Morocco, a North African country bordering the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, is distinguished by its Berber, Arabian and European cultural influences. Marrakech’s walled medina, a mazelike medieval quarter, offers entertainment in its Djemaa el-
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Constitutional monarchy
CAPITAL: Rabat
POPULATION: 32,987,206
OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Arabic, Berber dialects, French
MONEY: Moroccan Dirham
MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Atlas, Rifou want.
AGADIR
Agadir is a beach city! The city is a nice example of modern Moroccan design.
ASNI
The ideal starting point for visiting the Atlas Mountains
CASABLANCA
Modern city which is a common starting point for visitors flying into the country. If you have time the historical medina and the contemporary mosque (the second largest in the world) it is a must. It is worthy to spend a whole afternoon.
CHEFCHAOUEN
Mountain city with fantastic backstreets of white houses and blue doors, trees …. Chefchaouen is a clean air breathing city, a pleasant escape from Tangier.
ESSAOUIRA
Old Town, the beach was rediscovered by tourists. Essaouira is worthy of a visit. The nearest shore to Marrakech.
FES
Fes is the former capital of Morocco and one of the oldest medieval towns and one of the world’s largest.
MARRAKECH
Marrakech is a perfect combination of old and new Morocco. Pass at least a few days to see the souks and historical sites of the medina. Do not forget to go through the great Djeema El Fna Square.
MEKNES
A modern city, it offers a nice change to the tourist crush of the neighbor Fez.
OUARZAZZATE
Considered the capital of the South, Ouarzazate is a great example of preservation and tourism that has not destroyed the feel of a great and ancient city.
RABAT
The capital of Morocco.
TÁNGER
Tangier is the starting point for most visitors. An enigmatic charm which has historically attracted numerous artists (Matisse), musicians (Hendrix), politicians (Churchill), writers and others (Malcolm Forbes)
TETOUAN
Capital of northern Morocco, it has very beautiful beaches and is the gateway to the Rif Mountains.
Firstly, luggage: Most people who come to explore the Sahara with Hassan also plan to do other things in Morocco. They come fully equipped with many changes of clothing, spare pairs of shoes, beach towels, beauty cases and even hair dryers. There isn’t the remotest chance of most of this stuff being of any use in the desert. And anyway, there’s a real pleasure in living simply in the heart of the desert. What’s more, it’s also nice to think of the camels, who are going to have to carry it all.
You can happily leave most of your things in your hotel or guest house. So, plan on bringing a soft bag or rucksack with you to hold what you will need when on the trek (hard bags don’t work well on camels). Make sure it has strong handles because these may be used to tie your bag on the camel. Lastly, carrying a spare toilet roll is never a bad idea!
Headgear: Keeping your head covered in the desert sun is a very good idea. Most travel agencies recommend sun hats, and these are fine. Just make sure yours has ventilation and doesn’t fit tightly over the top of your head. The local headgear is, however, readily available, equally if not more effective, and… more fun.
Light breathable boots or shoes, or the Moroccan baboosh, will be much cooler and more comfortable while riding. Although you may want to wear something heavier around camp, you may well succumb to the pleasure of walking barefoot in the desert late in the day, when the sands have cooled.