My take- See if you
are a history buff
Be prepared to be surprised by the
evolving landscapes and changing weather as you drive up the majestic Atlas
Mountains. We spent 10 days and 9 nights in this historic yet modern country,
driving through varying scenery and people, as we went from the bustling city
Casablanca to historic Marrakech to the sand dunes of Merzouga to the notable
Fes to bright blue Chefchaouen and back to wondrous Casablanca. We also took a
detour to the administrative capital Rabat, stopped in Meknes, and strolled
through the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis.
On the way we stopped at random
villages in the Atlas Mountains to meet the local Berber people and their
families. We also stayed in a Desert Tented Camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes, where
we befriended some camels and more Berber people.
The history of Morocco
spans several millennia, dating from the establishment of Mauretania and other
ancient Berber kingdoms, to the establishment of the Moroccan state by the
Idrisid dynasty followed by other Islamic dynasties, through to the colonial
and independence periods. I am still in awe and continue to sink in all the
history of this remarkable country.
Day1- Arrival in Casablanca,
wandering in Marrakech
We arrived in Casablanca, got picked up
by our driver, and began our 2-hour drive to Marrakech. After checking in and
having lunch at the hotel, we visited the 12th century Menara sultan garden
with its pool, olive groves and views through to the High Atlas Mountains.
With the remainder of out day, we spent
time in the Medina seeing the various trade quarters. It was Ramadan and it was
only after sunset; the Djema el Fna square really became alive. We had dinner
in the square- couscous, aubergine (eggplant), meat on skewers and msemmen
(their yummy local bread). It was only later that we realized, that we were so
tired, we didn’t notice that we ate with tourists and not the locals 😊.
I love shopping in the souks, so I made
sure I took care of that 😊
 |
| So not local! Our most expensive meal in Morocco was street food :) |
Day2- Exploring Marrakech
We started our morning by visiting the
stunning Majorelle gardens owned by the late Yves Saint Laurent and his partner
Pierre Berger. We then headed to the main monuments of the city- Koutoubia
mosque and the splendid El Bahia Palace. |
| Majorelle Garden |
 |
| Bahia Palace |
We then went back to the Medina and
stopped by a local spice shop learn the secrets of ras el hanout (a Moroccan
spice blend). We also tried to shop for the very famous Argan oil which seemed
ridiculously expensive!
We had to go back to the Djema el Fna
square and did some more shopping, and I got my henna done. The atmosphere of
this square was overwhelming with its jumble of food stalls, snake charmers,
fortune - and storytellers and the wide variety of people that flock to its
attractions.
 |
| My overpriced henna :) |
After we got back to the hotel, we took
a walk on the Avenue Mohammed VI , went by the train station, and then wandered a bit looking for local places to eat before we decided to eat in McDonalds :-P
Day3- The old Caravan road to Skoura
We drove over the High Atlas range
stopping on the way to visit a women’s Argan processing cooperative, which to
me was a bit overrated, nevertheless check it out if you are interested. The
cooperative had 2 women- one extracting Moroccan oil, and the other who gave
you a 2min description on what the process is.
 |
| On the way to Skoura- pretty scenic |
We then continued through the scenic
road and stopped at the Ait Ben Haddou Ksar (Ksar is a Berber fortified
village). The walk up the Ksar was our workout for the day, and the views from
the top were astounding.
 |
| Walking towards AitBen Haddou (Rohan's shirt seems coordianated with the background ;-)) |
 |
| View from the top |
We then drove to Ouarzazate the film
capital of Morocco to visit The Studio of cinema. We were disappointed to find
out that they closed early due to Ramadan, but since our hotel was only 30min
from here, we decided to come back the next morning.
We spent the night in Kasbah- Auberge Chez Talout (Kasbah in North Africa means a castle
or a fortress) in the midst of the palm grove. The surroundings were serene. We
made sure we spent the evening watching the sunset and taking a walk through
the palm groves. For dinner we had couscous, tagine and fruit.
 |
| Auberge Chez Talout |
Day4- The road of 1000 Kasbah to
Merzouga
 |
| Atlas Film Studio, Ouarzazate |
We started off our morning with a visit
to the Atlas film studio- in Ouarzazate, where a lot of movies were shot- including GOT! The visit lasted a good 3 hours with us taking a lot of pictures :)
 |
| Amridil Kasbah |
We then stopped at Amridil Kasbah where we were given a short tour on how the people lived
here back in the day. Interesting!
We then continued our drive to Merzouga
through the Dades Valley, which is famous for its roses. We were hoping to stop
at a rose farm but couldn’t. We did get to purchase quite a few rose products
at one of the local stores, they were everywhere!
Our next stop was the Todra gorge which
was pretty remarkable. We took a little hike to the end of it and then
continued our drive through the spectacular route of 1000 kasbahs, through palm
oases. The kasbahs were everywhere. It was incredible to see the color of the
buildings changing to match the landscape.
