Big 5 African Safaris, accommodated, camping and fully escorted
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1nt camping
12nts buget hotel
Some meals
Transport in minibus, train, local bus and camel
English Speaking Guide
Visas
Item of a personal nature
Drinks and meals other than those specified
Optional activities
Tipping:
In Morocco, tipping is part of the fabric of life. Everyone constantly tips everyone else and foreign travellers are expected to comply with this system. It is part of everyday life and is a form of remuneration for doing something, regardless of the standard of service. This is quite confusing for those used to the western concept of tipping as a way of showing appreciation. Over the years we have found that most of our customers find this constant need for tipping to be both tiresome and embarrassing, especially if you don't have the correct small change. To overcome this, we have established a very successful tipping kitty system. At the beginning of the tour, your tour leader will suggest collecting a set amount from each tour member. He/she will then distribute all tips along the way, on behalf of the group, to the local guides, drivers, porters and anyone else who provides services along the way. We have surveyed thousands of our previous clients and the vast majority clearly prefer this procedure. We hope that this system will also work for you. The amount will vary from trip to trip, but it usually works out to be about the equivalent of US$3 per person per day.
Casablanca
Meknes
Fes (Medieval City)
San Dunes at Erg Chebbi
Desert Camp
Camel Ride
Todra Groge
Ait Benhaddou
Dade Valley
Marrakech
Essouira
Morocco
Your trip starts today in Casablanca. No activities are planned so you may arrive at any time. Rooms are generally available after 1.00 pm. If you have not pre-booked an arrival transfer you will find taxis available on arrival at Casablanca Airport. Make sure you agree the price before you set off into town! Your tour leader may make contact tonight, otherwise you will see him tomorrow morning at breakfast.
Meals Included: no meals
After breakfast we can make a quick visit to the impressive Mosque of Hassan II, built in 1993 by a team of over 6000 craftsmen. Located on the shores of the city it is an imposing edifice and one of the few mosques in Morocco that foreigners are allowed to enter. Later we make our way to the station where we catch the local train to Meknes, a journey of about four hours. Once here, a local guide walks us through the the old medina, one of the most picturesque in Morocco, and the rest of our day is free to explore the souk.
Meals Included: B
We continue our journey to Fes, a large, fascinating and at times confusing place, made up of three distinct ‘cities’, or quarters. From our hotel in the ‘Nouveau Ville’ (the new city, with a distinctly French character) we take taxis to the old city (Fes-El-Bali). With our local guide we walk downhill into the heart of the souk encountering a hive of activity, with people and donkeys laden with produce all jostling for space in the cramped alleyways. We visit the superb Funduk Nejjarine, a beautifully-restored lodging house, and make our way towards the Quaraouiyine Mosque, hemmed in on all sides by busy streets where hawkers sell their wares. Although the mosque is closed to foreigners we are able to catch several glimpses of its elaborate interior as we make our way through this section of the city. Rounding a corner our nostrils are assailed by the acrid smell of sheep hides as we approach one of the main tanneries, where the curing of skins and the subsequent dyeing process has been carried out since the Middle Ages. Nearby we can visit the Medersa el Attarine, built in 1323, with its beautiful courtyard and simple student accommodation. After time for lunch the rest of the day is at leisure to explore further.
Meals Included: B
Today is free to explore Fes further. Many will want to return to the old city, while others might wish to explore Fes-el-Jedid, the so-called 'New City', which dates to the 13th century. Another possibility is an optional excursion to the nearby spa town of Moulay Yacoub, a pleasant trip through picturesque countryside.
Meals Included: B
Travelling south through a variety of terrain, we reach Ifrane, a mountain resort established by the French in 1929. Further south, at Midelt, the landscape opens up and we enjoy expansive views to the west. Midelt is a fantastic place for an overnight stop. We rest here for the night, and enjoy an easy but spectacular walk.
