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Jan Garbarek and The Hilliard Ensemble and the Whirling Dervishes of Konya in the dance of Odissi Madhvi Mudgal.  Performers like Youssou N’Dour, Ravi Shakar and Salif Keita have been juxtaposed with less known musical genres such as Japanese Gagaku, Indonesian Gamelan and folk music from Central Asia.

Fes-Festival-Sufi- Festival

FES FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC PROGRAM
2010
June 4th -10th, 2010

June 4th
Bab Makina 20h30
Royal Ballet of Cambodia (Cambodia) The Legend of the Creation of the Khmer Kingdom

June 5th
Batha Museum 16h00
The Young Gotipuras Dancers (India) Ritual acrobatic dance from the temples of Orissa

Bab Makina 20h30
Ben Harper (USA) The roots of popular American music, from gospel to blues, from reggae to folk

June 6th
Batha Museum 16h00
Shakila Saidi & the Rajab Suleiman Trio (Tanzania) The art of taraab in Swahili tradition

Bab Makina 20h30
Africa Spirit: The Sufi Ensemble Mtendeni Maulid (Zanzibar) and Les Maîtres Tambours (Burundi) Sufi ritual and sacred rhythm

June 7th
Batha Museum 16h00
Ahmed Essyad and the Accroche Note Ensemble (Morocco) Forbidden Voices: mystical poems of Hussain Mansour Al-Hallaj

A Night in the Medina 20h30
Various locations including the Batha Museum, Dar Tazi, Dar Mokri, Dar Adiyel and the Ben Danan Synagogue
Camille with Clément Ducol (France) God is Sound and Bach, Le Canon Perpétuel
The Constantinople Ensemble and Barbara Furtuna (Iran & France) Canti di a Terra
Ustad Gholam Hossain and his ensemble (Afghanistan) Sufi Chants and Robab Lute
Epi (Mongolia) Songs of the Steppe Nomads
Gülay Haçer Toruk (Turkey) Songs of Anatolia
Kiya and Ziya Tabassian (Iran) Sitar and Persian tombak
Musicians of the Nile (Egypt) Tanoura Sufi dance and song from Luxor

June 8th
Batha Museum 16h00
SamulNori Hanullim Ensemble (South Korea) Percussion and Sacred Dance of Korea

Bab Makina 20h30
Shahram Nazeri and the Rumi Ensemble (Iran) The Sufi poetry of Jalâl ud Dîn Rûmî

June 9th
Batha Museum 16h00
Parvathy Bâul (India) Mystical poetry of the Bauls of Bengal

Bab Makina 20h30
Jordi Savall  and the Hesperion XXI Ensemble (Spain) with guests from Morocco, Iraq, Greece, Israel, Galilee and Armenia Jerusalem, City of Heavenly Peace and Earthly Peace

June 10th
Batha Museum 10h00
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia (India) Morning ragas on a bansuri flute

Batha Museum 16h00
Bagdad-Jerusalem Ensemble (Israel & Iraq) Music of the Jewish tradition of Baghdad

Bab Makina 20h30
Sizero Tabla Experience (India & United Kingdom) Rhythmic India

June 11th
Batha Museum 16h00     
Dhafer Youssef and his Ensemble (Tunisia) Sufi Songs revisited

Bab Makina 20h30
Great Voices of Aleppo with Sabah Fakhri, Sheikh Habboush, Mustafa Hilal, Ahmad Azrak and Safwan Abid (Syria)

June 12th
Batha Museum 16h00
David Murray and the Gwo Ka Masters invite Archie Shepp (USA & Caribbean)

Bab Makina 20h30
Gospel Voices:
Part I: Sista Kee (USA)
Part II: The Blind Boys of Alabama (USA)

FES FESTIVAL ENCOUNTERS
09h00 to 13h00 June 5th -9th at the Batha Museum in Fes

June 5th: Journey to the Inside
June 6th:         Journey into scripture
June 7th The pilgrimage
June 8th:         Exile
June 9th:         The mythical journey

Plus: Discussions every evening from 18h00 to 20h00

FES FESTIVAL IN THE CITY PROGRAM
June 5th -13th

– Concerts at 18h30 at Place Boujloud
– Concerts at 20h00 at Ait Skato
– Sufi Nights from 23h00 at Dar Tazi

– Educational activities for children and artistic workshops at 15h00 and at 18h00 at al Qods Complex and al Houria Complex

– Exhibitions at Batha Museum and at Dar Tazi

For more information on attending the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music on a Travel Exploration Morocco Group Tour

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate.

