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Morocco desert adventure

country:Morocco
trip type: A small group adventure
departures:2008: 20 Dec, 28 Dec
2009: 25 Jan, 15 Feb, 22 Feb, 15 Mar, 4 Apr, 25 Oct, 15 Nov, 20 Dec, 27 Dec
2010: 14 Feb, 28 Feb, 14 Mar, 28 Mar, 24 Oct, 14 Nov, 23 Dec, 26 Dec
price:From £639 - £819 (8 days) including flights from the UK, from £329 - £399 excluding flights. Local payment £80
late availability:Late availability on 28 December and 25th January departures
read 4 travellers reviews
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Journey through wild and remote desert.
To the desert’s edge: For anyone wishing to leave the frenetic modern world behind, this is like travelling back to a different age. You fly into the south-west of Morocco and enter the northern fringe of the desert via the intensively cultivated Draa valley. You’ll sleep in traditional nomad tents with a backdrop of sand dunes.

Ships of the desert: After loading your camels you head out through the great palmeraie of the Draa Valley. Riding and walking, you’ll pass scenes of everyday life - villagers at wells drawing water or collecting grass and dates. As you travel through the wilderness you’ll be surprised by crumbling kasbahs, deep river beds or oases, set amongst shifting dunes of sand. After all this adventure you’ll finally have a chance to reflect on your journey in the vibrant city of Marrakech.

Camels and camping: You’ll be part of a typical desert caravan. It’s one camel per person with additional animals to carry baggage, camping equipment and water. Your traditional nomad tents are made of dark woven material stretched over wooden props with sides that can hang down or be raised for ventilation. You sleep communally on mats and mattresses.
day-by-day itinerary
Day 1:Fly to Ouarzazate
Day 2:Drive via Zagora to the desert
Day 3-5:Camel trek in the Draa Valley through traditional villages, oases & open desert
Day 6:Drive to Marrakech via Ait Benhaddou kasbah
Day 7:Free to explore Marrakech
Day 8:Fly to London
travellers' tales
I'd like to thank the group leader Abdul who really puts in extra personal time for the guests. I will be booking again with you and am recommending the trip to my friends and family, who are already showing interest after seeing my pictures.  (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
On this trip: Our policy of staying in locally owned accommodation, having local guides and group leaders, using transport owned and operated by local people wherever possible is continued in Morocco. Our small groups (maximum of 16 people) have a minimal impact on the fragile environment. All tour guides are responsible for ensuring that the guests understand the nature of the environment that they are in and minimise the impact that they may have. On our camel trek we collect and dispose of all litter, purify all drinking water instead of using bottled water, and use responsible cooking fuels (kerosene) instead of wood.

We have joined forces with Kasbah du Toubkal and Room to Read to assist in providing educational books for schools in Morocco. If you would like to offer your support to the project, please bring with you any educational books that will appeal to students from ages 5-18. Books can be in any range of subjects: children's story books, basic literacy and numeracy, geography, history, Tin Tin.... English/French dictionaries or any other educational equipment, pens, pencils, calculators, writing pads etc would also be gladly received. Please bear in mind when making your choice of books that Morocco is an Islamic country. Your group leader will take your contribution from you on arrival and happily tell you more about the project. For further details see www.roomtoread.org.

Our Responsible Travel Code: Clients who travel with us will automatically receive a copy of our Responsible Travel leaflet. This contains details and advice on how you can make a positive difference when you travel. If you would like a copy in advance of travel please contact us.

Charity Partnerships: We work in partnership with Plan International. Plan works with some of the world’s poorest communities where three out of four children die before the age of five. We also support Friends of Conservation – an international charity committed to working with local people to develop a balance between their needs and the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and ecosystems.

Carbon Balancing: Global warming is a real issue and is a direct result of your travel. We have teamed up with Climate Care to give you the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. You’ll be asked upon booking if you want to donate – with set amounts from £5. As a company we offset the carbon emissions from all staff travel in full.

Our Foundation: We’ve highlighted a few of the ways in which we offer our support, financially or otherwise, and now you can, too. We have set up our own foundation, which will administer funds donated by you. A small donation of £1 per person will be taken when booking a holiday and that money will be put to good use by one of our carefully selected projects. If you don’t want to make the donation, just tell us when you book.

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