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Home > Destinations > Mediterranean > Morocco > Nature Photography Adventures: The Magreb
Nature Photography Adventures: The Magreb
Join nature photographers Diane Kelsay and Bob Harvey and expert Moroccan guides as we travel the ancient caravan routes of the Magreb, arguably North Africas most photogenic region. We delve deep into the exotic culture and diverse landscapes from the Blue City of Chefchaouen and the walled Imperial Cities of Fez, Meknes and Marrakech, seemingly suspended in time, through scenic high-Atlas Mountain passes and cliff-clinging Kasbahs, among remarkably well preserved Roman ruins and shifting dunes of the mighty Sahara. Our local connections ensure introductions to Moroccan families as we explore villages and historical sites rich in Islamic tradition. The gregarious hospitality of the Magrebis, their flavorful cuisine and lavish Moorish-style accommodations are not quickly forgotten. Our in-depth exploration of the Magrebs history and culture lifts the veil on a society balanced between an enchanting past and a vibrant modern identity
DAY 1 : RABAT
On arrival in Casablanca, we are met and transferred to our Rabat hotel. En route, we drive past Casablancas magnificent Mosque of Hassan II, heralded as the second largest mosque in the world. Moroccos modern capital of Rabat is the first of our Imperial Cities and the official residence of King Mohammed VI. Overnight Hotel Chellah or similar [D]
DAY 2 : CHEFCHAOUEN
Today we drive north east to Chefchaouen rising into the beautiful Rif Mountains (195k / 120m. 3 hrs). The Christian invaders of Spain were brutal evangelicals who put an end to the most enlightened and inclusive period of Spanish history. Founded in 1471 ACE by Moorish exiles fleeing the Christian conquest of Moorish Spain, Chefchaouene became one of the largest concentrations of Moorish Jews, Moriscos (Islamic Christian converts), and Converosa (Jewish Christian converts). The exiles, brought with them many advanced Moorish traditions, including the blue-glaze they used to construct their houses, still an identifying feature of the Blue City as Chefchaouen is often called. Chefchaouen literally means look (chef)at the horns (chaoua) referring to the two dramatic peaks rising behind the city, Jebel Meggou (1615m), and Jebel Tisouka (2050m). On arrival we check into our hotel. In the afternoon we depart on a walking photographic tour of the town, ensuring that we get the evening light so inimical to beauty of the Rif and Chefchaouen. Overnight Hotel Atlas Asmaa or similar [B]
DAY 3 : CHEFCHAOUEN
This morning we rise early to walk through the Medina and old quarter in the morning light. We visit the Place Uta el Hammam, view the Place Mohammed V Park and Hassan II Avenue, and follow our guides, Bob and Diane through this small and friendly town. The mountain air and calm atmosphere of Chefchaouen is soporific and relaxing. Architecturally and culturally, the medina is really a 15th century Andalusian relic. Narrow streets wind through blue-white walls where children still greet you in Spanish. The 17th century ruins of the Kasbah runs along one side of the square; their red-hued walls enclosing a beautiful garden and a small folk museum. Dependant on time and group interest our walking tour may include the well-preserved Medina, Old City and a visit the Folk Museum. Overnight Hotel Atlas Asmaa or similar [B]
DAY 4 : FEZ
This morning there is the option to rise early to catch the dawn light for photography. After a relaxed breakfast, we pack our bags and depart Chefchaouen for Fez. (128k / 79m. 1.5 hrs). Our route descends onto the central plains and to Moroccos northern Imperial Capital, a living medieval city. The drive takes us through breathtaking scenery and we have the opportunity to stop and take photographs en route. Overnight Riad Dar Anebar or similar [B]
DAY 5 : FEZ
The mesmerizing call to dawn prayer begins slowly and builds to a crescendo as each of a hundred minarets joins the chorus; a sound integral to Fez; a sound which has echoed each morning through this exquisite walled city for over 1400 years. The former capital of Morocco and considered the first Imperial City, Fez remains Moroccos leading intellectual and religious center as well as a fascinating cultural hub. A walking tour of the bustling medina with visits to a tannery, wool souk (market), spice shops, and stalls loaded with dates and olives offers a thorough immersion in Moroccan mercantile life. We meet shop keepers and craftsmen whose arts have been passed from generation to generation, and begin to see the fine web of traditions that make Moroccan culture so enduring and rich. Walking through the maze of narrow passage-ways we visit Qaraouine University, the Madrassa (Quranic school), and the Moulay Idriss II memorial. We end the day with a unique experience; the warmth and traditional hospitality of a local plains Arab family, and a home cooked dinner, perhaps a tagine or couscous, or even harira, the traditional soup that ends each Ramadan day. Overnight Riad Dar Anebar or similar [B]
