Morocco desert adventure
| country: | Morocco |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2010: 28 Mar, 24 Oct, 14 Nov, 23 Dec, 26 Dec 2011: 20 Feb, 6 Mar, 27 Mar, 16 Apr, 23 Oct, 13 Nov, 20 Dec, 27 Dec |
| price: | From £719 - £859 (8 days) including flights from the UK. From £399 - £529 excluding flights. Local payment 80 GBP. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
introduction to Morocco desert adventure
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 Sahara 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. You’ll be surprised by the crumbling kasbahs, deep river beds and 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.
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 Sahara 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. You’ll be surprised by the crumbling kasbahs, deep river beds and 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 After your flight, you transfer to your first night’s accommodation and check in. Standing at the confluence of three valleys and on the threshold of the Sahara Desert, the town of Ouarzazate was originally a staging point for trans-Saharan caravans but was expanded during the colonial era as a garrison for the French Foreign Legion. Hotel - 1 night |
| Day 2: | Imin Ougni; drive through desert Today you depart from Ouarzazate on a fascinating journey through the lush Draa Valley – a strip of intense cultivation along the Oued Draa, a river formed from the melt waters of the Atlas Mountains. The beauty and colour of the fields and villages is intensified by their stark contrast to the towering Atlas Mountains to the north and the desert to the south. For lunch (not included) you stop in Zagora, a small town dating from the 13th century and the administrative centre for the Draa Valley. Afterwards, you continue your journey deeper into the desert but still following the life-giving vein of the Oued Draa. Soon you come to the tiny settlement of Beni Ali where you get to meet your camel drivers. The latter are intriguing men from the Aït Atta ethnic group and lead nomadic lives, driving camels and herds of sheep and goats from the higher valleys of the Atlas Mountains across the lower anti-Atlas to the great oases of the southern desert in wintertime. The journey may take months, yet in springtime they turn around and ascend once again to the higher pastures. As you set off with one camel per person and with additional animals to carry the baggage, the camping equipment and (most importantly) the water, you form a typical desert caravan for the remainder of the day’s journey. Not all deserts are sandy and much of the afternoon is spent crossing flat stony ‘hamada’. Walking or riding as you please, you follow a wide, dry valley. Later you pass a number of wells – always a site of much activity in this parched landscape. Locals from nearby villages surround each well with donkeys, carts and dozens of plastic jerry cans and lower buckets on ropes to draw the precious commodity. You too fill up here before continuing. Towards the end of the afternoon you’ll reach your camp at Imin Ougni. 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. Each is sufficiently large to sleep six or eight people on a floor of carpets and mats. This evening you dine on traditional Moroccan cuisine in the tranquillity of the desert night. Total driving time approx. 4 hours. Camp - 1 night (BD) |
| Day 3: | Bougeorn; Camel trek in the Draa Valley After breakfast you watch as the camel drivers load your beasts before finally setting off. Scattered palms dot the landscape now and local people work in irrigated fields collecting grass and dates. You continue through a string of small villages each with its own kasbah seemingly crumbling into the desert soil. You’ll stop for lunch by the river. Water flowing from the far away Atlas Mountains is dammed in a great reservoir near Ouarzazate. From there the flow is regulated to optimise the irrigation of agricultural land throughout the year in the lower Draa Valley. Occasionally you may see water flowing, and the camels will take great advantage of this during the lunch stops, wallowing in whatever pools they may find. More often than not however, the water is invisible, flowing underground or being carried away by channels to slake thirsty crops. Lunch on the trail consists generally of fresh salads with perhaps sardines or eggs. Fresh fruit is almost always available and invariably you round it all off with a refreshing mint tea. This afternoon you leave the palm-fringed river and head across scorching desert towards the small dunes at Bougeorn, a short distance from the village of Nesrat. Here you set up camp. The sunset from here on a clear evening is unforgettable with the sinking sun silhouetting the palm trees or perhaps a distant minaret. Your cook prepares a delicious tagine, some cous-cous or perhaps a lentil stew and if you are lucky, your camel drivers may decide to play drums and invite you to join them for an evening of traditional songs under the starry expanse of the night sky. Walking/riding approx. 6 hours Camp – 1 night (BLD) |