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806  or 1 (917)703-2078  and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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Zagora 4×4 Sahara Desert Tour Of Amezrou & Ancient Jewish Mellah, Your M’hamid Morocco Travel Guide

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

A Zagora 4×4 Sahara Desert Tour of Amezrou Silversmiths and the Ancient Jewish Mellah offers a unique flavor of the Sahara. Places to visit include the Dunes of Tinfo, the Amezrou Silver makers workshops, the Tamagroute Pottery Cooperative, the old Spiritual Zaouia site, the Koranic Library and an adventure into the M’hamid Dunes of Sahara Desert.

Zagora is a town that is nestled within the Draa Valley river in Souss-Massa-Draâ, southeastern Morocco. Zagora is surrounded by the mountain Zagora and is how this Saharan town got its name. Zagora was originally called ‘Tazagourt’ the singular of plural ‘Tizigirt’, Berber for ‘twin peaks’, referring to the form of the mountain. In old European maps the mountain Zagora is can be found however the town itself was only built in the 20th century.

M'hamid-Sahara-Desert-Dunes

On the top of the Zagora Mountain the remains of an Almoravid fortress can still be seen. A famous sign in Zagora is located at the town Border States “Tomboctu 52 jours”, the estimated time it takes to get to Timbuktu, Mali by camel. One of the most interesting and artistic places to visit in Zagora’s Sahara Desert is the Amezrou Silversmiths workshop located footsteps inside the old Jewish Mellah. The Silversmiths workshop offers a look back in time at how traditional Moroccan silversmiths and blacksmiths worked with silver by hand from the stage of creating a mold from scratch, melting silver, pouring the silver into the mold, with the final outcome being a creation of what is referred to as a Southern Crosses.

The Southern Cross in Morocco and North Africa is made by both Berber and Tuareg Tribes. The Berbers refer to the cross as a Southern cross and also sometimes a fibula, which differs from an actual cross. The Tuareg refer to their crosses as either a Tuareg Cross or “Cross of Agdez.”  Berber and Tuareg parents are known to give these exquisite crosses and silver beaded necklaces to their children when they are about to depart from home but they are worn by all as a form of good luck and protection. These well crafted crosses are 50% silver and 50% nickel.

Amezrou-Zagora Silver-Mold

The Silver-making Workshop in Amezrou is the perfect place to discover silversmiths and blacksmiths working by hand and side  by side creating silver jewelry and other precious items. The silversmiths and the blacksmiths, trained by the old Jewish population, are still using the models left by them to make fibula (pins to hold garments together) and medallions. The overall process of silver making is one that can be observed on a tour to the Zagora and M’hamid Sahara Desert during an M’hamid Morocco Travel vacation. In Amezrou a demonstration of how silversmiths and blacksmiths work is available along with a workshop where artists and guests can participate in the process and keep what they make.

Amezrou, located just footsteps outside the 17th Century Jewish Mellah and home to the old Jewish Kasbah boasts a petite museum that is attached to its silver making facilities. Silver jewelry is still produced there and workshops are available through Travel Exploration Morocco. Jewish people lived in this old Jewish Mellah for many centuries and controlled the silver trade. However they moved en masse to Israel in 1948, leaving about 7,000 Berbers to carry on the tradition. Today, Draouis are the sole occupants. The Old Jewish Mellah in Amzerou has narrow streets and covered areas that accentuate the high walls. The west door was once used by the Jews and the east by the Muslims. Amezrou has an old synagogue, which is in better shape than others in the Draa Valley.

Amezrou-Zagora Silver-DesignerSilversmith demonstration of Southern Moroccan Cross in Amezrou, Zagora

Amezrou-Zagora Silver-Worker-HandmadeSilversmith demonstration at Jewelry Workshop in Amezrou, Zagora

Zagora-Sahara-Amzerou-Silver-Cross Silver crosses at Jewelry Workshop in Amezrou, Zagora

The old museum in Amezrou, Zagora has precious finds, some that are just for viewing and others that are for sale. On a recent tour Travel Exploration Morocco uncovered an old Jewish Menorah along with a fabulously decorated old Passover Seder plate. These antique Jewish items are treasures mong the ancient Jewish population which has mostly disappeared in the Moroccan Sahara.

