11 Days Kasbahs & Camels
Into the Sahara and Atlas
Mountains
Introduction
Southern Morocco is a land of amazing contrasts -
sun-baked dunes and lush oases, teeming markets and
sleepy villages, inviting beaches and sheer mountain
crags. The landscape is dotted with ancient mud forts -
or kasbahs - and is home to the hardy and hospitable
Berbers. Sahara Desert, Atlas Mountains and Atlantic
Ocean are the main ingredients of this exhilarating
discovery of the 'real Morocco'.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
Morocco is often described as the 'Land of Lights' with
its dizzying colours and appropriately we start our
trail at the Atlas Film Studios - the birthplace of
Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia among others. These
valleys on the edge of the Atlas Mountains were once the
stomping ground of fearsome warlords who controlled the
caravan routes into the desert, and we visit two of
their kasbahs. Moving on beyond the edge of the Sahara,
we gently settle into the desert life as we camp
nomad-style under the stars, and perhaps explore the
dunes by camel.
INTO THE SAHARA & THE ANTI-ATLAS MOUNTAINS
Pushing deep into the desert wilderness in our
4-wheel-drives, we follow an oasis trail towards the
Anti-Atlas range. A mountain track leads us up to the
Berber village of Tagoudiche, tucked away in the pink
and brown folds of Jebel Lekst mountain. Our village
community house in Tagoudiche is an ideal place to soak
up the traditional Berber ways and enjoy some
spontaneous hospitality - usually with plenty of sweet
mint tea and honey snacks! There's also time for some
gentle or more demanding mountain walks.
BEACHES OF ESSAOUIRA & BUSTLE OF MARRAKESH
We continue via Tafraoute to Essaouira on the Atlantic
coast - a magnet for windsurfers. Blending Arab, French
and Iberian influences, this historic and laid-back
resort is a great place for 'beaching', enjoying
pastries at pavement cafés, cultural discovery in its
old medina and unhassled shopping. Last but not least:
Marrakech, whose central square, Djemma el Fna, has been
described as the biggest circus in the world. Acrobats,
snake-charmers and drummers all join forces with
fortune-tellers, jewellers and food sellers in the
biggest (and noisiest!) feast of colour you'll ever see.
Phew!
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