Motorhomes to Morocco        30 September – 31 October 2010

Morocco continues to tread a cautious path into the 21st Century, with a population of just over 30 million people. It is at the most western limit of the Islamic world and offers a unique combination of stunning scenery and a fascinating culture. It has the greatest variety of natural habitats in North Africa. But Morocco is far more than this it is the Middle East and Africa rolled into one.

Our tour commenced on the afternoon of the 30 September, when all the units arrived at the restaurant/hotel Casa Bernardos which is situated just outside Algeciras. We were warmly greeted by our tour leaders David and Pauline Hirst and Malcolm and Joan Kelham.

Before the delicious Welcome Dinner we had the obligatory first tour briefing giving us details about the coming trip and the procedures for the following days travel to the embarkation port and the crossing of the border into Morocco.

We arrived in convoy at the Port of Algeciras early the next morning for our 9am sailing to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
After our arrival in Ceuta we proceeded to the Moroccan border where our immigration documents were checked and stamped and our vehicles were issued with a temporary import licence. Amazingly this process only took one hour for all ten vehicles.

We made good time as we headed for our first nights camping at the must see town of Chefchaouen. To get there we had to drive the dramatic ridge road which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the Rif Mountains on the other. Eventually we arrived at the municipal campsite Azilan, which commanded fantastic views from its perch on the hillside.

We were able to walk from the campsite down into the town where we enjoyed seeing the small alleyways with brilliant blue painted houses, the interesting shops and of course sampling the restaurants serving Moroccan food.
Next day we headed towards Meknes where we “Wild Camped” in the forest accompanied by sheep, goats, dogs and some local boys playing football in front of our vans. That evening we celebrated one of our groups 72nd birthday, drinking a glass of wine around a campfire which we had built from the forest debris.

Early next morning we visited the World Heritage Site of the Roman ruins of Volubilis before continuing our journey to the Imperial city of Fes where we were to stay for two nights at Camping International just outside the city. On the second day we went on a guided tour of the old city (Fes al Bali). Just inside the city walls is the Pottery Quarter which produces both glazed green and terracotta roof tiles and pottery of all shapes sizes and colours. It also produces to “Special Order” wonderful hand painted items with interesting patterns. Nearly all the kilns are over one hundred years old and are fuelled first with Cedar wood and then boosted by the addition of dried Olive pips.

For me the highlight of this trip was when we climbed a very steep old staircase to overlook the famous tanneries. The hides are dipped into the coloured dies and spread to dry on the flat straw-covered roofs.

Now our travels took us towards the Tafilet and desert along the Trek es Sultan (The Sultan’s Road). A visit to “The Edge of the World” does well to be reached by a royal road. The Trek sweeps South over the secretive Middle Atlas, which is as a magnificently different landscape as one could imagine, it being rich Cedar Forest country and the home of Barbary Apes.

Our intention was to “Wild Camp” that night in the Cedar Forest but a new road had been built which precluded us from gaining access to the forest floor. So we spent the night at nearby Camping Europa reputably having been built and owned by a Saudi Sheik. No expense had been spared to produce a fabulously opulent campsite, the best so far!
Near Midelt, the road along the northern side of the High Atlas has joined the Trek es Sultan at a place called Zeida. The desert grips tighter south of the Midelt, still no sand but a world of mountains.

At a break not far south lies one of the great oddities of the region, the Blue Springs of Meski (Source Bleu on the Maps), surrounded by the palms of its oasis setting. There is a romantic feeling, where the gaps in the canopy, allow a view of the desert stars, wonderful! We stayed here for three nights, visited the nearby village and school, had a wonderful meal at a local restaurant and finished with a Berber breakfast before our departure.

Onward to Erfoud and Rissani, which are true desert towns, with not much to hold the tourist? They are rather sad places but we were rewarded with supplies of fresh vegetables, bread and banking facilities. We also had the opportunity to buy fossils from the region at bargain prices.
We then proceeded towards the real Sahara Desert at Erg Chebbi. The desert road out to the sand dunes is comprised of grit and hard packed sand, unfortunately we ran into a sand storm. Although we were travelling in a convoy of 10 units it was impossible to see the motorhome in front. Fortunately we had been warned previously that if this should happen we should stop and wait until the storm had passed. Within half an hour we had a clear view and were able to proceed, driving along the marking poles towards a string of small auberges which have sprung up under the very large sand dunes, collectively referred to as the Merzouga.

