Morocco - Kasbahs, Berbers and the Sahara

Known to the Arabs as al-Maghreb al-Aqsa, or the farthest land of the setting sun, Morocco stands at the western edge of the Arab and Muslim world. Separated from Europe by just nine miles at the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco is both a crossroads and a frontier state, as it has been since the 11th century, when it became the gateway for Islam’s most successful advance upon Western Europe.

We start in Casablanca and travel to one of Morocco’s greatest charms — the labyrinths of the imperial cities of Rabat, Meknes and Fez. We continue across the Middle Atlas Mountains to Erfoud, where we reach the sands of the Sahara and witness the sunrise over the dunes. Here, we experience a touch of nomadic Berber life, as we ride camels with the local tribesmen into the majestic solitude of the Sahara Desert. We enjoy a night in Berber tents with a traditional feast and Berber folklore.

Traveling west, our next destination is the Todra Gorge, a striking natural wonder with 1,000-foot walls which narrow to just 30 feet apart at one point. Through the Dades Valley, set amidst the snow-capped High Atlas Mountains, we travel on to Ouarzazate along the “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs” and continue to the historic city of Taroudant. Our last week is a journey through the seldomvisited Anti-Atlas Mountains in the south to Tafraout. We visit the historic fortifications of Essaouira, a lovely coastal town and a favorite hideaway of Orson Welles.

We finish in Marrakesh, with time to explore the busy souks, famous gardens and towering minarets of this fabled city.