Market, Marrakesh
AFRICA SEE PASTEBOARD
& NORTHERN 4 REGION
AFRICA
Gnawa musicians Nomadic tent, Sahara Desert
ITINERARY
DAY 1 • Depart U. S. Depart today on an overnight flight to Casablanca.
DAY 2 • Arrive in Casablanca, Morocco • Rabat An O. A. T. representative meets us at the airport in Casablanca and assists with the transfer to our hotel in Rabat. Later, we meet our fellow travelers who took the optional pre-trip extension to Northern Morocco: Chefchaouen, Tangier & the Berbers of the Rif. Meals: D | Le Diwan Hotel or similar
DAY 3 • Rabat After breakfast this morning, we have a brief introduction to the Arabic language before heading out on a guided tour of Rabat. We see the exterior of Rabat’ s Royal Palace and its impressive Bab ar-Rouah( Gate of the Winds), and visit the ruins and wild gardens of the Chellah, a 14th-century Merinid necropolis. We’ ll visit a historic coffee shop in the region and end our discoveries at the Kasbah Oudeya, a citadel built in the twelfth century. Meals: B, D | Le Diwan Hotel or similar
DAY 4 • Overland to Fez Today we leave the coast and Rabat behind, and set off for Fez— locally referred to as Fes. We’ ll drive past sweeping fields, rolling countryside, and tree-covered slopes, some of which may be speckled with poppies, prickly pears, olive trees, or snow, depending on the time of year. We’ ll make a stop along the way in El Khemisset to stretch our legs and perhaps get a cup of coffee at a famous coffee shop there.
Upon arrival in Fez, we’ ll set off on foot to the medina— a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vendors fill market stalls with colorful handcrafted goods, and on either side of us, donkey carts and motorbikes zip past as we carefully traverse the narrow, maze-like lanes of the ancient walled city. Then we’ ll check into our riad— a Moroccan home that has been refurbished into a hotel. Meals: B, L | Hotel Riad Salam
DAY 5 • Fez • Home-Hosted Dinner Set out for a day of exploration in Fez. First, go to the traditional Jewish quarter, the mellah, to visit a 17th-century synagogue. Afterwards, stroll through the souks( marketplace) of the Old City— the medina. Later, enjoy an exclusive Home- Hosted Dinner with a local family. Meals: B, L, D | Hotel Riad Salam or similar
DAY 6 • Fez • Optional Volubilis & Meknes tour The day is free for you to make your own discoveries in Fez. Or, you may choose to join a full-day optional tour of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Volubilis and Meknes. Meals: B, D | Hotel Riad Salam or similar
DAY 7 • Cross the Middle & High Atlas Mountains • Erfoud Our journey into the Sahara begins today, as we drive approximately 300 miles across the Middle Atlas mountain range, winding through beautiful pine groves and giant cedar forests. In the late afternoon we descend into Erfoud, a small trading village that is the gateway to the vast Sahara Desert. Along the way, meet with a semi-nomadic family( when possible) and delve into their way of life. Meals: B, L, D | Kasbah Hotel Chergui or similar
DAY 8 • Off-road Sahara adventure • Meet local family • Overland to Sahara Desert camp Board 4x4 vehicles and head through the desert to our private tented campsite. Along the way, you’ ll enjoy an O. A. T.-exclusive visit with members of a local desert community. Afterwards, you may join your Trip Experience Leader on an optional sunset dune hike. Take in a traditional Moroccan cooking demonstration this evening. Meals: B, L, D | Private tented camp
DAY 9 • Sahara Desert walk & camel ride • Farm visit • Khamlia Choose to rise before dawn to watch the sunrise in the Saharan dunes followed by a guided walk. Later, explore the desert on the back of a camel( weather permitting). Then, journey by 4x4 vehicle to a local farm, followed by a visit to the remote village of Khamlia for a lively Gnawa musical performance. Later, enjoy a cup of tea
ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT
On Days 8 and 9, spend two nights in a private tented camp in the Sahara Desert, ride a camel in the sand dunes, and gather by the campfire under the African stars.
Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www. oattravel. com / mso 113