T O U R C O D E : 2 0 4 0 1 G R A D E : 4 /SS D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 23 December - 02 January 11 Days MOROCCAN EXPERIENCE Exploring in and around a fantastic city 280416 HJN
H O L I D A Y I N F O R M A T I O N TOUR DESCRIPTION: This information is additional to our General Information Booklet, which is enclosed. Morocco is probably as exotic as you can get within a short flight from the UK. It offers its visitors a different culture, language, cuisine, and dress. It really is an eclectic mix of old and new. This holiday explores one of Morocco s more fascinating cities Marrakech - with an interesting combination of city sightseeing and valley walking. Marrakech, or Morocco City as it was originally known, has always been a place where southern tribesmen and Berber villagers bring their goods, spend their money and find entertainment. It is probably the most exotic of Morocco's attractive towns with its date palms, seven miles of ramparts, sub-saharan climate, peaceful gardens and pink ochre buildings. The old town, or Medina, is a maze of busy souks and alleyways, while the new town has wide avenues interspersed with orange and jacaranda trees. All this, against a backdrop of the High Atlas range, gives Marrakech an atmosphere and charm that many find irresistible. At the heart of it all is the Djemaa el Fna, a central square with a long established tradition of entertainers, acrobats, musicians, dancers, storytellers and comedians. We ll visit the Square during our stay and explore the medina with its high walls, souks, palaces and museums. It really is a wonderful assault on all of your senses! There is also a more tranquil side to the city which you ll find in the beautiful Majorelle Gardens, a wonderful oasis featuring many species of rare plants and the Islamic art museum, and the Menara Gardens where you ll find several acres of olive, palm and fruit trees surrounding a large lake. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city there are some wonderful walking areas just a short drive from Marrakech. We will spend time walking in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, giving good views of Mount Toubkal, and taking us to Berber villages well off the normal tourist track. Our walks in the Ourika Valley offer stunning views, with the Atlas Mountains as a backdrop, and may be combined with a visit to a local market and traditional villages. There will be free time for you to explore on your own; perhaps test your bargaining powers in the souk, take an excursion to the coastal town of Essaouira, which is enclosed my medieval ramparts and has a European feel, or perhaps experience a traditional Hammam - a Moroccan steam bath.
ITINERARY: Day: 1: Overnight accommodation: Daily itinerary: We fly from London Gatwick airport to Marrakech. Transfer by road to Marrakech and the Ryad Mogador Opera for 10 nights accommodation. A programme of walking and sightseeing arranged by the leader. Meals: D 2-10: Marrakech We spend a couple of days walking around Marrakech, exploring the medina and the souks. Among the sites we plan to visit include the Ben Youssef Medersa, the Saadian Tombs and the Royal Palaces. B/D 11: Our time in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains, offers walks with breathtaking scenery, remote Berber villages, a local souk and time off the tourist track. Transfer to Marrakech airport for the return flight to London Gatwick B/D D (Dinner) B (Breakfast) HOLIDAY GRADE & WALKING PROGRAMME: This holiday is graded 4/SS. Walks in the Atlas foothills are combined with sightseeing in Marrakech to complete a busy and interesting holiday. Sightseeing around old Marrakech, or the Medina, is best undertaken as a group, with a local guide to show us around and keep the street merchants 'at bay'. Attractions include the souks, El Badi Palace, Marrakech museum, tombs, and local crafts. We ll walk in the Ourika Valley or around the Berber villages of Asni, Amizmiz or Seti Fatma and will use transport to reach the hills, maybe stopping at a souk on the way. All the walks are taken at a relaxed pace, walking times rarely exceed 5 hours. A few sections of the routes may be over rough or steep paths, but this is a small price to pay for the splendid views of the High Atlas mountains. There is free time included in the holiday and your leader will discuss this and the walks programme with you at the daily briefing. On a Lifestyle holiday, in addition to great walking there will be plenty of time to immerse ourselves in the delights of local cuisine and wines, friendly people, language and natural beauty.