En route to the desert, we stop at the spectacular narrow defile known as the Gorges du Ziz and then head to the large town of Er Rachidia. We pass the 500-year old ruins of the Ksar of Meski before descending into the Ziz Valley, a particularly fertile region producing figs, olives, dates and tamarisk – a fruit grown for its tannin and used in the curing of leather skins. We reach Merzouga, where we drop our main bags off at a simple Auberge before heading into the desert on camels for the magical sunset. We spend the night at a simple desert camp.
Meals Included: 2B,D
Rising early, we enjoy another fun camel ride through the sand dunes. Sunrise is a magical time of the day and we experience the amazing interplay of light as the Sahara slowly comes alive all around us. Returning to the Auberge we collect the rest of our gear and then travel west to Todra. Almost imperceptibly, a bright tablecloth of green appears before our eyes as we enter a lush valley packed with palm trees and mud-brick villages. At the top of the valley we reach our hotel and then take a short hike into the celebrated gorge where sheer cliffs rise over 1000 feet above us. We spend the night at a local hotel in the gorge.
Meals Included: B
From Todra Gorge,we travel along the ‘road of 1000 kasbahs’ and enjoy a walk in the impressive Dadres Gorge. We also stop to visit the beautiful family-owned mud-brick home at Skoura, rising like a mirage beyond a dry riverbed, and continue to the fabulous medieval mud-brick town Ait Benhaddou, at its best in the late afternoon sun. We explore the many old streets and climb up to the fortress for a superb view over the old town. We can also – for a small fee – enter one of most interesting of the old houses, climbing up to the turrets for a view over the river. We spend the night just outside the walls.
Meals Included: BD
We continue our journey west, passing numerous Berber villages and enjoying expansive views of the countryside. Leaving the main road we arrive at the village of Telouet, home to the infamous Glaoui family whose repressive regime was something of a legend. We visit their crumbling mud-brick citadel, one of the most spectacular in the region, where several rooms are still in a good state of repair. We then wind our way up towards Tizi ‘n Tichka (2260m), the highest pass on the road to Marrakech and often covered with snow during the winter months. Leaving the Atlas behind we descend into the plains that surround Marrakech, which we reach in the late afternoon. Our hotel is very central and in the evening we can just walk across to the incredible main square, Jemaa el Fna, where we find fire-eaters, fortune-tellers, actors, musicians and all manner of hawkers. In the centre of this vast throng are hundreds of foodstalls selling hot tagine, spicy dips and numerous other tasty dishes.
Meals Included: B
Marrakech is lovely city, with palm-lined streets, earthy colours and the Atlas Mountains rising in the distance. There is much to see and do and we enjoy an orientation walk around the old medina. Our time is then free to explore the souks and alleyways that lead off to the north of Jemaa el Fna. Alternatively, some may wish to visit the 16th century ruins of the El Badi Palace, the famous Majorelle Garden or the adjacent Museum of Islamic Art.
Meals Included: B
In the morning we say goodbye to our tour leader and catch the local bus to Essaouira, arriving around midday, where we walk to our hotel in the centre of the town. Essaouira means ‘little picture’ and it is a stunning old port town, with whitewashed houses, bright blue shutters, covered alleyways, cool sea breezes and great seafood. After settling in our time is free to explore our surroundings.
Meals Included: B
The pace of life in Essaouira is slow and relaxed. After time for a leisurely breakfast we can wander over to the harbour and its adjacent fish markets where we may see the daily auction in full swing. Back in the centre of town, the Museum of Sidi Mohammed Ibn Abdallah has an interesting collection of artefacts, woodwork, carpets and stringed instruments. In the medina there are numerous shops to browse and for those wanting to swim the Plage de Safi is a good spot to head to as long as it isn’t too windy.
Meals Included: B
The morning is at leisure and in the afternoon we catch the bus back to Marrakech where we make our way back to our hotel. This evening we will no-doubt find ourselves back in the Jemaa el Fna for a final night out together.
Meals Included: B
Our trip ends today after breakfast. Additional accommodation is available in Marrakech on request.
Meals Included: B
| Trip Start |
Trip Finish |
Twin Share Price |
Local Pymt Currency |
Single Supp |
Trip Notes |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Jan 2010 | 31 Dec 2010 | $1725 | $ | $0 | Tour departs every SundayView Notes |  |
