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Moroccan Guides, The Best Way to See Morocco on a Private Tour

Saturday, April 9th, 2016

Moroccan Guided Tour

The best way to see Morocco is with a Moroccan Guide. Exploring Morocco with expert licensed Moroccan guides who will help you navigate Morocco’s old medina Andalusian gardens, vibrant souks, monuments, and mosques enables you to experience an insiders view of the country. Having an experienced Moroccan guide during a tailor-made Morocco Tour is key to discovering the best Morocco has to offer.

Hiring licensed historical guides who are multilingual is essential. Making sure your historical guide is fluent in English, Arabic, Berber, and French will make for a more rewarding trip to Morocco. If you are considering visiting the Imperial Cities along with the great South and Sahara Desert region a Berber guide will enhance your experience given the people in the rural regions in between and the South speak primarily Berber. While Moroccan Arabic and French are spoken widely in the Imperial Cities, the main langugage in Morocco’s South, Desert region and rural Berber Villages is Berber, also referred to as Tamazight. If you are visiting Morocco and your native language is not English or French then locating a expert, licensed Moroccan guide that is fluent in your langugage such as Russian, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese is important. Travel agencies that offer private tours are the ideal place to inquire about licensed Moroccan Guides that are multi-lingual.

The best expert, licensed historical guides in Morocco offer insight about Moroccan history, culture, local sites, and monuments. A professional licensed, expert historical guide is also a good listener and capable of answering almost any questions about Morocco that you may have.

Licensed Morocco historical guides also carry an official license that looks similar to a drivers license. All official licensed guides authorized to enter the old medinas of Morocco and take trips with guests must receive an official license from the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism. As an independent traveler if you book a Moroccan Guide on your own and not through a Moroccan travel agency, it’s best to ask for the license number or official identity card of your guide.

Travel Exploration Moroccan Guided Tour

There are Two Types of Historical Guides in Morocco

Moroccan Historical Guides are delineated by two different descriptions and authorizations by the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism.

#1: National Licensed Guides in Morocco

#2: Local, Licensed Guides in Morocco

National Guides have a National License and are authorized to tour the entire country of Morocco with private couples, families, and groups. Local Morocco Historical Guides have a license to host private couples, families and groups only in the city where they have obtained their license.

For this reason, reputable travel agencies offer local licensed, expert guides for private couples, families, and small groups to enable them to complement their tour with an expert, licensed tourism driver to reduce costs.

For larger tours, Moroccan travel agencies use National Licensed Guides. Private Tours can opt for a National Licensed Guide upon request if they are interested in having a National Guide accompany them for the entire Morocco tour.

Whether you are planning a trip to Morocco on your own as an independent travelers or planning a tailor-made-tour through a travel agency the key part of your tour is to make sure you are going to be hosted by a multi-lingual licesned Moroccan Guide as to guarantee you have a trip of a lifetime.

For more information about Tours to Morocco with a Licensed Guide

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

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 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

Tags: Imperial City Tours, Local Moroccan Guides, Moroccan Guides, Moroccan Languages, National Guides, Sahara Desert Tours, Tours to Morocco, Trips to Morocco
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Visiting Morocco: 10 Things to Know Before You Go

Thursday, March 31st, 2016

Visiting Morocco, Traditional Riad Guest House

#1: Visas are not required to enter Morocco and most Vaccinations are not necessary. If you are an American citizen, Canadian citizen or citizen of the European Union, Japan, Brazil or South Africa you can travel to Morocco visa free. To be on the safe side, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommends travelers be up to date on the following vaccations: Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid and Rabies.

Cooking Class Morocco, Make a Tajine

#2: Morocco is home to some of the world’s best cuisine and considered the culinary start of North Africa. Morocco is the perfect place to take a food tour or a cooking class to learn how some of it’s favorite dishes such as Moroccan tajine, couscous, bastilla (pastilla) and Berber breads are made.

#3: Morocco is only 7 1/2 hours from Europe. With its relative proximity to Europe and increasingly easy to access from international airports, Morocco has long attracted visitors from abroad. A large part of its charm is due to its historical significance as a cultural crossroads between Arabic, Middle-Eastern, African and European cultures and communities.

#4: The Best Place to Stay in Morocco is a Riad. A riad is a traditional Moroccan house or palace with a central courtyard restored to its original beauty. The word riad comes from the Arabic word for garden. As you tour with Morocco Traveler you will have the opportunity to stay in a variety of of riads ranging from renovated palaces to modernist kasbahs. A riad offers traditional accommodations for an authentic Moroccan journey.

#5: Wine is widely served and can be easily purchased in Morocco. While Morocco is a Muslim country it is a producer of its own award winning wines. Moroccan wine and beer can be enjoyed at riad, hotels and restaurants along with being widely purchased in small liquor stores and the larger French run grocery stores such as Carrefour. There is also a variety of European and South African wines available.

#6: Morocco dress attire for traveles is fairly liberal. During your visit to Morocco it is acceptable to wear most forms of clothing. Recommendations are to dress on the conservative side which indicates no shorts for men and women, low cut v-neck blouses or risque clothing. It is recommended for women to travel with a scarf for the sake of modesty and for both men and women to take off your shoes before entering someones home or a sacred space.

#7: Morocco is a cafe culture. All of the major cities, Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, Marrakech, Tangier and Essaouira have a repuation for having a popular cafe culutre. The new towns main boulevards are lined with cafes ranging from chic, to charming, boho to elegant and also the traditional “male cafes” frequented primarily by men, chatting or watching a food ball match. Cafe culutre in Morocco offers the opportunity to people watch and enjoy the local favorite “cafe nuss-nuss,” a small tea glass filled with half milk and have Arabic coffee.

#8: Mosques in Morocco are off limits to non-Muslims. Very few mosques in Morocco are open to non-Muslims enabling travelers to frequent the Hassan II mosque. The Hassan II Mosque’s, one of the world’s largest mosques, has a promontory that offers breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, Southern Morocco Region

#9: Don’t miss out on visiting Morocco’s Berber Villages and its natural wonders. Morocco is a vast country with 34 + million people. Make sure not to get stuck in large cities like Casablanca or Marrakech. Morocco offers so much more outside of its cities. Consider taking a private tour to Berber Villages, the Sahara Desert and exploring some of Morocco’s natural wonders such as the Dades Valley and Ait Benhaddou Kasbah. Southern Morocco is often referred to as the “real Morocco” and this region offers many site seeing opportunities for adventure travelers as does the North and the charming blue washed town of Chefchaouen.

