MULTI-BASE TOURS IN MOROCCO THE TOUBKAL NATIONAL PARK, HIGH ATLAS, MOROCCO

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1 STUDY TOURS, EXPEDITIONS & TREKKING IN MOROCCO WITH DISCOVER. Morocco is a country of enormous geographical contrasts. From its Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, plains sweep to the foot of the forested Middle Atlas mountains. Beyond, rise the High Atlas mountains with peaks over 4000m, before the long, dry, stony descent to the great emptiness of the Sahara. It is a country which embraces rich agricultural land, the oasis valleys in the south with their millions of palm trees, and barren mountains and desert. Its variety offers sun, shade and speckled beaches for the package tourist, the bustling thrill of the city souks and amazing landscapes reminiscent of Nepal and Mexico. Such has been the diversity of cultural influences on Morocco over many centuries that visitors from Europe, the Middle East and Africa south of the Sahara all find familiar reminders of home. They also discover an extraordinarily exotic country where the trappings of the twentieth century have not yet obscured its medieval framework. Morocco is frequently described as the place where Europe meets Africa, but the 20km separating the northern tip from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar could be 2000km! Parts of Morocco were visited or conquered by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans and Vandals, but the defining event in its history was the conquest in the seventh century by Arab armies, and the introduction of Islam. Although the indigenous Berber tribes expelled their Arab rulers within a hundred years, a substantial Arab population remained in lowland areas. The great barrier of the Atlas ensured that Morocco alone amongst North African countries, remained uncolonised by Europeans until the 20 th century when a Franco-Spanish protectorate was established in Even then, the Berbers of the High Atlas were not completely subdued for a further 20 years. Morocco became independent again in 1956, though Spain retains two enclaves on the northern coast. MOROCCO WITH DISCOVER LTD. Discover have worked in Southern Morocco and The High Atlas for over 25 years. In 1989 we started the process which led to the development of our base, The Kasbah du Toubkal. Our contacts, resources and specialised knowledge enable us to organise a range of tours that will allow you to achieve your academic, cultural and recreational objectives. Over the years our reputation has grown and means that we now regularly act as ground operators for prestigious organisations. The majority of our work is with schools, colleges and universities, organising study tours. The range of our regular tours also includes: 1

2 Fieldwork tours geography, biology, science, sociology etc; Trekking in the High Atlas including ascent of Jbel Toubkal; mule trekking; camel trekking, community projects - e.g. installing water supplies in rural villages; bird watching; mountain biking; Extended expeditions and tailor made tours to include several of these aspects. Discover offers a personal friendly service dedicated to arranging trips which meet your objectives. One of the hidden benefits of booking with Discover Ltd. is that your administration is greatly reduced, with a single invoice covering the whole trip - transport, accommodation, work units and insurance. We are fully bonded members of ABTA and ATOL. In recognition of our contribution to the development of sustainable tourism in Morocco we have been awarded a Green Globe, and in 2002 were highly commended in the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow awards. In 2004, the Kasbah du Toubkal won the best Mountain resort award in the Responsible Travel Responsible Tourism Awards competition. Discover is also a Full Member of the School Travel Forum. GEOGRAPHY IN MOROCCO A geography trip to Morocco offers the opportunity for students to see, experience and study different geographical issues whilst feeling sufficiently safe and familiar (most Moroccans speak French) to allow students and staff relax and enjoy a different culture. After touring Morocco with us, many experienced geography teachers are surprised at the diversity, contrasts and text book examples of physical and human geography. Highlights for geographers are the contrasting living standards, especially the ruralurban divide and seeing the resourcefulness of the people, particularly in agriculture, where intensive terracing and traditional irrigation systems have enabled people to live in extreme environments. Towards the Sahara, the classic arid landforms and geological features are a breathtaking backdrop to the trip. Through an issue-based approach, our group leaders guide the students through rural and urban environments. A major benefit to students is seeing and experiencing geographical issues first-hand. In Morocco, students senses are engaged and studies gain a sense of relevance. Our study units are designed so that students can use their data to contribute to discussions and decision-making exercises. Students and staff often discuss the geographical issues in the evenings, after seeing and experiencing them during the day. Our typical trip, which takes in a number of different environments, gives staff and 2

