Undiscovered Morocco

Dossier

Morocco is the closest African country to Europe, yet its diverse and enchanting culture and history are a more than a world away. More and more people are starting to discover its many charms, but for the most part visitors stick to a well defined circuit and fail to realise that Morocco can offer so much more. On this trip we delve into regions of Morocco that are very different from the well trodden track, allowing us to see a side of this enigmatic country that few even realise exists, let alone have visited. The Middle Atlas Mountains are home to the semi-nomadic Beni M’Guild tribe, and we spend time exploring this remote region on foot and by vehicle in order to experience the raw beauty of the area and to unlock some of the secrets of its people. Venturing further into the High Atlas, we stay away from the villages on most itineraries and travel through a little known region with spectacular scenery and people who have very little contact with the world beyond the mountains. Finally we head into Morocco’s deep south and the vast expanses of the Sahara, a glorious region of windswept dunes, isolated oases and some of the country’s most remote peoples. This is Morocco as few have seen it before – wild, untamed and raw, beckoning every serious traveller to explore it. 

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Day 1 – Casablanca
Arrive and transfer to your hotel. Overnight Hotel Suisse or similar.

Casablanca
The name Casablanca conjures up many a memory – Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart... but Casablanca the city has much more to offer. A good place to start is the Grand Mosque Hassan II which juts out into the ocean. Although it is a very new complex, here you'll get your first taste of the beauty of Islamic architecture and culture.

If you wander off the beaten track you can explore the Old Medina, or the Cathedral de Sacre Coeur and Quartier Habous (the New Medina). When the sun goes down you still won't be short of things to do. Take an evening stroll amongst the throngs of people promenading along the seafront and watch the sun go down over the Atlantic. Sample one of Casablanca's wide variety of restaurants – whether it be French cuisine, traditional Moroccan fare or the abundant seafood available – or sit in a café in the Habous watching life go by in front of you.

Day 2 - Fes
A free morning in Casablanca to perhaps visit the Hassan II Mosque, after which we take the train to Fes. Overnight Riad El Yacout or similar. (B)

Day 3 - Fes
A guided tour of this fascinating medieval Islamic city, dating back to the 9th century. The medina of Fes is a rabbit warren of streets and quarters where tradesmen ply their trades in much the same way as they have for the last thousand years, and is home to intriguing architecture including some of Morocco’s most important religious sites. We stay in a converted riad in the heart of the medina. Overnight Riad El Yacout or similar. (B)

Fes
Founded in the 9th century, Fes contains one of the best examples of a medieval Moslem city that exists in the world. The city is split into three sections, the Ville Nouvelle, which is the modern French built section, and the far more alluring Fes el Bali and Fes el Djedid. It is Fes el Bali (Old Fes) which is the real drawcard however. Within its walls lie an incredible 9400 narrow streets, as well as small squares and historic monuments which cannot fail to inspire even the most jaded of travellers. Built centuries ago, old Fes feels like it has never really embraced modernity, and life goes on here as it has for centuries with tradesmen plying their craft in tiny, dark workshops, shopkeepers displaying their wares in the narrow streets and all good moved about either by man or donkey. Fes el Bali contains some superb buildings, including the Kairaouine Mosque, a focal point for religious worship and dating back to the 9th century, and the Bou Inania Medersa, a beautifully decorated school for religious students with excellent examples of wooden carvings inside. But the real joy of Fes is simply walking through the streets, allowing yourself to be carried by the tide of movement, and observing how an ancient city continues to function today – the city is alive with the clanging of the copper smiths, the powerful smell of the tanneries, bundles of colourful yarn hanging in the dyers souq, and children carrying trays of bread balanced neatly on their heads. There are few places where one can gain such a tangible sense of history.