Most motorhomes base themselves near an auberge, where it is possible to have meals and toilet and shower facilities. Trips can also be arranged into the desert by camels or for the fainthearted in four by four vehicles!

The next afternoon fourteen of us travelled into the desert for nearly two hours, each on our own camel led by camel masters destined to arrive early evening at a Berber Camp. There we enjoyed a traditional meal and were provided with sleeping arrangements inside the tents in the middle of the desert.     Do not ask about the toilet arrangements!!!

It was around 5am the next morning when we were awakened by our guide to be ready for our return journey. At this time the stars were magical, it just seemed possible to touch them. In some ways sunrise is even more magical than sunset. As dawn creeps in, the dunes take shape, waiting for the sun to explode out of the East. The grey turns to a glorious range of bright warm colours which sweep down the horizon chasing shadows over the dunes.
We finished our camel ride out of the desert with a refreshing breakfast and a hot shower in the nearby Auberge Du Sud. A hot bath would have been preferable, in order to soak away the aches and pains of the unaccustomed camel ride.

The next day we arrived at the Todgha Gorge, another one of Morocco’s must see places. This massive natural channel through the High Atlas stretches upwards for a number of Kilometres with sheer walls over 300 metres high. The walls constantly change colour as the sun passes overhead. We spent the night at the top of the gorge at Camping Baddough, where we were served with a traditionally barbecued lamb accompanied with locally grown vegetables. Next day some of our members were taken on an outing higher up the gorge in an open truck to visit a local market and a Salt Mine. The last part of the trip was on foot as the track was too rough for the truck to drive across. Miners were seen climbing out of the mine with sacks of rock salt on their backs carrying primitive pick axes which they used to dig out the lumps of salt from the rock face deep underground. Donkeys were then used to carry the rock salt to the nearest village for transportation down the gorge.
From the base of the gorge we travelled to Ouarzazate through a hard and desolate landscape. This region came into prominence in the 60’s when “Lawrence of Arabia” and also parts of “The Gladiator” were filmed here.

Our next stop was Camping Fridous on the outskirts of Marrakech. This was a two night stopover to allow us the opportunity to spend time in the day and the evening in the Djema el Fina, sometimes described as the “Most Wonderful Square in the World”. This huge area between the original Kasbah and Souks is a riot of colours, noise and action with dancers, musicians, snake charmers, storytellers and food stalls all vying for your business. As the evening progressed, the crowds increased and the square became even more crowded and noisy, particularly around the food stalls and restaurants.
From Marrakech we drove to Camping Sidi Mogdoul at the Port of Essaouira. Within 20 minutes of arriving we were able to walk along the beach and promenade directly into the town. The fortifications of the old city are massive. But once one is inside the walls, it is all light and charm, narrow streets with white washed houses and blue painted doors. It was down one of these streets where we enjoyed a fantastic meal in the evening. Next day was a “Chill out Day” given us the opportunity to wash our vans or just sun bathe and generally take it easy before heading to Safi.
Safi is the home to a massive sardine canning factory which processes tons of fish caught by one of the world’s largest fishing fleets. It also has a large phosphorus fertilizer factory as well as the many potteries which are situated outside the walls of the old town. This is the place to buy the bargains of typical Moroccan pottery with their bold colourful patterns.
Unfortunately we were coming to the end of our tour with visits to both El-Jadida and Casablanca. We enjoyed a guided tour around the city of Casablanca, and visited the Hassan11 Mosque reportedly the third largest in the world, designed by the French Architect Michael Pinseau.
Our penultimate stay was at the small town of Moulay-Bousselham, not only does it have miles of sandy beaches but also a beautiful lagoon. A boat trip was arranged on the lagoon for the next morning in small boats driven by local Moroccans, so we could have the opportunity to view the flamingos and other sea birds.
Our final night in Morocco was at the seaside town of Martil which has been recently upgraded by the addition of a long promenade with mature palm trees and a frontage of shops and hotels. Our Final Meal was arranged in the camp site restaurant with a mixture of Moroccan and European food to delight us. It was an opportunity to say goodbye to one another and to say thank you to our leaders.
It was now time to head for home after one month of touring this fascinating country. We had visited a combination of wild places and beautiful towns and cities and of course the unforgettable Sahara Desert. We had found the Moroccans we had met to be very friendly and helpful people. We would not hesitate to visit this country again and hopefully we will do so soon.