<pic>
We arrived at our Riad Madu (Riad, in Morocco is a large traditional house built around a
central courtyard, often converted into a hotel). The Riad was lovely, it did
not have many people due to the season being Ramadan, so we had most of it to
ourselves 😊. We were served the most amazing of
dinners- rice, aubergine, turkish lamb.
 |
| Todra Gorge |
 |
| Riad Madu |
 |
| Rissani |
Day5- Rissani + Desert Camping | Erg Chebbi
The first half of our day was spent
visiting the neighboring town of Rissani, cradle of the current Alaouite
dynasty of Morocco and the site of ancient Sijilmassa, gateway to the Sahara
and an important trading post linking sub Saharan Africa with Northern Morocco
and Europe.
 |
| Moulay Ali Cherif |
 |
| Inside Moulay Ali Cherif |
We visited the market and the sanctuary
of Moulay Ali Cherif, founder of the Alouite dynasty that rules Morocco to this
day.
 |
We took the road off the beaten path
and made a visit to the very informative Tahiri museum of fossils and minerals.
We then drove across the barren land to
the majestic Sahara sand dunes. We stopped on the way to see some amazing views
of the desert. We then set off by camel for a 90-minute trek out to the dunes
(I walked half of it 😉). We didn’t get to enjoy the sunset due
to the clouds, and it was almost dark when we got to our tent. There weren’t
many people there due to Ramadan, but we still got to enjoy a tasty dinner and local
music. The stars filled night sky was an unforgettable experience.
 |
| Shah Rukh's style applies everywhere :) |
 |
| Tahiri museum- very informative! |
 |
| The dunes- we stopped and walked randomly into the desert :) |
 |
| The mesmerizing dunes and us |
 |
| Our camp |
 |
| Inside our camp :) |
Day6- Journey to Fes
We bid adieu to the berbers and headed
back on a 4 WD, to the city, where we started our long and scenic drive to
Erfoud then to Fes. The drive was long and there are no highways in most of
Morocco connecting even the major cities, but nature will keep you busy, at least most of the time 😊.
We stopped in Midelt, an old French
outpost, the apple growing capital of Morocco, and took a stroll in one of the
local parks to stretch our legs. We walked through cedar trees and were hoping
to see the Barbary apes, but did not spot one.
We continued the rest of the day will
winding our way through the beautiful forests, jagged rock faces, and Berber
villages as we crossed the Atlas Mountains. This is when the landscape takes a
drastic turn- the land was not barren anymore. There was more and more
greenery, flowers and water. It was mesmerizing!
Our next stop was at the alpine resort
of Ifrane, where we saw a little corner of Switzerland in Morocco.
We then continued to our next stop- the
holy City of Fes is a jewel of Spanish-Arabic civilization. Cradle of
religions, cultural and artistic traditions, Fes, the double city, is the
kingdom's spiritual capital and home to the most refined cuisine in the
kingdom. We checked in to our riad and stepped out to take a walk to the medina
and get some dinner.
Day7- In the heart of Fes
 |
| Bab Boujloud, one of the gates to the medina |
We stopped at the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriis 2nd which was an amazing example of the ancient Islamic architecture. We then visited the very popular, very touristy, and very expensive Chouara Tannery, got a little brief on how the leather is made (nothing insightful!). We then made our way to the metalwork market, witnessed weavers, before we took a walk through the Rcaf market- market for vegetable and fruits!
 |
| Mausoleum of Moulay Idriis 2nd |
 |
| We ate so much of street food :) |
 |
| The cities had so many intricately decorated fountains |
After our walking tour, we drove up hill to the Saadian dynasty’s fortress where we saw a panoramic view of the city. We were able to see the different sections of the city laid out below us, and our guide explained to us where we started the walking tour and where we ended. We had walked a lot 😊
 |
| View of the Fes medina from the Saadian tombs |
 |
| Saadian Tombs |
 |
| The handyman at work |
We bid adieu to our guide and went back
to the lookout to get more of the stunning views and do a short hike.
We spent the rest of the day in the
mall (we wanted to check out how the malls look in Morocco :)- they are a lot like the malls in the USA. We were so done
with tagine and couscous, we had pizza for dinner 😊
Day8- A day in the blue town
Checfchaouen, with a detour to Meknes and the Roman town Volubilis
 |
| Royal stables of Sultan Moulay Ismail, one of the rulers |
So by now we know that Morocco has
hints of the Arabs and the Berbers. Don’t forget the Romans. That’s where
Volubilis comes in. About 40min north of Meknes lie the Roman ruins. The site
reminds you of Rome in Italy- you will see a basilica, temple and a triumphal
arch. The city fell to local tribes around 285 and was never retaken by Rome
because of its remoteness and indefensibility on the south-western border of
the Roman Empire.
 |
| Ruins of Volubilis |
After a 2hour walk within the site in the scorching sun, we started our drive to Checfchaouen and got there around 4pm local time. you will know when you enter the town 😊 as everything turns blue as if you are making way under the ocean….
