Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
gorge from Tinerhir to Imilchil (Dh40, 2½ hours) and there's usually one transit minivan
heading up the gorge every day, with more on Wednesday for Aït Haini's Thursday mar-
ket and on Friday for Imilchil's Saturday market. Hotels can usually advise on when the
next public transport is scheduled.
IMILCHIL: MOROCCO'S MEET MARKET
Just another striking Middle Atlas Berber village most of the year, Imilchil is flooded with visitors
during its three-day September
marriage moussem
.
At this huge festival, local Berbers scope the
scene for marriage material. Women strut their stuff in striped woollen cloaks and elaborate jewellery,
and boys preen in flowing white jellabas.
The festival usually runs Friday to Sunday in the third or fourth week of September; dates are pos-
ted at tourist offices throughout the country. Organised tours to the event are available from cities
throughout Morocco, and newly paved roads from Rich and Aït Haini to Imilchil have brought bus-
loads of tourists to see romance blossom. With hustlers,
faux guides
and souvenir stalls eyeing the
tourists, onlookers are beginning to outnumber the young lovers - but there's no denying the voyeur-
istic fascination of the event.
Accommodation
During the festival, the area is covered in tented accommodation. Otherwise, there is basic hotel ac-
commodation at the following:
Chez Bassou
( 0523 44 24 02;
www.chezbassou.com
;
s/d incl half board Dh260/400) Forty
rooms, some with en-suite bathrooms.
Hotel Izlane
( 0661 22 48 82;
www.hotelizlane.com
;
s/d incl half board Dh195/360) Fifteen
rooms, four with en-suite bathrooms.
Getting There & Away
To get to Imilchil from Marrakesh, head northeast by bus or grand taxi to Kasba Tadla, and onward by
grand taxi to El-Ksiba. At El-Ksiba there is a daily bus to Aghbala. The turn-off for Imilchil is near
Tizi n'Isly, about 10km before Aghbala. From the turn-off, 61km of paved road leads south to
Imilchil. You may also find local grands taxis or trucks Imilchil-bound for
Friday and Sunday souqs
.
It's possible to reach Imilchil (a breathtaking 160km by 4WD or souq-bound lorry) from Boumalne
du Dadès or more easily along a paved road from Tinerhir. Grands taxis leave Imilchil for Tinerhir
(Dh40, 2½ to three hours) daily.
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