Jewish Mellah

#10: Morocco is safe for Jewish travelers and has a long standing history of Jewish Heritage. There are Jewish Heritage Sites in Casablanca, Meknes, Fes, Tangier, Marrakech, Essaouira and in the country side. Morocco lays claim to the only Jewish Museum in the Muslim world. Morocco’s history of Jewry and the co-mingling of Jews with Berbers and Arabs are a key factor in why Morocco is safe for Jewish Travelers today. Morocco is a country of Muslims, Jews and Christians. Jews first arrived in Morocco during pre-Christian times, accompanying the Phoenicians on their trade expeditions across the coast of Morocco. In the countryside Jewish and Berber tribes tilled the soil side by side together for two thousand years speaking the Berber dialect. In the towns and cities Jewish merchants and financiers were valued by successive Moroccan rulers who protected them.

For more information about Traveling to Morocco

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Tags: Berber Villages Sahara Desert, Cooking Class, Dades Valley & Gorge, Jewish Heritage Tours, Moroccan coffee, Moroccan food, Moroccan Riads, Moroccan visas, Moroccan Wine, Thins to Know
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Heritage Tours, History and Stories of Jewish Morocco

Monday, March 28th, 2016

Seffrou Jewish Mellah, Heritage Tours

Morocco is a melting pot of Islamic and Jewish culture. Heritage Tours that are composed of Morocco’s grand history tell an important story about Jewish Morocco. Jewish Heritage Tours are comprised of a mixture of historic site seeing, shared experiences with the local community, prayer, guided visits to ancient landmarks, Moroccan Zaouias and delving into a country and a people that are hosptiable and kind.

Morocco’s history of Jewry and the co-mingling of Jews with Berbers and Arabs are a key factor in why Morocco is ideal for Jewish Travelers today. Morocco is a country of Muslims, Jews and Christians. Jews first arrived in Morocco during pre-Christian times, accompanying the Phoenicians on their trade expeditions across the coast of Morocco. In the countryside Jewish and Berber tribes tilled the soil side by side together for two thousand years speaking the Berber dialect. In the towns and cities Jewish merchants and financiers were valued by successive Moroccan rulers who protected them.

Today, a journey through Morocco’s most private Jewish and public heritage sites offers places sacred spaces to discover that have left an indelible mark on Moroccan Jewry. Expert licensed Historical guides will impart history and information in great detail that tells a story of Moroccan Jewish culture and heritage. The history and stories of Jewish Morocco lie within the anicent cities (medinas) along with Berber rural regions. These guided story tellers are what keep those memories alive today.

Travel Exploration, Jewish Heritage Tours

Jewish Heritage Tours – The Stories of Morocco Reside Within

Casablanca Jewish Heritage Sites:

The Museum of Moroccan Judaism of Casablanca is a museum of history and ethnography, created by the Jewish Community of Casablanca in 1997 with the support of the Foundation of Jewish-Moroccan Cultural Heritage. The Jewish Museum in Casablanca is tucked into a residential neighborhood and holds a treasure trove with it being the Arab region’s only Jewish Museum. It uses world-class standards of conservation for its national and international collections. The Museum of Moroccan Judaism presents religious, ethnographic and artistic objects that demonstrate the history, religion, traditions and daily life of Jews in the context of Moroccan civilization.

Casablanca’s Jewish Cemetery:  The Jewish cemetery in the mellah is open and quiet, with well-kept white stone markers in French, Hebrew and Spanish. Once a year, Casablancans celebrate a hiloula, or prayer festival, at the tomb of the Jewish saint, Eliahou.

Temple Beth-El: the Jewish Synagogue in Casablanca. Beth-El, is considered the center piece of a once vibrant Jewish community. Its stained glass windows and other artistic elements, is what attracts tourists to this synagogue.

The Jewish mellah of Casablanca is young by Moroccan standards, not much more than a century old. It assaults the senses in the evening, with a sea of women in brightly colored djellabahs carrying and selling fruit and vegetables throughout the cramped, narrow streets. While Jews no longer live in the mellah, kosher butchers are found in the old market, next to other butchers selling horse meat. The Jewish cemetery in the mellah is open and quiet, with well-kept white stone markers in French, Hebrew and Spanish. Once a year, Casablancans celebrate a hiloula, or prayer festival, at the tomb of the Jewish saint, Eliahou.

Fes Jewish Heritage Sites:

The Jewish Mellah: In contrast with the young Mellah of Casablanca, the mellah of Fes is over 650 years old. This picturesque neighborhood adjoins the royal palace, noted for its recently constructed bright brass doors. Jews took shelter in this palace during the 1912 pogrom.

The Jewish Cemetery: The nearby cemetery contains the tombs of more Jewish saints than any other cemetery in Morocco. One of the more important saints is Lalla Solica, who was killed for refusing to convert to Islam. This woman was born in Tangier in 1817. At the age of 16, she was courted by a Muslim man, but refused to marry him.

Maimonides: Throughout the old city of Fes, there are traces of ancient Jewish life, including the home of Maimonides, who lived in the city from 1159-1165. Suffering from the persecutions of the Almohad dynasty, Maimonides emigrated to escape forced conversion.

The Danan Synagogue: The Danan synagogue was once only one of several inside the walls of Fes, and not the most elaborate. It is entered through a simple doorway indistinguishable from the doors of nearby houses. The door leads immediately to a short flight of stairs that lead into the high, rectangular space of the synagogue. The construction is masonry coated with plaster. The wooden ceiling is beamed and painted. The room is lit by small windows high in the walls. Photos taken in 1954 show a ceiling hung with numerous memorial lamps, now vanished. The walls are wainscotted with blue figured Moroccan tiles. The large Torah Art, a cupboard filling the width of an entire wall, is made of carved wood. The wall above is decorated with intricately carved plaster work. Opposite the Torah Ark is a raised alcove, separated from the main prayer space by a wooden screen elaborately carved with a series

Meknes Jewish Heritage Sites:
The Talmud Torah Synagogue was built in 1930. This is the last remaining synagogue in Meknes, often referred to as the Moroccan Versailles, home of the former Sultan’s palace and grounds.

Marrakech Jewish Heritage Sites:
The Marrakech Synagogue in the Jewish Mellah was created in 1558. The Jewish community enjoyed autonomy even though Jews weren’t allowed to own any property outside the Mellah and controlled the sugar trade. There are approximately 250 Jews still living in Marrakech, and most live outside the Medina. The Mellah area is now almost completely Muslim.

