Morocco is a wondrous taste of the exotic, with snake charmers and conjurers, souks piled high with hordes of treasures and endless glasses of mint tea. It’s also an adventure into some of North Africa’s most stunning scenery with the desert on its doorstep and the craggy heights of the Atlas Mountains beyond. This fascinating country is a merging of the African and Arab worlds, steeped in age-old customs.
Casablanca the country’s economic capital and with its landmark building, the Hassan II Mosque, is a lavish symbol not only of the city, but of Morocco itself.
We stop in Rabat, the capital city of Morocco, with time to enjoy the beautiful coastal city. We continue to the Imperial city of Meknes famous for its 25-mile-long walls and known as the “Moroccan Versailles”; and visit the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis. Fez a UNESCO World Heritage Site was founded in the 9th century, and is home to the world’s oldest university. Explore the medina and its narrow alleys with hundreds of merchants and craftsmen selling a range of products such as dates, fish, spices, copper urns and musical instruments.
Travelling to Erfoud (famous for its date festival and fossils) we pass through a scenic forest of cedars and cross the Middle Atlas Mountain range through the dramatic Ziz valley, well-known for its palm trees and the length of the oasis. All along the road there are innumerable “ksars”, small villages of individual houses.
Our Saharan journey starts with a visit to a Nomad village, before a camel-ride over the sands as the sun begins to set, to the magnificent Erg Chebbi and its wonderful red sand dunes. Enjoy a Moroccan home-cooked feast accompanied by the intoxicating beat of Berber drum music and song at this luxurious desert camp.
Travel along the rugged “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs” to the stunning Todra Gorge with its high walls of pink and grey rock used as a popular location for Hollywood films. The Dades Valley and The Valley of the Roses provide numerous opportunities to take some of your best photographic shots of the trip in the valley, famous for its roses. Continue to Ouarzazate, “the Hollywood of Africa”. Pass by the Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, a UNESCO heritage site. We cross the high Atlas mountains with many panoramic views and attractive Berber villages to reach Marrakesh.
The bustling and vibrant buzz of Marrakesh Medina sums up Morocco. Visit the magnificent Koutoubia Mosque the landmark of Marrakech, the Bahia Palace, and the Saadian Tombs. The old city is entered from the vast plaza of Djemma el-fna Square where half of the city converges throughout the day and into the evening to hang out with the stall vendors, traditional musicians, snake charmers and random acrobats. Once inside the Medina itself, you enter a world of maze-like alleyways and shopkeeper hustle. It’s an experience full of colourful and noisy local life.
And to top it all – enjoy leisurely, sumptuous meals feasting on the best typical, local Moroccan cuisine.
Contact :
Tel : +27 21 462 7022
Email : res@rufaro.co.za