An example of some of the walks we may include in our programme (dependent on weather conditions and the ability of the group) are as follows: Tazzitount, Anammer, Aguerd and Tizi-N-Oucheg. This is a delightful walk which constantly changes in character as the walk unfolds. Ascent 940m / descent 1020m; 10 miles; 6 hours Setti Fadma & Ourika Valley. Setti Fadma is a riverside village, rarely visited by foreigners, and is one of the most compelling Valley of Ourika destinations. The walk in the surrounding hills offer stunning vistas. Ascent / descent 350m; 9 miles; 5 hours Touggalkhir and Anins. A walk from the Ourika Valley taking in two unspoilt Berber villages with much agricultural activity. A good insight into life and work in Berber villages with excellent views beyond Anins, over lower range of hills to west. Ascent / descent 630m; 11 miles; 6 hours We do not include local transport costs in conjunction with the walks programme on this holiday. This is due to walks being weather dependent and also takes into account the group ability and your personal choice (you may choose to take a day off from the group arrangements), and this way you only pay for the activities that you take part in. Local transport costs for this holiday should not exceed 50 per week (approx. Dhs650, payable locally in Dirham). Should you decide to take an optional excursion, such as a hamman (approx 100dhs per person) or a day trip to Essaouira (currently 250dhs for transport only), these costs are not included in the holiday or local transport costs. You may also wish to allow 10 per person for entrance fees to any museums you may wish to visit whilst in Marrakech. All prices are current at the time of writing. Please note that the estimation of local costs relating to this holiday is based on currency exchange rates valid at the time of the publication of our winter 2016/spring 2017 brochure and this Holiday Information sheet. Any fluctuations in exchange rates may impact on this estimation of local costs. Please check with your bank or foreign currency provider prior to your holiday to enable you to plan your spending. TRAVEL INFORMATION: Flights are from London Gatwick to Marrakech and return with British Airways. Manchester flights may be available on some dates. Details of your baggage allowance will be confirmed in your travel documents, sent to you approximately 10 days before departure. Travel between the airport and the hotel is by road and takes approximately 15 minutes. If you intend joining and leaving the party in Marrakech, it is assumed, unless you have advised us otherwise, that you will meet and leave the party at our hotel. If this is not your intention, please let us know in writing at least 5 weeks before departure.
PASSPORTS & VISAS: Please refer to Section 2 of the enclosed General Information Booklet. A passport is required for travel to Morocco. Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. No additional period of validity beyond this is required. It is a good idea to carry photocopies of the personal details pages of your passport. Should you lose your passport, this may assist with the issue of replacement documents and your return to the UK. It is necessary to complete an immigration form on both arrival and departure in Morocco for presentation to the Immigration Control officer. You will be given the form on your outbound flight or can find the forms in the Arrivals Hall at Marrakech airport. Upon departure, you will find the forms at the entrance to passport control. The form will ask for an address and contact information of where you are staying in Morocco, which you can find under Accommodation and Meals in this document. Passport, visa and health requirements can change at any time. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you inform yourself from a professionally qualified source on, and comply with, such requirements. Advice on vaccinations is available from your GP, or can be obtained from the Medical Advisory Services for Travellers Abroad (MASTA). In addition, general travel advice is available from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at www.fco.gov.uk/travel. LOCAL CURRENCY: Please refer to Section 2 of our General Information Booklet for details. The local currency in Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham. There are ATM facilities at Marrakech airport and there are banks with ATM facilities at the Djemma el Fna square. Your leader will advise on the best locations to exchange money during the holiday. Banks and/or hotels can often impose expensive commission charges for changing travellers cheques. You cannot bring large amounts of Dirham out of the country, so you may wish only to exchange small amounts as needed during the week. Please note that it is not possible to change Scottish or Irish banknotes in Morocco. If changing sterling currency notes at banks in Marrakech they should be in pristine condition. Notes that are torn, crumpled and have any writing on them will not be accepted.
ACCOMMODATION AND ME ALS: We stay at the Ryad Mogador Opera, which is situated in the Hivernage district of Gueliz (the new town). Located on Ave Mohammed VI, close to Marrakech Train Station and the Royal Theatre, the hotel has an outdoor swimming pool, a spa with sauna and traditional Hammam. There is also a Salon de Thé, two restaurants and free wi-fi in the public areas. The rooms are all en suite with air-conditioning, TV, hairdryer and in room safe. While the hotel does not sell alcohol, there are two hotels close with bars open to non residents. Ryad Mogador Opera Av Mohamed VI, Hivernage, 40000 Marrakech, Morocco Tel: web 00 212 530 530 530 www.mogadorhotels.com The electricity supply in Morocco is 220V and you will need a 2 round pin adapter plug to use electrical appliances. Breakfasts and dinners are included in the holiday charge. Buffet breakfasts are taken at the hotel, while some dinners will be at the hotel and others will be at local restaurants. Tagines of chicken or lamb are the more traditional meal served and these are generally served without vegetables. Desserts generally aren t eaten in Morocco and meals usually consist of a starter and main course and finishing with something simple such as fresh fruit, yoghurt or cake. Vegetarians can be catered for on this holiday. Lunches are not included in the holiday cost but a picnic can be purchased locally or stops may be made at local restaurants depending on the day s itinerary. CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT: The weather in December should in general, be mild and sunny during the day, but temperatures can drop steeply at night and you should always be prepared for the possibility of cool spells or rain. We suggest you take a warm windproof jacket, waterproofs, a fleece, gloves and a hat (for walks at higher altitude), lighter clothes as well as warm evening wear. Dressing in layers is best, so that you can remove your jacket and sweater as the day gets warmer. We also advise you to take a small rucksack, picnic cutlery (this should be packed in your checkedin hold luggage), small first aid kit, wet wipes/tissues (Moroccan public toilets do not always have supplies), insect repellent plus a remedy for upset stomach (such as Imodium ).