Jewish Synagogue, Marrakech

Essaouira Jewish Heritage Sites:

The Essaouira Jewish Cemetery: Essaouira was founded in 1765. The oldest tombs date from 1776. Contrary to Jewish tradition and Mosaic Law, the tombs are sculptured with very marked human forms. These anthropomorphic tombstones sometimes bear epigraphic inscriptions and sometimes none. The monolithic tombstones are carved out of marine sandstone. This kind of tombstone can be found in other Moroccan towns located mainly on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. In some towns such as Xauen (Tetouan) certain tombs have been dated to the 16th century. Inscriptions are in Hebrew and French. The local Jewish community owns the site. The sea is adjacent to the cemetery.

The Essaouira Mellah covers over 10 percent of the town, but Jews constituted almost 40 percent of the population in the late 1880’s. Jewish stars on the doors to the mellah show the degree to which Jews were accepted in Essaouira, to the point that some of the richer Jews did not even live in the mellah. Commemorative plaques indicate the buildings in which synagogues were located. Former inhabitants of Essaouira, most of them Jewish, formed a committee to rehabilitate the town. An important member of the committee is King Hassan II’s Economic Advisor, Andre Azoulay. The Jewish cemetery, just outside the city gates, is extremely well kept. The hiloula of Chaim Pinto is held in September.” Rabbi Chaim Pinto is buried there.

Jewish Zaouia – Sacred Space:
In Ourigane there is the Jewish, Berber Shrine of Rabbi Mordekhai & Rabbi Abraham Ben Hammou. In Ourigane, just outside the National Park, is an old Jewish Zaouia (shrine of Rabbi Mordekhai and Rabbi Abraham Ben Hammou. There is an old dirt road that leads to a compound of buildings enclosed by a gate, overshadowed by mountains and built on rocky terrain in the village of Ouirgane. Inside the shrine are three different tombs, leaving the precise burial spot of Rabbi Haim Ben Diwan in doubt — befitting the mysterious circumstances of his death.

For more information about Jewish Heritage Tours

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Tags: Fes Jewish Heritage, Heritage Tours Morocco, Jewish Cemeteries, Jewish Heritage sites, Jewish Mellah, Jewish Synagogues, Jewish Tours, Jewish zaouia, Morocco Jewish Heritage & Sites, Museum of Moroccan Judaism, Tours to Morocco, Travel Exploration
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5 Tips for Eco-Friendly Travel to Morocco & Abroad

Thursday, March 17th, 2016

Talassemtane Morocco-National Park Chefchaouen

Do you dream of taking a vacation to a place where there are wide open spaces? Magnificent desert landscapes, rocky gorges, ancient kasbahs sprawled across a mountain backdrop and bustling old cities? Are you also a nut for keeping conservation on your mind, being careful and conscious of the way you’re affecting the environment? Then countries like Morocco should be on your bucket list and there are plenty of ways to travel that don’t include messing up the planet (or at least having a lesser effect on it). They are all perfect for incorporating into your next great Moroccan or other travel adventure.

Whether you’re into green living at home or are just interested in the ways you can make this world a more sustainable, beautiful place, check out my tips for staying eco friendly on the road–you might be surprised how easy (and bespoke, and luxurious as well) it is to make yourself a travelling friend of the planet in particular when visiting Morocco.

Try a boutique riad, that is eco conscious, a work stay or eco lodge instead of a regular 5 star hotel.

There’s more to being environmentally friendly when you’re travelling abroad then having the maids not clean your room, or reusing your towel for your entire stay (although these are both good things!). If you really want to make a change in the way you travel, there’s two really great options that put the carbon emissions of staying in a resort or taking a cruise, and those options are work stays and ecolodges.

Spending a week in a riad in one of Morocco’s old cities offers the opportunity to know your host, be eco conscious and have the services along with comfortable amenities needed for your trip, whether it is a private tour or independent travel experience.

Work stays may be something you associate with a gap year or something students do as a study abroad program, but there are options available for people of all ages, and most of them are tamer than the Peace Corps. Try programs like the ones found on GoEco.org, you could be rehabilitating elephants in Thailand, providing medical assistance in Cambodia, helping out conservation efforts in the Great Barrier Reef or assisting with farms in Berber Villages in Morocco. Now what sounds cooler than that?

Sawadi Eco Lodge, Skoura

And ecolodges are no work and all play, just check out L’MaLodge, Les Jardins Des Skoura or in the Skoura Palmerie or Sawadi, a guest house located on an organic farm. 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 One Thousand Kasbahs.” With the Valley of Almonds and Dades Valley nearby there are plenty of one-day excursions from Skoura. The eco lodges there serve organic cuisine from their gardens which guarantees a farm to table experience and all products used on their premises are bio/ organic.

Frequent places outside the norm.

New York City, London, Paris, Tokyo, Casablanca are all wonderful, destination hotspot cities, but once you get into them, the places that are really interesting are East End, Montmartre Shimokitazawa and Marrakech. Located in the same places as these hotshot places like Time Square, The London Eye, The Eiffel Tower, Majorelle Gardens and more, it’s the smaller, micro-communities within the big cities where you’ll want to grab a pint, shop for goodies, or book a reservation for dinner.

It’s not just because these places are outside the tourist bubble (though that’s a really great reason to stay away from them), but it’s because you’re putting money into the communities that support these bigger, larger-than-life tourist city centres and you’re getting a real look at how the people who live there, are actually living their lives. Perspective is pretty green, which leads me to my next point…

Buy only local, handmade gifts. Ditto for food and drink.

One of the greatest things about vacationing in general and in particular in Morocco, is going to a place and getting something handmade by artisans who live there; the wooden Kokeshi dolls show hundreds of years of folk art technique, Moroccan rugs show hundreds of hours of labor, and handmade leather sandals from Greek trace back before democracy. A shot glass isn’t going to get the same story.

Morocco Green Travel

When you buy cheap trinkets made in other countries and imported for the benefit of tourists, you undercut the local economy, driving down living wages, and making it harder for local producers to keep up. When it comes to tourist gifts, you’re also trading a silly shirt for something that was made with cultural consciousness and care; it’s just a better rule to shop and eat with the locals, it helps sustain their culture and keep your travel destination exactly how it is for years to come.

And please, for all that is wonderful in the world, don’t buy cheap electronics! Electronics overseas can be malfunctioning, made under terrible working conditions, headed for a giant, unhealthy dump, or are even potentially stolen (if it has an iCloud lock on it, you know it belonged to someone else first) and no one should go on vacation for an Android. Buy food, buy art, buy small doodads but never technology. Save those purchases for home.

