Journey Beyond Travel...going beyond the destination

Hollywood films have tried to encapsulate the immensity of the Sahara Desert in several genres from action/adventure to romantic tales, but it’s really one of those sites that you have to see to believe. Whether you are traveling for a vacation in Morocco or just want to know a bit more about one of the world’s most interesting deserts, here are just a few grains of information you might find interesting:

Sizing Up the Sahara Desert:

The Sahara Desert is 3.63 million square miles (9.4 million square kilometers). It runs from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and into central and western Africa. The desert covers parts of Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Chad, Libya, Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Western Sahara, Tunisia and Sudan. (more…)

If you are thinking of visiting Morocco for the trekking opportunities in the High Atlas Mountains, there is no bad time to go. Depending on what type of trek you desire and your physical abilities, you will be able to find a trek at any time of the year.

There are a number of easy and moderate day hikes in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains. Some of these hikes will take a good portion of the day but should be manageable by most people. Toubkal Park and the Azaden Valley offer hikes for those with a bit more experience and stamina. If you’d like to enjoy a couple days of hiking in the High Atlas Mountains, there are tours available that allow trekkers to stay with a local family so that they don’t need to shuttle back and forth from the city day after day. (more…)

To get to the spectacular scenery of Morocco’s deserts, valleys and oases, you’ll need to get off road, either by camel or by 4×4. Here are some factors to consider before you book a night on the dunes of Erg Chebbi, a multi-day trek through the Draa Valley or even a trans-Saharan journey to the Mauritanian border.

Travel Comfort Level

For those not accustomed to riding a camel, sore bottoms should be expected. You need to be relatively fit to endure a camel ride of more than 30 minutes, and even athletes may end up wondering if sitting astride a camel works muscles never utilized before. Keep in mind that camel saddles don’t have any stirrups so there is no way to temporarily shift your body weight to get relief from a sore bum. (more…)

If you’re a woman packing for your first trip to Morocco, chances are you’ve wondered what should go in your suitcase. And once you, arrive, do you know what to do when the owner of your riad is introducing you to a male relative? What’s the appropriate greeting?

Amanda Mouttaki, a native of Wisconsin in the United States and author of Maroc Mama, a blog about Moroccan cuisine, knows a thing or two about women’s travel in Morocco. Her expertise is informed not only by the time she has spent in the country, but also by her passion for Moroccan culture and cuisine, which is inspired by her bicultural life with her Moroccan husband.

“My best advice is to dress modestly,” she says, though Hollywood would have women travelers believe otherwise. (more…)

Let’s say this up front: Riding a camel is one of the most uncomfortable experiences you can imagine.

Now that that’s out of the way, I should also tell you that riding a camel is fantastically fun and bound to be one of your favorite memories from your trip to Morocco. Not much can top watching the sun set over the Sahara as you make your way to a Berber tent astride a camel or listening to the waves crash against the rocks in Essaouira as you meander down the beach, swaying atop your steed. You’ll probably hum the theme to Lawrence of Arabia. It will be amazing.

It will also be uncomfortable. (more…)

The Ameln Valley offers some of the most spectacular natural scenery in Morocco as well as some of the most picturesque villages. Nestled against the granite peaks of the Anti Atlas Mountains in southwestern Morocco, the Ameln Valley is a stunning landscape of towering cliffs, colorful granite boulder-strewn fields and unique rock formations.

This area of Morocco is incredibly fertile, and the hills are covered with argan, almond, and palm trees. Argan trees produce a fruit that is similar to the olive and are valued by the people of the Ameln Valley. A highly prized oil, valued for its nutritive and medicinal properties, is produced from the argan fruit. Locals use argan oil as a bread dip and on couscous and salads. They also export it out of the region to support reforestation projects in Ameln Valley. Since food is sparse in the region, goats have taken to climbing the argan trees in search of food. (more…)

When you travel, do you like to poke around palaces, indulge yourself in history at a museum or sip coffee at a local café? Do you prefer to take part in extreme sports or wander through the wilderness?

The beauty of Morocco is that it’s a country diverse in adventure, culture and heritage, and regardless of your travel style, you’ll find something here that suits you. Whatever your preferences when it comes to travel, here are ten good reasons you’ll want to make Morocco your next holiday destination:

1. Trekking experiences are plentiful. The main mountain ranges in Morocco are the Rif Mountains, High Atlas Mountains, Middle Atlas Mountains and Anti Atlas Mountains. The Rif Mountains, located in the northern section of the country, are covered with cascades, forested land and caves. Expert trekkers will find more challenging terrain in the High Atlas Mountains. (more…)

When planning a trip to Morocco, it’s wise to take the seasons into account. Summer brings blistering heat to the south and the plains, but can be pleasant in the High Atlas Mountains. Conversely, winter snowfalls often cut off mountain passes while areas south of Marrakech will be downright lovely. If you’re planning a trip to Morocco, though, you probably already know this.

What you may not be taking into consideration, however, is Ramadan.

The month of Ramadan changes every year. It impacts every facet of life in the Muslim world, and Morocco is no exception. The holiday commemorates the revelation of the Koran to the prophet Mohammad, and is a festive, joyous time. During Ramadan, Muslims are prohibited from eating, drinking, smoking or having sex during daylight hours. In the evening, families join together, listening for the call to prayer that signals the sun has set and the fast may be broken. In Morocco, the fast is traditionally broken with a bowl of harira (a spiced lentil soup), paired with dates, shabekia (a honey-dipped sesame pastry) and, of course, tea. (more…)

Laayoune is the largest town in Western Sahara, the desert region south of Morocco’s Anti Atlas Mountains. Occupied by Spain until 1974, Western Sahara remains in legal limbo as a disputed territory. After the “Green March” of November 1975—when 350,000 Moroccans marched across the border into the Sahara—a conflict broke out between the Moroccans and the Polisario Front, a group that demanded independence for its native Sahrawi people. Talks have been underway between Morocco and Polisario since a UN-sponsored cease fire in 1991.

The town tends to serve as a stopover point for travelers going between Mauritania and southern Morocco or for those on the way to try kite surfing at Dakhla’s desert lagoon.  From Marrakech, it’s a 16-hour plus bus ride to Laayoune. Although you’ll be driving through desert, don’t expect spectacular scenery like you’ll find at Erg Chebbi; this part of the Sahara is all hamada—flat, rocky desert. (more…)

The Strait of Gibralter, the narrow strait that separates Spain from Morocco, holds a high concentration of marine animals including several species of whales and dolphins. The strait separates the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean and has a unique geography, which enhances phytoplankton growth and offers an overabundance of food that attracts whales to the area.

This body of water produces a very slow exchange of water between the Atlantic and Mediterranean and this results in a rich environment to sustain a diverse variety of marine life. The Strait of Gibralter is home to the pilot whale, sperm whale, orca whale and fin whale as well as the bottlenose dolphin, striped dolphin and common dolphin. (more…)