3 students a broad based insight into the human and physical geography of Morocco, a very rapidly changing, diverse country. These experiences can lead to a wider enthusiasm for the subject once they return! The following units have been prepared, and will be sent to you on CD-ROM, when you make a confirmed booking: 1. Land Use in Marrakech; 2. A Study of the Reraira River in the High Atlas; 3. A Study of Microclimates in the Ait Mizane Valley; 4. Rural Settlement in the High Atlas; 5. Irrigation on the Marrakech Plains and in the High Atlas; 6. Agriculture in the High Atlas; 7. Desertification and Sand Encroachment in the Pre-Sahara. These are only a few of the possibilities for study in Morocco and are themes which can be adapted to all levels from GCSE to first degree. Most of the data is easily collected from accessible locations and a wide range of techniques for data collection is feasible. Throughout the trip it is possible to collect information about the problems of development and LEDC economics. Discover Ltd. group leaders facilitate your trip and take care of logistics they will give groups talks of a practical and educational nature during your tour, but it is not their role to deliver the academic content of your visit. Ongoing themes throughout your trip could include: Urban morphology; Endoreic river systems; The processes of urbanisation; Nomadism as a way of life; People / environment relationships; Land reform and agricultural change; Berber subsistence economies; Overgrazing and soil erosion; The impact of tourism on subsistence enconomies; Weathering in arid environments; Irrigation and landuse in the pre-saharan oases; Water as an agent of erosion in arid environments; Wind action, sand dune migration and sand dune management. Inspire, challenge and learn in these fabulous environments! 3

4 DISCOVER S TYPICAL STUDY TOUR OF SOUTHERN MOROCCO 10-DAY TOUR Marrakech ~ High Atlas ~ Pre-Sahara Marrakech The result of 25 years experience in Morocco, our most popular tour begins in the enchanting and ancient city of Marrakech, the most southerly and famous of Morocco s four Imperial cities. Marrakech was founded in 1060 and has twice been the capital of Morocco. Its importance and prestige in earlier centuries derived principally from its role as entrepot for trade across the Atlas with lands south of the Sahara. Within massive red-washed walls, on streets lined with orange trees and in the labyrinth of the souk, a great mixture of Arab, Berber, black African and European influences has created what is arguably Africa s most exciting and romantic city. To the south, beyond the encircling palm trees and the olive and orange groves of the Haouz plain, the snow-topped peaks of the High Atlas are an unforgettable backdrop. The first day in Marrakech begins with a tour by horse-drawn caleche taking in the Kasbah quarter, the Mellah, the Medina and a tannery. Then on foot with our Marrakech guide we explore the maze of souks, each devoted to a separate trade, including pottery, woodwork, coppersmithing, leather, and slipper and carpet making, and the apothecarists souk where we usually visit a spice shop. Afterwards, we head back to the centre to the Jemaa el Fna Marrakech s famous square, which is the city s living theatre, where milling throngs of people watch displays by musicians, dancers, storytellers, boxers, snake-charmers and more besides, and all put on for the benefit of Marrakechis, not the tourists. Stalls sell freshly-squeezed orange juice, peanuts and roasted chick peas, while cooking smells waft from stalls selling soup, kebabs, and grilled fish, amongst other weird and wonderful local delicacies. Our hotel, the Foucauld, is near by, just yards from Marrakech s most famous monument, the Koutoubia Mosque. At the Foucauld, every Discover group receives the warm welcome that is typical of Moroccan hospitality. If you are lucky, they will be serving one of their sumptuous hot buffets in their spectacularly decorated restaurant, for dinner, choosing from a great variety of local dishes. Imlil and the High Atlas After a day of sightseeing, shopping and fieldwork in Marrakech we travel into the High Atlas Mountains, now the homeland of the Berbers, the original inhabitants of the whole of North Africa. These friendly, 4