Days 4-5 – Middle Atlas Mountains
We travel into the little visited Middle Atlas Mountains, home to vast cedar forests, Barbary apes, nomadic tribes and reputedly Morocco’s last population of leopard. The scenery here is spectacular, with isolated lakes and impressive waterfalls, and occasional shepherd’s tents providing evidence of human habitation. We hope to meet some of the semi-nomadic local tribes that live here and take hikes through this area, where few others visit. We will camp or stay in village houses for two nights. (BLD)

Middle Atlas Mountains
Lesser known than their larger neighbours, the High Atlas, these mountains have a distinct charm of their own, which is enhanced by the fact that most people tend to overlook them on their quest for the higher peaks to the south. The Middle Atlas is a wild and remote area that was never fully tamed by the French government, and is home to semi-nomadic tribes which move through the valleys in search of pasture for their flocks, often coming together at weekly markets held in one or other of the small villages which dot the region. The area is also home to excellent wildlife including the Barbary ape, wild boar and numerous species of birds. On our time here we hope to find nomadic families and be welcomed into their tents in the traditional manner, with a glass of mint tea, to learn about their lives and traditional customs.

Day 6 - Midelt
Emerging from the Middle Atlas we head to Midelt on the edge of the barren desert. Near Midelt we visit a local kasbah. Overnight at an auberge on a farm near Midelt. Overnight Auberge Jafaar. (BL)

Days 7-8 – High Atlas Traverse
We take two days to cross the formidable High Atlas mountains to Tinehrir. The journey, made by 4wd vehicles, is tough going at times but we are rewarded by stunning scenery and the knowledge that few tourists have travelled this pioneering route. We stop where we can to meet the local tribes people and stay in a village gite one night in the village of Imilchil, high in the mountains, where the local tribal families have a special marriage festival each year. We end our journey at the famous Todra Gorge before checking in to our hotel, built as a kasbah by a local tribal chief early last century. Day 7 – overnight Hotel Tomboctou or similar. (BLD)

High Atlas
The High Atlas are Morocco’s, and North Africa’s, highest mountain range, a region of barren peaks, lush valleys and small villages with farmers growing crops and shepherds wandering their land after their sheep and goats. The isolation of the villages and inhabitants means that traditional customs have thrived here – indeed the Berbers of the High Atlas were the last in Morocco to adopt Islam and even now their traditional practices have mixed with it to create a unique and intriguing belief system. Much of the High Atlas is great trekking country with lofty peaks, clear blue lakes and fast flowing rivers, and so attracts many visitors. We avoid the more visited valleys and take a pioneering journey from Midelt across rough tracks to the village of Imilchil, a pretty place with an impressive kasbah. From there we head south through rarely visited country, where it is still possible to see goat hair tents dotting the rocky slopes and tribeswomen with tattooed faces. This is a mystical land on the very edge of Morocco and is one of the most exciting places in the country.

Day 9 – Djebel Sarhro – Nkob
We cross the Djebel Sarhro Mountains, home to the formidable Ait Atta tribe, en route to the small town of Nkob, where we stay in a hotel built in the style of a local kasbah. Overnight Kasbah Imdoukal or similar. (BLD)

Djebel Sarhro
The Djebel Sarhro are the easternmost point of the Anti-Atlas Mountains, a dramatic collection of volcanic peaks dotted with small villages and the odd tent of nomads from the Ait Atta tribe. The Ait Atta were the last Berber tribe in Morocco to be ‘pacified’ by the French, more than twenty years after the formal occupation of the country. By all accounts they put up ferocious resistance but were eventually forced to surrender by the superior numbers and overwhelming firepower of the French army. Today the Ait Atta continue to live a semi-nomadic lifestyle, migrating between the High Atlas and the Djebel Sarhro with their flocks, and we hope to be able to meet some on the way.