Travel lighter.

Seems easy right, to take off the poundage when you’re travelling? Maybe not, but every pound counts, especially when you’re jetting all over the world. One of the best ways to cut down on excess weight is to just pare down to the essentials. Don’t take “what if” accessories, additional clothes for weather that is unlikely to happen; if it’s summer, no need to take a parka, although raingear is always a good idea.

Need help trying to figure out what to leave and what to take? Map out your itinerary, and consider what’s practical for your trip. A couple pair of shoes, interchangeable separates, and at least one nice outfit is a great place to start. If you’re still stumped, go through Travel Exploration’s A-Z packing guide for inspiration.

Ditch the water bottles.

There are very few things that everyone considers unanimously bad for the environment as water bottles (carbon emissions is just one of them). From containing dangerous chemicals to taking forever to decompose, water bottles are just about the worst thing that can end up in a landfill or in the ocean, choking the life out of an ecosystem somewhere.

How do you get away from this while travelling? There’s a couple of options. First, reuse the same water bottle over and over again if you have to; stop buying water in restaurants unless it’s tap (worried about clean water? take a purifying device or tablets along with you). Second, get a good water bottle that you can carry with you wherever your feet might take you. Avex Brazos is a good bet (it’s BPA-free plastic), as are the Hydro Flask Wide-Mouth Vaccum (great for insulation, keeps cold cold and hot hot), and the popular, cheap favorite, Naigene.

Looking for more ways to make an impact around the planet and in Morocco during your visit or are you interested in sharing some of your green tips for travelling abroad? Leave a comment at the end of the article and I’ll try it out in my new travel routine. We’re always looking for better ways to connect with local communities and be a service -so please feel free to share your ideas with Morocco Travel Blog!

Bon voyage vert!

By Claire Lovesti – a self-confessed travel nut, traveling around the world since her mum farewelled her in a teary goodbye. For more information on Claire’s adventures through 48 cities in 26 countries on 4 continents you can read her blog at Traveltio.com

For more information about Eco-Friendly Travel and Tours to Morocco

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Tags: Dades Valley, Luxury Riads Morocco Tours, Majorelle Gardens Berber Museum, Moroccan Handicrafts, Moroccan Kasbahs, Moroccan Riads, Moroccan rugs, Moroccan Souks, Moroccan waterfalls, Skoura Palmeraie. Moroccan Weavers, Todra Gorge, Travel Exploration
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A Complete Guide, Fes Festival World Sacred Music Program 2016

Friday, March 4th, 2016

Fes Festival 2016 Program

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music will take place from May 6th – 14th this year in 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 Alain Webber. Each year the Fes festival celebrates artists from Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu and other faiths to perform together in a spirit of mutual respect and collaboration.

The Fes Festival 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 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.

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.

In the morning, visitors can take part in seminars or round table discussions covering topics related to the theme of the festival. By attending the discussion, you can gain extra insight into the meaning of the festival. In the afternoon, evening, and late at night, there are concerts given by performers arriving from every angle of the globe.

These musicians help celebrate all the cultures and religions of the world through a multiplicity of their songs and rituals. 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 most impressive 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.

After the last concert of the night is over, the medina is the place to head for a continuation of a once in a life time experience. Every evening at midnight, there are free “Sufi Nights”. These highly popular Sufi ritual trance performances are held at the Dar Tazi Palace gardens 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.

Fes Festival World Sacred Music 2016

Fes Festival Program May 6th – 22nd, 2016

Friday, May 6th: Bab Al Makina – Opening Night Premier 21h00 A Sky full of Stars: International Premiere Women of myth and poetry from Sheherazade to the Queen of Sheba With women artists from Morocco, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Ethiopia, India, Lebanon, Italy and Africa, with an oriental orchestra.

Saturday, May 7th: Jnan Sbil Garden 16:30 Sahar Mohammadi with Ingie Women’s Qanun Ensemble – Iran & Azerbaijan Sacred Persian song

Bab Al Makina: 21h00 Evening Concert Durbar: Indian Night Premiere Glory of Pricnessa nd in praise of the Gods, a dazzling musical engagement between some of India’s greatest Musicians

Boujloud Square: 22.00 Regional Choir of Fes | H-Kayne

Sunday, May 8th: Jnan Sbil Garden 16:30 Christine Salem- Renunion Maloya revisited

Bab Al Makina: 21h00 Evening Concert Divas of the World: Part I – Hindi Zahra, From France and Morocco & Part 2: Oumous Sangrari, from Mali

Boujloud Square: 22h00 Over Boys | Batoul Marouani

Monday, May 9th:

Jnan Sbil Garden 16:30 Officina Zoe- Italy Women’s songs of love, work and war with Maria Mazzotta (voice) and Maristella Martella (dance)

Night in the Medina Part 1: Homage to India, Evening Ragas Dary Adiyel 18:00 and 20h30 Rageshri Das and Ghazal Song from Kolkota, India

Sidki Mohamed Ben Youssef Cultural Complext: 19:h00 Shashank Subramaniam and Rakesh Chaurasia Masters of the Bansuri flute from Chennai and Mumbai, India

Boujloud Square: Mourad Bouriki/ Lamia Zaidi

Prefecture Hall, Batha The King of Ghosts: Premiere – India & Morocco, Cinema/ Concert Composed by Soumik Datta, Johannes Berauer and Cormac Byrne for the film Goopy Gaven Bagha Baven by Satyajit Ray (1929)

Tuesday, May 10th:

Jnan Sbil Garden 16:30 Hawniyaz: inspired by Kurdish, Persian and Azeri traditions With Aynur (song), Kayhan Kalhor (kamantche), Salman Gambarov (piano) and Cemîl Ǫoçgirî (multi-instrumentalist)

Night in the Medina Part 2: Dar Adiyel: 20h00 Yulduz Turdieva – Uzbekistan Shash-maqâm from Bukhara

Sidi Mohamed Ben Youssef Cultural Complex: 2h.00 Ensemble Dialogos – Bosnia and Herzogovina Heretic Angels: Popular Rituals and Beliefs

Prefecture Hall, Batha: 21.30 OY – Switzerland & Ghana Space Diaspora

Boujloud Square Participation of the French Institute in Fes: Buddha Bar | Omar Boutmazoukt

Sidi Mohamed Ben Youssef Cultural Complex, Parvathy Baul and Mehdi Nassouli – India and Morocco, Poetry of Wandering Mystics, from Bauls to Gnawas

Wednesday, May 11th:

Night in the Medina III 20.00 Sidi Mohamed Ben Youssef Cultural Complex
Lamar – Arab Songs from Palestine
21.30 Prefecture Hall, Batha (opposite the Batha Museum)
Farida Mohammad Ali – Iraq
The Voice of Maqâm

22.00 Boujloud Square
Najat Atabou | Embassy of Pakistan

23.00 Dar Adiyel
Ariana Vafadari – Iran and France
Gathas: Zoroastrian Song

Thursday, May 12th:

Jnan Sbil Garden – 16:h30 Agraw- Lalla Rquia Ouhmad Morocco Sacred Amazigh Song from Tiznit

Riad Dar Bensouda, Qettanine 18h00

Shaikh Hassan Dyck and Muhabbat Caravan Meditation with Sufi flavours

Bab Al Makina: 21h00 Evening Concert Istanbul – Fes: Premiere – Turkey & Morocco Mevlevi whirling dervishes with the Mohammed Briouel Andalous Orchestra

Boujloud Square Mahmoud Al Idrissi | Khalid Ali Orchestra

Friday, May 13th:

16.30 Jnan Sbil Garden – 16:h30 Virginia Rodrigues – Brazil. Celestial Voice

Bab Al Makina: 21h00 Evening Concert, Tribute to Oum Kaltoum – Egypt with the National Opera Orchestra of Cairo

Boujloud Square: 22h00 Reda Taliyani | Abdellah Yacoubi

Saturday, May 14th:

Jnan Sbil Garden – 16:h30
Yom – France
The Silence of Exodus with Yom, clarinet and composition Farid D, cello Claude Tchamitchian, double bass Bijan Chemirani, zarb, daf and bendir (percussion)

Bab Al Makina: 21h00 Evening Concert
Samira Saïd – Morocco, A Moroccan Singing Star

22.00 Boujloud Square
Marcel Khalife

For more information the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music of a Fes Tour

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Tags: Fes, Fes Festival, Fes Festival Program, Fes Tour, Moroccan Festivals & Holidays, Morocco Tours, Music Festivals, Sacred Music Festival, Things to do Fes
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Five Signs You’ve Fallen in Love with Morocco

Wednesday, January 13th, 2016

Sahara Desert Morocco Travel

Morocco is a country a person can easily fall in love with, whether you’re on a travel adventure for a short trip or you’re lucky enough to stay longer. Morocco is an amazing country, no matter where you visit—bustling Marrakech, scenic Chefchaouen, historic Fez, the grand Sahara and all points in between. Beginning with the sights, sounds, tastes and the exotic scents, there’s plenty in Morocco to experience that you will not want to leave behind. From the Atlas Mountains to the Atlantic Coast and from the Great Sahara to Marrakech there are many things to see and do in Morocco.

Moroccan Market Places

Five Signs that you have fallen in love with Morocco are:

#1: The Magical Colors of Morocco that you just cannot seem to get out of your head: There’s color everywhere in Morocco. Wander through the busy medinas and markets places, and take in the kaleidoscopic array of goods for sale. Watch the sky turn countless shades of color during a desert sunset before it fades to a million stars at night under the Arabian sky. Get lost in the myriad of colors found in the patterns of Moroccan zellij tile that decorate Moroccan palaces and mosques. Take a trip to the blue washed city of Chefchaouen with its maze of tiny streets, hidden alleys, and indigo blue houses perched atop the old city. You’re sure to return home feeling as though everywhere else pales in comparison to a Morocco adventure.

Moroccan Food and Drink

#2: Your Moroccan cookbook has become your best friend. In Marrakech, Fes and other Moroccan cities, you are simply spoiled for choice when it comes to food. There are plenty of offerings from around the world. What really shines though is the Moroccan food and drink—from a warm bowl of B’ssara (a flavorful broad bean soup) at breakfast to sugary mint tea in the afternoon with freshly made Msemen, a Moroccan flatbread. You know that Moroccan food goes far beyond the popular couscous, but a good couscous dish never hurts to dine on either, particularly on Fridays, the Moroccan day of prayer.

Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca

#3: You can’t stop talking about the incredible experiences you had on your trip. Morocco has it all, from sandy deserts, rocky landscapes, and an impressive Atlas Mountains to sweeping Mediterranean beaches along with ancient cities. There are plenty of things to do in Morocco and you made a point of experiencing many of them. Whether you took a camel ride and camped out under the stars, did some trekking in the Atlas mountains, spent your time tanning on the beaches of Essaouira, visited a traditional Berber village or whatever else— you know your friends are jealous and with good reason. When you’re not regaling them with stories of your trip, you’re looking back through your photos for the ten-thousandth time to reminisce, trying to convince them to visit Morocco.

Ait Benhaddou Ksar, Ouarzazate Region

#4: You know there’s no place on earth that’s quite the same, as Morocco. Medieval Europe had its forts, but nothing quite like the ksars, or fortified cities, that you find in Southern Morocco. Aït Benhaddou is, the most famous ksar, having been featured in Game of Thrones, Gladiator among other blockbuster films and television series. There’s plenty of history throughout the country to immerse yourself in whether you are visiting on a family Morocco adventure, a honeymoon or with friends. Up close encounters such as having tea with Nomad families, in remote mountain regions, and the traveling by 4×4 through the Old Road of the Caravans evokes 1001 Arabian nights romantic fantasies of life on the road. From the old world marketplaces in small desert towns to the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere, one finds themselves steeped in a richness and depth of an old world culture. There’s no place on earth that’s quite like Morocco. Visit Morocco and you will never feel the same again!

#5: You’re already planning your return trip to Morocco. Chances are, that first trip you took to Morocco wasn’t enough and neither was the second, the third or the fourth. Maybe you’re still waking up to the phantom sound of prayer-calls before dawn or images of desert sky and sweeping Sahara sand dunes just will not leave your mind’s eye. Whatever it is, Morocco has pulled you in and now has a place in your heart.

Have you been to Morocco? What’s your favorite memory from your trip? Share your stories and tips in the Comments!

Written by Jess

Jess travel writer who loves global adventures. She has been traveling for close to a decade nd has no plans to stop anytime soon! Jess fell in love with Morocco from her first visit and hopes you will fall in love with the beautiful country too.

