Morocco : Capture Marrakesh to the Sahara

Join Photo Quest Adventures in Morocco for the visual feast of a lifetime in one of the most intoxicating countries in the world. From the shifting sands of the Sahara Desert and the snowcapped Atlas Mountains to the impressive imperial cities and lively medieval-like markets, Morocco is the perfect location for honing your photography skills. With a pro photographer at your side, you are destined to capture lasting images of Morocco’s rich history, striking landscapes, colorful cities and fascinating people.

• Experience a traditional tented desert camp in the dunes of Merzouga with dinner under a star filled Saharan sky and Berber folk music around the campfire.

• Early morning photo shoot of camels riding across the Sahara dunes as the rising sun slowly transforms the landscape from pink to gold.

• Photograph the Djemaa el Fna in Marrakesh – the greatest souq (market/bizarre) in the south teeming with food vendors, acrobats, snake charmers and musicians.

• Catch colorful images of the lively medina in Fez where merchants sell their goods on the labyrinth of narrow, winding streets.

Itinerary

June 9th U.S./Casablanca, Morocco

Travel Date- Depart on an overnight flight from the USA to Casablanca.

June 10th Casablanca, Morocco

Transfer to the Golden Tulip Farrah hotel and check in. Then we are off to a lunch and a wine tasting at a local vineyard near the town of Ben Slimane. In the evening, we will meet for an orientation with your quest leader followed by a welcome dinner. Overnight at Golden Tulip Farrah Casablanca (L,D)

June 11th Casablanca/Marrakech

On the way to Marrakech, drive through Morocco’s legendary “pearl of the South,“… the elegant Anfa neighborhood. After lunch at the hotel, hone your macro photography at the Majorelle Gardens and perfect your architectural eye at Koutoubia Mosque and the Bahia Palace. In the afternoon capture the twisting streets of the Marrakech medina exploding with food vendors and craftspeople. Practice your environmental portrait skills at the infamous Djemma el Fna Square -Morocco’s UNESCO-recognized platform for halqa (street theatre) -where snake charmers, magicians, dancers entertain daily. Overnight at Le Méridien N’Fis (B,L)

June 12th Marrakech/High Atlas Mountains

Set out in the morning for full-day excursion to the High Atlas Mountains – North Africa’s highest peak – where we will hike the lush, quiet mountain trails for striking landscape images. Capture groves of apple, cherry, peach and walnut trees; green valleys with waterfalls and panoramas of mountain peaks and lakes. Along the hike we’ll stop to explore the local markets and traditional Berber villages capturing rich environmental portraits. Back in Marrakech enjoy a rooftop dinner and sunset shoot accompanied by traditional Gnaoua music in the heart of the old medina. Overnight at Le Méridien N’Fis (B,L,D)

June 13th Aït Benhaddou/Ouarzazate

Today we will traverse thru the Atlas Mountains by bus to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Aït Benhaddou and have lunch overlooking this ancient fortified city. In the warm afternoon light, explore and photograph the winding lanes and earthy dwellings of the Kasbahs (mud brick buildings) located along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech. Stop for tea in a traditional adobe home and photograph the locals. Take an optional horseback ride along the Ouarzazate River before continuing to Ouarzazate, a former trading post now known for its movie studios where many films, including Lawrence of Arabia, were shot. Overnight at Le Berbère Palace (B,L,D)

June 14th Ouarzazate/Erfoud/Merzouga

Experience and photograph traditional adobe architecture in Taourirt Kasbah this morning. Then we’ll drive along the legendary “Road of 1,000 Kasbahs” to Erfoud passing unique rock formations, oases, and rose plantations. Stop for a hike through a palm and tamarisk grove in Skoura. Then meander the steep and narrow Todra Gorge – a highlight of the south- and have lunch at the foot of the soaring, pink canyon walls. In Erfoud, we’ll take 4×4s jeeps into the desert to a traditional tented camp located in the Merzouga dunes with dinner under a star filled Saharan sky and Berber folk music around the campfire. Overnight Tented Berber Camp (B,L,D)

Lodging

Based on double occupancy
Single supplement $1450

1 night
GOLDEN TULIP FARAH CASABLANCA

2 nights
MERIDIEN NFIS MARRAKECH

1 night
BERBERE PALACE OUARZAZATE

3 nights
PALAIS JAMAI FES

1 night
TENTS IN MERZOUGA

Cost per person $5,200 Per person-Based on double occupancy from Casablanca, Morocco

Single supplement $1,450

Limited to 14 participants

Terms and Conditions

Included:

• Quest workshop Fee
• 8 night accommodations based on double occupancy
• All entrance fees
• Most meals as noted in Itinerary
• English speaking guides/drivers
• All land transportation
• Group airport transfers on arrival and departure

Not included:

• International Airfare to/from Casablanca, Fez
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Personal Expenses
• Gratuities
• Visa and passport fees
• Medical and trip insurance (highly recommended)

We highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance. We have set up a special discounted rate for our Questers. Just follow the link below to register.