Day 10 – Zagora / Amazrou
We head off road on rough pistes to Zagora, exploring remote villages on the way and stopping to look at some of the rock art and engravings which litter this part of Morocco. We finish in the small village of Amazrou on the edge of Zagora, located amongst palm trees and small farmsteads. Overnight Hotel Zagour or similar. (BLD)

Days 11-12 – Desert Exploration
We journey into the Sahara accompanied by our nomadic guides and their camels, taking our food and equipment with us. The landscape here is a fascinating combination of barren mountains, small oases, austere desert and tumbling dunes, and is home to some of Morocco’s most remote nomadic tribes, who we hope to encounter. We spend our nights in wild camps amidst stunning scenery and watch the desert stars above our heads – an amazing experience. (BLD)

Desert trek 
We spend one day exploring the desert by camel, in the time honoured tradition of the people that make this daunting region their home, and the second day travelling by 4x4 vehicle. Those who do not wish to ride camels can walk, or travel by support vehicle. The scenery in this part of Morocco is more diverse than many expect a desert to be, with rocky plains broken up by patches of sand and dunes where acacia and tamarisk trees provide shelter, and sometimes even the odd pool where frogs find sanctuary in this otherwise deadly environment. The desert does not support many people but it is possible to come across tiny settlements of one or two families, or nomads crossing the land in search of grazing for camels and goats – to meet them is to meet some of the hardiest people on our planet. But the real beauty of this trip into the desert is the wide open space, where you know you are probably the only people for miles around, and have these awe-inspiring views all to yourself. To travel here is to experience something truly magical that few other places can rival.

Day 13 – Ait Ben Haddou
We leave the desert behind and head to Ait Ben Haddou, an amazingly well preserved village fortress that was once an important stop on the Saharan trade routes. Overnight Hotel La Kasbah or similar. (BLD)

Ait Ben Haddou
There are few better preserved Kasbahs than those at Ait Ben Haddou, rising organically from the desert floor and overlooking a mostly dry river bed. Once an important stop on the trans-Saharan caravan routes, Ait Ben Haddou lost its importance once the sea route around the west coast of Africa was discovered, and its final death knell was sounded when a road was built over the High Atlas by the French in the 1930s. It is still possible to get a feel for its former grandeur though. The village consists of a collection of mud and sand built fortress style Kasbahs with imposing turrets and delicate patterns carved into their walls, and its sandy lanes twist and turn to reveal beautiful old buildings that are now gradually fading. Ait Ben Haddou has largely been abandoned by its inhabitants but it is still possible to be invited into a local home for a cup of the ubiquitous mint tea and gave out over the legacy of a once mighty town.

Day 14 - Marrakech
Journey across the mountains to the fabled city of Marrakech, once the meeting place for Morocco’s tribes and today the most exotic and captivating city in the country. Overnight Hotel Islane or similar. (B)

Marrakech
The fabled city of Marrakech was founded in the 11th century by the Almoravid dynasty, and was initially little more than a market and meeting place fro the tribes making the long journeys across the mountains and desert to trade. Marrakech embodies everything that one thinks of when thinking of Morocco – labyrinthine souks where all manner of crafts, food and other goods are sold, the vast open air square of Djemaa el Fnaa where acrobats, storytellers and snake charmers ply their trades, and medieval tombs and monuments bearing witness to Morocco’s ancient dynasties. Some of the city’s best sites include the imposing Koutoubia Mosque which dominates the skyline, and the Bahia Palace, with its intricate architecture and lush gardens. The oldest part of the city is the medina, a delightful warren of tiny streets where it is easy to get pleasantly lost for a few hours while taking in the sights, smells and sounds of this engaging and lively city. Marrakech is brash, it is chaotic, and it oozes charisma.

Day 15 - Marrakech
Day to explore the city. Tonight we take our final dinner in Djemaa el Fnaa, the huge square that becomes an open air restaurant by night and is also home to acrobats, storytellers and snake charmers. Overnight Hotel Islane or similar. (BD)

Day 16 – Marrakech
Tour ends. (B)

Tour style: Traveller

Inclusions:

Arrival and departure transfers
All accommodation on twin share basis
Services of English speaking guide / tour leader
Meals as listed (B – Breakfast, L – Lunch, D – Dinner)
Entrance fees for sites listed as part of the itinerary

Excluded:

International flights
Any airport taxes 
Travel Insurance
Visas
Drinks

Please note that you should also read the Country Notes in association with this itinerary for practical information about your trip and the destination you will be visiting.

The itinerary and supplementary information has been compiled with care and provided in good faith. However it may be subject to change, and does not form part of a contract between the client and Undiscovered Destinations.