DAY 6 : FEZ
This morning we take a full day excursion to Meknes, Volubilis and Moulay Idriss. First we visit Meknes, with its famous gate of Bab El Mansour. At the impressive Dar Jamai Palace we visit the Royal Stables and the tomb of Moulay Ismail, the dreaded sultan of Morocco whose paranoia resulted in some of Moroccos finest historical fortifications. Next we visit Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Morocco's largest and best preserved Roman ruins. We walk the cobbled streets of Moulay Idriss a holy city named after fourth generation and sainted descendant of Mohamed, the founder of Islam in Morocco and founder of the city of Fez, our next Imperial City and todays destination (1hr). Overnight Riad Dar Anebar or similar [B]
DAY 7 : ERFOUD
We settle back in our seats and watch the dramatic changes in landscape as our vehicle switch-backs over the Atlas Mountains and descend to the mighty Saharan Desert. The terrain on this full day drive (7hr) is varied and includes forests of giant cedar, high arid mountains with breath-taking views over tortuous mountain passes and, as we drop to the flattening foothills of scrub, the vast Saharan desert stretches before us for thousands of miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. Following a centuries-old caravan route, we pass through the Beni Mguild Berber capital of Midelt, an important center for local carpet making. We begin to see ksars (fortified strongholds) along the way to Errachidia, where we pause to stretch our legs and eat a tasty tagine before continuing on to Erfoud. Overnight Xaluca Hotel or similar [BD]
DAY 8 : ERG CHEBBI
This morning we embark on a free form photographic exploration of Erfoud. Our guide is on hand to offer advice. In the afternoon we depart Erfoud in our 4x4 vehicle, stopping at a quarry to view rock excavations and fossils. At last we reach the vast Sahara, where the paved road ends (1hr). As the day cools, desert colors intensify. We mount camels and, accompanied by indigenous Touareg nomads in their famous blue-dyed turbans, we ride into the Erg Chebbi, a vast expanse of huge, drifting sand dunes. Touregs are truly masters of their domain. Centuries ago, Touregs turned the deadly Saharan sands into an ocean on which their ships of the desert (camels) traded goods as varied as dates and gold bullion from the Atlantic coast right across Africa to Lake Chad. The sunset changes and deepens the hues of this mystical landscape as our surefooted dromedaries bring us to our desert camp. After a cold drink and a delicious dinner we retire under a vast star-lit desert sky to ponder the imponderable, and to marvel at the comfort of our private tents, mattresses, linens, pillows and Berber rugs. There is a shared bathroom facility. (Those not wishing to camp in the desert may overnight in an Erfoud hotel) Overnight Desert Encampment or Xaluca Hotel [BLD]
DAY 9 : OUARZAZATE
We awaken before dawn and mount our saddled camels for the short ride into the sands to watch the sun creep over the desert horizon. The true solitude and beauty of the Sahara shows itself only in such moments*. Back at camp for breakfast we re-board our vehicle and drive to Todra Gorge (3hrs) first heading towards the mountains then turning south, hugging the Atlas through a stark landscape dotted with fertile oases and dramatic volcanic and limestone peaks. Turning off the main road to the impressive Todra Gorge, if interest and time permits, we embark on an optional (1-2hr) walk through the gorge, exquisitely river-carved over millennium. After lunch in Tineghir, we continue (2 hrs) through the Dra Valley the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs, to picturesque Ouarzazate. Overnight Club Hanane Hotel or similar [BLD]
DAY 10 : IMLIL
Leaving the desert landscape of southern Morocco, we drive north from Ouarzazate to our first stop of the day - the often photographed village of Ait Benhaddou. Once a fortified ksar, Ait Benhaddou is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the setting for many desert films, including Lawrence of Arabia in the 1960s and more recently, Gladiator with Russell Crow. Ait Benhaddou is currently home to about ten families. We continue into the High Atlas Mountains where we grind up a looping road with spectacular views over the Tizi-n-Tickka Pass (2470m / 7,417ft) the highest pass in Morocco (4hrs). As we ascend, the landscape turns green with oaks, walnut groves and oleander bushes. We turn from the main road in Ait Ourir and stop in a Berber village in the Ourika Valley for Ateh (mint tea), and a short hike in the cooler mountain air. Isolated villages and stepped cultivation cling to hillsides along the river. Continuing to Imlil, we leave our vehicle, transfer our bags to pack-donkeys, and walk to our douar, a typical traditional stone and rammed-earth Berber dwelling, our home for the next two nights. Committed to sustainable tourism, our douar owner helps provide work for the men of the village and gives an opportunity for the Berber women to re-value their artisan skills and sell crafts made in the traditional way to tourist. Our douar is the perfect base from which to explore the Toubkal Massif. Overnight Kasbah Samra or similar [BLD]