The Jewish menorah is a nine-branched candelabrum that is lit during the eight-day celebration of the Jewish Holiday called Hanukkah. The ninth holder, called the shamash (“helper or servant”), is for a candle used to light all other candles. The menorah is among the most widely produced articles of Jewish ceremonial art and also a traditional symbol of Judaism. The Passover Seder Plate is a special plate containing symbolic foods used by Jews during the Passover Seder. Each of the six items arranged on the plate has special significance to the retelling of the story of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt;which is the focus of the Passover ritual meal. Visiting Zagora and the M’hamid Sahara Desert takes you off the beaten path. These Sahara Desert excursions are for those who are looking for a unique Moroccan adventure or die-hard authentic Sahara Desert Experience.

Amezrou-Zagora -Jewish-Mellah-MenorahAntique Jewish Menorah in Amzerou, Zagora

Jewish-Seder-Plate-Amezrou-Zagora-Old-Jewish-MellahAntique Jewish Menorah in Amzerou, Zagora

ZAGORA & M’HAMID MOROCCO TRAVEL ADVENTURE ITINERARY
This Morocco Sahara adventure will take you off the beaten path, visiting Zagora, Amezrou Silver makers and the M’hamid Sahara Desert of Erg Lihoudi, south of Zagora. It is for the die-hard Sahara Adventurers and is a great way to visit Southern Morocco’s Sahara from Marrakech and Ouarzazate.

M'hamid-Sahara-Camel-Trek

DAY 1: MARRAKECH – ZAGORA
►Pick-up from your Riad or Moroccan Hotel in Marrakech. Then take the Tizin’ Tichka pass through the High Atlas Mountains.

►Stop for lunch, in the village of Tadart and then witness women making Argan Oil, butter and cosmetics from the Argan Nut. Continue the road to Zagora. Spend the night in a beautiful Riad that is set within a palmary in Zagora.

DAY 2: ZAGORA – TAMAGROUTE- AMEZROU- M’HAMID- ERGLIHOUDI SAHARA DESERT DUNES
►Visit the town of Zagora, the Tamagroute Pottery Cooperative, the ancient Zaouia site and the Amezrou Silver makers Workshop in the old Jewish Mellah. Visit the old Jewish Synagogue in Amezrou and the ancient alleys. Then take the road to the M’hamid Sahara. This part of the Sahara Desert is vastly different then the Sahara Desert’s Erg Chebbi Dunes in Merzouga.

►The M’hamid Sahara Desert claims a more rocky and desolate landscape with mile wide dunes and very quiet. Visit the Erg Lihoudi after having your head fully wrapped with a dark blue turban by your camel guide. Take a camel trek at sunset across the M’hamid Dunes. Have dinner in the M’hamid Sahara Desert at your bivouac tent. Then, watch the blue men of the Sahara Desert bake fresh bread and prepare a meat and vegetable tajine.

►Spend the night in the M’hamid Sahara Dunes under the stars.

DAY 3: M’HAMID – AIT OUZZINE- SKOURA- OUARZAZATE – AIT BENHADDOU
►Breakfast in M’hamid at sunrise and then explore by piste in 4×4 across the M’hamid Sahara Dunes.

►Continue the road to the Draa Valley, stopping for lunch with a Berber, Moroccan family in the village of Ait Ouzzine. Have couscous and grilled meat in Ait Ouzzine and enjoy discovering the Moroccan village’s green fields. Have your hands and feet painted with henna and then take the road to discover Skoura, the valley of one thousand Kasbahs.

►Discover Skouras’s Valley of one-thousand Kasbahs and then arrive at sunset at in Ouarzazate, visiting the ancient Kasbah and UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Benhaddou. Ait Benhaddou is located 32 km from Ouarzazate lies the picturesque village. Aït Benhaddou of Aït Benhaddou is situated in Souss-Massa- Draa on a hill along the Ouarzazate River. Lawrence of Arabia was filmed here and Orson Welles used it as a location for Sodome and Gomorrah; and for Jesus of Nazareth the whole lower part of the village was rebuilt. In recent years more controlled restoration has been carried out under UNESCO auspices. Aït Benhaddou is one of many locations in this region used for shooting Hollywood films.

