Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
this way, stay in the Afella-Ighir oasis. Use
Tiwadou
as a base for more trekking or dis-
covering the rock carvings at
Ukas
.
By now you've developed a taste for Morocco's secluded southern corners. Once back
in Tafraoute, wind east through the Anti Atlas and descend to the equally silent and epic
Sahara. The last stop before Jebel Bani and a whole lot of
hammada
(stony desert),
Tata
makes a convenient base for exploring the oases, kasbahs,
agadirs
(fortified granaries)
and magnificent rock engravings in spots such as
Akka
. A dusty journey to the east, the
yellow-gold dunes of
Erg Chigaga
are more remote and less visited than Merzouga. In
nearby M'Hamid, find yourself a camel to lead you north into the kasbah-littered
Drâa
Valley
.
At the top of valley, head back towards the mountains. Commandeer a bike (mountain
or motor), horse, mule or dromedary in film favourite
Ouarzazate
, where the stony desert
landscape has been a celluloid stand-in for Tibet, Rome, Somalia and Egypt. Return to the
coast via
Taliouine
, where you can buy the world's most expensive spice in Africa's saf-
fron capital. Pause here or in
Taroudannt
for a trekking reprise in a mountainous area
such as the
Tichka Plateau
. With its red walls and backdrop of snowcapped peaks,
Taroudannt has hassle-free echoes of Marrakesh. Its souqs and squares are pleasant places
to relax, and it's handy for Agadir's Al-Massira Airport.
