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Splendor of Marakesh
Morocco
Morocco
The Splendors of Marrakech is centered on discovery the authenticity of Moroccan culture and landscape. On this excursion we are surrounded by breath taking mountain landscapes, the plateau of Kik, eucalyptus forests, pink bay-trees, and the sights of the lake Lallah Takerkoust, where we spend one night. During this trip we also enjoy a lunch at the famous village of Ouirgane. Of course, we also enjoy a shopping trip in Marrakech and two nights in a Riad. Three nights of this tour are spent in a hotel, while four nights are spent camping in the desert. The camp: Roomy tents with two beds each comprised of linens, cloths, covers, pillows, a bedside table and lighting. During camp, the meals are served in a large tent with typical European tables and chairs and standard hotel crockery. There are also one or two restroom tents and one or two shower tents, based on the number of participants.
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Meeting:
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Marakesh
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Airport:
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Marakesh
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Transfer:
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Marakesh airport
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Riders:
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Min
6 riders
Max
12 riders
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Trip Rating
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Rates and Dates for 2010
Rates include:
Deluxe hotel and camp accommodations, all gourmet meals, sightseeing, 5 riding days
| A | 2010 | 8 day trip, AP | 8d / 7n | €1990 | $2830 |
| Small group supplement (2-5) pp | €375 | $535 |
| Single supplement | €425 | $605 |
Transfer Option:
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2010
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Transfer from Marakesh airport included
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Day 1: Arrive in Marrakech at 10:30 am where we check in to the hotel and enjoy lunch downtown in a restaurant close to Jemaa el Fnaa. Afterwards, we meet our horses and take a short one hour right. We eat dinner and spend the night at the hotel. Day 2: Today we travel 8 km from Marrakech to Has Mbark. We eat our picnic lunch in Tamsloumt. We spend the evening close to an oued at Moulay Driss. Day 3: In the morning we depart for the lake Lallah Takerkoust, where we lunch at mid day in a small restaurant. We set up a bivouac at Laazib in the evening; Laazib is a small village drowned in the greenery. Day 4: We explore the Atlas buttresses surrounded, surrounded by superb mountain landscapes. Today we have extraordinary scenic views of the lake and we cross the plateau of Kik, where we eat lunch. In the evening, we assemble the bivouac close to a wadi and beneath trees. Day 5: Today we traverse the mountains until we reach the village of Ouirgane, where we stop for lunch. In the evening, we settle on top of a plateau with a superb scenic view on the gorges of Ouirgane. Day 6: We continue on traveling with the lake still part of the landscape. We lunch in Larguame on the edge of a gigantic canyon. Heading back to the lake, we leave the horses to come back to Marrakesh on a minibus. We eat dinner and spend the night at the hotel. Day 7: We enjoy breakfast at the hotel before departing for a tour of the city and shopping in the souks. We enjoy lunch in downtown Marrakesh. We head back to the hotel for dinner and overnight. Day 8: We eat breakfast at the hotel and enjoy a free morning. After our last lunch in downtown Marrakesh we return to the airport around 2 pm.
Meeting:
Marakesh
Airport:
Marakesh
Transfer:
Marakesh airport
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Tack:
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English
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Horses:
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Arab and Berber
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Pace:
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Fast with many trots and canters
5-6 riding hrs
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Trot |
Canter |
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Level:
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(3
to
3
out of 5) Intermediate
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Age:
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Min
18
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Riders:
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Min
6 riders
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Max
12 riders
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Cavalry and saddle
The horses are Arab-berbs specialized for this type of excursion. They
are particularly well maintained, accustomed to working together,
patient and reliable. These horses are selected on the spot by your
French guide. The saddles are English or excursion saddles.
The Equestrian Level
You should feel
comfortable at all gaits and have some experience of long rides. We
spend between 4 and 5 hours on horseback every day. During a typical
day we mostly walk, there is some trot, sometimes we walk beside our
horses and when the conditions are right, we go for a fast canter.
There are two guides on horseback so that we can split into smaller
groups in order to allow for different paces. We are not in a
competition but on vacation !