►Dinner in Ait Benhaddou and then continue the road and spend the night in either Ait Benhaddou or Ouarzazate at a traditional Moroccan Riad.

DAY 4: OUARZAZATE – MARRAKESH
► Breakfast at your Riad and then take the road to visit the Oasis of Fint. Have tea with Aziz at the headmaster’s house in this quaint, beautiful Moroccan Oasis.

►Next visit Kasbahs Telouet and en route to your return to Marrakesh, driving through the High Atlas Mountains.

For a complete more information a M’hmid or Zagora 4×4 Tour

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate.

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806  or 1 (917)703-2078  and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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A Nomads Destiny, Traveling In Bouthgrar Mount Mgoun Moroccos Valley of Nomads, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

The weather is very cold, almost frigid at times and the sun shines back lit against Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, which are covered by snow. Each peak tells a different story of a Nomad family who once climbed across it, stretching their journey from top to bottom, baking bread by fire, making tea at sunrise and sleeping under the stars in a bivouac, wool tent. These stories are forever, unchanged for centuries as is the way of life lived by the Nomads in Bouthgrar. They share their culture with guests who visit and those of us who live nearby, quietly inviting all into their caves, graciously serving up mint tea in their spotless shining glasses; made in china…. as we, westerners look across the vast landscape and wonder how and why.

Tichka-Pass-Ouarzazate-Marrakech 3

How and why would you be a Nomad? What is your destiny? Why do you stay? Do you know what exists outside your great, vast cool land? Does the hot sun and the cold country wear you down and what lies behind your shy gaze?

Nomad-Boy-in-Bouthgrar-Valley of Nomads

As I drove through the Tickha Pass a couple days ago, returning home to Ouarzazate from Marrakech, these thoughts kept fleeting across my mind. Having spent several days this past month in the Valley of Nomads, Bouthgrar, and with our Nomad friends Mohamed and family, it was their faces that continued to reappear in the morning light, alike miniatures in a dream. This holiday season Travel Exploration Morocco had the good fortune of hosting tours to Americans, Europeans and Swiss guests. While we could not participate on every tour, I at least had the good luck of meeting them all.

Alecia in Tickha Pass

Each guest and family had a different story about his or her adventure in the Sahara and in Mount Mgoun, with the first statement beginning with, “I never knew this part of Morocco existed nor did I realize that it was so beautiful.” They all made a point of telling me personally how moved they were to have visited our family for lunch in Ait Ouzzine (N’kob) village, receiving henna painted on their hands, to have driven across the pistes in the Sahara, trekked on a camel, traveled the Dades Valley pins, witnessed one-thousand ancient Kasbahs in Skoura palmary and to see this all juxtaposed against a rugged landscape.

Dades-Valley-Pins

What seemed to be magnified most and expressed to me by each of our visitors was the kindness and generosity of our local guides, drivers and the Nomad families they met Bouthgrar. It is deeply meaningful to be able to share the South I have fallen in love with again and again with others through Travel Exploration Morocco’s tailor-made tours. The “Real Morocco” often gets lost awash the big Imperial cities and their architectural grandeur. The cross-pollination of French- Morocco in Marrakech, an ever expanding International Casablanca and the heart of Morocco’s intellectual and artistic capital of Fes never seem to escape the push of travel agencies and the tourism board.

For me, I embrace it ALL, appreciating each city for what it has to offer. However it is the region of Ouarzazate that has slowly grown on me when I was not looking and its’ branches continue to sprawl leaving me tongue-tied at times. What lies beneath Morocco’s fascinating and magnificent Imperial cities is the most majestic place, a natural Morocco that colors ones vision with burnt orange backdrops and golden desert scenery.

Each time I step outside my home in this Saharan, dusty desert town where I live, its breathtaking landscape and sunlight accost my heart and suffocate me with happiness. The people walk in peace side by side and a handshake along with a smile tells one thousand words. I am finally feeling comfortable with my sketchy use of the Berber language and the locals know who I am when I arrive in the market place and stroll the streets alone. New friends from England and France are finding me to an extend invitations for a meal, a visit and a new conversation. It is a time for friendship.

