Morocco Vacations Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Travel-Exploration Blog Travel-Exploration Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Morocco Vacations’

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 17^th 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-Designer Silversmith demonstration of Southern Moroccan Cross in Amezrou, Zagora

Amezrou-Zagora Silver-Worker-Handmade Silversmith 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-Menorah Antique Jewish Menorah in Amzerou, Zagora

Jewish-Seder-Plate-Amezrou-Zagora-Old-Jewish-Mellah Antique 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.

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 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 (917)703-2078 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

Zagora 4×4 Sahara Desert Tour, M’hamid 4×4 Sahara Desert Tour, Dunes of Tinfo Zagora, Amezrou Silver makers, Zagora Silver makers, Zagora Morocco Travel, M’hamid Morocco Travel, Amezrou Old Jewish Mellah, Tamagroute Village Zagora, Zaouia Zagora, Koranic Library Zagora, Tizi N’ Tichka Pass, Atlas Mountains Morocco, Ait Benhaddou, Skoura, Telouet Kasbah, Marrakesh Tour, Morocco Travel, Tours to Morocco, Morocco Vacations, Morocco Holidays

Tags: Ait Benhaddou, Amezrou Old Jewish Mellah, Amezrou Silver makers, Atlas Mountains Morocco, Dunes of Tinfo Zagora, Koranic Library Zagora, M’hamid 4x4 Sahara Desert Tour, M’hamid Morocco Travel, Marrakesh Tour, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Morocco Vacations, Skoura, Tamagroute Village Zagora, Telouet Kasbah, Tizi N’ Tichka Pass, Tours to Morocco, Zagora 4x4 Sahara Desert Tour, Zagora Morocco Travel, Zagora Silver makers, Zaouia Zagora
Posted in Ait Benhaddou, Amezrou Old Jewish Mellah, Amezrou Silver makers, Atlas Mountains Morocco, Dunes of Tinfo Zagora, Koranic Library Zagora, M’hamid 4x4 Sahara Desert Tour, M’hamid Morocco Travel, Marrakesh Tour, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Morocco Vacations, Skoura, Tamagroute Village Zagora, Telouet Kasbah, Tizi N’ Tichka Pass, Tours to Morocco, Zagora 4x4 Sahara Desert Tour, Zagora Morocco Travel, Zagora Silver makers, Zaouia Zagora | Comments Off on Zagora 4×4 Sahara Desert Tour Of Amezrou & Ancient Jewish Mellah, Your M’hamid Morocco Travel Guide

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

Nomads in Bouthgrar, Tizi N’ Tichka Pass, Atlas Mountains Morocco, Morocco’s Valley of Nomads, Visiting Mount Mgoun, Visiting Morocco’s Souks, Holiday Travel in Morocco, Travel in the Dades Valley, Travel in Skoura, Dades Valley Pins, Skoura’s one-thousand Kasbahs, Kasbahs in Skoura, 4×4 Travel in Morocco, 4×4 Travel in Morocco’s Sahara, Snow capped Atlas Mountains, Morocco Travel, Tours to Morocco, Morocco Vacations, Morocco Holidays

Tags: 4x4 Travel in Morocco, 4x4 Travel in Morocco's Sahara, Atlas Mountains Morocco, Dades Valley Pins, Holiday Travel in Morocco, Kasbahs in Skoura, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Morocco Vacations, Morocco's Valley of Nomads, Nomads in Bouthgrar, Skoura's one-thousand Kasbahs, Snow capped Atlas Mountains, Tizi N' Tichka Pass, Tours to Morocco, Travel in Skoura, Travel in the Dades Valley, Visiting Morocco's Souks, Visiting Mount Mgoun
Posted in 4x4 Travel in Morocco, 4x4 Travel in Morocco's Sahara, Atlas Mountains Morocco, Dades Valley Pins, Holiday Travel in Morocco, Kasbahs in Skoura, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Morocco Vacations, Morocco's Valley of Nomads, Nomads in Bouthgrar, Skoura's one-thousand Kasbahs, Snow capped Atlas Mountains, Tizi N' Tichka Pass, Tours to Morocco, Travel in Skoura, Travel in the Dades Valley, Visiting Morocco's Souks, Visiting Mount Mgoun | Comments Off on A Nomads Destiny, Traveling In Bouthgrar Mount Mgoun Moroccos Valley of Nomads, Your Morocco Travel Guide

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

For a complete more information on Morocco’s best Restaurants and Travel Exploration Morocco

Best restaurants in Marrakech, Best restaurants in Fes, Best restaurants in Essaouira, Best restaurants in Morocco, Restaurants in Marrakech, Restaurants in Fes, Restaurants in Essaouira, Where to eat in Marrakech, Where to eat in Fes, Where to eat in Essaouira, Where to eat in Morocco, Marrakech haute cuisine, Fes haute cuisine, Essaouira haute cuisine, 4×4 Travel to Morocco’s best restaurants, Dining experience in Marrakech, Dining experience in Fes, Dining Experience in Essaouira, Marrakech restaurants, Fes restaurants, Essaouira restaurants, Morocco restaurant guide, Marrakech restaurant guide, Fes restaurant guide, Fes restaurant guide, Morocco Travel, Tours to Morocco, Morocco Vacations, Morocco Holidays

Morocco Sahara Desert Dream Tour, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Saturday, December 19th, 2009

Upon first sight of the Moroccan Sahara Desert, one can wonder if it is a grain of utopia or perhaps a miracle created by god. For those who are not believers then let’s just say that one must, in their lifetime have tea in the Sahara. The Sahara desert is itself a character in The Sheltering Sky a novel written by the prolific writer and composer Paul Bowles. For centuries explorers have been seeking to discover the Moroccan Sahara. Almost a century ago, a young administrator in the British Colonial Service decided to take 1,500-mile adventure trek across an ancient, deadly slave route in Africa’s Sahara desert. Hanns Vischer then published a book about this British Colonial’s journey, across the Sahara desert and went on to become one of the most famed explorers of his era.

Sahara Desert Dream

The Sahara desert is in the Zagora region of Morocco and extends far into Algeria and across North Africa. Its border has been controversial for years with the Saharawi’s screaming for their independence. Recently Aminatou Haidar, a Saharwi woman and human rights activiest of El-Aajun, the capital of Morocco’s Western Sahara Desert held a hunger strike.

Morocco’s Sahara desert has been the curiosity of foreigners and a penchant to be traveled in on camel trek, landrover and 4×4. Whether you have only 5 days in Morocco, one week in Morocco or vacation time of two-weeks in Morocco, a trekking adventure to the Sahara desert is a life changing experience.