5 independent people have a way of life that has only recently begun to change as the services that we take for granted begin to arrive in the mountains. Here Berber is spoken, not Arabic, and you will notice a difference in the appearance of the people and in the dress of, particularly, the women. Berber carpets, pottery, jewelry and cuisine will already be familiar from your wanderings in the souks of Marrakech, a city founded by the Berbers. We travel by coach/minibus through the spectacular Reraia River gorge to the market village of Asni. Here we may transfer to smaller vehicles for the final 12 miles up the Ait Mizane valley to Imlil for the next stage of the tour staying at one our village Houses, Riads, or even the Kasbah du Toubkal. Imlil marks the end of the road from Marrakech and is the starting point for the trek up Jbel Toubkal, at 4165m (13,665ft) the highest mountain in North Africa. Above Imlil, the Kasbah du Toubkal is perched on a great rock outcrop above the village. The word Kasbah is applied to single fortified houses and to the often vast walled huddle of housing, which grew around such houses. Occasionally these larger Kasbahs were themselves subsumed as a town grew up around them, as happened in Marrakech. Hajj Omar Maurice Ait Bahmed and his wife Hajja Arkia, who live in their own house in the outer courtyard, manage the dayto-day running of the Kasbah. The Kasbah at Imlil was built as a summer residence by a rich member of the Berber Glaoui tribe Caid Souktani, once dominant throughout this region of the Atlas. So impressive is the scenery that film director Martin Scorsese chose Imlil as one of the locations for Kundun, his film about the Dalai Lama, temporarily transforming the Kasbah into a Tibetan monastery. All around rise the mountains and on the steep valley sides, among walnut groves and tiny terraced fields, are stepped clusters of mud-coloured houses. At the head of the valley to the south is the snow-capped summit of Jbel Toubkal. Your Moroccan hosts provide traditional Berber food and vegetarians can be catered for. A memorable experience awaits you and your group! 5

6 Your options while based in Imlil are numerous - as long as you are happy to walk! The only certain thing is that you will not have time to do everything you d like. Popular studies include fieldwork on the river just below the Kasbah, microclimates, land use, and human geography, especially the effects of the catastrophic flash flood of 1995 and the flooding of A walking expedition, with mules to carry day sacks and the picnic (and anyone who cannot walk or who finds they are not as fit as they thought) to one of the neighbouring Berber villages, is also highly recommended and can include fieldwork en route, enabling students to see villages without road access, where life has changed little for centuries. For the more adventurous and fit during the summer months it is possible to climb Jbel Toubkal. Over the mountains The next stage of the tour is a coach/minibus journey across the Atlas to Zagora on the edge of the Sahara, stopping en route at Ouarzazate to break the journey. We return to Asni and the Haouz Plain before turning onto route P 31 and heading up to the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass (2260m), after which the road begins a long winding descent to Ouarzazate and the desolate Anti Atlas. There is constant visual interest especially in the contrast between the green, irrigated areas of Berber cultivation and the barren mountainsides above. All along the roadside through the mountains you will see stalls selling minerals and fossils, evidence of Morocco s fascinating geology, which has been described as by far the most variegated geological smorgasbord in all north Africa. Just before reaching Ouarzazate, if time permits, we turn aside to visit the small town of Ait Ben Haddou, which boasts one of the most dramatic Kasbahs in Morocco. The ruined main house stands on top of a steep hill, the sides of which are covered with small houses and narrow alleys. Not surprisingly, it has been used as a set for about 20 films, including Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth and more recently, Gladiator. Continuing south, the road climbs into the mountains, running alongside the astonishingly shaped Jbel Kissane, nicknamed The Pavlova Mountain by one geography teacher traveling with us. The arid Anti Atlas landscape, which rarely gets rain, eventually gives way to the Draa Valley palmerie and the river itself, running alongside the road. Most people are ready for the swimming pool among the palm trees at the hotel when we arrive in Zagora! Those with energy left walk up the mountain behind the town to view the sunset over the palmerie. Our guide for our time in and around Zagora appears dressed in the blue robes of the desert man and patiently begins his never-ending task of teaching people how to fix on their desert headdress. The next day we visit the village of Tamegroute with its ancient Koranic library and 6