TBD

Quest Leader’s website: TBD

About Morocco

Morocco is a country full of fascinating extremes from its geography to its culture. Located in North Africa, Morocco is home to a combination of stunning coastlines on the Atlantic Ocean reaching past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea, hot white sands of the Sahara desert, green fertile valleys and the snow-capped peaks of the Atlas Mountains. Morocco also has some of the world’s most unique and vibrant city markets and interesting people due to its ancient history as a crossroads of African, European and Middle Eastern cultures.

Brief History

Though the ancient culture of Morocco has influenced its people for centuries, its diversity seems to have been a derivative of several other ancient cultures. The original inhabitants of Morocco were the Near Eastern nomads who were most likely distant cousins of the ancient Egyptians. Also known as Berbers – a name the Roman’s gave them meaning barbarians. The Near Eastern nomads or Berbers were people who made up their own rules according to their different tribal leaders, creating a lack of unification of authority inciting many invasions by the Phoenicians in the 12th century B.C. and then the Carthaginians in the 2nd century B.C.

After the Romans came in and seized the Carthaginians, the Roman Empire soon fell apart and the Arabs were able to move in, take over and bring Islam to the country. Then the Arabs and Jews fought for control of the country that ultimately left the region unstable. When Ahmed I al-Man-sur became the ruler, stability prevailed in Morocco. The country flourished between 1579 and 1603 as Jews and Moors from Spain settled in Morocco bringing their different cultures and art to the country and in the end giving Morocco much of its current culture. From the 800’s till France took control in 1912, Morocco experienced a cycle of rising and falling Islamic dynasties.
France then allowed Mohammed V to return from exile in 1955, and Morocco became independent from France and Spain in 1956. When Mohammed V died suddenly of heart failure in 1961, King Hassan II became the leader of the new nation. Hassan II died in 1999 and Mohammed VI became King vowing to right the wrongs of the era known to Moroccans as ‘the Black Years’. A new parliament elected in 2002 has implemented some promising reforms including the first-ever municipal elections, the “Mudawanna”…a legal code protecting women’s rights to divorce and custody, and preservation of the indigenous Berber identity by introducing the Berber language in primary schools as a compulsory language.

Languages

Arabic, French, Berber

Religion

Predominantly Muslim

Climate/Clothing

The Moroccan climate varies according to season and region. We will be there in June when temperatures range from the low 70’s to the mid 90’s during the day. And then down to the low 60’s in the evening. The cities can get very warm during the day as well as the Sahara Desert, which cools down considerably in the evening. The mountains are always comfortable.

Bring light colored and lightweight comfortable clothes for the days and something medium weight to layer with in the cooler evenings. As always, bring a thin, waterproof shell – chances are you will not need it in Morocco, but you never know. Wear good walking shoes with toe protection for walking through the medinas and streets. For trekking in valleys and mountain trails, low hiking/trail shoes will due.

Gear to Bring

We recommend you bring the following gear with you on our Quests.

Camera Gear

• Digital SLR with back up camera that will fit your lenses
• Battery charger
• A few extra batteries
• Memory cards (bring plenty!!!)
• Sensor cleaning supplies
• Flash with plenty of batteries
• Wireless transmitter for Flash

Lenses

• 12-24mm (for the 1.5x sensor size cameras) or 17-35mm (for full frame shooters) lens for landscapes and cityscapes; also for environmental portraits
• 28-105mm lens or similar for street shooting and portraits; a nice lens to have shooting busy markets
• 70-200mm lens for portraits and nearby wildlife; VR or IS lenses are very helpful
• 1.4X tele-converter for telephoto lenses
• Polarizing filter(s)v
• Lint-free cloth to clean lenses and blower ball for dust
• Fish-eye lens (if you have one, very creative lens!)
• Lensbaby if you have one else you can try ours!