MOROCCO ADVENTURE 8 day Sample Tour NOMADIC

Transcription

1 MOROCCO ADVENTURE 8 day Sample Tour NOMADIC

2 Trip outline Teacher version Tour overview What you get Highlights Tour type Hotel Vehicle type A/C MINI VAN Crew 2 crew PER vehicle Tour rating Easy Accommodation Hotel/Berber camp Tour start-finish Marrakech - Number on tour 50+ Flights Arrival / Departure transfer from Marrakech airport on days 1 & 8 Full Board: 7 Breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners inc. a Berber camp dinner 7 nights 2/3* hotel Transport in A/C mini van Guided tour of Marrakech Gorge du Dades walk Services of 1 or 2 person crew (leader and driver per vehicle) Berber camp Sahara camel trek Marrakech - Koutoubia Mosque, UNESCO listed site - Djemâa el-fna, souks and Koutoubia Mosque High Atlas mountains Gorge du Dades - Valley of Roses Todra Gorge Erg Chebbi sand dunes - beginning of the Sahara Merzouga - camel trek, Berber style camp Ouarzazate - Visit film studio Aït Benhaddou - UNESCO-listed ancient fortified Kasbah city Op onal Where? Activity How much Marrakech Hammam DM75 Also included years travel experience in the schools market Full Public Liability, Professional Indemnity & Crisis Management Insurance cover Free Travel Insurance for the students / Free teacher places / Free ipad or Kindle with your first booking 100% Financial Protection through ABTA / ATOL Bonding All tours Fully Risk Assessed Full bespoke in-house service to take the strain out of organising your tour Price Student Group size: 50+ Inc. teacher places: 5+ Departure: TBC Itinerary: As quoted POA per pupil Example price excludes visas, optional activities and spending money and is based on a group size of...

3 Your itinerary Day 1 - Marrakech Welcome to Morocco! Be sure to arrive in time for your pre-departure meeting at 6:00pm. Your first night will be spent at our pre -expedition hotel in the centre of town. (Dinner and overnight - Marrakech) Day 2 - Gorge du dades Leaving Marrakech, we drive through the Gorges du Dades, a stunning valley which extends from the High Atlas to the Jebel Saghrou range in the south. Berbers built many kasbahs in the vicinity of gorges for defence purposes. These many kasbahs combined with the stunning natural beauty make this a beautiful region through which to travel. (Breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight - Gorge du Dades) Day 3 - Todra Gorge Day 4 - Sahara Desert - Berber Camp Crossing the Jebel Saghrou, we head down to Erg Chebbi sand dunes, which signify the commencement of the mighty Sahara Desert. Transferring to camels, we trek into the desert to a berber camp, enjoying local food and a night under the Saharan stars. (Breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight - Berber camp) Day 5 - Ouarzazate Leaving the desert, we travel through the verdant Draa valley, along the route of 1000 Kasbahs, a beautiful landscape. We continue on to Ouarzazate, which African traders once used on their journeys up to Europe. It has also been used as a film set, for Alexander the Great, The Last Temptation of Christ and The Living Daylights. (Breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight - Ouarzazate) Day 6 - Aït Benhaddou We head to Aït Benhaddou, a fortified city', situated along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech. It is situated on a hill along the Ouarzazate River and boasts some beautiful examples of kasbahs, some of which remain inhabited. Granted UNESCO World Heritage listing, the site had been the setting for many films including Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator.We then travel over the high atlas mountains on our way to Marrakech. (Breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight - Marrakech) Days 7 - Marrakech Glowing red, like a welcoming campfire, against the snow-capped High Atlas Mountains, the very name Marrakech conjures up images of an exotic, distant city, of magic carpets, snake charmers and frankincense and myrrh brought in by camel trains. Set within the rose-coloured walls of the medina, a tangle of winding streets that open onto verdant gardens and dark alleyways that lead to bustling souks. Djemâa-el-Fna, an extraordinary gathering and market place. Full of colour, spicy aromas and traders, it is best seen in the evening when overflowing with food stalls, dancers, acrobats, fortune tellers, musicians and henna artists. Towering over all this is the Koutoubia mosque, the tallest building in the city, and a reminder of the importance of Islam to the lives of the city's residents. Why not try a traditional hamman, (Breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight - Marrakech) Today is spent exploring Todra Gorge, from its plunging depths to its 1000 foot high cliffs. Discover the charm of Todra on your trek. Witness it's changing colours as the sun slowly moves from east to west. Or alternatively, you could choose just to chill out for the day. (Breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight - Todra Gorge) Day 8 We have a free morning in Marrakech this morning before our evening flight home. (Breakfast & Lunch)

