PHOTO TOUR - MOROCCO
Sunday Jan 4, 2009  -  Sunday  Jan 18, 2009
 

ITINERARY    HOW TO GET TO MOROCCO SUGGESTION
Day 01   Casablanca  Sunday Jan 4^th 2009
 Arrive at Casablanca air port. Transfer to Hotel Kenzi Basma. The tour will start  at 13:00 hours at the lobby of the hotel. After a short introduction we will go out for lunch and city site seeing. We will visit the Hassan II Mosque, The Corniche of Ain Diab ,Anfa District  & Habous District where there are hand craft shops. At the hotel we will have group meeting at 05:00 PM at the lobby of the hotel. Before dinner, we will walk to the  walled part of the city ,the Medina, where hundreds of shops lined up  to meet the needs of the locals. The narrow streets, colorful shops and the wonderful display of the produce will be a great introduction to the daily life of the Moroccans.  Tonight after dinner, if you are not too tired , you can walk to Café Casablanca of the famous movie.

Day 02 Rabat, Meknes  Monday Jan 5^th, 2009
We will leave Casablanca at 08:00 am. Driving along the Atlantic Ocean , we will go through the little villages  with stunning architecture, and wonderful vegetation. It seems like the flowers bloom twice as much and the colors are brighter than similar plants else where.
When we drive through the clean streets of Muhammedia , how  a good mayor can make a difference will be obvious. Rabat is the Capital of Morocco. You will have free time at the Medina of Rabat. The leather shops, lantern shops and the food stands surrounded with the locals dressed in their traditional "cloaks", jillaba,  will make you take more pictures than you can even dream of taking. We like to finish this visit before the call to prayer at lunch time. Because once there is the call to prayer, the whole market shuts down  and would not open until 04:00 PM. Before lunch, we will walk through the narrow , clean, white washed streets of walled neighborhood Kasbah Oudaya. How can any one be so creative to have so many different , equally creative and beautiful doors?  You wonder if the inspiration of the  colors - blue and white- is coming from the color of the screaming sea gulls  and the clear blue sky or the blue of the ocean and the white surfs breaking on the rocks at the shore of this city. The creativity and the warmth of the colors that surround you are also woven into carpets that the neighborhood women make while they are singing lullaby to their children who are either sleeping in a little wooden cradle or tied on their backs
Lunch at Borj Eddar Restaurant. The view of the Atlantic ocean and the sounds of the waves will accompany a marvelous fish lunch.  Muhammed the 5ths Mausoleum, the 12th century unfinished mosque,, Hasan Tower , the palace of the King of Morocco, the horses guarding the 800 year old walls are few other pleasure to our eyes before we leave Rabat for Meknes. Rabat's sister city Sale will be our next stop.The road to Meknes winds up to the rolling hills where cork tree orchards  are surrounded by olive grooves and vineyards and the Berber's hats flying on the road side racks  . Tonight our dinner will be at a typical Spanish restaurant Sungria Overnight at Hotel Riff in Meknes. There is an internet near the hotel.

Day 03   Meknes, Volubilis, Moulay Idris, Fes   Tuesday Jan 6^th, 2009         
It is like a ferry tale. Once upon a time, there lived a king Moulla Ismail from 16th Century. He needed horses to defend his kingdom. Therefore, the 12000 horses deserved the best  home, best water and best care. Entering the stable through  arched gates.  you wonder if the building was built for the horses or to prove simplicity can create undisputable grandeur.
The Barber who greets the visitors at the entrance of Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail with his traditional costume and every imaginable charm to ward off evil , make one feel totally safe for the rest of one's life for just being around him.

Our next stop will be the Souk of Meknes. We will go through innumerable gates of the 15 mile long city walls to get to where we immerse ourselves to the world of colors. If we ban the use of these words for the day :" Oh my god ! it is wonderful" we will have a total silence all day long!! Our lunch will be a typical Moroccan food at Restaurant Tarrad .The color of the saffron, the taste of the olive oil and the steaming pots with pointed tops will not only make us feel good after the long morning site seeing but will be a great photo op for those who are interested in taking pictures. I am sure after this meal most of us will have our choices of cooking enriched.
When we leave Meknes behind, the winding road goes through cactus forests, olive orchards and wheat fields. The Roman Bridge by a white washed small city , Moulla Idris, gives us the news that we are arriving at our next destination: Volubilis, the most complete Roman city that I have seen after Ephesus.Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, In Volubilis , the Romans had enjoyed the prosperity of the region and  built their city to reflect their wealth.  They have immortalized their sense of humor on mosaics .When the last rays of the setting sun change colors of the trees and the hill side to every shade of orange and red, we will arrive in Fez. Much deserved rest will be at our wonderful hotel in the heart of the city. Dinner at restaurant Palais de Medina. Overnight at Hotel Wassima

