Private Clients of Wendy Plummer – Master Travel Designer & Agency Owner My PMC Travel May 15th – 25th, 2022 Day 1: Sunday, May 15th, 2022 - BD Arrival at Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport. The entire group will be escorted to town by Sprinter Mini-buses. (About 40 minutes) Depending on your arrival time, you can start by visiting the main attractions of Casablanca. Visit the Mosque Hassan II. Completed in 1993, the Mosque can accommodate up to 25,000 worshippers making it the second largest in Islam today. Visitors must be on time for scheduled visits. You will be part of the last tour visit of the day which starts at 9:00 a.m. 1:30 p.m. Lunch Independently. (Suggested: Rick’s Café) After lunch, continue on to the French-built Quartier Habous, built to relieve overcrowding in the medina. Today, the Habbous is a mix of shops and parks just outside the city center. Then, visit the Museum of Moroccan Judaism, or El Mellah Museum, the first Jewish museum in a Muslim country. The exhibits tell the story of a community that once numbered 250,000 strong. The museum documents over two millennia of Jewish heritage. It encompasses the Imperial Cities, as well in the lesser-known Berber Jewish communities which are spread through the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara. We will be given a guided tour of the museum by the museum’s curator. After the visits, check-in at The Casablanca Hotel. Which is a beautifully recreated art Deco style hotel in the exclusive Anfa residential district of Casablanca. Rest and refresh at the hotel. 8:00 p.m. Suggested dinner reservations at Le Petit Rocher Restaurant, offering seafood and great views. Overnight at Le Casablanca Hotel. Day 2: Monday, May 16th, 2022 – BD Breakfast at your Hotel. Your guide and driver are at your disposal. Pick-up time at 8:30 a.m. You will be escorted to Marrakech (About 3-hour ride on the highway). Motorcycle group will mount their bikes and follow the group transport on route to Marrakech. There will be convenient stops along the way for coffees or snacks, or even a light lunch. Upon arrival, check-in at Hotel Sofitel Marrakech – Designed with a contemporary style, the 5-star Sofitel Marrakech Lounge & Spa hotel is an oasis of calm in the heart of a beautiful garden with views of the Atlas Mountains. Rest & refresh at your hotel, and enjoy the facilities. Optional: Afternoon Motorcycle ride through the Palmeraie region of Marrakech, a scenic ancient palm grove offering wonderful views and open riding. For the main group, your guide and driver will give you a brief introductory of Marrakech including a visit to Djemaa El Fna & Koutoubia Minaret. Visit the Koutoubia Minaret dominates the skyline of Marrakech. The 12th-Century monument is a master class in Moorish architecture. Continue on to the Djemaa el Fnaa, the main square at the heart of the medina. In the late afternoon, food stalls appear next to rows of escargot sellers, snake charmers, musicians and story tellers. Then, head to the Mellah – Jewish quarter of Marrakesh. Share, understand and appreciate the potential of the coexistence of the two religions and cultures. Jews and Muslims coexisted in harmony for hundreds of years. Marrakesh at the foot of the Atlas mountain range was home to more than 50,000 Jews, according to a 1947 census. Visit the the Jewish Cemetery & the historic Synagogue of Marrakech. Rest & refresh before dinner. 7:30 p.m. Suggested Dinner at Al Fassia Aguedal Restaurant - located in the new part of town. This is a great place for Moroccan home - style cooking. Overnight at Sofitel Lounge & SPA. Day 3: Tuesday, May 17th, 2022 - BD Breakfast at your Hotel. Your guide and driver are at your disposal. Today the group will split in two: - Bikers will join our Motorcycle guide for a day cruising trip through the Atlantic Coast to Essaouira (about 2 ½ hours). On route, you are likely to see goats climb Argan trees in search of the tree nuts. You may want to make a stop at one of the Argan oil cooperatives on the road between Essaouira & Marrakech. They produce the best Argan oil, where the highest standards are used to produce the finest cosmetic and culinary oils. The company’s oil is also certified organic based on international standards. Argan oil has gained notoriety in the USA & Europe for its cosmetic qualities as well as the cooking oil which extremely healthy and adds a pine nut flavor to any fresh salad. Lunch in Essaouira, great fresh sea food. After lunch, start by exploring the enchanting streets and alleys of laid-back Essaouira. Once known as Mogador, Essaouira’s blue and white medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit the street of the thuya workers, the ocean-side ramparts, and the numerous art galleries scattered about town. Once a Portuguese outpost, now a hip art community known for such long-term visitors as Jimmy Hendricks and Cat Stevens. Most recently the film location for several episodes of “Game of Thrones”. - The main group will get an insider’s look at the Marrakech design and artisanship scene. Visit ateliers and workshops tucked out of public view. These are personal connections of your host for the day, an expat designer living in Marrakech for the last 18 years. Your day will be planned around your special interests once you have spoken with your host. You will visit wholesalers and specialty shops which are off the Beaten Path known only to industry experts. This is a great day to get your shopping done whether be textiles, indigenous jewelry or just gifs for friends & family. This is a fun day with a little bit of education Moroccan Art & Design mixed in. 1:00 p.m. Lunch Independently. Continue to an atelier where local designers create their own twist on traditional home décor accessories. You will have access to the workshops to see new designs being created using traditional methods. Rest & Refresh at your hotel before dinner. 7:30 p.m. Suggested Festive dinner at Yacout Restaurant - Yacout Restaurant is a landmark of Marrakech. It was among the first opened in the medina around twenty years ago by Mohamed Zkhiri, who still manages this sumptuous venue. The decor is enchanting with private rooms and a breathtaking terrace view of the Medina and the Koutoubia Mosque. Yacout features traditional Moroccan cuisine with a menu incorporating an amazing succession of spices and flavors. With its world class service, it will be an evening to remember! Overnight at Sofitel Lounge & SPA. Day 4: Wednesday, May 18th, 2022 – BLD Breakfast at your Hotel. Your guide and driver are at your disposal. Starting from this day, bikers will follow the same program as the rest of the group. Excursions outside of Marrakech will be done by motorcycles, not by sprinters. Early this morning, you will be escorted inland to the foothills of the High Atlas (Approximately 1 Hour & 30 minutes’ Drive). Enjoy a two-hour guided hike (moderate hike) with one of our local expert mountain guides. Travel along ancient pathways through Berber villages. Stop in a local Berber home for tea and lunch! After the hiking, After lunch, head back to the city of Marrakech. This afternoon, visit the Jardin Majorelle. The garden was a gift to Marrakech from Yves-Saint Laurent. Purchased from the painter Jacques Majorelle, the garden is adorned with Majorelle blue, the color named for him. Continue to the Berber Museum. Dedicated to Berber traditions, displaying costumes, craftwork, jewels & musical instruments. Then to the Yves-Saint Laurent Museum, opened in October 2017. The museum highlights the life work of the designer, his works and his connection to Marrakech. The museum also includes a hall for temporary exhibitions, a research library with over 5,000 volumes, a 140-seat auditorium, bookshop and terrace café. The museum itself has been recognized by architectural as unique and innovative design. Rest and refresh at your Hotel. 8:30 p.m. Suggested dinner reservations at Comptoir Darna - An important nightlife attraction in Marrakech, which arrived on the scene in 1999. It proposes a perfect fusion between the orient and the occident. It’s a place to meet people and enjoy the music, drinks, and international menu. There is an upstairs bar and lounge, with dining room downstairs. Overnight at Sofitel Lounge & SPA. Day 5: Thursday, May 19th, 2022 – BLD Breakfast at your Hotel. Your guide and driver are at your disposal. 9:30 a.m. Head to a small village (about 1 ½ hours) for a private, outdoor cooking class hosted by a local chef. Learn about Moroccan spices, including Ras al Hanout, the definite spice of Moroccan cuisine. Bake bread the Moroccan way using a traditional earthen wood-fueled stove. Prepare a tagine, a version of the classic Moroccan stew. Your organic vegetables are gown in the garden on site! While your tagine is cooking over the fire, take a walk (about 20 minutes) across a wide valley, where sheep graze, wild cactus fruit grows, and the day goes on untouched by modern life. Enjoy what you cooked for lunch! After lunch, take 40 minutes over the High Atlas to the city of Marrakech. Continue on to Al Bahia Palace. A palace and a set of gardens built in the late 19th century, intended to be the greatest palace of its time. Andalusian, Islamic and Moroccan styles are represented. Continue on to Dar el Bacha Confluences Museum in Marrakech – Once the home for the famous Pacha Glaoui. Located in the medina of Marrakech, is one of the most beautiful palaces of the red city.