And to witness this beauty is to have discovered a great secret from god. When someone asks my beliefs here, I shy away. To live among nature is to be all, a Muslim, a Jew, a Christian, a Catholic, a Buddhist, an Atheist. I have said a million times, if there is a god, the spirit of it is sure to be found in the Sahara.

M'hamid-Sahara-Desert

To sleep, in Ouarzazate is to fall into a deep, dream and be carried away across the dunes. I have never slept so well in 38 years but here when I shut my eyes, they close tight and in my rem-state of sleep, I am surrounded by the smells of exotic spices, the musty souk and most of all the locally made Berber perfume from saffron, musk and tree bark.

I had the good fortune of spending a full seven hours in the Tickha Mountains this week. Our drive, in spring, summer and fall that would take only 4 1/2 hours took much longer. We were held-up as were all of the cars that ventured across our great mountain in the midst of winter. After a hearty lunch in the High Atlas Mountains of Tadart, we muddled along and were stopped in rows, one vehicle after another for what seemed like days. I reveled in the passing of time slowly, as it does in Morocco. Thus, I saw a great opportunity to photograph the Tiz N’ Tichka Pass as it carried us through its varying altitudes.

My heart missed a beat a couple times when I stepped down from our 4×4 to capture the snow capped mountains with my camera and a charge that had already moved past the red mark, signifying no battery life. Somehow once again Morocco gave back to me more then I gave to her. I managed to take some photographs that I can marvel at when I see them, a memory of a day, an hour, a moment in time lost within the Tiz N’ Tichka Pass. The photos boast serene blue haze that is complimented by beaming, tiny car lights and the last seconds of the sun setting.

I am finally settled back in Ouarzazate again for just a week. There is always new venture around the corner here. I shall take the road to Marrakech on Sunday or Monday to meet up with Hossaine, who is just completing a sixteen-day tour circuit. We will have the pleasure of meeting our friends from England, Sarah and Sean who bon chance we met in Essaouira this past November. We are plotting a BEAD TOUR across Morocco!

Office- Spare Bedroom Fabric for Drapes & Moroccan Couches

Having enjoyed this weeks’ Sunday souk and coming away with a magenta and peach imported Spanish blanket, a royal blue and gold silk scarf plus mounds of vegetables for just under $40.00, I will finally dip into making headway with the marvelous embroidered fabrics I have purchased that lay beside me here. It is now time to create the healing home and I from the things I have collected during our journey during the past months.

Holiday season in the Maghreb, Morocco – The place to Travel and Make Your Home, Even if for Only a Week.

For a complete more information on Morocco’s Valley of Nomads & Visiting the Bouthgrar, Mount Mgoun Region

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate.

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806  or 1 (917)703-2078  and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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Best Restaurants in Marrakech, Fes & Essaouira Come Travel to Morocco With Us, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

If you are in the process of planning a vacation to Morocco for Spring 2010 or a Morocco tour, then it is important to have your finger on the pulse of the best restaurants and haute cuisine in Marrakech, Fes and Essaouira. Eating in Morocco is an experience that is second to none when Moroccan travelers pair their choice of a Morocco Travel agency with a uniquely Moroccan dining experience and stay in Moroccan Riads or Moroccan Hotels that have been hand selected by Moroccan Travel Specialists. When traveling to Morocco why not ask the experts of Morocco Travel and you will then be guaranteed to discover the best of Morocco.

Since the early 1990’s Marrakech, Fes and Essaouira have expanded their offerings for foodies and today some of the best cuisine in North Africa can be had in the red city of Marrakech, Fes, a UNESCO World Heritage site or the seaside city of Essaouira. Marrakech, Fes and Essaouira boast delightful restaurants, professional chefs and haute cuisine that mélanges French and Moroccan traditional cooking styles plus and an atmosphere to boot that is uniquely Moroccan.

Tajine

Moroccan Modern cuisine is in vogue. If you are planning a Morocco vacation it is best to hit the ground running in the food category and come prepared to eat three and four course meals that are always complimented by fresh mint, Moroccan sweet and nutty deserts along side some of the best Moroccan wine and Moroccan beer, home to Morocco’s Imperial city of Meknes.

