Friday 19 April 2013

Morocco | A Tour From Fes To Marrakesh

We made it here in six days! Our charity hitchhike was complete, now all was left was my favourite part of the journey - time to explore a new place!

From Tarifa we caught the ferry over to Tanger and then the train to Fes.

Personally, I have never been on a proper tour.
Yes, I've had in-country guides when I've been in a new country, didn't have much time and wanted to be shown everything quickly and efficiently. But this was a new experience for me. I've always been of the assumption that tours around a country are something elderly people do - oh, how wrong I was! Tours are fun, plus they are hassle free, bonus!!

Due to arriving in Morocco early we had an extra day to spend in Fes, so naturally we explored the City and all the tourist hot spots, updated various social networking sites, made new friends and discovered hidden gems. After a day of exploration and soaking up the Moroccan culture in Fes, we were all ready for our three day tour.

We went with 'Your Moroccan Tour' and our tour guide was the lovely "Ali Baba of the desert". He picked us up bright and early and we immediately drove out of Fes through the picturesque countryside to a Swiss town ski resort, a national park where we saw monkeys, and then drove up into the Atlas Mountains before making our way to Merzouga. The drive was lovely and Ali was very accommodating in answering all our questions and queries. His musical tastes on his playlist were a delight (and at times providing much laughter, sing songs and passionate mimed singing) to listen to as we drove through stunning scenes and eased the silent moments as we all took in the sights before our eyes. If anyone wants to see Morocco in all its beauty and (what feels like) its entirety, I really reckon booking yourself onto a short tour like this one.

In Merzouga, we met our camels: Bob Marley, Hubbly Bubbly and Jimmy Hendrix. This was by far my favourite element of the trip, at first I was apprehensive about riding a camel into the depths of the Sahara desert and sleeping in an oasis - small huts (open to all desert life... snakes). Definitely a waste of worry energy! We didn't see a single one. The ride through the dunes was amazing, at the time I couldn't quite believe it. Little old me from a town somewhere in the midlands with a southern accent was riding a camel, in the Sahara desert. Surreal. We were also lucky enough to see an amazing sunset over the dunes before continuing our trek to camel camp oasis.
And so began a night of lovely food, hilarious drunk Dutch oldies, Berber music and a midnight stole up the highest sand dune to lie and stare at the breathtaking starry night...

The following day we rode our camels back to the hotel, met Ali and he took us on the next leg or the journey. We drove to Dades Valley and Todres Gorge which again was magnificent to see before settling down for the night in a wonderful hotel on the side of the rock formations. Personally, I found this day the slowest and not as interesting as the first and last but again, it's down to personal preference and taste and if rocks are your thing... your'll love it!

Our last day was spent driving through the Rose valley, Ouarzazate (which reminded me of Aladdin. Absolutely loved!), Ait Ben Haddou (where Gladiator was filmed) and then onto Marrakesh. It was such a sunny, hot day and I fully enjoyed visiting the film sets of various productions. Overall, the tour from Fes to Marrakesh was enjoyable. One thing I would advise future travellers to Marrakesh is be wary of scams, people carrying your bags to your hotel or riad will charge you, as we found out.
Marrakesh is an interesting place, I still don't think I've quite made up my mind on whether I like it or not. The shopping is great, and if you can barter, it's great fun (despite what others may say). I am quite a brash bargainer and managed to get good, low prices for the things I bought out there, so it is possible! Just don't be scared to walk away, try somewhere new, and not got higher! In the three days I spent in Marrakesh I saw just about all the scams available (fake guides around the souks, people giving you directions for money etc), the treatment and attention my friend Emma and I received was inappropriate and grotesque and the comments simply crude. It made me truly appreciate the society and culture I grew up in and the freedom I have as a woman. I honestly couldn't live like the women in these countries do and I have so much respect for the amount they put up with (girl power!).

3 comments:

  1. Wow, it so nice although taking in simply way..it is great

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  2. The only time I've ever taken a tour was through Morocco. I was too worried about the culture, the language etc...so went with a tour group with 2 Arab guides. Was fanjollytastic. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Lovely pics. It is such a photographer's dream, isn't it?

    Denise

    http://laussiestravelblog.blogspot.com

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  3. Camel Trips Morocco Enjoy the Desert with the Nomads
    Camel Trekking & Night in the Desert Erg Chabbi Merzouga Morocco
    Email : cameltripsmorocco@gmail.com
    http://cameltripsmorocco.blogspot.com/

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