Morocco keeps giving more - FT how to spend it

28 Oct 2012

Max has a strong commitment to local communities (he is an Arabic speaker who has lived in Morocco for 12 years).

Morocco keeps giving more - FT how to spend it

MARCH 01 2012
SOPHY ROBERTS

In the 1980s, Chris Lawrence produced numerous fashion shoots in locations from Hawaii to Marrakech for the likes of Bruce Weber, Peter Lindbergh and Herb Ritts. He also established Best of Morocco, a UK-based tour operator. When he sold the company in 2005, Morocco lost a true one-off.

Now Max Lawrence – the former designer-owner of the popular Tigmi Tagadert hotel, 20 minutes outside Marrakech – has taken up his father’s mantle (with Chris as consultant) in a new specialist tour operation, Lawrence of Morocco (www.lawrenceofmorocco.com). Like Chris, Max has a strong commitment to local communities (he is an Arabic speaker who has lived in Morocco for 12 years). Itineraries include exploring the south of the country by light aircraft, stargazing from a new desert observatory hotel, Sahara Sky (www.saharasky.com), trekking in the Atlas mountains and surfing in Oualidia (second picture).

This makes a change from the obvious luxuries of Marrakech, which is now at a tipping point, so conspicuous is the presence of the five-star mega-brands, which, in April, will include the new Taj Palmeraie (www.tajhotels.com; first picture; from $700), 15 minutes outside the city walls. Taj will be going head-to-head with the recently arrived Four Seasons Marrakech (www.fourseasons.com/marrakech; from €369) – the gardens need to develop to give this hotel some much-needed spirit.

Testimonials

Riad Hikaya, Marrakech Riads, Morocco holidays

Our experience with Lawrence of Morocco was faultless.

Dear Max,
 
Our experience with Lawrence of Morocco was faultless, from arranging the flights and Riad Hikaya to checking in on line for us and arranging menus for our first evening meal. Denise was extremely helpful and professional from our first contact to the arranging of menus before our flight. Your team in Marrakesh were all wonderfully helpful and …

John Cann

Nearby older Berber women in brilliantly coloured skirts were already hard at work, picking mounds of animal feed.

Freelance travel writer, Fiona Dunlop, travelled to Southern Morocco with Lawrence of Morocco in April 2013, writing for the Independent.

We know Morocco intimately

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!

Lawrence of Morocco