Bivouac-Sahara-Desert

Beginning a tour from Ouarzazate, the door to the Sahara desert is truly the best use of time and offers an easy trip with less time spend in a 4×4 to the Sahara. When visiting the Sahara desert from Ouarzazate, it is advised to first take time to see the Kasbahs of Ouarzazate, Ait Benhaddou and Kasbah Taouirt, it’s famous CLA Atlas Film Studios, the Oasis of Fint and then head to discover the Skoura palmary and spend a night at a majestic traditional Moroccan Riad that overlooks the palmary of Skoura with the backdrop of Mount Mgoun. If one continues their journey fully then Zagora would be the next stop and even visiting a Berber family in the High Atlas Mountains that bridge between the Sahara. A Sahara Dream journey should also include a visit to Merzouga’s Erg Chebbi dunes. The Erg Chebbi Dunes rise across the Sahara in heaps and their golden, delicately woven granules that lay their quietly offer peace to those who watch them from sunrise to sunset or trek by camel across them at dawn or dusk.

Mount-Mgoun

MOROCCO SAHARA DESERT DREAM TOUR – TEA IN THE SAHARA

DAY 1: OUARZAZATE

►Reception at the airport and transfer to your hotel. After breakfast and relaxing at your hotel, visit Kasbah Taouirt.

►Kasbah Taouirt 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 its 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.

►After visiting Kasbah Taouirt, return to your hotel in Ouarzazate for a relaxing afternoon by the pool or ask your guide about an extending your tour to the souk. At the souk you will have the opportunity to take in the smells of local spices such as Cumin, Saffron and Cinnamon as well as Berber amber and musk while visiting small caftan and Moroccan Baboosh (shoe) shops.

►Dinner at your Moroccan Riad in Ouarzaztae or the option to enjoy couscous or a tajine at a local restaurant in Ouarzazate’s city center.

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 & 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-Draâ 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.

► Your guide will share the fascinating history of Aït Benhaddou which once served as the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh 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. 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 Benhaddou and enjoy a traditional Moroccan meal. After lunch, browse the village shops then climb back in the comfortable air-conditioned/heated 4×4 and head to the village of Tamadaght.

►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. Then tour the surrounding area where date palm oases and dramatic desert scenery is 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 – ERFOUND – MERZOUGA

►Rise early, and drive to Merzouga passing the unusual flora and fauna of the Sahara. Cross Erfoud, the capital of fossils.

►You will find the Erg Chebbi Dunes at 22 km long, (North-South) 5 km and 150 meters high. Considered by many to be the largest dunes in the Sahara, the dunes constantly shift due to the considerable desert winds. The locals believe that these dunes were sent as a punishment for turning away a weary traveler from the desert. They say that after they sent away this traveler, the gods made the dunes pile up right outside their town; to teach them a lesson and to never send away weary men and women ever again.

►Have dinner and spend the night in the Sahara in a biouvac tent by the Erg Chebbi dunes.

DAY 4: MERZOUGA – N’KOB

►Rise early. Your camels await you for a trip across the Erg Chebbi Dunes.

►You will be taken on a 2 hour cruise on the back of a dromedary into the dunes to camp overnight at an oasis. Your Tuareg guide will share some of the Sahara Deserts’ secrets. As you glide across humpback on these silent, mystical dunes there will be countless opportunities to photograph the endless rolling sand dunes that appear before you in heaps for thousands of miles. You will witness the sunrise across the east over the dunes.

►You will Upon return from your trek, enjoy a quiet breakfast and then continue your adventure within the Sahara desert.

►Depart Merzouga and ride across the palm groves to visit the ksours along the kasbah studded road to Rissani. The 19th century Abbar Ksar, once a residence to Alounite princes and the Oulad Abdelhamin Ksar, built for the brother of Sultan Moulay Hassan, is popular to visit. Also interesting to see is the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif where the father of the founder of the Alouite Dynasty is buried.

►We will arrive to Rissani, an ancient capital for the Alaouite Sultans and the most important market town for Sub-Sahara camel caravans was built on the ruins of Sijilmassa. Stop in Rissani for a lunch and visit its souks where stalls are piled high with pyramids of dates, vegetables, spices, rugs, carpets, pottery, jewelry and metalwork.

►The Rissani souk is one of the most famous in the area and surrounded by donkeys, mules, sheep and goats enclosed in corrals. After a tour of Rissani, we are off to Alnif. Alnif is known for its rocks, fossils and minerals found in shops along the roadside Trilobites are the areas main export.

►Pass by Alnif and head towards to N’kob. Dinner 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 dinner, sip mint tea and rest at the local Riad Ksar Jenna. Ksar Jenna is 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 – ZAGORA – OUARZAZATE

►Have breakfast and then drive to Zagora for your one-day excursion to this quiet Saharian desert town.

► 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 visit the Dunes of Tinfo, which 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. We will also 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 then return to Ouarzazate.

►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.

►Arrive in Ouarzazate, have tea or a drink at a local hotel with views of Kasbah Tifiltoute, then dine at a local restaurant and spend the night at a Riad in Ouarzazate.

DAY 6: OUARZAZATE

►Departure from Ouarzazate. This ends your Morocco Travel experience.

For More information about Sahara Desert Short Breaks & Excursions to Morocco on Travel Exploration

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit 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.

Sahara Desert Tours, Sahara Desert Dream Tour, Desert Dream, Short Breaks to the Sahara, Atlas Film Studios, Ouarzazate Hollywood of Morocco, Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, Tour of Southern Morocco, M’hamid Dunes Sahara Desert, Erg Chegaga Dunes, Zagora Dunes of Tinfo, Tea in the Sahara, Camel Trek, Sahara Tours to Ouarzazate, Sahara Tours to Zagora, 5 Days in Morocco, Sahara Tours 4×4, 4×4 Morocco, 4×4 Sahara Tours from Ouarzazate, Sahara Atlas Tours, Morocco Travel, Tours to Morocco, Morocco Vacations, Morocco Holidays

Tags: 4x4 Morocco, 4x4 Sahara Tours from Ouarzazate, 5 Days in Morocco, Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, Atlas Film Studios, Camel Trek, Desert Dream, Erg Chegaga Dunes, M’hamid Dunes Sahara Desert, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Morocco Vacations, Ouarzazate Hollywood of Morocco, Sahara Atlas Tours, Sahara Desert Dream Tour, Sahara Desert Tours, Sahara Tours 4x4, Sahara Tours to Ouarzazate, Sahara Tours to Zagora, Short Breaks to the Sahara, Tea in the Sahara, Tour of Southern Morocco, Tours to Morocco, Zagora Dunes of Tinfo
Posted in 4x4 Morocco, 4x4 Sahara Tours from Ouarzazate, 5 Days in Morocco, Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, Atlas Film Studios, Camel Trek, Desert Dream, Erg Chegaga Dunes, M’hamid Dunes Sahara Desert, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Morocco Vacations, Ouarzazate Hollywood of Morocco, Sahara Atlas Tours, Sahara Desert Dream Tour, Sahara Desert Tours, Sahara Tours 4x4, Sahara Tours to Ouarzazate, Sahara Tours to Zagora, Short Breaks to the Sahara, Tea in the Sahara, Tour of Southern Morocco, Tours to Morocco, Zagora Dunes of Tinfo | Comments Off on Morocco Sahara Desert Dream Tour, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Short Breaks & Excursions to Morocco’s Sahara Desert, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Sunday, December 6th, 2009

The Sahara Desert is one of the top Morocco travel destinations for westerners. If you are traveling to Morocco for the holiday season or for a long needed vacation, a short break or excursion to Morocco’s Sahara Desert should be top on your list! Here is a list of the 5 most important things to consider when traveling to the Sahara plus an overview of various Moroccan tour itineraries to the Sahara Desert.