7 wood-fired pottery. Then we investigate the village of Tinfou, a living workshop for trials of methods against sand encroachment, and the first chance to see sand dunes. The camel ride (optional extra) After lunch we return to Zagora and mount camels for a 2 to 3 hour ride into the desert night, to sleep out in a Tuareg tent. Sipping a glass of mint tea, watching bread being cooked on hot stones, eating a superb meal sitting cross-legged on carpets spread on the sand, listening to Berber music as Mohammed and the cameleers join the dancing, and falling asleep with the stars blazing brightly make this the highlight of the trip for many people. The next day after returning to Zagora, we visit the nearby village of Amezrou with its Jewish Kasbah. The Jews left for Israel after 1948, but the silver smithing, which they controlled, is carried on by Moroccans and we will see jewelry being cast. An early start the following morning puts us back on the road to Marrakech where the souks await anyone who still has a souvenir or a present to buy, the Jemaa el-fna seethes with life and a last feast awaits us at the Foucauld before departure from Marrakech airport the following morning. 7

8 TYPICAL OPTIONS 8-day (Option A) MARRAKECH AND THE BERBER VILLAGES OF THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS. [Typical itinerary ex. London - exact itinerary may vary due to preference of the group and / or due to logistical reasons.] Day 1: Depart London airport for flight to Marrakech (normally via Casablanca). Welcome drink and room allocation. (Accommodation - local hotel) Day 2: An insight into life in Marrakech, a traditional Arab City with its city walls, Medina, Kasbah and Mellah, plus its unique Square - the Jmaa El Fnaa - with its snake charmers, jugglers and storytellers. The day will include a tour of the city by "caleche", the traditional horse-drawn taxis of the city. (Accommodation - local hotel) Day 3 - Day 6: Depart for the mountains. The next few days are spent exploring the lush terraced valleys and Berber villages of the High Atlas, with their snowcapped peaks towering above, and following the selected study units or trekking, depending on your wishes. (Accommodation - Berber houses, Kasbah or Dar Toubkal) Day 7: Return to Marrakech, if possible via the Saturday Souk (market) at Asni, for our final night in this vibrant city. (Accommodation - local hotel) Day 8: Return flight to LONDON (normally via Casablanca). 8

9 TYPICAL OPTIONS 8-day (Option B) MARRAKECH, THE BERBER VILLAGES OF THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS AND THE PRE-SAHARAN OASIS TOWN OF ZAGORA. [Typical itinerary ex. London - exact itinerary may vary due to preference of the group and / or due to logistical reasons.] Day 1: Depart London airport for flight to Ouarzazate (normally via Casablanca). Welcome drink and room allocation. (Accommodation - local hotel) Day 2 & 3 Travel to Zagora. Based around the oasis town of Zagora, we explore the surrounding area of date palms and villages seemingly carved out of mud. Visits to the Koranic library and pottery makers of Tamegroute and the village of Tinfou - being overrun by sand encroachment. For those that choose we ride out on camels for a night spent out in the Sahara desert. (Accommodation pension / Berber tent) Day 4 & 5 Depart early for the long drive over the Atlas Mountains to the Kasbah du Toubkal in the High Atlas Mountains. Explore the lush terraced valleys and Berber villages of the High Atlas, with their snowcapped peaks towering above, and following the selected study units or trek. (Accommodation - Berber houses, Kasbah or Dar Toubkal) Day 6 & 7 Return to Marrakech, a traditional Arab City with its city walls, Medina, Kasbah and Mellah, plus its unique square, the Jmaa El Fnaa, with its snake charmers, jugglers and storytellers. The day includes a tour of the city by "caleche", the traditional horsedrawn taxis of the city. (Accommodation - local hotel) Day 8: Return flight to LONDON (normally via Casablanca). 9