As Morocco is a Muslim country, and out of respect for local customs and traditions, men may feel more comfortable wearing long trousers and women wearing trousers, capris or knee length skirts than shorts, especially outside Marrakech. To avoid unwanted attention, women should avoid low-cut or tight-fitting tops, and may feel more comfortable wearing t-shirts or blouses. A universal sink plug is often useful, as are a few coat hangers which seem to be in limited supply in Moroccan hotel rooms! Lightweight boots with good ankle support are strongly recommended for the walks - we do not recommend training shoes, sandals or walking shoes as the terrain can be quite rough and stony. You should also bring comfortable shoes or sandals for the city sightseeing. TIPPING IN MOROCCO Tipping is a way of life in Morocco. In order to simplify this, we strongly recommend that you allow your leader to take care of making sure tips are given to hotel and restaurant staff & to local guides and drivers. This will be done using some funds provided by Ramblers Worldwide Holidays plus, should you wish, a contribution from you which your leader will collect during the holiday. We suggest an amount of 2-3 per person per day for this. A small tip is usually required for the use of public toilets and any drinks and meals you purchase yourself. GENERAL HEALTH To help you stay fit & healthy while travelling in Morocco, we suggest that you don t drink or clean your teeth in unboiled water. While bottled water is available to purchase locally, you may wish to consider an alternative to single-use plastic bottles such as a refillable bottle with its own water filtration system. Water-to-Go offers re-useable bottles that use a 3-in-1 filter system that you can fill up from any source. Each filter gives you the equivalent of 260 400 plastic water bottles. Ramblers Worldwide Holidays have negotiated an exclusive 15% discount with our partners Water-to-Go for you as a thank you for helping the environment. Please go to their website at www.watertogo.eu and enter the code RWH16 when ordering. In addition, Water-to-Go will match the discount with a donation to our charity, Heart & Sole, which will allow us to continue to make a difference in the countries you visit on our holidays. Also, don t forget to exercise caution with what you eat to avoid upset stomachs and stay away from unpeeled fruit and vegetables, salad and do not have ice in your drinks. Hot, fresh cooked food, where possible, is best. You may wish to visit the website www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk, which is provided by NHS Scotland, and gives vaccination, disease and malaria advice for your destination. Using this information in conjunction to speaking with your GP or nurse will help keep you healthy while travelling.
INSURANCE: On this holiday, some of the walking may be above 2000m. Please make sure that your holiday insurance covers you for guided walking above this height. PERSONAL SAFETY: Please take sensible precautions with your credit cards and passport and avoid displays of wealth such as wearing expensive jewellery or watches. Do not carry more cash on you than you need. We recommend that a money belt is used. HEART & SOLE Heart & Sole, supported by Ramblers Worldwide Holidays, is proud to sponsor the SOS Children s Village charity. They provide help for 78,000 children in 125 countries who have been orphaned through AIDS, poverty or disasters of war. They provide the children with a family and a home in a purpose built village, where they are cared for by an SOS mother until they are an independent adult. By travelling with us to Morocco, in addition to experiencing the joy of visiting new places, you can help make a difference. For more information, please see our Heart & Sole page on our website at www.ramblersholidays.co.uk/page/ramblersworldwideholidays_heart_and_sole MAPS: Maps and books of Morocco and the Atlas Mountains may be obtained before departure from specialist mapsellers such as: Stanfords 12-14 Long Acre Covent Garden London WC2E 9LP Tel: 020 7836 1321 Fax: 020 7836 0189 Website: www.stanfords.co.uk The Map Shop 15 High Street Upton upon Severn, Worcs. WR8 0HJ Tel : 01684 593146 Fax : 01684 594559 Website: www.themapshop.co.uk Street maps are also available from local kiosks in Marrakech
SUGGESTED READING: Suggested guidebooks: Morocco Footprint Guide Morocco APA Insight Guide Cadogan Guide to Morocco Morocco & Tunisia Handbook Trade & Travel Publications Many local libraries stock a selection of travel guides and books which may offer you more information regarding Marrakech and Morocco. You may also find the Moroccan Tourist Board website useful in planning your holiday at www.visitmorocco.com PLEASE QUOTE YOUR HOLIDAY CODE AND BOOKING REFERENCE NUMBER IN ALL CORRESPONDENCE. WE WISH YOU AN INTERESTING AND ENJOYABLE HOLIDAY AND WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS UPON YOUR RETURN. Revisions to this Holiday Information sheet Please note that this Holiday Information sheet may be periodically updated and reissued. In most cases any revisions will be minor and the overall nature of the holiday will be unchanged. Should we need to make a major change to the holiday arrangements between you booking your holiday and your date of travel we will notify you to specifically draw your attention to any significant change. You may wish to review the latest version of the Holiday Information sheet online prior to travel.