2019 MOROCCO EVERLASTING 16 DAYS APRIL / MAY ITNERARY

Arrival Day – 19th April Friday

Arriving into Marrakesh I will meet you. We transfer to our riad where you have time to relax after your long flight. Overnight Marrakesh 3 nights.

DAY 1 – 20th Saturday

Relaxed start to the day, roof top riad breakfast where you absorb the sounds of Marrakesh life. This morning we have a local to guide us on a ‘no shopping-get your bearings’ walk through souks &the medina, taking time to really see, enjoy & photograph the best that Marrakesh has to offer as we travel on foot down the medieval alleyways & along some of the oldest & most famous streets. Afternoon & evening is free for you to enjoy. Plenty of options, a long delicious lunch or attend a cooking class preparing your own feast, a short taxi ride & stroll the peaceful Menara Gardens – dating back to 12th century with olive trees over 700 years, look in at the the Museum of Photography & Visual Arts, try an invigorating hammam experience & of course shopping, finding that fabulous carpet you want to take home. Later sit back & enjoy the sunset, Winston Churchill claimed Marrakesh is ‘the most beautiful place in the world at sunset’. People watching in Jamma el Fna – medina- followed by dinner is one of the many personally recommended restaurants. Meals B. Overnight Marrakesh.

DAY 2 – 21st Sunday This morning we make our way for breakfast at Marrakesh’s landmark hotel La Mamounia, renowned for a prestigious past & its Arabic-Andalusia culture. Since 1923 La Mamounia’s history stretches as far back as the 12th century, when it stood protected behind the medieval ramparts of Marrakesh. Midmorning we visit Jardin Majorelle a twelve-acre botanical landscaped garden designed by French artist Jacques Majorelle in 1920’s. In 1980 the garden was owned by Yves Saint Laurent, 2008 his ashes were scattered in the gardens, now owned by Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent Foundation. It also contains the Islamic Art Museum whose collection includes North African textiles from Saint-Laurent’s must see personal collection as well ceramics, jewellery & paintings by Majorelle. Afternoon free. Meals B. Overnight Marrakesh.

DAY 3 – 22nd Monday

Riad roof top breakfast then we are off to the Atlantic coast. Our 3 hour drive west takes us through the Souss Plain, the only place in the world where argan trees grow. We visit a women’s Argan Oil Co-Operative to see the positive empowering impact the co-operative has created. Great to see that the women who work so hard to produce the argan oil are the ones who benefit. Essouria, the present city was built in the 18th century known as the ‘Wind City of Africa’. Free time this afternoon & evening for you to wander through the spice- scented lanes & palm-lined avenues of the fortified medina. Take your camera & go walking to watch fishing nets being mended alongside traditional boats being constructed in the atmospheric port. Our riad restaurant comprises of small intimate salons & niches offering creative & delicious cuisine with Souiri specialties made with local produce where fish & argan oil meet in perfect harmony. Afternoon & evening free. Meals B. Overnight Essaouira.

DAY 4 – 23rd Tuesday Early breakfast & farewell to Essouria. We travel south east approx 4 hours into Tahanaout Valley stopping at a weekly Berber market on our journey. Sir Richard Branson’s Moroccan kasbah get away in the Atlas Mountains is our destination perched at the top of a valley. Our time here is free as you feel. A great way to experience the local culture, take a two & a half hour trek in the Toubkal National Park, where it will take you on a climb up the mountain opposite Kasbah Tamadot. Discover the stunning surrounding countryside & be prepared to be blown away by the panoramic views from the top. Asounfou, the Berber word for relaxation, describes the kasbah’s beauty treatment rooms perfectly. Try a true Moroccan experience, a hammam, where the skin is deeply cleansed, purified & softened with the traditional Moroccan cleansing ritual. Afternoon free. Meals B. Overnight Tahanaout Valley.

DAY 5 - 24th Wednesday

Relaxed morning, breakfast of freshly sourced produce from the kasbah. This morning an option, a one hour trek to a local village passing the eucalyptus & olive groves you will make a gentle ascent into a nearby village with its traditional Berber homes. Early lunch at kasbah then we depart to travel onto Rose Valley, being free to make stops on the way, taking the famous Tizi n’Tichka pass to Ouarzazate, reaching the summit at 2,260 m altitude. This is where the Atlantic-influenced climate comes to an abrupt end. From here on, you’ll discover a more Saharan climate, the contrast is striking! We stop to view the world-renown Kasbah Aït Ben Haddou. We enjoy 2 nights at one of my favourite places, with a view that never fails in natural beauty. Enjoying Moroccan mint tea, sit back & take it in. Meals B D. Overnight Rose Valley 2 nights.

DAY 6 – 25th Thursday

Sun rise stretch – salute to the sun- for those who wish. This flourishing valley, lying beneath an ochre canyon, is incredibly beautiful landscape. Today we wander through the valley oasis, irrigated by the Asif M’Goun oued – river – that begins in the snow covered mountain range nearby, whose summit Ighil M’Goun Mountain is fourth highest mountain in Morocco standing at 4,071 m. Rose Valley inhabitants practice subsistence farming on small plots of land, primarily growing wheat, alfalfa for livestock, fruit trees & birch trees that are used for timber. Meals B D. Overnight Rose Valley.