For more information about Things to do in Morocco

For those who have fallen in love with Morocco come Honeymoon in Morocco

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

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 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

Tags: Berber cuisine, Camel Trekking, Honeymoon in Morocco, Moroccan Couscous, Moroccan Handicrafts, Moroccan Kasbahs, Moroccan Souks, Sahara Desert, Things to do Morocco, Tours Berber Villages Tours, Tours to Morocco, Travel Exploration
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Morocco Family Vacation, Kid Friendly Travel

Thursday, January 7th, 2016

Morocco Family Vacation, Sahara Desert Adventure, Photograph by Rusk Elatassi

Morocco is the perfect country to travel for families who are considering a place to visit for spring break. A Morocco family vacation during spring break guarantees a great adventure and an insightful cultural experience for families with children of all ages. Morocco is a kid friendly destination. Morocco’s expansive landscapes provide a wide array of adventure travel opportunities for families such as hiking, biking, trekking, camel trekking, zip lining, eating, surfing and swimming. Morocco’s temperate climate year-round makes it easy for families with a limited time frame who are traveling from the USA and Europe to reach. Morocco is just 7 1/2 hours from New York’s John F Kennedy Airport, a 3 1/2 hour Easy jet stretch from Paris and an 1 hour from Madrid via Iberia Airlines. Families in search of a child-friendly destination need to look no further then Morocco.

Morocco Family Vacation, Djemaa El Fna Square Waterman, Photograph by Rusk Elatassi

On a Morocco family vacation, parents can anticipate a jam-packed travel itinerary that includes a mix of site seeing in ancient cities, exploration of the souks and marketplaces, visiting magical gardens and UNESCO Heritage sites, seeing wild monkeys and barbary apes in Ifrane’s cedar forest, hiking across High Atlas Mountains and through Berber Villages, Sipping Tea with a Berber Family, participating in private family henna party and watching the snake charmers at sunset in Marrakech’s Djemaa el Fna Square. A Morocco family adventure vacation is not complete without traveling in a four-wheel drive across the Moroccan Sahara Desert and a 1001 Arabian Nights Morocco experience in the heart of the Erg Chebbi dunes at a traditional desert camp.

Perhaps one of the best surprises of all during a Morocco family vacation is the opportunity to enjoy stays at charming boutique riads that are well appointed in the old city bustling medinas with maze-like streets, colorful alley ways filled with craftsman, street food vendors, gardens, Islamic architecture, and terraces with dream-like city scapes.

The best time to travel to Morocco for a family vacation is March and April along with October, November, and December. Spring break, Easter holiday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are when Morocco’s weather is extremely temperate and local festivities and adventure tie in with school schedules.

Morocco Family Vacation, Marrakech Monkeys, Photograph by Rusk Elatassi

The 5 Best Adventure Activites on a Morocco Family Vacation are:

Family Vacation in Morocco – Adventure Tour Highlights

Zip line across the Atlas Mountains

Camel Trek in the Sahara Desert

Hot Air Balloon over Marrakech

Bread bake with a Berber family

Attend a traditional Fantasia Horse show in the Marrakech Palmeraie

For more information about the Family Vacations in Morocco and Family Adventure Tours

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Tags: Berber Villages, Camel Trekking, Canyoning, Erg Chebbi Dunes, FamilyTours Morocco Adventure Tours Morocco, Hot Air Balloon, Moroccan bread baking, Moroccan Henna Party, Morocco Holiday Activities, Morocco Vacations & Tours, Sahara Desert, Ziplining
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Morocco First Country to Recognize America, Your Morocco Tour Guide

Sunday, December 20th, 2015

Ibn Mohammed Ben Abdellah of Morocco

The Kingdom of Morocco became the first country in the world to recognize America as an independent nation on December 20^th, 1777. A year and a half after the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1786, United States Minister Thomas Barclay and Sidi Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, the Sultan of Morocco, penned a treaty of friendship. This treaty of friendship between American and Morocco is now lauded as the key longstanding agreement of peace that remains unbroken between the United States and another country. Morocco then became the first Arab, African and Muslim state to sign a treaty with the USA.

Morocco, America Treat of Friendship

The first piece of American real estate in Morocco and abroad was the Tangier American Legation Museum. Gifted to the USA by Sultan Moulay Sulliman in 1821, The Tangier American Legation Museum is the oldest diplomatic property in the world. This five-story mansion is registered as a national treasure of historic places and has an impressive collection of paintings along with a bookshop dedicated to Paul Bowles.

Tangier Legation Museum

In 1912, Morocco became a French protectorate. Certain portions of Morocco also came under Spanish control, including the province of Tangier. However, the United States did not recognize the French and Spanish protectorates until October 20, 1917, when Secretary of State Robert Lansing sent a letter formally acknowledging the protectorate to Jean Jules Jusserand, French Ambassador to the United States.

American Legation Museum, Black & White

The United States recognized Moroccan independence from French sovereignty on March 7, 1956, in a statement of congratulations regarding the Franco-Moroccan declaration of March 2, wherein France had recognized Moroccan independence.

As 2015 comes to an end we celebrate a historic time frame of 238 years of friendly relations between Morocco and the USA.

For more information about America and Morocco or a Taniger Tour

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We offer Private 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 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

Tags: American Legation Museum, Moroccan architecture, Moroccan history, Moroccan Monuments, Tangier Tours, Things to do in Tangier
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Marrakech Guided Tours, Private Site seeing Adventures

Monday, December 7th, 2015

Marrakech,Snowcapped Atlas Mountains

Marrakech, a Berber city, located just outside the snow capped Atlas Mountains, has become one of the leading destinations for Morocco travelers during the past decade. Travelers from the USA, Europe, Russia and Brazil continue to place Marrakech on their bucket list. Marrakech is leading a style revolution for Moroccan travelers with it’s fabulous mix of of old world souks, monuments, mosques, Jewish Heritage Sites, Art Deco architecture, evening Food tours and upmarket Moroccan cuisine. The best way to discover Marrakech’s hidden jewels is to take a private Marrakech Guided Tour.

A Marrakech Guided Day Tour will give you the opportunity to discover the main sites of Marrakech along with off the beat places. On a Guided Marrakech Site seeing Tour travelers will discover the interiors of the souks that are filled with bustling and delightful food markets, the local bread oven, artisan workshops, majestic gardens along with the glorious Ben Youssef Medersa. All sites are well appointed within Marrakech medina with the famous Majorelle Gardens just footsteps outside.

A Guided Site seeing Tour of Marrakech also includes an in depth visit to Marrakech’s historical Jewish quarters which consists of the Jewish Mellah, the Jewish Cemetery and the Marrakech Lazema Synagogue. On special request dinner with the Rabbi or Shabbat catered dinner can be arranged.

