|
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
 |
| |
 |
Day
1 - Marrakech
After
you arrive at Marrakech Menara airport,
you'll be met by your guide, assisted
through customs, and transported to your
riad. There will be an optional tour of
the Djemma el Fna, souk, and Koutoubia
Mosque, but if you'd rather just have
a drink on the rooftop and soak in the
sounds and smells of the Red City, please
do! The deep dark blue of the sky, hung
with an ivory moon, is not to be missed.
A candlelight dinner will be offered at
the riad, and then it's off to dream between
cool white sheets about tomorrow's adventures.
|
| |
Day
2 - Marrakech
In
the morning, we'll be taking our straw
baskets over to the market to buy vegetables,
spices, and meat. When we return to the
riad, Fatima (the house cook) will show
you how to prepare several traditional
Moroccan dishes, including : Zahlouk (eggplant
salad), Tajine D'jej bil Zitoun ou Citron
(chicken tajine with olives and lemons),
and Seven-Vegetable Couscous. After eating
a lunch you've prepared yourself (with
a little help!), you'll have the afternoon
free for resting or sightseeing.
|
| |
Day 3 - Ouarzazate
After
departing early in the morning from Marrakech,
we'll head east and cross the beautiful
Tiz N' Tichka pass in the High Atlas mountains.
Its greatest elevation is 6680 feet, but
we'll stop a bit lower than that at the
mountain village of Taddert for lunch.
Food somehow tastes better there, some
claim it's the fresh mountain breezes!
Continuing down the reverse side of the
pass, you'll see the landscape change
from rock houses and green hillsides to
mud kasbahs and long stretches of hamada.
(rocky desert) We'll stop for a bit of
sightseeing at Ait Ben Haddou, then continue
on to our hotel in Ouarzazate for check-in.
Later in the afternoon, just at the best
time of day for taking great pictures,
we'll visit the Kasbah Tiffoultoute outside
of town. It was once owned by the Glaoui
clan, one of the most powerful Berber
families in the area. Your guide will
explain how the kasbah was constructed,
and what the different areas were used
for. Then we'll visit the surrounding
Berber villages, which is an excellent
way to contrast old vs. modern ways of
living in the Moroccan countryside-and
if we're lucky, we may be invited inside
a home or two!
|
|
Day
4 - Todra Gorge
On
departing from Ouarzazate in the morning,
we'll be passing through a gorgeous stretch
of land from there to Boulmalne Dades.
One of the most picturesque sights are
the valleys that were once irrigated by
mighty rivers, whereas now only a trickle
flows past the palm trees and crumbling
kasbahs. When we arrive in Tinerhir, we'll
head North along the Todra valley, until
we reach our hotel in the mouth of the
Gorge. Berber women from the neighboring
village of Tizgui will arrive to escort
you to your first activity of the day,
traditional bread making. You'll make
two types of bread right alongside the
women in their rudimentary kitchen, learing
Berber words for such things as salt (tisint)
and bread (arrom). For lunch, we'll first
take a walk through the palmeries and
old Jewish quarter (mellah) of Tinerhir,
then eat warm bread, tagine, and fresh
tomato/onion salad at an old house overlooking
the valley.
|
|
Day
5- Todra Gorge
Be
ready in the morning, because the nomads
with their herds of goats won't wait long
after they've watered their animals at
the spring in front of the hotel - they'll
be escorting us five kilometers up the
valley to where two nomad families from
the Ait Mourad tribe have their winter/spring
tents located. It's an easy walk, and
some of the most amazing scenery in Morocco.
We'll have lunch at an auberge in the
heart of the Gorge, where the only sound
is the wind and the nomads calling to
their children and animals. It is possible
to stay at the auberge for the night,
or if you prefer, you can be transported
back to your hotel for the evening.
|
|
Day
6- Merzouga and the Sahara Desert
Our
destination today is the dunes of the
Sahara, where we'll stay at a desert auberge
overnight. We recommend staying outside
in the traditional Berber tent - it's
quite comfortable, and the stars are incredibly
clear. Before we arrive at the auberge,
however, we'll stop at a fossil factory
and the market at Rissani - both excellent
places for learning about local handicrafts
and buying keepsakes if desired. The Berbers
at the auberge will treat us to some traditional
music and stories, and you may even get
a drum lesson or two!
|
|
Day
7- Back to Marrakech
Before
dawn, we'll be on our camels and headed
out into the dunes to see the sun turn
the sands from pink to gold to red, all
in the brief few minutes of the sunrise.
Afterwards, we'll head back to Marrakech,
where you'll have one more relaxing night
in the riad to enjoy.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