4 Your itinerary Before you go Visas & permits Visas are not required for British, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, US and other EU nationals for a stay of up to 3 months. Please ensure your passport is valid for six months after your return date and that you get your passport stamped upon entry into Morocco. All other nationalities should contact the Moroccan embassy for details. Visas are your responsibility so please don t forget to check! Vaccinations It is recommended that you be vaccinated for Tetanus and Polio, if you haven t had a booster in the last ten years. Food and waterborne diseases are more common, so we recommend vaccinations for typhoid (valid 3 years) and Hepatitis A (validity varies). Morocco is not a high risk malaria area but if in any doubt please consult a physician or travel clinic for further information. Travel insurance All our passengers must be fully insured for travel in Morocco. It is essential that you get the correct level of cover. Please ensure that the policy provides adequate cover for hospital treatment, repatriation flights home in the event of you being too ill to continue the trek, personal accident, personal baggage and associated valuables. You must bring the policy with you as it is obligatory for joining any expedition. Packing Luggage Pack all your gear in a rucksack/ backpack for this type of trip. Also bring a daypack, to keep personal items such as your wallet, camera and water bottle. Your rucksack/ backpack must not have an exterior frame. Only the soft, flexible variety is permitted. Leave your suitcase at home, they re simply not practical. Don t overdo it! Luggage is limited to 20kgs. Pack sensibly and take garments that are comfortable and cool. Morocco should be hot in October with cool nights. We recommend a warm fleece.. Sleeping bag - You will need a high quality, compact sleeping bag for the Berber camping. You may also want to bring a small trek pillow for added comfort. What to bring Towel Torch and batteries Camera and spare memory card/ film Mosquito repellent Water bottle (water at meal times provided) Personal first aid kit, antiseptic gel and wipes Waterproof/wind proof jacket A sturdy pair of walking shoes Two spare passport photos and a photocopy of your passport Sun screen A full checklist will be provided with your joining instructions. In Morocco Currency GBP 1.00 = MAD13 USD$1.00 = MAD9 EUR1.00 = MAD11 MAD = Moroccan Dirham, rates are subject to fluctuation. Exchange facilities are available at various bureau de changes in major towns and most banks have ATMs. How much spending money is needed, depends largely on the individual. We currently recommend an average of USD $20 - $30 per day. We can t specify every sundry cost however and you ll need to allow for expenses such as drinks, snacks and the odd souvenir. Travellers Cheques can be difficult to change en route so we recommend you have cash for convenience and bring a card to use in the ATM s most accept Visa, MasterCard, Electron, Cirrus and Maestro. There are ATM s at Marrakech airport, which you can use upon arrival. Local prices Mineral water (local brand, 500ml or 1L) MAD15 Chocolate bar (local brand) MAD5-10 Climate Temperatures in Morocco are generally high, particularly during the summer months from May to September, October is still warm and bright so take sunscreen. However in the High Atlas and the Sahara it can get very cold and some peaks can remain snow capped from November to June. Responsible travel Cultural awareness We cannot emphasise enough that we are travellers and therefore guests. Although we ourselves might have different views, ideas, rules and morals, it is our duty to respect and adjust where possible to the people of the region we are visiting. Never throw pens / sweets out of the truck. It is very patronising! Your Tour Leader will also brief you on environmental matters. Religious Awareness Morocco is predominantly Muslim and, as such, we would ask all of our customers to respect and adhere to (when appropriate) the dress codes of the Islamic faith. This entails covering of shoulders and knees. Nomadic Schools Nomadic Schools work with and donate to the Ait Ouham Association for Development, which is a grass roots organisation that tackles local issues such as lack of education and and poor infrastructure in the Atlas mountain area. It especially concentrates on the education and opportunities of girls in the Valley.

5 Contact Us T: E: W: Visit or write Nomadic Schools Unit 3, 24 Barkham Ride, Finchampstead, Berkshire RG40 4EU Check our details Registered in the UK Parent company no.: ABTA membership no.: Y3529 ATOL membership no.: You will be glad to know that all went well with our tour to Morocco. Without exception everyone enjoyed themselves and the two guides were exceptional. We would not have wanted to miss the desert camp which will for many have been their highlight. I will be happily recommending your company to other teachers and would be pleased if you can keep us informed ready for our next tour in two years time. Paul Cleaver Bablake School

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