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“Sailing the Sahara”

Be swept away by the sands of history, havens and haute culture in exotic Morocco.

published in the August 2009 issue of Lifestyle Asia Travel magazine
words by FELICITY TAN

Morocco is a kingdom that sits on the confluence of three world cultures, caught in the grips of a grandiose history and an uncertain future. Its former capital Marrakech is a sprawling city drizzled in pink dust, with its imposing buildings that remind of its bygone grandeur reaching out to the gray desert sky.

It is the perfect place to begin your Moroccan adventure through deserts, mountains, seas and time. It seems as if the sun embraces the whole earth in Marrakech; it’ a wonder anything flourishes here. Stroll through the olive groves of Menara Basin, the old stomping grounds of Moroccan royalty, where in the distance loom the snowy peaks of the Atlas. A visual thirst-quencher would be Les Jardins Marjorelles, a floral oasis in this desert town, designed by the late Yves Saint Laurent.

Before the sun sets, cross over into Old Marrakech within the medina walls, largely unchanged since the 11th century. Along its winding streets and peachcolored alleys is a wonderland of shops that sell golden trinkets, plush carpets and exotic spices. This is Djemaa el-Fna, the largest souk in North Africa. It is a haze of pottery, jewelry and fresh fruit, and every now and then, goats’ heads dangling from a stall. A fire breathes life to the market square as soon as the sun sets behind the towering minaret of Koutoubia Mosque. By the time the stars are out, Marrakech has burst alive with acrobats, snake charmers, jugglers and storytellers huddled around a fire.

Marrakech market stalls at night

leading out from the maze to the square

While it is advisable to sample local fare at the souk, the luxurious La Maison Arabe nestled unassumingly within the walls of the Medina offers a sumptuous Moroccan feast for kings. Wash the day away at its five-star hammam, or Turkish bath, and indulge in unrivalled pampering with spa products made in-house from local herbs and minerals. Rejuvenate in its plush interiors designed for courtiers. You are sure to wake up fresh and, after another round at the souk, ready for your trek across the breathtaking desert mountains.

Arrive at Aït Benhaddou and explore this ancient kasbah crested on a desert hill. The site of numerous Hollywood films like Lawrence of Arabia and The Gladiator, Benhaddou is a majestic ruin with no electricity or running water yet is still home to some Berber families. Climb to the vestiges of an old granary atop the hill and marvel at the vastness of the desert beyond. You might meet an old man named Abdou, who has never left Benhaddou, speaks five languages, and can race you to the top. He will tell you that Benhaddou is the most beautiful place in the world. As the sun sinks into the horizon, and the pink desert turns gold, you just might agree.

A breakfast of honeyed mint tea, served in that precise manner like waterfalls into a cup, and a platter of fresh Moroccan oranges will energize you for the daylong drive deeper into the Sahara along the Road of A Thousand Kasbahs. A brief stop at the Kasbahs of Taorirt and Tifoulout, crumbling ancient palaces, will lend insight to the lavish lifestyles of Morocco’s great dynasties. Savor the rich flavors of tagine, a local meat stew, at the foot of the Todra Gorges, an arresting colossus of desert rock split apart by a jewel-colored pool.

road of 1000 kasbahs

a pool at the foot of the Todra Gorges

Finally, arrive in the small desert town of Erfoud from where commences a camel trek towards Morocco’s edge, your caravan sailing like desert ships beneath the starry night. Evenings in the Sahara are so clear you will see not only every constellation in heavens, but also the very curvature of the earth. Tucked away from the outside world, a cluster of deluxe Berber tents awaits, draped in traditional fabrics. The night is filled with song and dance; a fire and the silver moon your only source of light.

Rise before the sun to race up a seemingly summitless sand dune. Bask in the freshness of the dawn, toes dug into the cool tangerine sand, as the sun peeks from Algerian- Moroccan border in the horizon. A caravan back to town before midday offers a pleasant breeze and a remarkable vantage of the endless Sahara. And after spending the afternoon winding through the crisp mountain air of the Middle Atlas, the sprawling maze of Fes will beckon you closer to the heart of Morocco.

early morning caravan from Algerian border

Just outside the old city walls sits the royal palace, its intricately hand-carved golden gate gleaming in splendor. Venture through the Blue Gate and you enter Fes, the oldest living medieval city in the Arab world. Fes is a feast for the senses, from the solemnity of the spectacularly tiled 14th-C Madrasa Bou Anania, to the mayhem of the pungent tanneries, as well as the magasins d’antiquités and ateliers in between.

Tucked away within the mess of Fes is the Riad Jaouhara. Push open its unremarkable wooden doors behind a plain gray wall and you are whisked into a sanctuary, birds twittering in this palatial oasis, a cushioned dining hall with vaulted ceilings opening out to the courtyard. Formerly the home of royal viziers, the Riad Jaouhara is Moroccan living at its most exquisite. Its suites are large apartments furnished in the finest antiques and cater only to the discriminating in taste, intricate woodcarvings trimming the walls. A stay in its most modest room will allow you to rise to the subtle morning sun trickling through a glass mosaic skylight.

the Casablanca coast

After a pampered morning at the riad, head out to famed Casablanca by the sea. Morocco’s commercial capital, Casablanca is home to Morocco’s elite. Catch sunset at the Hassan Mosque, an architectural wonder where the world’s tallest minaret grazes the sky. And before you fly away from this magical world, cap your journey with a cocktail from Rick’s Café, which opened sixty years after the movie, and be lulled by the crashing of the Atlantic waves from the blue, blue beyond. ###

Tour arranged by the wonderful folks at Experience It! Tours

*photos copyright Felicity Tan*

“Sailing the Sahara” by Felicity Tan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.