Chefchaouenor Chauen is known as the “blue” city in northwest Morocco situated in the Rif Mountains, located inland from Tangier and Tetouan. The city was founded in 1471 by Moorish exiles from Spain. Its blue-glazed houses and buildings are a tradition that comes from the town's former Jewish population. Chefchaouen was known as one of the main concentrations of Moriscos and Jews who sought refuge in this mountainous city after the Spanish Reconquista in medieval times.
We fell in love with the town right
away. You can happily get lost in the narrow streets and souks, without a
desire to find yourself back 😊. We walked aimlessly through the
pathways, making our way all the way to the top, and witnessing the many babs
(gates) around the wall. We stayed at the Dar Meziana which had cute and very comfortable
rooms.
Day9- Drive towards Casablanca via
Rabat
 |
| Hassan Tower |
We drove around the Royal Palace,
official residence of King Mohammed VI. The
access to the palace is forbidden, but we could see the entrance and the
colorful costumes of the royal guards. If you are interested, you could check
out the change of the guards. We then continued
to the site of the 12th century Hassan tower and the beautiful 20th century
mausoleum that houses the tomb of King Mohammed V and his two sons, King Hassan
II and Prince Moulay Abdallah. The Hassan tower and its grounds were the true
highlight of Rabat!
We also visited the picturesque blue
and white Kasbah of the Oudaias overlooking the Bou Regreg river and Rabat’s
twin city of Sale, headquarters of the notorious Barbary pirates who terrorised
the Mediterranean from the 17th century right up to the beginning of the 20th
century. We stopped for tea at the Café Maure and took in the beautiful views
of the Rabat coastline and Bou Regreg estuary.  |
| The souks! |
 |
| Standing in line for the very refreshing orange juice everywhere! |
Our drive from Rabat to Casablanca was about 2 hours. We got here around 5pm local time and had enough time to take a walk around the souks after sunset. The view of the mosque from our room was breathtaking!
Day9- Visit the Hassan II mosque and
time to fly back!
Today, we visited the magnificent
mosque of Hassan II, the largest in Africa and second only in size to the great
mosque in Mecca, with its prayer hall, ablutions room and public baths. This is
one of the very few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims and is a showcase of
Moroccan craftsmanship. Be prepared to be blown away!
Guided visits to the mosque are given 4
times daily at 9, 10, 11am and 3pm which take about an hour.
We did not have time to go to the
Quartier des Habous designed and built by the French for the Moslem population
of Casablanca and where the Royal Palace and government buildings are located. Do
make time to visit the high court, which is a beautiful example of the use of
Moroccan decorative arts. There are interesting markets in this part of the
city, which have very few if any tourists. Time to fly back- We are back to where we started- Mohamed 5 international airport of Casablanca. Our experience at the airport was painful, and we arrived back without our bags which arrived a week later! We loved the country and its rick history and culture and came back with more inspirations and memories which await our next trip.
Until then……
Plan before you plan-
- We visited Morocco during the holy month of Ramadan. Things are slow during this time of the year. People are fasting, and we must be respectful of that. Not many places are open for lunch. But everything becomes alive at night. We enjoyed being here during this time.
- Travel agent- Medina travels/ Agent name- Kamal Oujaâ (we booked our trip through trip.me)
- Hotels- Are listed above. Some of them were booked through the agent, rest were booked by us through hotels.com
- Flight- Royal Air Maroc (not a suggested option due to bad customer service, but the cheapest option)
Know before you go-
- What to eat- Tagine (fish, chicken, lamb or veggie)- served with local bread msemmen (yumm!), couscous, rice.
- Dress code- Dress liberally, be mindful to cover your shoulders and legs when you visit religious places.
- Currency- Moroccan Dirham (can only be found in Morocco, or maybe UK). Very few places take card, or plastic as they call it. Carry enough cash and an ATM card (make sure it has a 4-digit pin code and not 6 or 8)
- Bargaining- Use your negotiating skills to avoid paying hefty prices on things you want to buy. This applies to any place in the souks.
- Tips- looks like the country runs on tips, so do so liberally if you are happy with the service. Some might even demand 😊
Other places to see in Morocco-
- Tangier- 3.5hours north of Casablanca, you can cross over to Spain from here
- Essaouira- coastal town 3 hours west of Marrakech
- Agadir- located on the shore of the Atlantic ocean, 3 hours south west of Marrakech
For travel tips or more information- do not hesitate to reach me at melonseeds@gmail.com
Comments
Post a Comment