Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Welcome to
Morocco
Morocco is one of the most diverse countries in Africa, with high
mountains, sweeping desert, rugged coastline, and the winding
alleyways of ancient medina cities and souqs.
Mountains & Desert
From Saharan dunes to the peaks of the High Atlas, Morocco could have been tailor-made
for travellers. Lyrical landscapes carpet this sublime slice of North Africa like the richly
coloured and patterned rugs you'll lust after in local cooperatives. The mountains - the
famous High Atlas but also the Rif and suntanned ranges leading to Saharan oases - offer
simple, breathtaking pleasures: night skies glistening in the thin air, and views over a fluffy
cloudbank from the Tizi n'Test pass. On lower ground, there are rugged coastlines, water-
falls, and caves in forested hills - and the mighty desert.
Traditional Life
The varied terrain may inform your dreams, but it shapes the very lives of Morocco's Ber-
bers, Arabs and Saharawis. Despite encroaching modernity, with motorways joining
mosques and kasbahs as features of the landscape, Moroccan people remain closely con-
nected to the environment. Nomadic southern 'Blue Men' brave the desert's burning ex-
panses in robes and turbans, mobile phones in hand. Traditional life continues - with
tweaks - in the techniques of Berber carpet makers, in date cooperatives, in medina spice
trading, and in the lifestyles in mountain hamlets and ports like Essaouira.
Moroccan Activities
Meeting the Moroccan people involves nothing more than sitting in a cafe and waiting for
your mint tea to brew. The trick is to leave enough time to watch the world go by with the
locals when there's so much else to fit in: hiking up North Africa's highest peak, learning
to roll couscous, camel trekking, shopping in the souqs, getting lost in the medina, and
sweating in the hammam. Between the activities, you can sleep in the famous riads, relax
