MOROCCO - A FAMILY ADVENTURE

My family and I recently embarked on a nine-day Moroccan family adventure and discovery holiday organized by adventure specialists Guerba. The company philosophy is that just because you have children you don’t have to stop adventuring, and this holiday certainly gives you the opportunity to be adventurous and experience new cultures.

We found the trip to be safe, well organized and ideal for children from 6 years upwards. There were a wide range of activities and options that included camel riding and camping in the Sahara Desert, relaxing by a hotel pool or on the beach in the ancient coastal town of Essaouira, and exploring colorful bustling markets and kasbahs. However, there are some things parents do need to be particularly aware of:

The water is not suitable for drinking and food that has been washed, such as salad, should be avoided.
The heat is excessive, sometimes over 100d (38c), so be sure use plenty of sunscreen lotion and drink lots of bottled water, which is readily available and cheap to buy.
Although the scenery is stunning, the drives to the Sahara, Marrakech and Essaouira are long and tedious for children so its important to take precautions against travel sickness and take games, music etc because the kids will get bored.

The hotel swimming pools are very deep in parts and the depths not clearly marked, so make sure the children are supervised.

Our tour began in Ouarzazate where you will normally arrive late on the Saturday night. There is the option however to arrive as we did on the Friday night, which gave us a free day on Saturday to relax by the hotel pool and acclimatize before setting off early on Sunday morning for the long drive to the Sahara. There is an interesting 18th-century Kasbah in Ouarzazate if you do want to do some exploring on the Saturday.

The drive south on Sunday took us along the beautiful Draa River Valley, with its many palmeries, kasbahs and Berbaer villages to where the road ends at M’Hamid. From here we entered the Sahara Desert to overnight in a Nomad tent surrounded by an oasis of palm trees. You need to be aware that sandstorms frequently sweep across the open desert so you may have to sleep inside a mud brick hut to get protection. The sleeping arrangements and facilities were communal and basic, but still a wonderful experience. The company uses local guides throughout the trip and we found them to be very knowledgeable and helpful. They went out of their way to keep us informed and even provided entertainment after dinner with traditional Moroccan music and songs.

We arose early on Monday morning and after dusting ourselves down following the previous nights sandstorm, we were greeted by a spectacular sunrise as the orange sun slowly rose above the sand dunes. After breakfast of tea/coffee, fresh bread and home-made jam amid the palm trees, the camels arrived to take us for our morning camel ride. Our guide ensured we had some traditional headgear to wear in the form of a shesh, which would protect us from the sun and sandstorms, and also give everyone a great deal of fun and amusement when learning how to tie them! The camels were not the most comfortable of animals to ride, but these ships of the desert did provide a wonderful opportunity to experience the silence and solitude of the Sahara as they glide across the sands. After being treated to a picnic lunch in the dunes it was time to return to base, drive back to Ouarzazate and return to civilization and a very welcome shower and swim in the hotel pool.

On Tuesday we crossed the High Atlas Mountains to Marrakech where we visited the amazing Djemaa al Fna square, alive with jugglers, acrobats, musicians, snake charmers and food stalls. Framed by the snowy heights of the Atlas Mountains and surrounded by thousand year-old palm groves, this is a fascinating place to visit and there’s so much to see and do for families here. The following morning began with a guided tour of Marrakech in a horse-drawn carriage visiting the Medressa Ben Youssef (school) and the bustling souks and markets. After lunch the tour guide left us to spend some free time to rest at the hotel or explore further, so we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon by the pool.

On Thursday our bus collected us from the hotel to take us to the ancient coastal town of Essaouira, famous for its magnificent beach, vibrant harbor, 18th century battlements and woodcarvings. We had free time after we arrived and all day Friday to explore here. Note that although the beaches and dunes are magnificent, they are located on the Atlantic coast so it is nearly always very windy, so much so that Essaouira is also known as the ‘windy city’. The fortified town is full of narrow streets, whitewashed houses tranquil squares and artisans workshops, the children particularly enjoyed exploring the battlements and harbor area. This is the best place to do your shopping for gifts and souvenirs because there is such a wide choice and we found them to be much cheaper than in Marrakech. Also if you like to eat fish, be sure to try one of the many fish restaurants by the harbor where there’s always a display of fresh fish to choose from and you can actually select your own to be cooked.

Our bus collected us on Saturday morning and returned us to the hotel in Marrakech where we had the choice to relax by the pool with the children or venture out to shop or explore. We found the Rotisserie de la Paix on Rue Yougoslavie to be an excellent restaurant within walking distance of the hotel that was ideal for a final evening dinner with the family or to get together with other members of the group. The food and the setting was excellent and made for a very enjoyable end to a wonderful adventure.

TOUR DETAILS

GUERBA ADVENTURE AND DISCOVERY HOLIDAYS
GUERBA WORLD TRAVEL LTD.
WESSEX HOUSE
40 STATION ROAD
WESTBURY
WILTSHIRE
BA13 3JN
UK

TELEPHONE
Reservations: +44 (0)1373 826611 (24 hours)
Brochures: +44 (0)1373 858956 (24 hours)
Administration: +44 (0)1373 828303
Fax: +44 (0)1373 858351

EMAIL: info@guerba.co.uk

WEBSITE: www.guerba.com

For full itinerary details, request the tour dossier or download it from: www.guerba.com/now

Tour Style: Escorted cultural tour. Accompanied by an experienced leader and driver on days 1 to 5, on days 6 to 9 there is no tour leader/guide with the group.
Transport: Minibus and camel.

Accommodation & Meals: 7 nights hotels, 1 night traditional nomad tent. 7 breakfasts and 2 dinners included. Allow from €15/£10/$18 per day for meals not included.

Note that in addition to the cost or the tour a local payment of €120/£80/$140 per client is required irrespective of age.

Flights are not included in the brochure prices but the experienced Guerba flights department are happy to make your arrangements.

email: info@gowithkids.com