The Horses
The Barb-Arab horses are absolutely fabulous. They have been schooled
and are kept by a french Saumur instructor living in Morocco. These
horses only do trips and are used to working every day. Some of them
are perfect for less experienced riders and others for higher level
riders.
Tack
You have a choice of trail or English saddles, all being very
comfortable. They come with saddle bags. We use bridles with Spanish
bits. All the tack is in excellent condition, perfectly maintained.
On a full trip there will be a crew of 15 people (less on smaller rides):
* Your guide, Corinne, rides along with you
* The GP doctor
* One Moroccan guide, Salah or Ahmed
* The logistics chief, Hamid or Saidi
* The vehicles chief, Mabrouk
* The chef and his assistants (2 or 3)
* The service personnel (2 to 3)
* The chief groom Hassan, and the stablemen (2 to 3)
* The personnel for the setup of the bivouacs
* The drivers
The vehicles :
* The doctor's 4WD
* The truck for 14 horses, is waiting at every campsite and keeps the spare horses
* The water tank trucks
* A passenger van is available at every campsite, just in case it is needed
* The trucks for the camping gear and the luggage
All the personnel has walkie-talkies.
Safety is a proactive matter: horse selection, choice of tack and
personnel. Our horses have been carefully selected, they are perfectly
calm and schooled for trail tours. Our partners are trail professionals
with extensive local experience.
Last but not least, the passenger van follows the group all the time,
although out of sight, it's always, just like the doctor's 4WD and the
horse truck, less than 15 min away. Should anything happen, a person or
even the whole group can be safely taken care of.
Passport and Visa Requirements:
PassportsPassport valid for at least six months from date of entry required by all nationals referred to in the chart.Passport NoteVisitors should ensure that their passports are stamped when they ent. more
The local climate is pleasant and hot (between 15 °C and 35 °C, according to the period). On the other hand, in winter, the nights are a little bit cool! (Close to 5 °C)
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… this list is only a guideline for you |
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Travel documents and Voucher |
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Flight tickets |
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Passport |
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Visa (check with your consulate) |
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RIDING GEAR
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Comfortable riding pants (2)
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Riding boots (not rubber) |
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Long sleeved cotton shirts |
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Riding helmet (recommended for all trips) |
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Light riding gloves |
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Hat (with chin strap) for sun protection |
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PERSONAL CLOTHING
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Jacket or sweater for cool evenings |
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Cotton blouses/shirts |
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Jeans |
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Shorts |
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Underwear and socks |
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Pyjama |
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Jogging suit |
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Tennis shoes |
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Swimsuit |
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ADDITIONAL THINGS TO
BRING |
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Personal Toiletries |
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Insect protection |
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Personal medications |
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Sore cream (for an emergency) |
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Camera and extra batteries |
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Belt pack |
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High protection sun glasses with strap |
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Sun tan lotion lip balm |
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Canteen or water bottle |
Women: please do not wear any see through blouses, tank tops, shorts
or simialr clothing. Show your host country the respect for their culture.
Luggage
The crew will take care of your luggage and transfer it from place to place
in the support vehicle.
It is best to bring soft luggage and not hard suitcases. Not too many pieces
will avoid problems as well.
Sorry, no video is currently available for this tour.
*Important Notice: The following ratings have been submitted by guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Hidden Trails, its partners or employees.
Every care is taken to ensure accuracy but Hidden Trails is not liable for any errors or omissions.
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Lodgings will be in hotels or riads and deluxe camps.
We have
selected hotels with the usual criteria in mind : cleanliness,
hospitality, comfort, but also trying to share some treasure troves:
outstanding architecture, incredible welcome or exceptional restaurant.
Not all these places sport a star, but everyone is impressed and
wonders how we found these places. ……It's a secret …

During the trip, there is the bivouac, where everything is ... like in a hotel.
The rooms/tents are typical berber tents, roomy, high, with real beds
(with a base, a mattress, sheets, pillows, blankets). There are rugs on
the floor and night tables with lamps. If needed, there is heating in
winter (in the desert the temperature can drop to 5°C / 40°F, down from
25°C / 80°F during the day).
