For many travellers the real Moroccan experience starts in the deep south: an ancient land of fortified villages (ksour), crumbling castles (kasbahs) and sun-baked oases.
...continued from South & Sahara page.
The road south from Marrakech winds up through the oleander and pine forests of the Atlas mountains to the 7,400-foot Col de Tichka. From here you can make side-trips to Telouet, to visit the kasbah of the Glaoui (immortalized in Gavin Maxwell’s Lords of the Atlas) and to the even more picturesque Kasbah Aït Benhaddou, famous from the film Gladiator. Finally the road descends onto the plain of Ouarzazate - the gateway to the south.
The difference in landscape, vegetation and architecture is immediately apparent. To the north, the Dades river follows a ribbon of walnut, silver birch, fig and almond trees, past mud-brick fortresses and eerie rock formations, to the Dades Gorge. Near Tineghir, the even higher Todra Gorge has opportunities for birdwatching, trekking, rock-climbing and wildlife-spotting. The road peters out at Merzouga and the spectacular sand dunes of Erg Chebbi.
South-east of Ouarzazate is the Draa Valley, dotted with watchtowers, forbidding gorges and lush oases. For centuries, the valley was a stopping place for caravans returning with gold, slaves and salt from the great trading capitals of the Sahara. After several miles of scrubby landscape the road takes you to M'hamid and the isolated dunes of Erg Chigaga.
A desert expedition can be the trip of a lifetime. Many people opt for a camel trek: romantic, but guaranteed to result in a sore bottom. An alternative is a 4x4 safari. You don’t have to rough it, either. Sleeping under the desert stars is now available as a 5-star experience, complete with bed-linen and showers.
Once used as a base for desert safaris, Ouarzazate is now making a bid to be a destination in its own right. Strategically located within reach of some of the finest ksour (fortified towns) and oases of the south, Ouarzazate is also famous as the centre of the Moroccan film industry.
We had an utterly fantastic time in Morocco thanks to you and your team.
Dear Max,
Just to say we had an utterly fantastic time in Morocco thanks to you and your team. Thank you so much for organising it all.
Right now like everyone I'm plunged into the business of catching up on work emails etc but I take the point of your request for feedback and will write properly as soon as …
Travel writer, Martin Hemming, travelled to Rabat with Lawrence of Morocco in March 2014, writing for the Sunday Times.
We really know Morocco and have had the pleasure of making many people's dream trips become reality over the years. It has been our privilege to be asked to manage holidays, weddings and productions for so many fantastic and discerning clients. We remain small and dedicated to providing excellent honest advice to enable you to sit back, relax and enjoy the fun bits without having to manage the unpredictability of this fascinating country.
If you want it done right, look no further!