Day 04 Fes Wednesday Jan 7^th, 2009         
The morning call to prayer echoes from the minarets as the city wakes up. We will  leave the hotel at 09:00. There are three cities of FEZ. Simply we can remember them as the old one, new one and the very new one. The cities have been built in three different valleys as if each is respecting the other. The Jewish quarter of the 15th century and Andulician neigbohoods reflect the influence of Spanish architecture. If one were in another place, this neighborhood could have been worth a day's siteseeing but in Fez the most amazing place to be at is the Market.The  Medina. the Market of Fez is  orderly in its own way. Walking in the streets, the right a way is given to the donkeys. The cats have the right to keep the head of the line in front of the butcher shops, and shop keepers have the right  , in a pleasant way, to drive you crazy with their salesmanship. bargaining  is the name of the game. GOOD LUCK!! Leather tanning, weaving, wood carving, leather dying, brass and copper engraving, tile making, are only few of many other crafts being practiced under the arches, in dark alleys and in small  courtyards. Walking in the old city is overwhelming, exciting, and tempting. Make sure your camera has sufficient film and battery. After lunch in the Medina, The Medina restaurant ,  we will continue appreciating the amazing craftsmanship of the Moroccans when we visit a huge ceramic mosaic work shop. If you still have energy for dinner, to night we will listen to UT music while we dine at Isla Blanca .

Overnight at the same hotel in Fez. The restaurants where we will eat lunch today will have the wonderful traditional architecture and authentic food.

Day 05 FES Thurdsday Jan 8 ^th, 2009         
Today we will give free time to every one to go back to the souk  and take pictures. No group activity is planned for today

Day 06  Fes - Ifrane - Azrou - Midelt- Erfoud   Friday Jan 9 ^th, 2009         
We will leave at 06:00 am from the hotel  in Fes for a long but very interesting ride. As we climb up to the Atlas Mountains,  the smell of the seeder trees will  indicate the altitude.
The higher we go , the tenser the seeders smell. After a short stop by a lake which looks like a bird paradise , we will hit  7000 feet with snow on the ground. Hard to believe that at the end of a long drive , we will end up in SAHARA desert to day.   We will be able to make home visits  at Bouran village  and meet locals. We will suggest you to learn few words from the phrases section of the tour hand book . It will help very much
MERHABA - Heloo
SHUKRAN - Thank you !!!
The lunch will be at Midelt city at Hotel Ayashi.
Once we enter the  Valley of ZIZ,  the  landscape changes from Alpine to  Grand Canyon to
Gobi desert image .The palm forests are dotted by poplar trees whose leaves are bright yellow. The villages are surrounded with pink city walls.  The major  form of transportation is either donkeys or bicycles. The Berber people definitely look different from those we have seen in the other cities of Morocco so far.     To night we, will stay at a hotel where the sounds of the desert will whisper to your ears the stories of the Berbers that we will meet tomorrow. Dinner and overnight will be at the Palm's Hotel in Erfoud

Day 07    Erfoud - Sahara Desert    Saturday  Jan 10 ^th, 2009         
Today is a relaxing day in the morning . We will not leave our hotel until 10:00 am. If any one is interested in internet, the connection is available in the lobby. To night , we want to have a night bag so will have to leave our suitcases and purchases at the hotel. Those who do not want to go shopping can spend the morning at the hotel by the pool. We will have picnic at the desert with fruits and sandwich. In  Erfoud there is a small market which has  easily accessible to old valuables. For Berber scarves, brass and copper items you can have some good choices. The bargaining is tremendous. Please be prepared.  After market visit we ride in 4-wheel drive land rovers. We will leave for the SAHARA DESERT. We will get to see the fossils of the desert, and visit Nomad families in their black tents.  Their hospitality is amazing but they are really poor. They instantly offer bread and mint tea. I would very much like to bring food purchased from the local market to these children rather than giving them candies . To night we will have the option of staying at a tent or hotel room in the Sahara Desert at Merzouga Unfortunately ,since the rooms and the tents are limited,  you have to decide which you prefer. you can change your preference only if room or tent available when we arrive. for more info on the hotel rooms and tents please check the Tourhandbook Hotel Info   Before the sun goes down, we will take camels for an hour ride to the top of the sand dunes to watch the sun set in the desert. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel Timbacktou or at the tents if you choose. Before the sun goes down, we will take camels for an hour ride to the top of the sand dunes to watch the sun set in the desert. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel

Day 08 Sahara    Sunday  Jan 11 ^th, 2009         
Our second day at the Sahara was strongly suggested by our previous tour members. This will be an excellent relaxing day and it will be great for those who are looking for more free time on their own. We will start the day at 09:00 for a visit  at a Touarag family’s excellent collection of desert hand craft, we will see the demonstration of hand woven carpets of Morocco, wood carvings, jewelry and hard to name many objects which made life in the desert easy and aesthetic. . On the streets of Morocco every where you can find excellent examples of tapestry, carpets and kilims. But it seems like, this family and their shop looks like the first one I have found where we can get good ethnographic description on the hand crafts we see in Morocco. I will recommend you not to get too excited about shopping here. The souks has a lot of similar items but the advantage here they accept credit card and we want to hear some information. Please check the comments on this place from the tour members on the previous tours.
Our next stop will be a visit the Local Souque (Market)of Er Rissani .The  Local people come with their donkeys, from all around Sahara. At the donkey parking lot there are hundreds of donkeys happily  parked, making new friends while  waiting for their owners.  After 1 hour on your own for the pleasure of your eyes and for the utmost cultural experience, we will return to our Hotel in the desert. Lunch at the hotel. A nice bath at the Turkish Bath or a refreshing swim at the beautiful pool might be a good way of spending the afternoon. If any body wants to get on a camel and go back to the sand dunes the camel drivers will be more than happy to assist you in this adventure. Dinner will be at the  Hotel Timbacktou.

Day 09 Merzouga, Er Risanni, Erfoud, Tinghir ,Ouarzazate Monday  Jan 12 ^th, 2009         
After breakfast we will leave the fascinating Sahara sand dunes behind. We will drive towards Ouarzazate passing by beautiful Tuareg and Barber  villages, Gorges Tudra and old Kasbahs De  Glowi which can not be lived in anymore, rose gardens and  panoramic views of the villages and smaller kasbahs. We will arrive at Quarzazete at around 07:00 PM Overnight  and dinner at Hotel Kenzi Azghor.  Breakfast, Lunch and dinner included

Day 10  Touredent   Tuesday  Jan 13 ^th, 2009         
We will leave at 09:30 this morning. In Quarzazette, our local guide will take us for a  visit an 18th Century , air condition and telephone systemic, 110 room kasbah (the administrative center) which once belonged to a pasha (high officer in the army). This Kasbah will be a great way to understand how rich man "used" to live in Morocco. We will continue to Ait Benhaddou, it is one of the oldest and well preserved Kasbahs in the whole Atlas region. It hosted seen in  more than 20 Movies such as  Indiana Jones, Asterix & Oburix, Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth and The Gladiator. All the local people played a role  in the Movie "The Gladiator" , the big arena which the fights took place in the movie was set right in the middle of this Kasbah and all the shop owners proudly uses the pictures from the  gladiator to attract customers in their shops. It takes bout 25 minutes hike to reach top of the Kasbah for a  magnificent view of the stone desert and panoramic view. If you choose not to walk up - easy walk, there is a quiet little coffee house and few shops to entertain you. We will take our lunch at this village. After lunch we will pass, many small villages, primary school and Natural saffron shops, during our  5 hour bus ride to Touredent. Dinner and Overnight at Hotel Palais Salam.  www.groupesalam.com  

Day 11 Touredent, Agadir, Essaouira   Wednesday   Jan 14 ^th, 2009         
We do not need to rush out of the hotel this morning. The garden is so beautiful. You might want to swim in the pool which is surrounded with wonderful vegetation. You can sip your coffee by the waterfall fountain leaning its back to the ancient city wall. We will leave at 10:30 AM, for Agadir. After the earthquake in 1960 where thousands of people had died, the city was flattened completely and was re built leaving no remnant of the old city. The tourist industry from Europe had used up almost all of the shore line, making the miles of great sea shore look like "Costa del Sole" of Spain. So we will quickly get out of this city and immerse  our selves once again to the real face of Morocco. The lunch will be at a wonderful fish restaurant in town.. The afternoon ride will be on a narrow, winding road which is surrounded with trees where goats climb to the top ,to eat the last fruit on the farthest branch.
We will arrive at Essaouira in the Late afternoon.