The Top 5 Things To Consider When Planning Your Sahara Desert Short Break or Excursion:

#1: Morocco’s Sahara Desert is wide and vast. When traveling by 4×4 in Morocco on a Sahara Desert Trek make sure to give yourself at least 4 days from Marrakech or Fes to guarantee a full Sahara experience. If you are willing to begin your Sahara Desert tour from Ouarzazate then a 2 or 3 Days Sahara adventure is plenty of time.

#2: There are three parts of the Sahara Desert that are most traveled by westerners for a Sahara Desert excursion or short break. The Top Sahara destinations and dunes are:

– Merzouga (Erg Chebbi Dunes)

– M’hamid (Erg Chegaga Dunes)

– Zagora (Dunes of Tinfo)

#3: The best time to travel Morocco’s Sahara Desert is in spring or fall. The season of spring when it is best to travel in Morocco’s Sahara begins on or around March 10^th – May 15^th and the season of fall when it is best to travel Morocco’s Sahara begins on or around September 15^th – October 31^st. The best months to travel to Morocco’s Sahara in each season depends on the annual weather forecast. Traveling off season in the Sahara such as in the months of winter, summer, spending Christmas in the Sahara Desert or New Years Eve in a bivouac in the Sahara are definite options but require additional travel gear and patience with Morocco’s summer heat and winter’s cooler weather.

#4: Morocco’s Sahara Desert requires minimal travel gear regardless of the season. Listed below is a recommended short list of what to bring when traveling to Morocco’s Sahara region of Merzouga, M’hamid or Zagora. For a fully detailed list of Morocco Travel Gear

– Brimmed hat, Visor, Hat, or Headscarf

– Windbreaker or warm sweater for cooler months and evening weather when the Sahara Desert cools off

– Travel Footwear: broken in sneakers or hiking shoes, sandals, socks

– Sunscreen (SPF 30 + )

– Sunglasses

– Camera & Electronic Gear for Sahara photography

– Personal Identification (Passport, Drivers license or Visa

– Moroccan Dirhams (you can request Moroccan currency (the dirham) when you arrive or your Travel Exploration Morocco guide can assist with this.

#5: Morocco boasts three fabulous parts of the Sahara. These Saharan destinations are Merzouga, M’hamid and Zagora. All three destinations offer a unique Sahara Desert experience by camel trek or in 4×4. For the die hard Sahara Desert fans, a visit to M’hamid’s Erg Chegaga Dunes which are the furthest point in the Sahara and align the border of Algeria are a must see. For a Sahara Desert adventure to the most majestic and golden dunes visit the Erg Chebbi Dunes in Merzouga which are the most popular and will not disappoint. For those who want a Sahara Desert adventure that will enable you to see slightly smaller dunes and a thriving Sahara town, its pottery cooperative, Tamagroute and a spiritual Zaouia site then choose Zagora.

Various Moroccan Sahara Tour Itineraries:

– Sahara Desert Tours & Sahara Excursions from Marrakech

– Sahara Desert Tours & Sahara Excursions from Fes

– Sahara Desert Tours & Sahara Excursions from Ouarzazate

For More information about Sahara Desert Short Breaks & Excursions to Morocco on Travel Exploration

Sahara Desert Short Breaks, Sahara Desert Excursions, 4×4 Sahara Tours, What to Bring to the Sahara Desert, Sahara Desert Packing List, Merzouga Sahara Desert, M’hamid Sahara Desert, Zagora Sahara Desert, Erg Chebbi Dunes Merzouga, Erg Chegaga Dunes M’hamid, Dunes of Tinfo Zagora, Camel Trekking, Sahara Tours to Merzouga, 4×4 Sahara Tours from Marrakech, 4×4 Sahara Tours from Fes, 4×4 Sahara Tours from Ouarzazate, Morocco Travel, Tours to Morocco, Morocco Vacations, Morocco Holidays

Tags: 4×4 Sahara Tours, 4×4 Sahara Tours from Fes, 4×4 Sahara Tours from Marrakech, 4×4 Sahara Tours from Ouarzazate, Camel Trekking, Dunes of Tinfo Zagora, Erg Chebbi Dunes Merzouga, Erg Chegaga Dunes M’hamid, M’hamid Sahara Desert, Merzouga Sahara Desert, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Morocco Vacations, Sahara Desert Excursions, Sahara Desert Packing List, Sahara Desert Short Breaks, Sahara Tours to Merzouga, Tours to Morocco, What to Bring to the Sahara Desert, Zagora Sahara Desert
Posted in 4×4 Sahara Tours, 4×4 Sahara Tours from Fes, 4×4 Sahara Tours from Marrakech, 4×4 Sahara Tours from Ouarzazate, Camel Trekking, Dunes of Tinfo Zagora, Erg Chebbi Dunes Merzouga, Erg Chegaga Dunes M’hamid, M’hamid Sahara Desert, Merzouga Sahara Desert, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Morocco Vacations, Sahara Desert Excursions, Sahara Desert Packing List, Sahara Desert Short Breaks, Sahara Tours to Merzouga, Tours to Morocco, What to Bring to the Sahara Desert, Zagora Sahara Desert | Comments Off on Short Breaks & Excursions to Morocco’s Sahara Desert, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Sahara Desert Tour Circuit 4×4 & Camel Treks from Fes, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Friday, December 4th, 2009

A Sahara Desert Tour & Camel Trek from Fes to the Sahara Desert is a Morocco Travel opportunity to discover the breathtaking and majestic Erg Chebbi Dunes in the Merzouga Sahara Desert. Traveling Morocco’s Sahara Desert from Fes by 4×4 is the perfect Moroccan Sahara Tour as it offers the opportunity to see en route to Merzouga, the Ziz Valley and barbary apes in Ifrane. When considering a Sahara Tour & Camel Trek from Fes a total of 4 days is needed. The Sahara Desert Circuit in 4×4 is a short break from Marrakech and can extend your holiday through this off the beaten path Sahara journey.