10 TYPICAL OPTIONS 9-day MARRAKECH, THE BERBER VILLAGES OF THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS AND THE PRE-SAHARAN OASIS TOWN OF ZAGORA. [Typical itinerary ex. London - exact itinerary may vary due to preference of the group and / or due to logistical reasons.] Day 1: Day 2: Day 3 - Day 5: Day 5: Day 6-7: Day 8: Day 9: Depart London airport for flight to Marrakech (normally via Casablanca). Welcome drink and room allocation. (Accommodation - local hotel) An insight into life in Marrakech, a traditional Arab City with its city walls, Medina, Kasbah and Mellah, plus its unique square - the Jmaa El Fnaa - with its snake charmers, jugglers and storytellers. The day will include a tour of the city by "caleche", the traditional horse-drawn taxis of the city. (Accommodation - local hotel) Depart for the mountains. The next few days are spent exploring the lush terraced valleys and Berber villages of the High Atlas - with their snowcapped peaks towering above, and following the selected study units or trekking. (Accommodation - Berber houses, Kasbah or Dar Toubkal) Travel to the town of Zagora on the southern edge of the Atlas. (Accommodation pension) Based around the oasis town of Zagora, explore the date palms and villages seemingly carved out of mud. Visits to the Koranic library, pottery makers of Tamegroute, and the village of Tinfou being encroached by the desert. For those that choose we ride out on camels for a night in the desert. (Accommodation pension / Berber tent) Return to Marrakech for our final night in this vibrant city. (Accommodation local hotel) Return flight to LONDON (normally via Casablanca). 10

11 TYPICAL OPTIONS 10-day INCLUDES MARRAKESH, THE HIGH ATLAS, OUAZARZATE AND THE PRE-SAHARAN OASIS TOWN OF ZAGORA. [Typical itinerary ex. London - exact itinerary may vary due to preference of the group and / or due to logistical reasons.] This tour follows the same itinerary as the 9 day option, but on day 5 after our journey across the High Atlas, via the Tizi-n-Tichka pass (2260m) we spend the night in Ouazarzate, a former French administrative centre. Day 6 continues south, following the exotic river valley of the Draa to the oasis town of Zagora. Day 5: Travel to the town of Ouarzazate on the southern edge of the Atlas. (Accommodation - Pension) Day 6-8: Based around the oasis town of Zagora, we explore the surrounding area of date palms and villages seemingly carved out of mud. Visits to the Koranic library and pottery makers of Tamegroute, and village of Tinfou being overrun by sand encroachment. For those that choose we ride out on camels for a night spent out in the Sahara desert. (Accommodation - Pension/Berber tent) Day 9: Return to Marrakech for our final night in this vibrant city. (Accommodation - Local Hotel) Day 10: Return flight to LONDON (normally via Casablanca). 11

12 COSTS FOR 2009 EX MARRAKECH (EXCLUDES TRAVEL TO MARRAKECH) LAND ONLY: 8 day, 2 centre (Marrakech High Atlas): day, 3 centre (Marrakech, High Atlas, Zagora region - fly into Ouarzazate): day, 3 centre (Marrakech, High Atlas, Zagora region): day, 3 centre (Marrakech, High Atlas, Zagora region): Plus air fare, approx. cost of air fare, 250 to 360 depending on time of travel. Camel trek option 25 (only available on tours which visit Zagora) The cost is based on a minimum group size of 10 paying places, with 1 free place per 10 paying passengers. For the 10-day trips groups of 20 or more paying places will travel in a coach exclusively for their use. For smaller groups, Discover may need to combine your group with another for transport to Zagora, or a surcharge may apply. We are happy to arrange other itineraries to suit your individual requirements - perhaps prolonging the tour and visiting the coast at Essaouira or a different itinerary altogether. Please contact us to discuss your requirements. The invoice price is fully inclusive and includes the following: * Air flights (additional cost as detailed) and insurance; * All transfers in Morocco (taxi, local buses, coach/minibus); * All accommodation, food and drink with meals; * Hire of pack mules as necessary - not necessary to walk with heavy packs (the amount of walking is arranged to suit each party); * Services of a Discover Ltd. group leader; * Provision of worksheets and background information for the trip leader - it is your responsibility to photocopy these resources as necessary for your group. 12

