Morocco craft
| country: | Morocco |
| location: | Essaouira |
| price: | From £480 (6 days) excluding flights, based on two people sharing (single room supplement £15). |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
description
Date of departure - 12 July 2008
Crafts are a core excellence of Morocco to the extent that it sometimes seems impossible to walk down a street without encountering a weaver, tailor,woodworker or tilemaker. And this is what our tour does – takes participants beyond museum and shop to the street-level productions of these fascinating objects.
Groups are kept small (maximum 10) so that a full general appreciation of the products, their and their masters can be enjoyed. The tour leaders’ knowledge of French and Arabic allows craft fans to satisfy their curiosity – and gives artisans, particularly those who speak Arabic only, a voice to explain their work.
The siting of the tour ensures visually entrancing surroundings. Accommodation (in riads) is included in the price as is half-board catering, and excursions; tour members are responsible for own flights and insurance.
Tour leader Jennifer Scarce, formerly Curator of Middle Eastern Cultures in the National Museums of Scotland, is an expert in the applied arts of the Middle East including North Africa, while joint tour leader Alison Macdonald is resident in Morocco and an Arabic speaker.
We spend six nights in the pretty coastal town of Essaouira which is easily reached from Marrakech and Agadir. The range of crafts-in-progress viewed includes woodwork, jewellery making, pottery, cloth weaving, tailoring and others. There are two excursions within the tour – to a famed ceramic production centre and a centre for rustic crafts.
We shall eat in local homes and some of the excellent restaurants and cafes which all use fresh ingredients and sample some of the great range of fish from the daily catch. Tour schedule includes ample leisure time for participants.
Crafts are a core excellence of Morocco to the extent that it sometimes seems impossible to walk down a street without encountering a weaver, tailor,woodworker or tilemaker. And this is what our tour does – takes participants beyond museum and shop to the street-level productions of these fascinating objects.
Groups are kept small (maximum 10) so that a full general appreciation of the products, their and their masters can be enjoyed. The tour leaders’ knowledge of French and Arabic allows craft fans to satisfy their curiosity – and gives artisans, particularly those who speak Arabic only, a voice to explain their work.
The siting of the tour ensures visually entrancing surroundings. Accommodation (in riads) is included in the price as is half-board catering, and excursions; tour members are responsible for own flights and insurance.
Tour leader Jennifer Scarce, formerly Curator of Middle Eastern Cultures in the National Museums of Scotland, is an expert in the applied arts of the Middle East including North Africa, while joint tour leader Alison Macdonald is resident in Morocco and an Arabic speaker.
itinerary
We spend six nights in the pretty coastal town of Essaouira which is easily reached from Marrakech and Agadir. The range of crafts-in-progress viewed includes woodwork, jewellery making, pottery, cloth weaving, tailoring and others. There are two excursions within the tour – to a famed ceramic production centre and a centre for rustic crafts.We shall eat in local homes and some of the excellent restaurants and cafes which all use fresh ingredients and sample some of the great range of fish from the daily catch. Tour schedule includes ample leisure time for participants.
small group cultural tours
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures.how this holiday makes a difference
|
The producers of Morocco’s amazing crafts are often invisible – perhaps their workshop is in a hidden corner of the bazaar, or in the new town, outside the walled medinas and souks where products are sold, even when they are working on site, next to the shelves bearing their bolts of cloth, mosaic table-tops, or inlaid wooden boxes, the lack of a shared language can prevent communication between them and the often-fascinated visitor. We bring tour participants into close contact with the artisans themselves so that a rare dialogue can take place – which not only answers visitors questions about the methods of production, but gives the workers, no longer unseen and unheard, an opportunity to talk about their skills and their lives – and perhaps share in craft ideas from outside their country. This exchange of culture and knowledge promotes mutual understanding between these Muslim citizens and visitors from outside Morocco.
 |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |