FROM SEA to SAHARA October 23-November 4, 2017
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MOROCCO FROM SEA TO SAHARA October 23-November 4, 2017 Hosted by Melanie Delworth, Alexander+Roberts Concierge An Original Event for just 16 guests P O R T U G A L S P A I N MEDITERRANEAN STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR SEA Volubilis 2 Fès 2 Casablanca Meknes MOROCCO Oualidia Midelt Marrakech 4 ATLAS MOUNTAINSErrachidia Essaouira 2 1 Merzouga Ourika 1 Valley Ouarzazate W E S T E R N S A H A R A Essaouira Ourika Valley MOROCCO FROM SEA TO SAHARA Hosted by Melanie Delworth, Alexander+Roberts Concierge | 13 Days, Oct 23-Nov 4, 2017 offers a chance to see local An Original Event for just 16 guests OUR JOURNEY fishermen working on their boats + Journey along the Atlantic to + Venture along the Route of Welcome to and selling their catch. Then we the historic ports of Oualidia 1,000 Kasbahs, tracing an OCT 23 | Casablanca continue to Essaouira for dinner and Essaouira, renowned for ancient caravan route. and two nights at the L’Heure Bleue On arrival, we’ll be escorted to the their seafood and ambience. Palais, set in an 18th-century + Spend an enchanted night at Sofitel Casablanca Tour Blanche courtyard residence. meals b+l+d + Retreat to our evocative our stylish encampment deep for early check-in. We’ll enjoy lunch hotels, including luxury in the Sahara, arising to an and a city tour including the Central riads that immerse you in all unforgettable desert sunrise. OCT 25 Discover Essaouira Market, Hassan II Mosque and the | the romance and magic of + Experience the rich palette of unique Mauresque architecture of We begin at a bakery where pastries Morocco’s courtyard palaces. Moroccan culinary traditions Mohammed V Square. Our dinner at are created with generations-old + Revel in the kaleidoscopic from the freshly-harvested Rick’s Cafe is sure to thrill classic film family recipes and continue along sensory experience of oysters of Oualidia to world- buffs! meals b+l +d the city’s ramparts, with their brass Morocco’s best-preserved famous tagine… Our à la carte cannons still facing out to sea. After Along the Coast medinas, where the ancient dining in the finest restaurants OCT 24 a beach-side lunch, we’ll follow our market rhythms of North Africa is enhanced with a private | to Essaouira guide into the medina, regarded resonate as they have since the hands-on cooking class in In the charming but often as one of the finest examples of an days of the founding dynasties. Marrakech! overlooked port of Oualidia, 18th-century fortified north African + Spend market day in the + Includes 6 UNESCO World we’ll sample the village’s famed town. We’ll engage with vendors at picturesque Ourika Valley Heritage Sites oysters, freshly harvested from the the open-air fish market before this where Berber traditions endure. lagoon, and other specialties. An evening’s à la carte dinner at afternoon stroll along the beach La Table by Madada. meals b+l +d Cover: Erg Chebbi Desert VISIT AlexanderRoberts.com OR contact your TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL Join this special Original Event hosted by our Concierge, Melanie Delworth. forgotten here. In Merzouga, perched on the edge of the Sahara, we’ll transfer to comfortable Taking you from timeless fishing villages and ancient medinas across the 4x4 vehicles and venture with our expert drivers High Atlas Range into the Sahara, our uniquely comprehensive itinerary across the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi to our showcases all that we love about this friendly exotic land. luxury desert encampment. A camel ride at sunset awaits before we dine under a canopy of desert stars. Before retiring to your private tent, we’ll enjoy Berber music and congenial stream-side village set in a canyon below rugged To Marrakech conversation around the campfire. meals b+l+d OCT 26 | peaks. Our return journey takes us past red-roofed After a leisurely morning, we’ll embark on the Berber villages perched on hills so steep that the NOV 1 | Onward to Fès overland journey to Marrakech, passing through homes appear to be stacked atop one another! Arising early, we’ll venture into the vast expanse Back in Marrakech, horse-drawn carriages take us Argan groves where we might espy local goats of the desert to watch as the sun casts its first to dinner in a lavish erstwhile palace. meals b+l+d climbing into the branches! They’re after the golden light across the dunes. After breakfast fruit, but it’s the tiny kernel inside that’s valued Across the Spectacular High at camp, we begin our journey to Fès. Traveling by farmers as the source of Argan oil – used OCT 30 | Atlas Range to Ouarzazate through the Ziz Valley, we’ll discover small in cooking and prized for its skin-nourishing communities, vast belts of green palm trees and hydrating benefits. In Marrakech, we check in to This morning’s journey takes us through the 7,400-foot Tichka Pass along a serpentine dusty ancient kasbahs that provide the backdrop La Maison Arabe. This evening’s cocktail party for the scenes of rural life playing out before and dinner will be overlooking the ancient medina road built by the French as a military highway. At the highest point, we’ll have breathtaking views of our eyes. As we continue across the high plains from the rooftop of our luxury riad. meals b+d the mountain landscapes. Descending into the and through the Middle Atlas Mountains, we’ll often be surrounded by fragrant Cedar forests, OCT 27 Explore Imperial Marrakech pre-Saharan terrain, we’ll tour Aït Benhaddou, | widely regarded as an exceptionally fineksar – the a favorite habitat of Barbary macaques! We’ll The easy pace of a horse-drawn carriage is fortified towns that can be found across southern stop at the Azrou Ensemble Artisanal Center the best way to explore this ancient city, Morocco. With its earthen walls, impressive where skilled artisans use traditional ways to founded by the 11th-century Almoravid Dynasty. towers and tight cluster of homes, Aït Benhaddou craft fine Berber rugs, wood carvings and hand- We’ll see it all with our expert guide, from the has appeared in notable films fromLawrence of wrought metalwork. You might be surprised by tranquility of the Menara Gardens and Le Jardin Arabia to The Jewel of the Nile! We’ll also tour two the “Swiss Alps” feel of Ifrane, founded by the Majorelle to the lavish tilework of the Saadian of the region’s most historic kasbahs before French in the 1930’s. Arriving in arguably the Tombs, sealed for centuries until their discovery in continuing to the Sultana Royal Hotel, set on country’s best preserved medieval city, we’ll 1917. In the heart of the historic center near the old lovely landscaped grounds just outside of check in to the Riad Fès, a luxury retreat in the Jewish Quarter, we’ll tour the Bahia Palace with its Ouarzazate. meals b+l+d heart of the medina. meals b+l+d fabulous mosaic tiles and graceful colonnaded Route of 1,000 Kasbahs to Immerse in the Imperial arcade. Of course we’ll also explore the twisting OCT 31 NOV 2 alleys and colorful souks of the medina, and thrill | Merzouga + The Sahara | City of Fès to the non-stop action that has made Djemaa An unforgettable day unfolds as we embark on a Founded in the 8th century, this ancient el-Fna Square a favorite gathering spot for 1,000 journey along the fabled Route of 1,000 Kasbahs; city emerged as the capital of Marinid years. This evening’s à la carte dinner features the tracing an ancient caravan route, this scenic drive Dynasty in the 14th century and blossomed into warm ambience and fine cuisine ofAl Fassia. is punctuated by deep valleys, old fortified towns a major Islamic center of commerce, learning meals b+l+d and hilltop citadels. We’ll make our way through and the arts. Even today, many Moroccans the spectacular Todra Gorge to explore the ruins regard Fès as the cultural heart of their nation! Flavors of Marrakech With so much history and glory, our full-day tour OCT 28 | of Ksar Abbar and hear the colorful tale of its promises to be especially rewarding – taking us This morning’s hands-on cooking class is a fun erstwhile residents – disgraced members of the from 14th-century centers of learning like the and memorable way to learn about the Arabic, Alaouite family who were banished to live and be Andalusian, Mediterranean and Berber traditions that distinguish Moroccan cuisine. After dining on our own creations, the afternoon is free so you can experience the city’s full kaleidoscope of colors, sights, sounds and flavors at your own pace. Our host Melanie and in-the-know Moroccan guide will be on-hand to offer personal suggestions and assistance. meals b+l+d Market Day in the OCT 29 | Ourika Valley Our day begins as we travel into a scenic and timeless land of olive groves and citrus orchards. As we make our way into the Ourika Valley, the impressive peaks of the Atlas Mountains draw ever closer. This is market day here in the region and in the remote village of Tnine de L’Ourika, we’ll join residents who come from near and far for this weekly event, the largest souk in the valley! We’ll also delight in the setting of Setti Fatma, a Djemaa El Fna Square, Marrakech ALEXANDER+ROBERTS 70 YEARS OF ORIGINAL JOURNEYS exquisitely decorated Al-Attarine Madrasa to the architectural styles from the 1600’s.