They say, “when in Rome, do as the Romans” so at Travel Exploration Morocco, we say “when in Morocco, do as the Moroccans.” The best Morocco travel agents will always provide you with a detailed list of Moroccan Riads, Moroccan Restaurants and Morocco Siteseeing excursions that tempt the senses and offer exploration of mind, heart and pallet.

BEST RESTAURANTS IN MARRAKECH

LE MARRAKECHI
This majestic Moroccan restaurant that overlooks Djemma El Fna Square is the best place to eat if you want a full view of the Djemma. Le Marrakechi has reasonably priced Moroccan cuisine for the large portions they provide and boasts and atmosphere that is filled with charm. Step into Le Marrakechi and you are led up a stairway this is covered with rose petals onto an open floor plan that is surrounded by traditional Moroccan zellij tile and has floor to ceiling clear, glass windows that abut each corner offering the clear view of Djemma El Fna. The service is spectacular as is the bellydancing show that is gratis to all those who come to enjoy Le Marrakechi.

52, rue des Banques, just off Djemâa El Fna, Marrakesh
Phone: +212- 524-44-33-77

Le-Marrakechi- Marrakech

LE TANJA
Le Tanja is a stylish brassarie in the old medina and has excellent tajines, couscous and fish dishes. The serene, elegant rooftop terrace with beautiful rose-filled fountain is a great place to relax at sunset with views over the ancient alleyways.

14 Derb J’did Hay Essalam, medina
Phone: 212-24-383-836

JAD MAHAL
Jad Mahal is a combination of bar, restaurant and dance complex. Since its opening in December 2003, Jad Mahal has been a hit amongst travelers and hip young Marrakech’s and is a trendy addition to the Marrakech nightlife scene. Located just outside the old city, Jad Mahal boasts and elegant courtyard with two dining rooms, with a blend of Indian and Moroccan Décor.

Fontaine de la Mamounia
Phone: +212-524-436-984

LE FOUNDOUK
This is one of the best places to eat in the Marrakech Medina with lovely staff and a romantic and chic vibe. Guided by men in cloaks and a lantern, down a dusty alley, you’ll find this chic purple-hued dining den:a riad eatery with a cosmopolitan feel, good cocktails and excellent Moroccan/Mediterranean fusion food. Ask for a table along the railing for the best views or up on the roof terrace in nice weather. Le Fondouk is a funky place to dine with a mixed menu of French and Moroccan cuisine served on three levels.

Souk El Fassi Kaat Bennahit
Phone: +212-524-378-190

Le-Foundouk-Marrakech

DAR YACOUT
This is the place to go for Palace style dining. Ignore the fact it is a tourist haunt and enjoy a full evening starting with drinks on the roof, appetizers served around one of the many grand fireplaces, before you descend to one of the glass walled dining rooms over- looking the pool courtyard. You’ll be seated along a banquette with a 5’ diameter table  which will be piled with an astounding amount of food while being entertained by traditional Moroccan music. This place is all about the architectural wow factor.

79 rue Sidi Ahmed Soussi, Arset Ihiri
Phone: +212-524-380-29-29

LE COMPTOIR
Le Comptoir is a hot sport for pre- or after dinner drinks- and dinner. It has both an upper level and lower level Soho style bar and a simply arresting belly dancing show, compliments of the owners. It is a favorite stop for Marrakech Film Festival luminaries and has extremely delicious cuisine that mélanges French- Moroccan style.

Avenue Echouhada (Hivernages/ Gueliz)
Phone: +212-524-383-836

Le-Comptoir-Darna- Marrakech

CAFÉ DES ÉPICES
One of the few good places to stop and rest and have some lunch right in the souks. Salads, sandwiches and pastries are all on the menu here, and you can wash it all down with a choice of spiced teas.Seats are available on the rooftop terrace, as well as inside.WiFi available.Credit cards not accepted. Open daily 8am-8pm

Place Rahba Qedima (Spice Souks)
Phone: +212-524-39-17-70

TERRACES DES ÉPICES
Kamal Laftimi (is a smart young Moroccan who started out with a small riad, Tlaata wa Sitteen. His Café des Épices in the heart of the souks is now an obligatory stop for anyone in need of a light lunch and the Terrace repeats the formula with laidback seating in open-sided booths, cool music and big views.This time he has added a good all-day Franco-Moroccan dining menu.Specialties include salads and grilled meat and fish, and  there is always a range of fresh juices – orange, of course, all year round, and whatever else is in season.Young expats not normally seen on this side of town can be found lounging on the banquettes, while an increasing number of foreigners in search of a quiet moment in the souk are making their way up the stairs to this rooftop hide-away. No Liquor.