Djemaa El Fna at night

Guided Marrakech Day Tours all end with a visit to Djemma el Fna square just before sunset. Djemaa el Fna Square is best described as an L-shaped square that is a labyrinth of mazes. There are souks sprawling off the sides of crowed alleys that sell carpets, spices, metal and wood works and tourist trinkets. Locals also frequent the square where the evenings deliver storytellers, Gnaoua musicians and drummers, snake charmers, jugglers, acrobats and the evening food market. A typical Moroccan experience includes a visit to the evening food stalls grilling meat on braziers, smoking fish, and selling exotic Moroccan foods. If you want a quick treat you can try Morocco’s popular stewed snails. Grab a tooth pick and dig in. Feeling especially brave? Try some stuffed spleen or a sheep’s head showing the eyes. Wash it down with Khendenjal, a spicy nut-based aphrodisiac. With its wild and colorful characters, Djemaa el Fna will stop at nothing short of bedazzling and astounding you. At night, the air fills with aromatic smoke fumes lingering off the delicious delicacies sold in the streets and the sounds of Moroccan music.

Marrakech Guided Tour, Ben Youssef Medersa

Marrakech Guided Tour City Highlights: Site seeing with a Marrakech Guide
The Yves Saint Laurent, Majorelle Gardens & Berber Museum
Koutoubia Mosque and Gardens
El Bahia Palace
Saadian Tombs
Ben Youssef Medersa
El Badi Palace
Museum of Photographie
Marrakech Museum
Djemaa el Fna Square
Marrakech Souks – Bread Oven, Local Hammam, Neighborhoods, Artisan Workshops, Spice Souks, Olive Market, Local Bucher and Fruit and Vegetable Sellers, Date Market, Main Kisseria
Jewish Mellah, Jewish Synagogue and Jewish Cemetery

For more information about A Private Cooking Vacation to Morocco

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Tags: Artisan Workshops, Ben Youssef Medersa El Badi Palace, Djemaa El Fna Square, El Bahia Palace, Local Hammam, Majorelle Gardens, Mararkech Food Tour, Marrakech City Highlights, Marrakech Guided Tours, Marrakech Museum Djemaa el Fna Square, Marrakech Private Tours, Marrakech Site seeing Tours, Marrakech Souks, Marrakech Souks - Bread Oven, Marrakech Tour Guide, Museum of Photographie, Neighborhoods, Saadian Tombs, Spice Sou Jewish Mellah, Tours to Morocco, Travel Exploration
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Moroccan Food Tour, A Private Cooking Vacation to Morocco

Friday, December 4th, 2015

Moroccan Tajine

From the populated ancient medinas in the Imperial Cities to the dusty Desert region to the great Southern rural villages, seaside towns and farm communities, a Travel Exploration Moroccan Food Tour delivers the perfect opportunities to discover the culture of food and art. The cooks in the royal kitchens of Fes, Meknes, Marrakech, Rabat and Tetouan refined Moroccan cuisine over the centuries and created the basis for what is known as Moroccan cuisine today. Moroccan cooking is enhanced with fruits, dried and fresh — apricots, dates, figs, and raisins, to name a few. Lemons preserved in a salt-lemon juice mixture bring a unique face to many Moroccan chicken and pigeon dishes. Nuts are prominent; pine nuts, almonds, and pistachios show up in all sorts of unexpected places. Moroccan sweets are rich and dense confections of cinnamon, almond, and fruit perfumes that are rolled in filo dough, soaked in honey, and stirred into puddings. Spices are used extensively in Moroccan food.

Journey across Morocco on a 10 Day Cooking Vacation to Morocco. Discover spectacular Trade Routes & Spice Markets, the world of Moroccan Street Food, Bake Bread with the Berbers and Make Your own Tajine at a Moroccan cookery class. A Taste of Morocco is a Culinary Food Tour Adventure for All Ages and Perfect for the Entire Family!

Moroccan Spices

Book a Tour or call (800) 787-8806). Let us be your Culinary Guide to Discovering Moroccan Cuisine.

A Taste of Morocco Food Tour – Trip Highlights

Fresh Grill at Casablanca’s Marche Centrale

Fes Food Tour – Souks Tasting Trails

Pastilla Making with a Daada Chef

Cooking Class in Marrakech

Breadbaking with the Berbers

Tasting Marrakech Food Tour in Djemaa El Fna Square

Fes Food Tour

A TASTE OF MOROCCO – 10 DAY ITINERARY:

DAY 1: CASABLANCA – FRESH GRILL AT THE PORT – FES

Pick up from Casablanca airport. Start your visit at the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world that stands besides the sea and boasts stunning views along with breathtaking arches and zellij tiled walls, floors and fountains. Lunch at Casablanca’s Marche Centrale.. A taste of Casablanca while you purchase fresh fish from the Market, then hand it over to the locals to cook up.Discover the Art Deco Architecture in Casablanca. Welcome Cocktail and Dinner at your Riad in Fes. Overnight at a Boutique Riad or Hotel in Fes.

DAY 2: FES – DISCOVER THE WORLD OF MOROCCAN STREET FOOD

Breakfast and early Rise. Begin your day by discovering the world of Moroccan streetfood in Fes. You will visit three different food souks allowing the chance to try traditional Moroccan street food including dried meats, milawi, harsha, briwats, spicy sardines, spicy potato cakes, soups, olives and more. At the honey souk we’re you’ll be able to taste an array of delicious wild honeys, discuss their flavors and health-giving properties and find out why honey is so important in Moroccan cooking and Islamic culture. Investigate traditional cooking methods by visiting a furnatchi where the water for the communal bath house ‘hammam’ is also heated, and a 400 year old ‘furan’ or communal oven and bakery. Discover the world of spices and their uses and the secrets of the male-oriented domain of the tea den under the guidance of a culinary leader and story-teller. Or learn to bake bread in the 400 year old community oven with the baker overseeing your hands-on efforts. Take your hot bread to the honey souk to try it with 8 artisanal wild honeys, aged butter or khlia, spicy dried beef. The Moroccan Culinary Experience The hands-on cooking classes take place right in the heart of a family house – the kitchen. This is a very intimate experience, staying in a villa with the family and being immersed into family life in Morocco. You’ll learn the intricacies of Moroccan cuisine and then of course savour your creations. Enjoy Moroccos’ Dar Batha Garden and Museum in the afternoon. Afternoon Tea at Les Jardin De Bierhn with views of this Andalusian Garden. Overnight at a Boutique Riad or Hotel in Fes.