| Day 4: | Dunes De Teraf; scenic sand dunes Today is a particularly dry day. Flat, open, stony plains are traversed by cracked riverbeds. There’s little for the camels to eat so they’re treated by their masters to sacks of dates brought from the villages. Soon you arrive in the small settlement of Zawayat Sidi Salah. Locals watch your passing from the shade of a tree or wall. If you’re feeling energetic you can perhaps coax some local children into a game of football but otherwise you stop for lunch at the edge of the village. This is the penultimate settlement you’ll see before the end of the trek tomorrow. By the end of the day you arrive at the Dunes de Teraf - a magical area of rolling dunes in the middle of nowhere which, though not high, stretch spectacularly off into the distance. As your camels wend their way across the rolling sand-scape you may find the ideal moment to photograph this classic desert caravan scene. Sunset is often the most magical time of day; as the fading light illuminates the golden sand enticing soft browns and reds from the distant escarpments. Walk/ride for approx. 5 hours Camp – 1 night (BLD) |
| Day 5: | Ouled Driss After breakfast in the wonderfully fresh and cool air of the morning you set off once again. There are few people now in this vast expanse, save for a few nomadic herdsmen with their precious dromedaries. By noon you arrive at another chain of low dunes scattered with palm trees. Here you have lunch before proceeding for the final hour or so across the dunes to the town of Ouled Driss – civilisation at last! Ouled Driss is a picturesque village with a small museum and a well-maintained Ksar. You’ll camp in a palmeraie just outside of town and take time to wander the surrounding area admiring the intricate network of irrigation channels. Walk/ride for approx. 4 hours Camp (with ablutions) – 1 night (BLD) |
| Day 6: | Marrakech; Ait Benhaddou kasbah This morning, after an early breakfast, you board your vehicle for the long return trip to Marrakech. (aprrox. 8 hours) As you retrace your steps through the beautiful Draa Valley you can reflect on the privileged insight you have had into the ways and customs of the region and be amazed at the completely different pace you have been travelling at. You stop in Aït Benhaddou for lunch; a small village whose focal point is one of the best-preserved fortified kasbahs in the country. With its slit windows and dramatic walls of red earth, this is a magnificent example of a stronghold. Dating from around the 15th century, its importance as a trading post gradually dwindled, and today’s inhabitants eke out a living from farming the meagre soil. However, due to its stunning photogenic qualities it has been used as a setting for several recent Hollywood films including Gladiator. After lunch you continue over Tizi-n-Tichka pass - the highest in North Africa - and witness the astonishing transition from the arid semi-desert of the south-facing slope, to the fertile terraces and fields of the well-watered northern face. On descending from the mountains you cross the plain to enter the imperial city of Marrakech whose old town is surrounded by a cordon of protective ramparts. Even today, the name Marrakech conjures up images of scenes from the Arabian Nights: alleyways, souks, stalls and markets. This remarkable city, dating from the 11th century, never fails to satisfy the curiosity of adventurous travellers. It has everything from the graceful architecture of the renowned Koutoubia Minaret, which dominates the skyline, to the wonderful atmosphere of souks and alleyways that make up its old quarter. On arrival you check into your hotel, shower off the sand, and enjoy a celebratory meal in a restaurant for a change! Later you can wander the Djemaa el-Fna, the famous market square at the heart of the medina and the focus of night-time activity. An almost medieval pageant ensues as acrobats and magicians, minstrels and fortune tellers, jugglers and snake charmers all come to entertain the crowds of onlookers. Hotel – 2 nights (B) The hotel is located just outside the city walls around the old Medina. It is about a 25 minute walk to the main square Djemaa el Fna but close to local shops and restaurants |
| Day 7: | Marrakech; city tour Today you are free to explore the back alleys and souks of this fascinating city. To orientate yourself, you start with a guided walking tour of the centre, taking in the main sites, then later you make your way into the sprawling souk. As is usual in a souk, individual trades and crafts are concentrated in one street or area, so the shoemakers are all next to each other, as are the jewellers, the potters, weavers etc. This must be the best place in Morocco to hone one’s haggling skills, and you are sure to be tempted by some of the wonderful variety of merchandise on display, even if it’s only a small packet of exotic spices or a trinket. The afternoon is free to explore; there are plenty of sites to visit such as the Saadian tombs, el-Badi Palace or the Dar si Said museum. Later on in the afternoon the souks come alive and there are many bargains to be had. If you’d like to experience the relaxation of a hammam (traditional bathhouse), your Group Leader will advise you on which one to visit. For just a few dirhams, you’ll be steamed and scrubbed until you shine! Tonight you head to one of the city’s many restaurants for your last meal together (not included), to reflect on all you’ve seen and done in this fascinating country. (B) |
| Day 8: | Fly to London The trip ends for Land Only clients. Those on group flights to the UK transfer to airport and fly to London. (B) |
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
traveller reviews for Morocco desert adventure
Lahsim our guide, AD the cook and Yusef the camel driver were particular highlights and overall I'd say the holiday was fantastic.
(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
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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. |
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. |
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