15 Souk Cherifia, Sidi Abdelaziz
Phone:+212-524-37-59-004

Palais-De-Fes

BEST RESTAURANTS FES

PALAIS DE FES
Palais De Fes serves authentic Moroccan cuisine, considered among the best of the best in Fes. Located in the heart of the medina, the restaurants terrace offers stunning views of the winding streets. A must is this restaurants pastilla (pigeon pie) which is a tender meat soaked in aromatic sauce and layered with vegetables, raisns and local spices beneath a pastry crust sprinkled with connamon and sugar.

5 Makhfia Ech Cif
Phone: +212-55-761-590

DAR ROUMANA
Dar Roumana means House of Pomegranate. This Riad and restaurant offers creative Moroccan cuisine by a French-trained chef who is an American, Jennifer Smith. The restaurant is located in a beautiful Riad and Smith offers a combination of Fassis and Modern Moroccan cuisine with French twist. Reservations are required.

30 Derb el Amer, Zkak Roumane
Phone: +212-35-741-637

LA MAISON BLEUE
La Maison Bleue is one of Fes’ oldest and most stylish traditional Moroccan Fasis restaurants. Couscous, Sheep Brains, Fasis Salads and Pastilla with Powered Sugar are offered at pre fix or ala carte while you sit surrounded by zellij tile, vaulted ceilings and are serenaded by Gnaoua Music.

2, Place de l’Istiqlal
Phone: +212-5-35-74-18-43

ZAGORA
This is a modern Moroccan restaurant located in the ville nouvelle, new city of Fes on Mohamed V. It offers Moroccan and Continental Cuisine. Their fish dishes, salads and selection of wines are a nice compliment to the typical Moroccan cuisine if you are spending several days in Fes.

5 Bd Mohammed V
Phone: +212-05-35-624-618

Le-Chalet-De-La-Plage

BEST RESTAURANTS ESSAOUIRA

CHEZ SAM
This restaurant offers stunning views of the sea and is just a ten minute walk towards the end of the seaport in Essaouira. Chez Sam offers excellent seafood for the value. They are one of the more reasonably prices seafood restaurants in town. The staff is very friendly and they offer wine to compliment the variety of kinds of seafood served. Chez Sam has both an upstairs area to dine which enables guests to enjoy the views of the sea.

Au fond du port
Phone: + 212-44-47-65-13

ELIZIR
Elizer, pronounced Elixer is one of Essaourias best restaurants. This 60’s retro style restaurant has a reputation that keeps on moving. With its stylistic modern- Moroccan cuisine and décor, Elixer is sure to leave you with a most memorable dining experience during your stay in Essaouira.

Phone: +212-24-470-21-03

LE SIROCCO
Le Sirocco is a well-established Franco-Moroccan restaurant in Essaouira. It is a reliable favorite of returning tourists and local expats alike. Prices are a bit higher than most other restaurants in town, but well worth it. The owners are French and the food is simply delicious. Le Sirocco offers the standard Moroccan fare in addition to specialties such as dark chocolate molten cake and excellent fish dishes.

Rue Ibn Roch
Phone: +212-524-472-396

LE CHALET DE LA PLAGE
Le Chalet de la Plage is a beachfront institution in Esaouira that has some of the best seafood in town. Built entirely of wood in 1893, the restaurant is in its fourth family of proprietors, the Jeannots, and the dark, maritime-theme interior is adorned with pictures and mementos of a past guest list that includes a French president and Hollywood movie stars. Diners feast on items from a French-language menu that offers Oualidia oysters, shrimp, calamari, lobster, and a wide selection of line fish. There’s also a small choice of other meats, soups and salads, three-course set menus, and Chez Jeannot’s suggestions du jour. A well-stocked bar is complimented by a select wine list, chosen by local vintner Charles Melia.

Boulevard Mohammed V
Phone: + 212-24-47-59-72

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