Moroccan Bastillla

DAY 3: FES – PASTILLA (BASTILLA) OR PASTRY MAKING IN FES

Following breakfast, you will be taken you to the souk to shop for your first cooking class.During your first class you will see how ouarka (the dough used in b’steeya) is made and perhaps have time to buy a few spices to take home. Lunch to follow. Depart for a guided tour of Fes el Bali (Old Fes) to learn some of Fes’s history, tour the souks, see the mosques and medersas and visit the famous leather tanneries.

Within the old medina, we will the following historical sites:

Medersa Bou Inania: An (Islamic school) founded by Abu Inan Faris that is highly decorated fromﬂoor 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. 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.

Berber Carpet Demonstration:

The Famous Exhibition of Antique and Modern Carpets is one of the places in Fès el Bali where you can see a Berber carpet demonstration. You will be offered mint tea and follow your guide up a coil of stairs to a small area to watch carpets being made by young girls who come from the mountains to show tourists how Berber carpets are made

Shopping in the Medina: We will visit the baboosh souk where they sell beautiful hand made shoes, cafdans, pottery, local Fassis crafts and fabric Evening at Leisure. Overnight at a Boutique Riad or Hotel in Fes.

DAY 4: FES – IFRANE – AZRO – ERFOUD – MERZOUGA

Breakfast at your Riad. Take the road to Morocco’s Sahra Desert. En route stop in Ifrane for Pastries. Continue the road to Erfoud Camel Trek into the Moroccan Sahara Desert. Overnight at a Luxury Desert Camp in the Erg Chebbi Dunes of Merzouga.

DAY 5: MERZOUGA – RISSANI – AIT OUZZINE – NKOB

Breakfast in the Sahara Desert. Morning exploration. Take the road to the town of Rissani. Visit the local souk and then experience a lesson on making Madfouna. Madfouna is the local stuffed pizza indigenous of the Sahara region. Continue the road via Alnif to Ait Ouzzine. Overnight in a Boutique Kasbah Hotel in Nkob.

Marrakech Cooking Class

DAY 6: NKOB – BREAD BAKING OF TRADITIONAL MADFOUNA IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH THE BERBERS – OUARZAZATE.

Breakfast in Nkob. Visit Ait Ouzzine, a traditional Ait Atta Village nestiled in the Jebel Saghro and Atlas Mountains. Morning tea and greet the family. Then take the road into the mountains. Participate and learn how to make Bourafain, a traditional bread of the Berbers made in the mountains with volcanic rock. Bourafin consists of dough, secret spices, herbs and animal fat that is stuffed and combined into a bread that raises high and wide. 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. 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.Explore the village. Henna Party with the Berbers. Take the road to Ouarzazate.Overnight in Boutique Riad or Hotel in Ouarzazate with Atlas Mountain Views.

DAY 7: OUARZAZATE – AIT BENHADDOU KASBAH – OLD ROAD OF CARAVANS – TELOUET – MARRAKECH.

Breakfast in Ouarzazate at your Riad. Visit the Oasis of Fint, then take the road to visit Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, Kasbah Telouet. Continue the road to Marrakech. En route stop at an Argan Cooperative. Tasting of Argan oil and Amlou. Lesson on how Amlous is made. Lunch in a local restaurant with cuisine made with Argan oil. Overnight at a Boutique Riad or Hotel in Marrakech.

DAY 8: MARRAKECH

Breakfast at your Riad. Start the day with a visit of the Majorelle Gardens, then explore Marrakech’s most important sites – the Bahia Palaces, Ben Youssef Medersa, Saadian Tombs. Mid-day discovery at the Koutoubia Mosque and its gardens. Lunch in the medina at Riad Monceau, a Riad with a leafy garden that specializes in haute Moroccan cuisine. Shop the souks of Marrkaehc. Explore Souk Semmarine and enjoy the Djemaa El Fna Square at dusk. Before heading back to your Riad, discover our Tasting Marrakech Food Tour which is a Medina food crawl across Djemaa El Fna SquareExotic eats of snail soup, sheep’s heads and more. Taste or watch. It’s all a food experience. Overnight at a Boutique Riad or Hotel in Marrakech in Marrakech.

DAY 9: MARRAKECH – COOKING CLASS – AFTERNOON AT LEISURE – INDULGE IN A MOROCCAN HAMMAM

10:00am – 14:30 (2:30opm) – Cooking Workshop The workshops are conducted by a dada (traditional Moroccan cook) or a chef from our Moroccan restaurant, and are held at the hotel. Small groups of maximum 10 participants work alongside a translator (Arabic/English/French), using easy-to-use modern equipment found in everyday kitchens. At the end of each workshop, participants dine on the meal they have prepared. At a typical half-day workshop, one learns to prepare an appetizer and a main dish, or a main dish and dessert.

Cooking Class Marrakech Overview:

Greeting and overview of Moroccan cuisine by an English speaking interpreter

Demonstration of how Moroccan bread is made

Visit a communal bread oven and hotel spice market

Work and cook at your own workstation alongside the Dades to prepare a delicious Moroccan meal

Moroccan Meal Description: Two Moroccan cooked salads, Chicken & Lemon Tajine with Preserved Lemons & Olives. Pastilla with Milk for Desert.

Participate in a Moroccan Tea Ceremony

Dine on the mouth-watering lunch that you have prepared

Option to add Moroccan wine pairings

Zaalook- Eggplant salad- (Starter)

First Course: Tagine beef and prunes

Second Course: Fish with chermoula (a marinade)

Dessert: Carrot orange dish

Mint tea

Menu 2

Seafood Bastilla – Pastry with seafood (Starter)

First Course: Chicken lemon

Second Course: Vegetarian couscous

Dessert: Gazelle horn and mint tea

And many more menus are available.

Spend the remainder of the evening at leisure (this is an opportunity to return to the souk to shop or perhaps to visit the local hammam). Overnight at a Boutique Riad or Hotel in Marrakech.

DAY 10: MARRAKECH – CASABLANCA DEPARTURE

Departure from Marrakech or Casablanca

For more information about A Private Cooking Vacation to Morocco

Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Tags: Adventure Tours Morocco Food Tours, Moroccan bread baking, Moroccan Breads, Moroccan Couscous, Moroccan Henna Party, Moroccan salads, Moroccan Spices, Moroccan Tajines Moroccan Bastilla, Moroccan Tea Ceremony Sahara Desert, Vegetable Souks Morocco
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Archive for the ‘Morocco Travel’ Category

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Marrakech Guided Tours, Private Site seeing Adventures

Moroccan Food Tour, A Private Cooking Vacation to Morocco

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