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hidden trail.
The Berber influence is everywhere, in the food, the music on the radio, the hospitality. Tajines slow-cooked over charcoal. Bread baked in earth ovens. Handwoven textiles sold by women sitting beneath olive trees. Even the rhythm of life here, unhurried, rooted in the land, feels like an invitation to slow down and truly see.
There’ s challenge in this kind of travel. Roads can be rough, weather unpredictable. You might ride hours without seeing another soul. But it’ s in these moments, when the only sounds are the wind and your engine, when you crest a pass and find a hidden valley below, that the Atlas Mountains reveal their true gift. They teach you to listen. To observe. To be still, even when you’ re moving as fast as a 108cc Docker will take you.
A Desert Rats tour takes you places the others don’ t as co-owner, Martine Goldenbeld, is keen to immerse travellers in an experience of the country she now calls home. If Martine isn’ t riding she won’ t be far behind in the support vehicle, but don’ t feel this is a tour that adheres to strict routes and deadlines. No! On a Desert Rats tour the riders are encouraged to explore at their own pace, a GPX route is provided via an attached smart phone, but it’ s not a compulsory way, Martine says“ if you see something interesting go and explore it”, and with a wry
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