MOROCCO: THE COUNTRY THAT TRAVELS WITH YOU

Posted November 5, 2014

Morocco is a magical destination – a place that for many conjures up images of exotic eastern culture – of the swinging sixties, that time of change, when flower power swept the western world – when youth looked to distant horizons for inspiration and spirituality.

When Dylan preached “the times they are a changing”- pioneering, guitar strumming hippies heard the call, questioned and sought answers – and made pilgrimage east in search of enlightenment, direction, and of course… adventure – the Marrakech express was rolling…and it has proved timeless.

Morocco had emerged from sleepy antiquity at a time of change – and became one of the must see places… for those on a herb hazy trail of self discovery, and those folks who simply preferred something a bit more off the beaten track: a step back in time to a fast disappearing world.

Morocco – Small Country, Big Reputation

The Kingdom of Morocco, a small country in the Maghreb region of North Africa is characterised by the rugged and imposing Atlas Mountains and the vast expanse of the Sahara Desert. It is one of only three countries to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines

Morocco has a rich history. Records show seafaring Phoenicians plied their trade along the western Mediterranean around in the 6th century BCE – trading in salt and iron ore; they set up outposts and storage facilities, struck further inland and settled. This heralded centuries of rule by foreign masters and settlers, along with a diverse range of cultures and influences – today, these influences of Arabic, African, European, and later Islamic culture, remain colourful and vibrant, breathtakingly beautiful…virtually unchanged and ageless.

Morocco – A Melting Pot of Cultures and Traditions

Morocco is a historical melting pot of people, a meld of different cultures, languages and traditions. The Berber people, a northwest African non-Arab tribe, have inhabited Morocco since around 4000BCE and firmly resisted assimilation with the growing numbers who were attracted to their part of the world, and the changing times that were ever encroaching: they resisted for millennia, but change was of course inevitable. The Europeans became increasingly interested in North Africa in the 19th century and Morocco came under the control of the French from 1830-1956. After Arabic, French is widely spoken throughout the country.

Today, Morocco has a predominately Sunni Muslim (99 %) population, and Islam has been the official religion since 1961. There is a small minority of black African and European descent Christians and a very small number of Jews.

Morocco as a Travel Destination

For many travellers, some trips are undertaken and experienced but once in a lifetime…but there is something indefinably special about Morocco: it’s the kind of place people visit again and again.

The 1960’s was a great time for would be world travellers and those so far content with only books and media imagery of the day for inspiration. Commercial air travel was becoming easier, more accessible, and airline routes and destinations were spreading further afield. Before then, to travel seriously really was a trek…a time consuming and costly affair: not always easy to fit into a two or three week annual vacation period.

Today fortunately, within just a few short hours, you can arrive in Morocco by air, refreshed and ready for your adventure…and a little better organised than those pioneering hippies: an organised adventure, one with all the magic…but with a touch of luxury as well.

Getting around Morocco…

This is where we as travellers are lucky as in the present day, luxury air travel and specialist online companies who know what the dedicated traveller wants and demands, means you don’t have the time consuming headache of trying to organise everything yourself, or have a month long overland drive to get to there, the adventure starting point. Definitely the way to go!

Once you are in Morocco, getting around very much depends on where you are and where you are going next. For a small country, Morocco has a lot worth seeing, many quite unique sights that will delight and provoke reflection and meditation.

Your mode of transport will vary between, in part, by foot, or, a go anywhere terrain munching 4×4, a mini bus, and of course…a camel, that ever reliable – though sometimes temperamental – ship of the desert. Sand boarding down huge dunes on the outer fringes of the Sahara isn’t really a form of transport…but its great fun.

Sites of Interest

Morocco is colourful, vibrant and bustling, but nature is never far away.
Each area of Morocco is unlike any other; from serene coastal towns to rustic Berber villages, remote regions of the Anti Atlas Mountains to the breath-taking solitude of the Sahara Desert.

Kasbahs and flourishing strings of oases are to be discovered throughout this land, trek along the Draa River valley running through the Anti Atlas Mountains – a fertile land abundant with date palms and fig trees, lands that over the centuries became home to Arab, Berber, Jewish and Mauritanians – a mix of cultures and differing traditions, a world of its own.

The Jemaa el-Fnaa or Djemaa el Fna is found in the city of Marrakech and is one of the most popular and interesting squares that exists from antiquity – situated in the very heart of the ancient city: traditional street vendors and performers such as snake charmers, jugglers, acrobats, mystics, magicians and fortune…will dazzle and assault your senses. Marrakech really is an eye opener: a spell here makes the solitude and peace of the desert seems a million miles away.

Organised Tours to Morocco – The Way to Go...!

Without doubt, the best way to see Morocco is by organising your trip through a specialised company, one with a good track record. It could be the difference between fulfilling your dream, and creating a nightmare by trying to organise it yourself. An organiser’s knowledge and experience on the ground takes out all the hassle, leaving you the time to just enjoy the trip.

The best organisers to choose are often the smaller type, those companies run by experienced travellers – who are first and foremost seasoned travellers themselves, but are lucky enough to be living the dream. When organised properly in this manner you’ll avoid disapointment, and take home only wonderful memories

Check out our tours with these unique experiences below

Prefer to do a tailor-made itinerary where you can choose your unique experiences and build your perfect trip? Click here to contact us today.

Southern Morocco Explorer

Morocco

Culture

The Anti Atlas, Berber villages & Sahara Desert

£0

14 days

Exotic Flavours of Morocco

Morocco

Culture | Culinary

Discover Berber culture & cuisine

£0

8 days

MOROCCO: THE COUNTRY THAT TRAVELS WITH YOU

Check out our tours with these unique experiences below

Southern Morocco Explorer

Exotic Flavours of Morocco

Our Destinations

Our Themes

Featured Themes

Archaeology

Wildlife

Let Us Inspire You

FEATURED DESTINATIONS AND THEMES

Festivals

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