Marrakech & the Sahara holiday
| country: | Morocco |
| location: | Atlas Mountains, Sahara Desert |
| trip type: | A small group adventure. |
| departures: | 2010: 24 Jan, 14 Feb, 14 Mar, 4 Apr, 11 Apr, 2 May, 23 May, 20 Jun, 12 Sep, 26 Sep, 17 Oct, 31 Oct, 7 Nov, 21 Nov, 28 Nov, 19 Dec, 26 Dec 2011: 16 Jan, 20 Feb, 13 Mar, 10 Apr |
| price: | From £699 - £850 (8 days) including flights from the UK, from £399 - £449 excluding flights. Single supplement £110. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 4 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
Almost as large as the continent of Europe, this trip lets you experience the grandeur of the Sahara desert. After an impressive journey through the palm groves of the Draa Valley, we venture into the secluded and beautiful desert town of Nakhla. We travel by camel and spend the night at a traditional Bedouin camp, before returning to Zagora. We then explore this incredible landscape further with a walk among the towering sand dunes and a night in a charming auberge. The desert experience can only be appreciated when we visit something completely different - the impressive 16th century kasbah of Ait Benhaddou. Continuing our journey into the High Atlas Mountains, we pass the crumbling remains of Telouet's great palace and enjoy a peaceful walk around the remote village of Tijhza. Last but not least, there is time to explore the medina, souks and square of the 'pink city' of Marrakech.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Ouarzazate. |
| Day 2: | Travel through beautiful Draa Valley to Zagora; camel trek to Nakhla. |
| Day 3: | Morning camel trek; venture further into the Sahara desert to walk amongst impressive sand dunes. |
| Day 4: | Head north to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Benhaddou and its famous Kasbah. |
| Day 5: | Into the High Atlas Mountains; walk to remote village of Tijhza. |
| Day 6: | Morning walk; afternoon transfer to Marrakech through magnificent mountain scenery. |
| Day 7: | Explore Marrakech: Djemaa el Fna Square, beautiful gardens, palaces and souks. |
| Day 8: | Fly to London. |
travellers' tales
The most exciting parts of our holiday were riding camels into the desert, and sleeping out - night sky without light pollution.
(more)
small group adventure holiday
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 its 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 seeing new places. how this holiday makes a difference
|
As a part of our continued commitment to responsible tourism, we operate this trip in a way that aims to reduce impacts and to give as much back as possible to the local community. On the village walks the guide is from the local community and so the money for the tour will go straight to the local community. We work with a local operator for this trip and we had a long-term relationship with them.
We use local leaders and have worked with our operator to help train their staff in all aspects of their jobs, helping to improve their knowledge and future prospects. This has included Responsible Tourism and there are regular additional refresher training courses. The leaders will give a briefing on Responsible Tourism issues to help you understand how you can help reduce your impact and maximise the benefits to the local community from your visit. We use all Moroccan owned and run accommodation on this trip. And this again contributes directly to the local communities as local staff are employed and locally produced and sourced goods are used. We also limit the group size to 16 to reduce cultural and environmental impacts. We donated to a water-pipe building project in the Tijhza Valley, to help alleviate a water shortage in the village that we visit. We are also helping to finance the building of a toilet block at the local school to replace very limited facilities. UK Office: We have at our offices worked to reduce our carbon footprint through a reduction of energy use and energy conservation measures. We also actively try reduce the waste produced by having active reduction and recycling policies in place. We run annual staff workshops on Responsible Tourism. Carbon balancing: Global warming is a reality and to help you make a difference by reducing the carbon dioxide that is produced when you travel we offer a chance to carbon balance your flights. We encourage all our clients to do this and do so for all our staff travel. Go on do your bit! |
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. |