Camel-Trekking-in-Sahara-Desert

On your Sahara tour from Fes to Merzouga you will have the option to visit the Ziz Valley and Ifrane. Ifrane is often referred to as little Switzerland and boasts Middle Atlas mountain views hilly roads surrounded by lush green trees. Ifrane is situated at an elevation of about 5,400 feet (1,650 metres) above sea level and caters to modern tourists and Moroccans who ski there in winter and have second homes. Ifrane is also home of the Al Akhawayn University, Morocco’s first privatized college that was modeled from an American system.

Al-Akhawayn-University

After passing through Ifrane, visiting Merzouga’s Erg Chebbi Dunes and spending a majestic Morocco travel and Sahara bivouac experience, you will then be off to visit the Boulmane Dades Valley, the Todra Gorge and Bouthgrar’s Valley of Nomads and the piste of Mount Mgoun.

Travel Exploration Morocco is an Ouarzazate Travel Agency based in New York City & Ouarzazate that offers a Sahara Tour & Camel Trek option from Fes. 4×4 Travel to Morocco’s Sahara through Travel Exploration Morocco guarantees an authentic Moroccan Sahara journey to Merzouga.

Merzouga-Sahara-Desert-Couple-On- Camel-Tuareg-Man

DAY 1: FES- IFRANE – ZIZ VALLEY- MERZOUGA

►Your Driver will pick you up at your Riad/ Hotel in Fes at 9:00am to travel to Morocco’s Sahara in a 4×4

►Departure to Merzouga Sahara Desert passing the unusual flora and fauna of the Sahara.

►Enroute to Merzouga’s Sahara Desert, we will pass Ifrane, stopping to see the cedar tree forrest and the local barbary monkeys.

▶ We will have lunch during our journey in the Ziz Valley or at another local town en route to the Sahara desert. We will continue the road to Merzouga’s Erg Chebbi Dunes and arrive before sunset.

▶ Arrive in Merzouga’s Sahara Desert, then go by dromedary camel trek for 2 hours at sunset into the Erg Chebbi Dunes to camp overnight in a Berber Biouvac tent at an oasis. Your Tuareg guide will share some of the Sahara Deserts’ secrets. As you glide across humpback on these silent, mystical dunes there will be countless opportunities to photograph the endless rolling dunes.

▶Have dinner and spend the night at a biouvac near the Oasis in the Erg Chebbi Dunes of Merzouga.

DAY 2: MERZOUGA – TODRA GORGE – BOULMANE DADES VALLEY

►Rise, have tea and break. Then take a sunrise camel trek to Merzouga center. Breakfast in Merzouga.

►Discover Merzouga by piste (windy road) and the flora and fauna of the desert. Take the road from Merzouga to Erfoud through Tinerghir and Rissani (old Saharian Desert Town).

►Continue the road by 4×4 land cruiser Morocco travel until you reach the Todra Gorge & Dadles Valley located in Morocco’s South.

►Your journey will take you through the Todra Gorge, one of the most impressive and breathtaking Gorge in Morocco.

►Lunch at the foot of the Todra Gorge.

►Then you will continue your visit in the Dadès Valley which covers 125 km between Ouarzazate and Boulmane 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 Boulmane 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 of the Dades Valley Gorge. Relax and sip mint tea while gazing at the impressive valley view.

►Moving on, your driver will continue the road towards the breathtaking Todra Gorge. The Todra Gorge is a stunning natural spectacle of pink- grey gigantic rock walls that change colors with the different times of the day. Explore the gorge by foot and make sure to photograph the beautiful ribbon of palms between the cliffs, Berber villages and ancient kasbahs and ksours.

►Have Dinner & Spend the night in the Dades Valley at a Riad/Hotel with a view.

DAY 3: BOULMANE DADES – OUARZAZATE

►Rise and have breakfast in the Boulmane Dades Valley at your Riad.

►Take the road by piste to Mount Mgoun and Bouthgrarar to discover Berber Villages in Southern Morocco. Mount Mgoun is an area in Southern Morocco where you can discover the “Road of Nomads” and the traditional families, how they live.

►Lunch in Mount Mgoun at a Moroccan auberge or within the Valley of Nomads. Take a short hike in the area, then continue the road to Ouarzazate.

►Arrive in Ouarzazate. Dinner at your Riad. Spend the night in Ouarzazate.

DAY 4: OUARZAZATE – MARRAKECH

► Rise, have breakfast at your Riad in Ouarzazate.

►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-Draâ 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.

► Your guide will share the fascinating history of Aït Benhaddou which once served as the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh 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. 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 Benhaddou and 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 road to Marrakech.

►En route to Marrakech, stop to visit the Argan Cooperative where women make Argan Oil, Argan butter and cosmetics. Have a complimentary tasting and sample the products.

►Arrive in Marrakech in the early evening. This completes your Sahara Tour & Camel Trek journey from Fes to Merzouga

►Arrive in Marrakech in the early evening. This ends your Sahara Tour & Camel

Zagora-Dunes-Of-Tinfo-Bivouac

For More information about Sahara Tours on Morocco Travel Exploration

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit 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.

Sahara Desert Tours, 4×4 Sahara Tours, Sahara Tours from Fes to Merzouga, Sahara Tours from Fes to Marrakech, Camel TrekTours from Fes to Merzouga, Camel Trek Tours from Fes to Marrakech, Sahara Tour to Erg Chebbi Dunes, Sahara Tours to Merzouga, 4×4 Sahara Tours from Fes, Camel Treks from Fes, Morocco Travel, Tours to Morocco, Morocco Vacations, Morocco Holidays

Tags: 4x4 Sahara Tours, 4x4 Sahara Tours from Fes, Camel Trek Tours from Fes to Marrakech, Camel Treks from Fes, Camel TrekTours from Fes to Merzouga, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Morocco Vacations, Sahara Desert Tours, Sahara Tour to Erg Chebbi Dunes, Sahara Tours from Fes to Marrakech, Sahara Tours from Fes to Merzouga, Sahara Tours to Merzouga, Tours to Morocco
Posted in 4x4 Sahara Tours, 4x4 Sahara Tours from Fes, Camel Trek Tours from Fes to Marrakech, Camel Treks from Fes, Camel TrekTours from Fes to Merzouga, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Morocco Vacations, Sahara Desert Tours, Sahara Tour to Erg Chebbi Dunes, Sahara Tours from Fes to Marrakech, Sahara Tours from Fes to Merzouga, Sahara Tours to Merzouga, Tours to Morocco | Comments Off on Sahara Desert Tour Circuit 4×4 & Camel Treks from Fes, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Sahara Desert Tours & Camel Treks from Marrakech, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Traveling Morocco’s Sahara Desert for a Morocco vacation is a once in a lifetime magical experience. When considering a Sahara Tour & Camel Trek from Marrakech there are several Sahara Tour options. Travel Exploration Morocco is an Ouarzazate Travel Agency based in New York City & Ouarzazate that offers three different Sahara Tour & Camel Trek itineraries from Marrakech. 4×4 Travel to Morocco’s Sahara through Travel Exploration Morocco guarantees an authentic Moroccan Sahara journey.

Morocco’s Sahara Desert accounts for over 9,000,000 square kilometers (3,500,000 square miles) and stretches across a vast and luminous piece of land. The rolling Dunes in Morocco’s Sahara Desert give way to a unique Sahara experience through their golden waves of sand. Morocco’s Sahara also has a variety of flora and fauna that is indigenous to desert terrain. Each part of the Moroccan Sahara guarantees a completely unique desert experience.

Erg-Chebbi-Merzouga-Sahara-Golden- Dunes

When traveling to Morocco’s Sahara the three options are:

The Erg Chebbi Dunes of Merzouga

The Erg Chegaga Dunes in M’hamid

The Dunes of Tinfo in Zagora

The Erg Chebbi Dunes of Merzouga can be reached by beginning your Sahara Tour in Marrakech and then driving through Ouarzazate, to Rissani with a final destination of Merzouga. Merzouga is a small village 35 kilometers southeast of Rissani, 45 kilometers from Erfoud and 25 kilometers from the border of Algeria. Merzouga is famous for the Erg Chebbi dunes and boasts the largest body of water in Morocco.

The Erg Chegaga Dunes in M’hamid are another option when planning a Sahara trek from Marrakech. M’hamid is the furthest point of the Moroccan Sahara and is often referred to as the more “authentic Sahara desert.” European and British foreigners have shown more interest in the last century in Sahara treks to M’hamid while American foreigners tend to prefer Merzouga.

Visiting the Dunes of Tinfo in Zagora just an hour before M’hamid offers a Sahara trek option within the Saharan Desert town. When planning a camel trek to Zagora this also leaves an opportunity to discover the region’s Draa Valley, the Tamagroute Pottery Cooperative and ancient Zaouia Spiritual Site.

Whichever Sahara Desert Tour & Camel Trek from Marrakech you choose, the Moroccan Sahara guarantees a majestic and intimate experience.

Family-Sahara-Desert-Trek-Tour

4×4 SAHARA TOUR FROM MARRAKECH TO MERZOUGA’S ERG CHEBBI DUNES

DAY 1: MARRAKECH – MERZOUGA

►Your Driver will pick you up at your Riad/ Hotel in Marrakech at 9:00am to travel to Morocco’s Sahara in a 4×4.

►Departure from Marrakech to Merzouga Sahara Desert.

►En route from Marrakech to Merzouga, stop to visit the Argan Cooperative where women make Argan Oil, Argan butter and cosmetics. Have a complimentary tasting and sample the products.

►Stop for Lunch in the Tizzin Tichka Pass, which boasts breathtaking views of

the Tichka region as you continue your journey to the Sahara Desert.

▶ Arrive in Merzouga, then go by dromedary camel trek for 2 hours at sunset into the Erg Chebbi Dunes to camp overnight in a Berber Biouvac tent at an oasis. Your Tuareg guide will share some of the Sahara Deserts’ secrets. As you glide across humpback on these silent, mystical dunes there will be countless opportunities to photograph the endless rolling dunes.

▶Have dinner by an Oasis in the Erg Chebbi Dunes of Merzouga. Spend the night at a bivouac near the Oasis in the Erg Chebbi Dunes in a bivouac tent under the stars.

DAY 2: MERZOUGA – OUARZAZATE

►Rise, have tea and bread. Then take a sunrise camel trek from the Erg Chebbi Dunes in the Sahara Desert to Merzouga center. Breakfast in Merzouga Sahara Desert.

►Discover Merzouga by piste (windy road) and the flora and fauna of the

Sahara Desert. Take the road from Merzouga to Erfoud through Tinerghir and Rissani (old Saharian Desert Town).

►Visit the Rissani souk, which is one of the most famous in the area and surrounded by donkeys, mules, sheep and goats enclosed in corrals. After a tour of Rissani, we are off to Alnif. Alnif is known for its rocks, fossils and minerals found in shops along the roadside Trilobites are the areas main export.

►Continue the road from Merzouga’s Sahara Desert through Rissani, until you reach the Berber Village of Ait Ouzzine nestled in the High Atlas Mountains just 5 kilometers from N’kob.

►Lunch will be served to you in Aït Ouzzine, Morocco 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. Explore the Berber Village. Watch them make bread. Have your feet and hands with henna and see how the traditional and original people of Morocco live.

►Have your hands and feet painted with henna in Ait Ouzzine, Morocco by a Moroccan woman who specializes in the tradition of henna and experience the Berbers making of Berber perfume.

►Tea and Almonds for an afternoon snack. Then continue the road to Ouarzazate. Arrive in Ouarzazate, have dinner at your Riad.

►Spend the night at a beautiful Riad in Ouarzazate that has a terrace and views.

DAY 3: OUARZAZATE – MARRAKECH

►Rise and have breakfast at your Riad in Ouarzazate. Visit Spices Maria a spice souk nearby and option for a rose or almond oil massage prior to your departure to Marrakech.

►Take the road by piste to visit the picturesque village of Aït Benhaddou located 32 km from Ouarzazate. Aït Benhaddou is situated in Souss-Massa-Draâ 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.

►After lunch, we will depart Aït Benhaddou and take the road to Marrakech.

►Arrive in Marrakech in the early evening. This ends your Sahara Tour & Camel Trek to Merzouga in Morocco’s Sahara Desert

Mhamid-Sahara-Desert

4×4 SAHARA TOUR FROM MARRAKECH TO M’HAMID’S ERG CHEGAGA DUNES

DAY 1: MARRAKECH – SKOURA – ZAGORA

►Your Driver will pick you up at your Riad/ Hotel in Marrakech at 9:00am to travel to Morocco’s Sahara in a 4×4.

►Departure from Marrakech to M’hamid Sahara Desert.

►En route from Marrakech to Merzouga, stop to visit the Argan Cooperative where women make Argan Oil, Argan butter and cosmetics. Have a complimentary tasting and sample the products.

►Stop for Lunch in the Tizzin Tichka Pass which boasts breathtaking views of

the Tichka region as you continue your journey to the Sahara Desert.

▶Stop in the Skoura Palmary to visit the Amirdhil Kasbah.

▶Take the road by piste through the Draa Valley to discover the old road of Moroccan caravans.

►Then continue the road through the Draa Valley to the town of Zagora, the door of the Sahara. Arrive in Zagora and you have the option to spend the night in either a bivouac tent in the Sahara or in a Riad Hotel within a beautiful palmery.

DAY 2: ZAGORA – M’HAMID

►Rise, have breakfast in your Riad in Zagora, then take the road to visit Tamagroute.

►Visit the village of Tamergroute in the Sahara Desert known for it’s a potter’s cooperative (making forest green, glazed pottery) ksars and kasbahs as well as the prestigious Zaouia Nacri. The Zaouia Nacri is a 17th century Islamic academic center was built by Mohammed Bou Nasri and made Tamergroute the most important settlement in the Draâ Valley.