After we check in our wonderful hotel, we will have a walk in the Medina of the city to orient you to what is where so the next day you can be on your own to explore this wonderful town on the Atlantic ocean. Dinner will be on your own . Overnight at Hotel Des IlLLES.  

Day 12 Essaouira    Thursday   Jan 15 ^th, 2009         
We found Essaouira so beautiful that we wanted to spend 2 days at this wonderful sea port town. Essaouira was established by the Portuguese as a harbor for slave trade in the 16th century, The fortified city  is the only reminder of the grim past of the city.  Of all the Moroccan sites, this is the most cheerful one. The wonderful beach that stretches  along the city  is a haven for the
sea gulls and camels, not to mention the para-gliders, and the fishermen chasing crab. The fisherman's marina is lined with blue painted boats . One wonder why they might have chosen the color of
the ocean to paint these boats. Could they be hiding in the ocean once they rowed their boats out of the harbor?? The square of the city is lined with many little fish restaurants. We will have the tour members be on their own for their lunch to day so they can choose what delicious food they might want. Your choices can be shrimp, crab, various unusual fish just caught in the ocean. The market has some very interesting shops. For those who have had of shopping, a walk  on the beach, walking through the narrow streets , or having a quiet time at one of the lovely side walk cafés can be a wonderful place to catch up with your journals or post cards. Lunch and dinner on your own. Overnight at Hotel Des Illes.

Day 13 Essaouira, Marakesh    Friday   Jan 16 ^th, 2009         
We will leave the town in the afternoon for a 3 hour bus ride to Marakesh. On the way to Marrakesh, a few piece of land which can be cultivated is being plowed by camels and donkeys as they must  have done for thousands of years.Along the way, there is a cooperative  established by women and supported by UN Women programmes. We will see how Argan oil is being processed and every thing that can be produced with argan oil - creams, soaps etc.
At Marakesh  we  will stay at Hotel  El Andalous. Dinner is not included to night. You will have free time at the legendary Marakesh  Town Circle. Hundreds of food stands to choose from if you can find time from taking pictures of the  night life going around you. Snakes, monkeys, color and sound every where. You can even get hand or face tattoo, sneak into the souk or watch the crowd while sipping your coffee or mint tea. Lunch and dinner on your own. But we will go to the famous Square of Marakesh all together for dinner. You will pick where and what to eat. Breakfast is included.

Day 14 Marakesh    Saturday  Jan 17 ^th, 2009         
We will start the day at 09:00 with site seeing of the palaces of Marrakesh. The city looks like it has been painted with the color of the sun that was diluted with the color of the rose water .The palaces were built to secure the tons of gold that was brought to Marrakesh on the caravan roads .While the rulers enjoyed the wealth, the common man could only enjoy the activity in the town square brought by the men and woman on the caravans. Today at the town center, we can still see the remnants of the medieval entertainment: The musicians, the snake dancers, the monkeys, fortune tellers, the tight rope walkers  congregate in the middle of the town and perform their best for a pennies of bahshish in a hat. Before we go to the souk which is a world of its own, we will visit 2 small museums. Then you will be on your own.  Lunch will be on your own. You can spend the all afternoon wondering in the streets of Marrakesh souk. You will probably want to do this on your own. But if you need the assistance of the guide, he will be there for you.    Tonight, we will have dinner at  a local restaurant with nice authentic music.
 Overnight at Hotel  El Andalous. Breakfast, dinner included

Day 15 Marrakesh  Sunday  Jan 18 ^th, 2009         
After breakfast, transfer to the air port.
Breakfast, included

IF YOU THINK YOU WILL NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME IN MARAKESH
FOR PHOTOGRAPHY PLAN TO STAY FOR ONE MORE DAY
WE CAN ARRANGE FOR HOTEL ACCOMMODATION FOR YOU

The price of the tour
US$ 3,450.-    Per person in a double room   min 12 people in the group
US$   390 -    Single room supplement

The price includes

• One small bottle of water a day on the bus

• Moroccan Guide through out the tour

• Local guides where necessary

• Land Rovers to go to the desert

• Camel ride

• Tips to the local  guides in individual cities

• Tip at the restaurants where meals are included

• Tips at the hotels

• All the entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the itinerary

• All land transportation by bus

• Transfers   on arrival and on departure even if you arrive early or depart late