13 TEACHERS COMMENTS As the leader of a trip you inevitably see the experience through the eyes of the students and are often managing the present and thinking about the future, rather than enjoying the experience. It is a credit to everyone that for much of the trip Morocco was not like that. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Dr. Andrew Dimberline, Head of Geography, Wolverley High School An incredible opportunity to visit and study a variety of human and physical environments in a developing country. I shall be back with A Level geography students...many times. Ian Selmes, Oakham School I feel privileged to have been invited to take part in the launch of this wonderful new field study centre. The Eagle s Nest Centre in the Cevennes already has a first class reputation and I feel sure that La Kasbah will soon gain a similar reputation. Tony Binns, University of Sussex and President of The GA An astonishing experience which will live with me for many years. The Kasbah represents a unique educational opportunity. I cannot wait to return with some students. Murray Fowler, Wellington College So much of the trip to Morocco had a similar effect of challenging familiar ideas by seeing them in an unexpected setting or an exaggerated form. Our notions of poverty, of community, of prices, of diet, and of public transport (!) were all given a series of severe and salutary shocks. Mr. K. Madden, History Teacher, Wolverley High School And some thoughts from the students The Jemaa el Fna, as I perceived it was like a fountain that overflowed with breathtaking colours epitomized in the carpets that astonished me. Curious sounds and music radiated throughout that seemed soothing and yet, to begin with, uncomfortably alien to my ear. Staying at the Kasbah really made the week special. The place had a strange feeling attached to it... The morning sunrises were the most spectacular I have ever seen, very worth waking up to after a very cold night on the Kasbah roof! Visiting a Berber Infant school, riding off into a Sahara sunset on my camel, walking round a village that was being taken over by the desert sand, and taking mint tea in a traditional Moroccan house, are thing that I may never get the chance to do again! It felt like I d been there for months and the sense of freedom and achievement which I felt made me reluctant to leave, though the thought of home was appealing!...the experience made me appreciate my privileges enabling me to put things into perspective and it also opened my eyes to a different world which it is difficult to understand without actually going. 13

14 COMMUNITY WORK AT THE KASBAH DU TOUBKAL Carrying out community work is an option available during your stay in Morocco. Rather than let us tell you about it, here are the experiences of a student who carried out community work in Imlil towards her Creativity, Action, Service requirement of her International Baccalaureate, whilst staying at the Kasbah du Toubkal: We, the selected students of Antwerp International School, ventured forth from our protected dwellings into a world where hardship is commonplace, yet smiles are freely offered and openly given. The students, whose normal labour is to type on computers, met another side of their generation another side of their world; we discovered the underlying culture of Morocco, the land of mystery. When first encountered with the promise of a school trip to Morocco, most students fell prey to the common misconceptions that tourists are programmed to remember; snake charmers, pickpockets, men in funny hats, the mosque calling to prayer every four hours. However, the trip yielded something far more special... It offered a glimpse of life on the other side, beyond the camera flashes and tour brochures. We designed a trip that would offer community service credits for students enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Program. The area that received our help was a town called Imlil, which lay at the base of the tallest mountain in North Africa, Mount Toubkal of the High Atlas Mountain range. Our local Kasbah, conveniently named Kasbah du Toubkal, rested ointop of' a small hill upon the valley floor and offered lavish comforts such as cushioned communal sleeping areas, a steam sauna (hammam), hot showers, and delicious food. However, arriving there was no slight adventure in itself. A few days before our journey from Marrakech to Imlil, there were flash floods that wiped out the only road that lead to the valley villages. Instead of taking an hour and a half by car, we took 7 hours hiking across mountains and down ice-cold rivers. We were merely visitors, but the locals had lives to live, and such an inconvenience posed only a temporary hindrance in their daily businesses. This alone shows the natural hardships these people must endure not to mention the man-made tensions such as money, family, and property. The feeling encompassed in that beautiful scenery helped to put our lives into perspective, and helped us put childish values aside. We got down and dirty, and helped the people for four days. Perhaps the work 14