►Visit the Zaouia’s library where you can see illuminated Korans, animal hides, 12th century works on mathematics, medicine and history. Then take the road to Visit the Sahara Desert’s Dunes of Tinfo and see the old sign where the caravans took the road to Timbuktu.

►Explore the town of Zagora and the Amazrou village. Walk through the desert gardens that lead to the old Jewish kasbah, La Kasbah des Juifs. Visit workshops of the local Muslim Berbers who have continued the Jewish tradition of silver jewelry making, after the exodus of the Jews.

►Take the road by piste to visit the Sahara Desert’s Dunes of Tinfo.

►Enjoy lunch in Zagora.

►Arrive in M’hamid and take a sunset camel trek from the city to the M’hamid Erg Chegaga Dunes.

►Dinner in M’hamid. Spend the night in Erg Chegaga Dunes.

DAY 3: December 30th – M’HAMID – AIT OUZZINE- OUARZAZATE

►Rise, have tea and bread. Then take a sunrise camel trek across the Erg Chegaga Dunes to M’hamid center.

► Spend the day exploring M’hamid and enjoying the Sahara’s flora and fauna.

►Have your hands and feet painted with henna in Ait Ouzzine, Morocco by a Moroccan woman who specializes in the tradition of henna and experience the Berbers making of Berber perfume.

►Tea and Almonds for an afternoon snack. Then continue the road to Ouarzazate. Arrive in Ouarzazate, have dinner at your Riad.

DAY 4: OUARZAZATE – MARRAKECH

►Rise and have breakfast at your Riad in Ouarzazate. Visit Spices Maria a spice souk nearby and option for a rose or almond oil massage prior to your departure to Marrakech.

►Take the road by piste to visit the picturesque village of Aït Benhaddou located 32 km from Ouarzazate. Aït Benhaddou is situated in Souss- Massa-Draâ 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.

►After lunch, we will depart Aït Benhaddou and take the road to Marrakech.

►Arrive in Marrakech in the early evening. This ends your Sahara Tour & Camel Trek to M’hamid in Morocco’s Sahara Desert.

Dunes-of-Tinfo-Camel-Sahara-Experience

4×4 SAHARA TOUR FROM MARRAKECH TO ZAGORA’S DUNES OF TINFO

DAY 1: MARRAKECH – SKOURA – ZAGORA

►Your Driver will pick you up at your Riad/ Hotel in Marrakech at 9:00am to travel to Morocco’s Sahara in a 4×4.

►Departure from Marrakech to M’hamid Sahara Desert.

►En route from Marrakech to Merzouga, stop to visit the Argan Cooperative where women make Argan Oil, Argan butter and cosmetics. Have a complimentary tasting and sample the products.

►Stop for Lunch in the Tizzin Tichka Pass which boasts breathtaking views of

the Tichka region as you continue your journey to the Sahara Desert.

▶Stop in the Skoura Palmary to visit the Amirdhil Kasbah.

▶Take the road by piste through the Draa Valley to discover the old road of Moroccan caravans.

DAY 2: ZAGORA

►Rise, have breakfast in your Riad in Zagora, then take the road to visit Tamagroute.

►Enjoy lunch in Zagora.

►Take the road by piste to visit the Sahara Desert’s Dunes of Tinfo. Sunset camel trek across the Dunes of Tinfo.

►Dinner at the foot of the Dunes of Tinfo in Zagora, near your bivouac.

DAY 3: ZAGORA – OUARZAZATE

►Rise, have breakfast, then take the road to the village of Ait Ouzzine located in the High Atlas Mountains and in Morocco’s heart of the Draa Valley.

►Explore the village of Ait Ouzzine, N’kob Morocco and see how a traditional Berber, Moroccan family lives. Visit their gardens, wheat and henna fields, farming community and meet other members of the Moroccan village. Have an up close Morocco Sahara travel experience.

►Have your hands and feet painted with henna in Ait Ouzzine, Morocco by a Moroccan woman who specializes in the tradition of henna and experience the Berbers making of Berber perfume.

►Tea and Almonds for an afternoon snack. Then continue the road to Ouarzazate. Arrive in Ouarzazate, have dinner at your Riad.

DAY 4: OUARZAZATE – MARRAKECH

►Rise and have breakfast at your Riad in Ouarzazate. Visit Spices Maria a spice souk nearby and option for a rose or almond oil massage prior to your departure to Marrakech.

►Take the road by piste to visit the picturesque village of Aït Benhaddou located 32 km from Ouarzazate. Aït Benhaddou is situated in Souss- Massa-Draâ 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.

►After lunch, we will depart Aït Benhaddou and take the road to Marrakech.

►Arrive in Marrakech in the early evening. This ends your Sahara Tour & Camel Trek to Zagora’s Dunes of Tinfo Morocco’s Sahara Desert

Camel-Trekking-in- Merzouga

More information about Sahara Tours on Morocco Travel Exploration

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit 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.

Sahara Desert Tours, 4×4 Sahara Tours, Sahara Tours from Marrakech to Merzouga, Sahara Tours from Marrakech to M’hamid, Sahara Tours from Marrakech to Zagora, Ouarzazate Travel Agency, Sahara Tour to Erg Chebbi Dunes, Sahara Tours to Erg Chegaga Dunes, Sahara Tours to the Dunes of Tinfo, 4×4 Sahara Tours from Marrakech, Camel Treks from Marrakech, Morocco Travel, Tours to Morocco, Morocco Vacations, Morocco Holidays

Join Morocco Travel On Facebook- Your Morocco Tour Guide

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

Join Morocco Travel on Facebook

Become a Fan of Morocco Travel on Facebook. Morocco Travel is Travel Exploration Morocco’s Facebook page where Moroccan fans can discover and share the “Best of Morocco” through stories and photographs. The Morocco Travel Facebook page enables you to engage with other Moroccan Travelers and share your stories and experiences of Morocco. You can even book a tour with Travel Exploration Morocco or email us a question at alecia@travel-exploration.com

Travel Exploration Morocco’s tourism division is dedicated to tailor-made tours for single women traveling alone to Morocco, students, couples, as well as group and private travel to Morocco. Travel Exploration Morocco donates 5% of its proceeds to SAVE A VILLAGE, an organization that supports water irrigation and provides food to families in Berber villages of Southern Morocco.

Visit Morocco Travel’s Wall of Photographs on Facebook

Morocco Travel Tajines in Morocco Photographs

Morocco Travel Tea in the Sahara Photographs

Morocco Travel Traditional Moroccan Wedding Photographs

Morocco Travel Women in Morocco Making Argan Oil, Argan Butter & Cosmetics Photographs

Morocco Travel Tarodaunt the Mini Marrakech Photographs

For more information about Morocco Travel on Facebook

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit 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.

