Destination of the Month: Morocco

Why Morocco?

The sun is always shining somewhere in Morocco, and we can always use a bit of sun! Our destination for the month of March is Morocco not only because we're fans of alliteration, but because Morocco is one of the best destinations in the world if you want to escape to another place and time. March also marks the beginning of the ideal season to visit Morocco.

BikeHike Morocco Trips

Morocco Mountain Biker’s Dream (10 days)
Activities: Mountain Biking, Camel Riding
Trip Difficulty Rating: Challenging
This is the ultimate adventure for the mountain biking enthusiast; tons of biking, stunning scenery, and a challenge on the quads.

Morocco – Walking with The Nomads – Part 1 (10 days)
Activities: Trekking
Trip Difficulty Rating: Challenging
Live the life of a nomad on this 10 day trek through the mountains and valleys of Morocco. This adventure is slightly more challenging than Part 2, but includes an extra day of culture.

Morocco – Walking with The Nomads – Part 2 (9 days)
Activities: Trekking
Trip Difficulty Rating: Moderate
This trip is recommended for anyone who needs to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. The most difficult part of the journey back in time will be learning to live without internet, your cell phone, and regular showers. You'll come home with appreciation for both the little conveniences of city life, as well as the unique nomadic lifestyle.

Highlights of Morocco

Ait Benhaddou
It has served as a backdrop for many well-known films like Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth, and Gladiator. But even before it went Hollywood, this complex of adobe Kasbahs was well known as a stopping point along one of the busiest trade routes across the High Atlas. Ait Benhaddou is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is the most popular village in Morocco.

Authentic Cultural Encounters with Nomads
There are few places on earth where you can live the life of an authentic nomad. Morocco is one of those few. On either of our Walking with the Nomad adventures, you’ll live with and walk alongside a tribe of Berbers to discover their way of life.

Vibrant Markets and Alleyways
If you’ve ever wanted to take a travel photo worth printing in National Geographic, this is the place to try! The famous souks (markets) and alleyways of Morocco offer a feast for the eyes. You can lose yourself wandering from stall to stall sniffing the vegetables, examining hand-crafted souvenirs, and going snap-happy on the locals (remember to ask for permission first though if you’re planning on taking a close-up).

The Jebel Saghro (aka Jbel Saghro)
This remote and dramatic mountain range of Southern Morocco will leave you breathless. The region is best visited in the cooler season between October and April, and takes a full week to hike across the entire area.

Interesting Factoids:

• Morocco is one of two countries in Africa that are not part of the African Union, the other being Eritrea.
• Morocco has both a King and an elected parliament.
• The name ‘Berbers’ originated in 440BC when Romans gave them the nickname, which means ‘those who speak noisily or confusedly’.
• In Islamic teaching, Allah is sometimes embodied as a stranger, so for this reason unknown visitors are often given preferential treatment.
• In Muslim countries, the left hand is considered the dirty hand because it is the hand that is used after using the loo. For this reason, only use your right hand when eating, touching money, or shaking hands.
• It is impolite to decline meat at a Moroccan home, since meat is a luxury and the concept of vegetarianism does not fit into Moroccan culture.
• The window handles in taxis are often removed because of a commonly accepted myth that the wind makes you sick.
• Some superstitious Moroccans believe that the chameleon possesses magical powers. But unlike cultures that provide preferential treatment of magical creatures, Moroccans throw chameleons in wood-fired ovens and add chameleon meat and bones to food in their efforts to ward off misfortunes and restore fidelity (respectively). Poor chameleons...
  
• Camels (which are found in Morocco) have 3 eyelids to shield their eyes from sandstorms.
• In the southern Sahara, locals eat camel, gazelle and hedgehog meat.

Anny Chih

Highlights from Walking with the Nomads

I am still trying to digest everything I experienced on my latest trip, it was THAT good. I spent a week with a nomadic family from the Ait Atta tribe in the Jebel Saghro region of Morocco, and followed them on their semi-annual migration. Words can't describe the experience. Without sounding cliche, it was so unique, special, and humbling. I will never forget this adventure.

The days started around 6:30am with the flock of 200 sheep and goats, 3 camels and 4 donkeys letting us know the sun was coming up. After breakfast, we would hike anywhere from 4-6 hours with the herd of animals and the nomad family. We would arrive into camp at lunch and then have the afternoon free to relax, watch the flurry of activity at camp, help bake bread, play with the kids, go for an optional hike, etc. There was never a dull moment. The family was so welcoming, friendly and had a great sense of humour. Under the starry skies at night, we were treated to delicious 3-course dinners and red wine before heading to bed and the serenading sounds of camels constantly chewing.

Some of the memories that stand out for me are:

1. Watching a way of life that over the years has been passed down from generation to generation and probably hasn't changed much. I somewhat envied their lifestyle living in a world where they have no idea what twitter, facebook or a blog is.

2. The diversity in the landscapes from high mountain passes and shady oases to vast desert moonlike landscapes and fields of date palm trees.

3. The tea breaks throughout the day. I was always amazed how much sugar they put into one teapot. As David described on our trip, the block of sugar was the size of his car! Well, that's exaggerated, but it was at least the size of my palm.

4. The comraderie at camp with the nomad family (it was apparent how important family is to them) and singing and dancing with them at night.

5. Walking while carrying baby goats and lambs. The little lamb I became attached to was a bit of a whiner. She was always at the back of the pack so I helped her along by carrying her some of the way. I found out after that this poor little lamb was abandoned by her Mom (who was somewhere in the herd of 200) so she relied on the goats' for milk.

6. The children. At first they were shy of us, but by the end they liked to sit near us, get their pictures taken and were all smiles. Some of my fellow travellers brought balloons for the kids. Little Mohammed, the 8-year old camel herder, loved them. For the next few days, he did all his chores with a balloon in his mouth. Like all kids, he liked the farting noise the balloon made when the air was let out :) Unfortunately, within a few days, all the balloons had popped!

7. Learning to make lemon chicken tagine. The secret is olives, olives and more olives! (and plenty of spices, red onion and tomatoes)

And so much more...the constant sounds of the animals, not hearing a plane overhead the entire time, finding a rock to perch on and watching the flurry of the camp below, Fatima putting henna on my hands, sitting around a warm campfire with the family and learning about their way of life, cracking almonds with the family for their daily snack, eating spicy tagines under a full moon, etc.

You can view the itinerary on BikeHike Adventure's website at http://www.bikehike.com/morocco/morocco_trip02a.html

Happy Travels,
Meghan