Every evening you'll find your towel, soap and shampoo on your bed,
because we have hot water showers. There are restrooms too, fully
equipped. Every day we have two water tanks brought to the bivouac !

Thanks to the generator, you can charge your cell phone, your camera or
camcorder batteries or your laptop ! You may even use a blow dryer...
Just remember, the power here is 220V / 50 Hz and you may want to bring
an outlet adapter.
You can even call in the middle of the desert !
There are always some surprises (two
or three) : musicians, dancers, snake charmers, and even an incredible
bard... but we shouldn't disclose too much if we want them to be
surprises !

Meals
All meals at the hotel, including a special welcome evening and an animated goodbye evening.
During the ride: Continental breakfast and traditional Moroccan
breakfasts, picnic lunches (salads, BBQ) or in typical restaurants,
dinners are cooked by our chef and his assistants in camp.
Meals are important, therefore it has
to be just perfect! The chefs have been carefully selected and the
evening meals at the bivouac are literally gastronomic. For lunches we
have huge barbecues and for breakfast, a superb buffet !

Here are some menus, just to give you an idea :
Lunch :
* Continental salads
* marinated meat kebab, vegetables
* Pastries, fruit, tea, coffee
* Moroccan salads : Zaalouk, Carrots à l’orange, yams,…
* Tajines de Kefta, vegetables
* Pastries, Beghrir, fruit, tea, coffee
Dinner :
* Harira
* Lamb Tajine with prunes Harira
* Oranges with cinnamon, fruit, tea, coffee
* Cheese Briouats
* M’Qalli chicken with lemon and olives, sautéed potatoes
* Semolina desert, fruit, tea, coffee
* Potato and carrot salad
* Chicken Pastilla
* Almond Briouats, fruit, tea, coffee
Breakfasts are super buffets with everything you want : French style
and Moroccan pastries, eggs, cheese, fresh fruit juices, coffee, tea,…

Cavalry and saddle
The horses are Arab-berbs specialized for this type of excursion. They
are particularly well maintained, accustomed to working together,
patient and reliable. These horses are selected on the spot by your
French guide. The saddles are English or excursion saddles.
The Equestrian Level
You should feel
comfortable at all gaits and have some experience of long rides. We
spend between 4 and 5 hours on horseback every day. During a typical
day we mostly walk, there is some trot, sometimes we walk beside our
horses and when the conditions are right, we go for a fast canter.
There are two guides on horseback so that we can split into smaller
groups in order to allow for different paces. We are not in a
competition but on vacation !
The Horses
The Barb-Arab horses are absolutely fabulous. They have been schooled
and are kept by a french Saumur instructor living in Morocco. These
horses only do trips and are used to working every day. Some of them
are perfect for less experienced riders and others for higher level
riders.
Tack
You have a choice of trail or English saddles, all being very
comfortable. They come with saddle bags. We use bridles with Spanish
bits. All the tack is in excellent condition, perfectly maintained.
On a full trip there will be a crew of 15 people (less on smaller rides):
* Your guide, Corinne, rides along with you
* The GP doctor
* One Moroccan guide, Salah or Ahmed
* The logistics chief, Hamid or Saidi
* The vehicles chief, Mabrouk
* The chef and his assistants (2 or 3)
* The service personnel (2 to 3)
* The chief groom Hassan, and the stablemen (2 to 3)
* The personnel for the setup of the bivouacs
* The drivers
The vehicles :
* The doctor's 4WD
* The truck for 14 horses, is waiting at every campsite and keeps the spare horses
* The water tank trucks
* A passenger van is available at every campsite, just in case it is needed
* The trucks for the camping gear and the luggage
All the personnel has walkie-talkies.
Safety is a proactive matter: horse selection, choice of tack and
personnel. Our horses have been carefully selected, they are perfectly
calm and schooled for trail tours. Our partners are trail professionals
with extensive local experience.