Morocco Travel on Facebook, Your Morocco Tour Guide, Morocco Travel Tea in the Sahara Photographs, Morocco Travel Traditional Moroccan Wedding Photographs, Morocco Travel Women in Morocco Making Argan Oil, Morocco Travel Taradount, Morocco Travel Tour Guide, Morocco Travel, Morocco Vacations, Tours to Morocco

Tags: Morocco Travel, Morocco Travel on Facebook, Morocco Travel Taradount, Morocco Travel Tea in the Sahara Photographs, Morocco Travel Tour Guide, Morocco Travel Traditional Moroccan Wedding Photographs, Morocco Travel Women in Morocco Making Argan Oil, Morocco Vacations, Tours to Morocco, Your Morocco Tour Guide
Posted in Morocco Travel, Morocco Travel on Facebook, Morocco Travel Taradount, Morocco Travel Tea in the Sahara Photographs, Morocco Travel Tour Guide, Morocco Travel Traditional Moroccan Wedding Photographs, Morocco Travel Women in Morocco Making Argan Oil, Morocco Vacations, Tours to Morocco, Your Morocco Tour Guide | Comments Off on Join Morocco Travel On Facebook- Your Morocco Tour Guide

Morocco Travel Update: King Mohammed VI Travels to Ouarzazate & US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Travels to Marrakech, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

Morocco Travel Update: King Mohammed VI Travels to Ouarzazate & US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Travels to Marrakech, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Morocco Travel News, King Mohammed VI of Morocco visited the Ouarzazate region today, passing through the main street, Rue Mohammed VI. The King was in the Saharian town of Errachidia prior to his arrival in Ouarzazate. King Mohammed VI of Morocco’s final destination for the day was his villa in The Royal Golf, juxtaposed near Lake El Mansour.

King-Mohammed-VI-Morocco

The Royal Golf borders Lake El Mansour, a lush, beautiful area just 20 kilometers outside Ouarzazate. Lake El Mansour is worth a visit on any Moroccan travelers vacation to the Ouarzazate region. There is a luxurious Moroccan modern Kasbah Hotel called the Royal Golf Sultana, owned by a lovely French couple (Veronique and her husband) who built this magnificent, palatial modern Kasbah overlooking Lake El Mansour. The Royal Golf Sultana is worth a one or two night stay during an Ouarzazate tour and an ideal place to relax.

Riad-Golf-Sultana

When traveling to the Ouarzazate region of Lake El Mansour one can feel like he/she is in Lugano on the Swiss, Italian border. Home to Ait Benhaddou Kasbah – a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Dades Valley, the Todra Gorge (Gorge of Todra), the Valley of Roses, the Skoura Palmary, and the Draa Valley by far any Moroccan traveler can discern that the Ouarzazate region offers many unlimited Morocco travel opportunities.

Kasbah-Ruins-Ait-Benhaddou-Morocco

This day in also marked another set of Moroccan travel news. America and Morocco continue their celebration in good historical relations with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s arrival in Marrakech, Morocco. Hillary Clinton’s visit to Marrakech, Morocco makes this visit to the Maghreb the final leg of her twelve-day North African peace effort tour. Hillary Clinton’s visit to Morocco is part of a diplomatic mission to relaunch the stalled Middle East peace process. Clinton’s visit to Marrakech includes a visit on both Monday and Tuesday with her Arab counterparts attending the sixth Forum for the Future, jointly organized by Morocco and Italy. Clinton travelled to Morocco on Sunday after talks in the Middle East with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The United States is pushing hard for both sides to resume peace negotiations, which were suspended after the Israeli offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in December 2008. The Middle East situation and furthering dialogue between the West and the Islamic world will be the two main themes at a dinner Forum on Monday evening. The Forum for the Future is a joint initiative between the Group of Eight industrial powers and some 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, along with the European Commission and the Arab League.

Ouarzazate-Day-Of King-Mohammed-VI-Arrival

Hillary Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea visited the Sahara region in March 2009 for weekend camel-riding trip in the Sahara desert.The legend of Hillary Clinton in Morocco is a long one and according to African Travel Magazine, Hillary Clinton’s family heritage is from Morocco.African Travel Magazine states, Hillary’s grandfather, a Moroccan Jew living in Rissani, married an American woman, and then immigrated to the U.S.A.” According to the correspondent “Hillary Clinton visited her grandfather’s home in Rissani and along with Morocco’s King’s sister Lalla Myriem visited the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Chérif – forbidden to non-Muslims.” “At the same time during this trip Hillary Clinton, she also visited her sister’s daughter who is married to a Berber tourist guide and lives in the Atlas Mountains.”

Camel-Trekking-in-Merzouga

Morocco and the United States have a long history of friendly relations. As a North African nation Morocco was one of the first states to seek diplomatic relations with America. In 1777, Sultan Sidi Muhammad Ben Abdullah, considered one of the most progressive of the Barbary leaders who ruled Morocco from 1757 to 1790, announced his desire for friendship with the United States. The Sultan’s overture was part of a new policy he was implementing as a result of his recognition of the need to establish peaceful relations with the Christian powers and his desire to establish trade as a basic source of revenue. Faced with serious economic and political difficulties, he was searching for a new method of governing which required changes in his economy. Instead of relying on a professional army to collect taxes and enforce his authority, he wanted to establish state-controlled maritime trade as a more reliable, and regular source of income, which would free him from dependency on the services of the standing army. The opening of his ports to the United States of America and other states was part of that new policy. The Sultan issued a declaration on December 20, 1777, announcing that all vessels sailing under the American flag could freely enter Moroccan ports. By issuing this declaration, Morocco became one of the first states to acknowledge publicly the independence of the American Republic.

King-Mohammed-V- Morocco

King Hassan II of Morocco, the father of King Mohammed VI has been considered by thousands of Israelis as “their” king. Many Moroccan Jews fled whom consider the king to be a direct descendent of the Muslim prophet Mohammad.    Hassan took power in 1961 after the death of his father, Mohammed V. When Hassan ascended to the throne, he was an unknown quantity with a reputation as a playboy. But ruling with a deft mixture of pro-Western democracy and traditional autocracy, he earned the respect of his people. He also survived several coup attempts.

Mohammed V was widely credited with having saved Morocco’s Jews from deportation during World War II, and Hassan continued the philo-Semitic policies of his father. Although there was an outbreak of anti-Jewish incidents following the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, the Jewish community was generally safe under the protection of both Mohammed V and Hassan II.

For more information about Morocco Travel to Ouarzazate

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit 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.

