Ksar Kaissar Ouarzazate

... tranquil place to rest after the hustle and bustle of the Souk. Marrakech souk is really very touristy, but a place not to be missed. We arranged with Mahjoub the Riad owner to return in 4 Arabian nights time, if you ever want to stay in Marrakech his is the place, excellent value for money, great breakfast, fantastic house, pleasing staff. www.riadjbellakhdar.com <br><br>We decided to rent a car for 4 days ...

... whizzed south across the interiorior of Morocco - in a nice new Toyota 4x4. We sped though Todra Gorge, the Dades, Valley of the Roses et al, and landed for the night at a lovely little riad overlooking the city. Had a beer (along w/ my Muslim guide!) on the rooftop terrace, dinner, and then set off for Marrakech the next morning.

... Jewel of the Nile) and Ali Benhaddou with its famous Kasbah. We also drove through the rose growing area which was quite a surprise.<br>Ahmed shopped for some initial provisions - so that will be the meat from the hanging sheep carcasses then, plus fruit and vegetables. The snow looms on the mountain tops and a local shop is delighted that we want 36 bottles of water between the 4 of us.<br>A jolly first evening as we manage some sort of interaction ...

Ait Ben Haddou is one of the oldest Kasbahs in Morocco. Onthe way to the hotel we saw goats on the side of a maountain. And from the roof of the hotel I took pictures of the kasbah and the neighbors garden. We met 2 German girls the next morning and gave them a ride to Casablanca. They were lots of fun.

... rumours go on as someone asked me about the film a few days later! Slight panic until Sam tuned up as no one else in the queue looked like they were doing the race. Sarah from Best of Morocco had said this flight was for Facing Africa runners, what she meant was those she couldn't fit on the other flight. 5 of us in total. I convinced Sam to jump the queue and check in with me so we could sit together. Her ticket had been canclled so ...

... a guide book for a change although we hope we are not missing anything. So women, travellers and no guide book- a poor combination in Morocco. A challenge for us though. It is amazing how much better you feel after a cold Coca-Cola bottle drank in secret (because of Ramadan), even if you dont like to endorse the Coca-Cola company. After the coke, an hour at the internet cafe, a festy squat toilet break and handing over the 10dirham backpack protection tip or the ...

If northern Morocco has a definite Mediterranean or Near Eastern feel to it, once south of the High Atlas range you are unmistakably in Africa with clear dry air, blue skies, desert winds, intense colors, and a population with darker skin tones. The region directly south of the High Atlas Range is nicknamed The Valley of the Casbahs and is chick full of the ancient fortified cities called casbahs. Since the primary material used to construct casbahs is mud brick, they tend ...

... shake them off, telling them I don't have any money. One kid runs to the passenger side of my car and sees my 75-300m Tamron zoom lens, and says "Yes, you do have money." At this point I was getting rather nervous - the car wasn't locked. So I quickly went back to my car, luckily, because as I just got into the car, and just managed to push down the lock of the door on the passenger side of the car, the boy tries to open it. I close my side, having to really ...

... Nazareth. We visited a Kasbah in Ait Benhaddou. We were very tired... very difficult listening to a guided tour after so many hours of driving. But the hotel, Hotel le Kasbah is situated in a small village made up of several small fortresses, kasbahs etc. Many filmakers have been attracted to the beauty of this area such as Lawrence of Arabia. I feel honoured to have been able to visit this amazing spot.

I hooked up with Sahara Expeditions to do a 3 day trip to the Sahara. Morroco's landscape is such that you are in mountains one minute, plains the next, and then desert which stretches for what seems forever. We embarked at 7:30am on Friday morning. I was in a mini-bus with 7 other people. 1 Japanese girl Yoko and 3 couples. The couples were a mix. 3 Londoners, 1 Australian and a girl from California. We headed for the High Atlas. I was hoping that there ...