Last but not least, the passenger van follows the group all the time,
although out of sight, it's always, just like the doctor's 4WD and the
horse truck, less than 15 min away. Should anything happen, a person or
even the whole group can be safely taken care of.
|
Tack:
|
|
English
|
|
Horses:
|
|
Arab and Berber
|
|
Pace:
|
|
Fast with many trots and canters
5-6 riding hrs
|
Trot |
Canter |
|
|
Level:
|
|
(3
to
3
out of 5) Intermediate
|
|
Age:
|
|
Min
18
|
|
|
Riders:
|
|
Min
6 riders
|
Max
12 riders
|
|
Cavalry and saddle
The horses are Arab-berbs specialized for this type of excursion. They
are particularly well maintained, accustomed to working together,
patient and reliable. These horses are selected on the spot by your
French guide. The saddles are English or excursion saddles.
The Equestrian Level
You should feel
comfortable at all gaits and have some experience of long rides. We
spend between 4 and 5 hours on horseback every day. During a typical
day we mostly walk, there is some trot, sometimes we walk beside our
horses and when the conditions are right, we go for a fast canter.
There are two guides on horseback so that we can split into smaller
groups in order to allow for different paces. We are not in a
competition but on vacation !
The Horses
The Barb-Arab horses are absolutely fabulous. They have been schooled
and are kept by a french Saumur instructor living in Morocco. These
horses only do trips and are used to working every day. Some of them
are perfect for less experienced riders and others for higher level
riders.
Tack
You have a choice of trail or English saddles, all being very
comfortable. They come with saddle bags. We use bridles with Spanish
bits. All the tack is in excellent condition, perfectly maintained.
On a full trip there will be a crew of 15 people (less on smaller rides):
* Your guide, Corinne, rides along with you
* The GP doctor
* One Moroccan guide, Salah or Ahmed
* The logistics chief, Hamid or Saidi
* The vehicles chief, Mabrouk
* The chef and his assistants (2 or 3)
* The service personnel (2 to 3)
* The chief groom Hassan, and the stablemen (2 to 3)
* The personnel for the setup of the bivouacs
* The drivers
The vehicles :
* The doctor's 4WD
* The truck for 14 horses, is waiting at every campsite and keeps the spare horses
* The water tank trucks
* A passenger van is available at every campsite, just in case it is needed
* The trucks for the camping gear and the luggage
All the personnel has walkie-talkies.
Safety is a proactive matter: horse selection, choice of tack and
personnel. Our horses have been carefully selected, they are perfectly
calm and schooled for trail tours. Our partners are trail professionals
with extensive local experience.
Last but not least, the passenger van follows the group all the time,
although out of sight, it's always, just like the doctor's 4WD and the
horse truck, less than 15 min away. Should anything happen, a person or
even the whole group can be safely taken care of.
Passports
Passport valid for at least six months from date of entry required by all nationals referred to in the chart.
Passport Note
Visitors should ensure that their passports are stamped when they enter the country.
Visas
Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to three months.
Visa Note
(a) Visa extensions are possible upon request at the nearest police station. (b) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements.
| Passport Required? |
| British |
Yes |
| Australian |
Yes |
| Canadian |
Yes |
| USA |
Yes |
| Other EU |
Yes |
| Visa Required? |
| British |
No |
| Australian |
No |
| Canadian |
No |
| USA |
No |
| Other EU |
No |
| Return Ticket Required? |
| British |
No |
| Australian |
No |
| Canadian |
No |
| USA |
No |
| Other EU |
No |
This information is not being updated on a regular basis. Hidden Trails does not
take any responsibility for the accuracy of the above information. Please, consult
the embassy or consulate for updated info.
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Splendor of Marakesh
Tour Code:
PG-MCTM
8 days /
7 nights
~$2,830.00
Dates :
April to Oct
Difficulty :
Lodging:
Introduction
Day to Day Itinerary
Rates | Dates
Accomodation
Tack:
English
Horses:
Arab and Berber
Pace:
Fast with many trots and canters
5-6 ...
Trot,
Canter,
Airport:
Marakesh
Location on Google Map
Image Gallery
Image Slide Show
Customer Trip Rating
Climate
What To Bring
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