15 itself was not extraordinary, but at least it gave our hosts a few days of rest and merriment. During the working hours of the days we helped carry river sediment to sites where the soil would later be used for irrigation systems, we helped rebuild a path, repair a bridge, and create a mule path up a small river by throwing rock and moving boulders. In our free time we climbed another thirty minutes deeper into the Atlas Mountains to play football with the local boys of the village. We danced and sang and beat drums in attempt to follow the traditional folk songs of the natives; we helped cook and clean; we were invited to local homes, and we would finally end up on the Kasbah roof, night or day, to absorb the immense space around us. Leaving was a sad affair, for both our group and the Kasbah's employees - we spent energy, smiles and time there (120 hours of time). And now, the dirty business of dividing the CAS (Community Action Service) hours... In honesty I believe I deserve 60 hours of service and 60 hours of action (though often times those words could have been applied synonymously). Despite this apparently greedy excerpt, I still believe my greatest gift from this trip will be the trip itself, whether you believe I deserve the hours or not. We spent our final days in Marrakech, being witness to the snake charmers and tasters of mint tea (a local speciality). We smelt the pungent reputation of their traditional tanneries, and got lost in the matted souks of the poor and the silken souks of the rich. For some, the most fun of all was to commence the game of bargaining with the locals, where prices dwindle to the final handshake and compromise is a mutual reward. Mystic beauty is undeniably this country's magic, and kindness it's greatest attribute. And I am sure that I will never forget what I have received, the most generous trade in my young life; a few days work for memories that will last a lifetime. Melissa Murphy, Antwerp International School 15

16 MAKING A BOOKING The first step is to contact us to make a provisional booking, so that you know your dates are secure and you can begin to recruit your group. We will normally hold your provisional booking for one month. If you have any queries, wish to discuss your trip in more detail or wish to make a provisional booking which we will hold whilst you recruit your group, please contact Jacquie Crofts at the Discover Ltd. office. Normal Office hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Further information about the many services offered by Discover Ltd. can also be found by visiting our websites. THE SCHOOL TRAVEL FORUM Discover Ltd. is a Full Member of the School Travel Forum, a group of leading school tour operators who promote good practice and safety in school travel. All Full Members of the STF adhere to a rigorous Code of Practice and Safety Management Standards which meet the requirements of DCSF guidelines and are externally verified each year by suitably qualified independent Health and Safety professionals. During the course of developing the STF Code of Practice, and in addition to liaising with the DCSF, advice has been sought from all leading educational Unions and Associations. The STF initiative is welcomed by the Outdoor Education Advisors Panel (OEAP) and the DCSF. It has the support of the SHA, NAHT, ATL, NUT, PAT and the NASUWT advises members wishing to organise school trips to use companies that have this type of scheme. Details of the School Travel Forum Code of Practice are available at 16

17 USEFUL PLACES TO FIND INFORMATION - link to the ABTA Website page for information on benefits and financial protection. The ABTA Website includes information on other useful links. The main address for the ABTA Website is link to information about cover provided by atol. - link to the foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for advice on travelling abroad. - link to the Department of Health for information on health requirements/vaccinations. - link to the Passport Agency for information on UK passports. - link to the World Travel Guide for information on passport/visa requirements and other general travel information. - link to the independent auditing body for companies providing school trips overseas. - links to the main DCSF site which advises teachers on taking trips out of school. 17