DAY 11 : IMLIL
The fresh mountain air is exhilarating. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and marvelous views, there is a myriad of walking opportunities in this dramatic setting from which you we can chose, from half-day walks to ochre colored Berber villages nestling in lush-green terraced valleys, to multi-day treks scaling some of the nearby mountain peaks. There are more than forty mountain peaks in the area with altitudes of at least 3480m (11,500ft) including Jebel Toubkal, the highest peak in Morocco and the fourth highest peak in Africa. Overnight Kasbah Samra or similar [BLD]
DAY 12 : MARRAKECH
Enjoy a free morning with a relaxing breakfast, and either savor our surroundings or continue exploring the foothills with a short morning hike. Then, in the afternoon it's off to vibrant Marrakech. (1hr). There is time to explore and photograph the narrow streets and engage in the time-honored skill of bartering for crafts and souvenirs with shopkeepers in the many shops. Remember, the human element of bartering is much more important than the purchase itself, and you will lose the respect of the locals if you simply accept the price. So, settle down to a comfortably long haggle often involving tea and conversation. In fact the haggling is as much an excuse to sit and talk as it is to trade. As dusk begins to fall, the focus is the Djemaa el-Fna, the huge square in the medina and backdrop for an eclectic array of jugglers, storytellers, snake charmers, musicians and soothsayers. Mouth-watering aromas waft through the medina from the many rows of open-air food stalls. Perhaps we will retreat to a neighboring rooftop restaurant for a drink and the view. Overnight Riad Daria or similar [BLD]
DAY 13 : MARRAKECH
Marrakech has for centuries been Moroccos southern capital, competing with Fez not just metaphorically but militarily and culturally too. Moroccan history is a repeating pattern; periods of liberalism followed by corruption, and religious revival and war. When religion and war exhaust the inhabitants, tolerance and liberalism at last return, and the pattern starts all over again. Marrakech and Fez have been the most common combatants in this repeating cycle of history. Posterity has lost many architectural masterpieces through such conflicts. Of those that remain, we tour the Palais de la Bahaia which housed Bou Ahmed's four wives, 24 concubines and numerous children, and visit the Saadian Tombs, the royal burial ground of the Saadian dynasty. We also view the extensive Berber collection of clothing, jewelry, textiles, doors, baskets and carpets at the Maison Tiskiwin and take a break to walk through Jardin Majorelle with its extensive international collection of plants. The afternoon is reserved for free-form photography. Overnight Riad Daria or similar [BLD]
DAY 14 : DEPART FOR HOME OR BEGIN TRIP EXTENSION
Transfer to airport. Services end. [B]
| - Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services - |
Days: 14 | Grade: I (click for grades definition) | 2011 Price: From $5995 per person. Land cost based on Group Size | Single Supplement: $1650 (click for info) | | | | | 2010 Departure Dates | 2011 Departure Dates | | | (Please call for availability) | (Please call for availability) |
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| | | Included: Services as specified in the itinerary above include excellent lodging and accommodations, Specialist customization services of Wildland Adventures, Transportation by Minivan with air conditioning, Fully escorted by professional photographers Bob Harvey and Diane Kelsay, English speaking Moroccan tour leader to escort and guide group throughout, Professional Moroccan photographer guide to assist Bob & Diane throughout, Excursion to Merzouga sand dunes and overnight by 4x4, Camel rides for sunset and the sunrise from Marzouga sand dunes, Lunches and dinners, as per itinerary, All entrance fees to sites and monuments during sightseeing, All taxes and fees, parking fees etc | | | Not Included: International airfare, All personal expenses such as drinks, laundry, tips, personal hotel bills, Visas, vaccinations etc, Tips / gratuities of any kind, Any services or expenses not specifically listed as included in the itinerary | |
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