We welcome our new affiliate location at the Rabat-Salé International Airport serving the capital city of Rabat in Morocco. This is a joint use airport so don’t be surprised if you see military aircraft from the First Royal Air Force as you taxi to the gate. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg.
Rabat may well be Morocco's most civilized city, yet most travelers pass it by. Once a fearsome pirates' den, Rabat looks at first suspiciously clean, yet it proved on exploring to be authentically mazelike, with crowded bazaars, eerily empty alleyways, a cliff-top castle by the ocean. Here are some of the top things to do when visiting Morocco.
Djemaa El-Fna is the highlight of any visit to Marrakech and one of the top tourist attractions in Morocco. By day this square at the heart of the medina is largely filled with snake charmers and people with monkeys, as well as some of the more common stalls. As the day progresses the entertainments on offer change: the snake charmers depart, and in the afternoon and evening the square becomes more crowded, with story-tellers, magicians, and peddlers of traditional medicines. As dark descends Djemaa El-Fna fills with dozens of food-stalls, and the crowds are at their height.
Aït Benhaddou is one of Ouarzazate’s fortified cities along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech. Inside the high mud walls are 6 kasbahs and a small number of homes. Most of the town’s inhabitants now live in a more modern village at the other side of the river although a few families still live within the city walls. Aït Benhaddou has appeared in several movies, including Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator.
The Erg Chebbi dunes are located in the Sahara Desert. The awe-inspiring dunes are as high as 300 feet tall, and one certainly feels small in their shadows. Erg Chebbi special feature is its beautiful unique orange colored sand. Excursions to the dunes normally start from the village of Merzouga which is located on the edge of the erg. Camel trekking is the most popular option although it isn’t the most comfortable way of traveling.
This is a destination to add to your bucket list. Watch for more locations coming in 2014.