Morocco Travel Update, King Mohammed VI, Mohammed VI Travels to Ouarzazate, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Travels to Marrakech, Morocco, Ouarzazate Travel Opportunities, Lake El Mansour, Royal Golf Sultana, Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, Dades Valley, Draa Valley, Valley of Roses, Skoura Palmary, Todra Gorge, Morocco Travel, Tours to Morocco, Morocco Vacations, Morocco Holidays

Tags: Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, Dades Valley, Draa Valley, King Mohammed VI, Lake El Mansour, Mohammed VI Travels to Ouarzazate, morocco, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Morocco Travel Update, Morocco Vacations, Ouarzazate Travel Opportunities, Royal Golf Sultana, Skoura Palmary, Todra Gorge, Tours to Morocco, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Travels to Marrakech, Valley of Roses
Posted in Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, Dades Valley, Draa Valley, King Mohammed VI, Lake El Mansour, Mohammed VI Travels to Ouarzazate, morocco, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Morocco Travel Update, Morocco Vacations, Ouarzazate Travel Opportunities, Royal Golf Sultana, Skoura Palmary, Todra Gorge, Tours to Morocco, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Travels to Marrakech, Valley of Roses | Comments Off on Morocco Travel Update: King Mohammed VI Travels to Ouarzazate & US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Travels to Marrakech, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Essaouria Morocco Travel Excursion, The Ideal Tour of Essaouira A Seaside Resort, Private Tours from Marrakech, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

Essaouria Morocco Travel Excursion- The Ideal Tour of Essaouria’s Seaside Resort, Private Tours From Marrakech – Your Morocco Travel Guide

Essaouria Morocco is the ideal tour for a one-day excursion from Marrakech or one of the best short breaks for a two-day Marrakech excursion. For Moroccan Travelers who want to take a rest from busy Marrakech, Essaouria is the perfect place to rendezvous and enjoy an Essaouria historical tour, dine on fish by the sea and visit the old Portuguese Ramparts.

Gates-Bab-Entrance-Essaouria

Essaouria, formerly known as Mogador is located on the Western Atlantic coast of Morocco. The Director and actor Orson Welles stayed at the Hotel des Iles just south of Essaouria in the 1950’s during the time he filmed the classic version of “Othello.”

“Othello” is a film worth watching before your Essaouria tour as there is several scenes in “Othello” that were shot in Essaouira’s old labyrinthine medina. During Orson Welles stay in Essaouria he met Winston Churchill who was apparently another guest at Hotel des Iles. Winston Churchill was also a guest at the La Mamounia Hotel & Palace in Marrakech. In fact today, there is still a Winston Churchill dedicated room at La Mamounia that Moroccan travelers can visit on a one-day tour to Marrakech.

Orson-Welles

Essaouira is a city of culture and boasts many small art galleries in addition to Moroccan woodworking shops and metalsmiths. Since 1998, the Gnaoua Festival of World Music has been held annually in Essaouira. The Gnaoua Festival of World music typically takes place the last week of each June. While the Gnaoua Festival of World music has a main focus of World music it also includes rock, jazz, regga and world music. Referred to as the the “Moroccan Woodstock” Essaouria’s Gnaoua Festival lasts four days and attracts an audience of over 500,000 people to its seaside resort each year.

Gnaoua-Musician-Festival-Essaouria

Travel Exploration’s Essaouria Morocco Travel Itinerary

The Essaouria Ideal Tour Itinerary for a one-day excursion from Marrakech:

►Depart from your hotel in Marrakech. Travel to Morocco’s seaside resort, Essaorira for the day.

► Visit this eighteenth-century seaside medieval town that boasts lovely whitewashed 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 and its expansive beach for surfing called Plage de Safi.

►A stroll along the town’s sunlit pedestrian main square, Place Prince Moulay el Hassan and the Skala du Port, the fishing harbor offers breathtaking views of the Portuguese ramparts. Explore the ramparts and the spice and jewelry souks.

Portuguese-Ramparts-on-Water-Essaouira

►Have lunch at the fish-grill cafes, with wooden tables and benches laid out overlooking the sea that was once- in the nineteenth century- the only Moroccan port traveled to south of Tangier.

►After lunch visit Orson Welles’ Square and memorial, designed by Samir Mustapha, one of the towns artists, which pays homage to Orson Welles filming of Othello in Essouaria.

►Essaouira, is a city that reminds us of the times when Spain, Portugal and England fought to maintain control over its coasts. It is a typically Portuguese harbor with beautiful architecture as an example of Moorish and Portuguese arts. Essaouira is known for its artists who work on thuja, its silver market, the art gallery and the harbor.

Essaouira-Fishing-Boats

►End your day with a short walk on the beach and then return to Marrakech.

For those Moroccan Travelers who wish to stay extend their Essaouria Tour for another day or two, spend the night at one of Essaouria’s beautiful Riads with views of the sea or at Ryad Mogador, a famous hotel just outside the ramparts. For more information about an extended stay, ask your Morocco Travel Guide.

Morocco Travel Recommendations From Travel Exploration – Ideal Tour One-day Excursions From Marrakech:

Ourika Valley Tour
Ouzoud Waterfalls Tour
Agadir Tour
Safi Tour
High Atlas Tichka Tour
High Atlas Toukbal Tour

For more information about an Essaouria Tour or Essaouira Excursion

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Resorts, Sahara, Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate.

Essaouria Morocco Travel, Essaouria Travel Excursion, Ideal Tour Essaouria, Essaouira One Day Tour, Essaouira Excursion, Essaouria Tour, Essaouria 4×4 Tours, Essaouria Morocco, Morocco Travel, Tours to Morocco, Morocco Vacations, Morocco Holidays

Tags: Essaouira Excursion, Essaouira One Day Tour, Essaouria 4x4 Tours, Essaouria Morocco, Essaouria Morocco Travel, Essaouria Tour, Essaouria Travel Excursion, Ideal Tour Essaouria, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Morocco Vacations, Tours to Morocco
Posted in Essaouira Excursion, Essaouira One Day Tour, Essaouria 4x4 Tours, Essaouria Morocco, Essaouria Morocco Travel, Essaouria Tour, Essaouria Travel Excursion, Ideal Tour Essaouria, Morocco Holidays, Morocco Travel, Morocco Vacations, Tours to Morocco | Comments Off on Essaouria Morocco Travel Excursion, The Ideal Tour of Essaouira A Seaside Resort, Private Tours from Marrakech, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Posts Tagged ‘Morocco Vacations’

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

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

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

Morocco Sahara Desert Dream Tour, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Short Breaks & Excursions to Morocco’s Sahara Desert, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Sahara Desert Tour Circuit 4×4 & Camel Treks from Fes, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Sahara Desert Tours & Camel Treks from Marrakech, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Join Morocco Travel On Facebook- Your Morocco Tour Guide

Join Morocco Travel on Facebook

Morocco Travel Update: King Mohammed VI Travels to Ouarzazate & US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Travels to Marrakech, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Essaouria Morocco Travel Excursion, The Ideal Tour of Essaouira A Seaside Resort, Private Tours from Marrakech, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Pages

Archives

Categories