DAY 7 – 26th Friday

Early breakfast overlooking Rose Valley, travelling today east through Dades

Valley we will see remarkable kasbahs. In the past Berbers built built these kasbahs in vicinity of gorges with defence purposes, providing a high vantage point to watch for approaching & unwanted guests. Generally, they look like mud castles, coming in many shapes & sizes, with walls made of layered dirt & stones. We wander through a palmire in the Dades Gorge, spring in the valley is brimming with flourishing nature, you’ll admire beautiful scenes of orchards, locals escape summer heat amidst gardens of almond, fig, date palms, poplar & walnut trees. On the other side of the oued – river -explore the ruins of an ancient kasbah, a landscape steeped in mystery & melancholy. Late afternoon we arrive in Mergouza a Berber village in the Sahara Desert, cameras poised to take in a spectacular sunset as we go onto our Desert Camp. Meals B D . Overnight Merzouga Desert Camp 2 nights.

DAY 8 – 27th Saturday Relaxed hotel breakfast. Today, keep those cameras ready, we visit the oasis of Merzouga, Khamlia village in the area & onto the desert lake Sirji. Afternoon we return to our Berber tents for lunch, afternoon free. Try a hot sand bath, quad bike ride or toboggan on the sand dunes. Late afternoon we cross the dunes by camel & discover the secrets of the sea of sand. There you can appreciate the silence of the desert & its natural beauty, a masterpiece as the sun sinks. A delicious desert feast is prepared for us in this unique setting under the night sky. Meals B L D. Overnight Merzouga Desert Camp.

DAY 9 - 28th Sunday

This morning waking to dawn rays over the Sahara dunes we relish a traditional nomad breakfast in our Bedouin tents, cross the dunes once more on our return journey into Merzouga. Our drive today finishes in the town of Midelt via Er Rachidia, a journey that traces the old Trek es Sultan – Royal Road – an ancient trading route that once carried salt, slaves & other commodities with caravans of camels across the desert from West Africa. Midelt sits in the high plains between the Middle & High Atlas mountain ranges, the agricultural plains of this area are best known for apples, walnuts, apricots, plums, pomegranates, wheat, corn & a wide variety of garden vegetables distributed all over Morocco. Nomads & farmers from the surrounding area additionally raise sheep & goats for slaughter & for wool. Meals B D. Overnight Midlet.

DAY 10 – 29th Monday

Early morning start after breakfast. Fabulous Fes is our destination today. Our

travel of approx 4 hours takes us through terrain covered in forests of oak, cork & giant cedar, the Middle Atlas mountains are a beautiful & relatively little-visited region. The plateau’s are pockmarked by dark volcanic lakes & the towns initially feel different, their flat, gabled houses lending an Alpine-resort feel, particularly at the “hill station” Ifrane where the French once built their vacation homes, here we stop for lunch. On reaching Fes we are lead through ancient seemingly blind alleys, lead to squares with exquisite fountains & along streets bursting with aromatic food stands, stooped doorways that revel workshops of local artisans to reach our riad. This afternoon we go on a guided walking tour ‘no shopping – get your bearings’. Watch out for the donkeys carting goods down the warren of alleyways as they have done since medieval times. Evening free. Meals B. Overnight Fes 2 nights.

DAY 11 – 30th Tuesday

Our riad rooftop unveils a sea of minarets, enjoy a relaxed breakfast & morning taking in the panorama of ‘the lost city’. Today you are free to enjoy Fabulous Fes. Options abound, cooking & then feasting with a local family in their home. Explore the medina & Chouara Tannery built in the 11th century. Leather goods have been produced there using the exact same method for more than a thousand years, leather is the top item to shop for in Fes, jackets, shoes, luggage & bags of all shapes & sizes. Evening free. Meals B. Overnight Fes.

DAY 12 – 1st May Wednesday

Relaxed breakfast with time for last minute shopping in the medina. We depart fabulous Fes & head north. On our drive to Chefchaouen we pass thousands of acres of wheat fields. Morocco is a top producer in Africa meeting the continents increasing needs. The beauty of Chefchaouen’s mountainous surroundings are enhanced by the contrast of the bright blue painted medina. It is this beauty & the relaxed atmosphere of the town that welcomes visitors.The main square in the medina is lined with cafes, filled to the brim with locals & tourist mingling easily. Evening free. Meals B. Overnight Chefchaouen 2 nights

DAY 13 – 2nd Thursday

Today is a free day for you, enjoy as you like. Options of enjoying a local hammam, walking above the old town to the Spanish mosque touching on the history of Spanish Morocco – 1912 to 1956 – , photography. This town has many stories & hidden finds, a few hours with a tour guide can be a fun. You will learn about the majestic walls & gates of the town that has seen Spanish administration, see signs of early life here through the flour mill, enjoy the company of locals around the medina’s beautiful natural water spring. Evening free. Meals B. Overnight Chefchaouen.

DAY 14 – 3rd Friday

Early breakfast, on the road south to view Voloublis, a partly excavated Roman city, Roman Empire’s most southern outpost. Built in a fertile agricultural area, it developed from the 3rd century BC. Its prosperity was derived principally from olive growing, prompted the construction of many fine town houses with large mosaic floors, unearthed for us to view. We arrive into the city of Meknes to enjoy a free afternoon. The option of relaxing over a long lunch, taking a guided walk around the area or journey 22 klms south of Meknes to tour Morocco’s wine region. In recent years the French have developed Meknès into a successful wine region. Today 30,000 acres of land in Morocco contribute to wine production, selling over 40 million bottles within Morocco & abroad. Evening free. Meals B. Overnight Meknes.

DAY 15 – 4th Saturday

Relaxed breakfast & onto Casablanca on the Altantic coast. Arriving mid

afternoon, free time. Hassan 11 Mosque completed 1993 is the largest mosque in Morocco standing on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic Ocean. Its minaret is the world’s tallest, 60 stories high. Here in Casablanca ‘lets do drinks’ at Rick’s Cafe to close our Morocco Experience. Evening free. Meals B. Overnight Casablanca.

DEPARTURE DAY 16 – 5th Sunday

Breakfast on your final day, free to fill the hours before your departure.