Saturday, March 1, 2014

Itinerary (preliminary)



March 20 JFK,to Casablanca, arriving 6:25am, 3/21.

Essaouira March 21-24
(pronounced ‘essa-weera’, or ‘es-Sweera’ in Arabic)
Drive rental cars; est. 5 hours (350K)

Possible stops on the way:
El Jadida: Portugese city, cistern, port
Oualidia: on the beach, oysters
 http://www.araignee-gourmande.com/#!/ 

Essaouira:
Riad: Les Matins bleu
Hotel LES MATINS BLEUS
22, rue Draa 44000
Essaouira Maroc
Téléphone/Fax:
(00212) 524 78 53 63(00212) 524 78 53 63
Parking: Place Hassan

Essaouira:City highlights:
·       The ramparts
·       The port
·       Art galleries

Possbile day trips
North:
Cap Hadid,
Cap Beddouza 25K N of Safi
Safi: colline des potiers,

South:
Tamanar, argan oil and goats, Co-op Amal (village de l’arganier)
Coast: Cap Sim, Smimou “super little souk” Sundays, Tafelney, hoseshoe bay



Marrakech, March 24-26
176 K from Essaouira, est. driving time: 2-3h
Riad: Bouganvillier
Adresse : Derb Ben Amrane Nº5, Riad Zitoun Lakdim
Marrakech / Médina
Tel. : +212 (0)524 391 717+212 (0)524 391 717
Fax. : +212 (0)524 391 717+212 (0)524 391 717
Mobile. : +212 (0)661 170 222+212 (0)661 170 222 / +212 (0)666 40 60 60+212 (0)666 40 60 60

Marrakech highlights:
·       Jemaa el Fna & souks
·       Majorelle Gardens,
·       Menara Gardens with reservoir view
·       Ville Nouvelle
·       Katoubia Minaret(known as the most perfect Islamic monument in Africa),
·       the El Badi Palace, Saadian tombs
·       Ben Youssef medersa
·       Jewish quarter, bitoun synagogue
·       Bahia palace
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6 day DESERT ADVENTURE
MARCH 27 -  APRIL 1
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Fez, April 1-4
Riad: Dar El Hana
22 Ferrane Kouicha
30200, Morocco
+212 676-286584+212 676-286584

Highlights:
Medina
Kairaouine mosque
tanneries
Artisans
Walk to tomb of Merinids
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Chefchaouen:  April 4-6
180 -190 K from Fez, transport by Fez riad van
Riad: Dar Gabriel
On arrival in Chefchaouen leave your car or taxi outside the city walls and enter the lime washed blue medina on foot via the gateway called Bab Souk, turn left, walk about 100 metres - Dar Gabriel is up the first little street on the left hand
side.
Hotel phone number - 00 212 53 99 89 24400 212 53 99 89 244

Highlights:
quartier el Andalus
Pl. Outa Hamman, Grand mosque 16C, octagonal minaret
 
  • The medina
  • The waterfall (Ras el Maa) to the east of the medina
  • The ruins of an old mosque (Jemaa Bouzafar), on a hill behind the waterfall,
  • The hill of the Hotel Atlas is a good viewpoint on the town and the valley, especially on sunsets. It can be reached from the south gate of the medina (Bab el-Ain) by climbing the road coasting the medina on the west side until the east gate (Bab Souk), and then uphill, crossing the old cemetery on a rocky path.
1-2 hr hike to summit Ech Chaoua,
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TANGIER, April 7-10.
From Chefchaouen 107K, est 2-3 h. grand taxi

(Marge and Phyl have a dinner date in Tangier 4/10)
Rent a car 4/9 to return in Rabat or Sale

Tangier hotel: Rembrandt

Hôtel Angle bd Pasteur et bd Mohamed V Tanger Maroc
Tel : +212 5 39 93 78 70+212 5 39 93 78 70

Tangier highlights:

  • Terrasse des Paresseux, boulevard Pasteur,
  • walk the beachfront Avenue Mohammed VI
  • Café Hafa; view of the straits.
  • American Legation Museum
  •  the souk on Thursday or Sunday, Rif mountain women in their colorful costumes
  • St. Andrew's Church(English Church).
·        Museum of Moroccan Arts & antiquities (closed tues) good view of straits
  • Hercules Cave (Grottes d'Hercules)
  • Cape Spartel, Cape Malabata lighthouses
Possible day trip:
Tetouan
Highlights:
Artisan school
Spanish architecture
Archeology museum

----------------------------
Larache: April 11
From Tgr 87K

On the way:
Asilah, 46K S of Tgr
old Porguguese port, walk ramparts
Church: St Bartolome: only church allowed to ring bells

Larache Riad: La Maison Haute
Maison Haute, 6 derb Ben Thami, LARACHE

South of Larache
Approx 40K: Moulay Bousselham and the Merja Zerga lagoon; birding
Lixus: Roman ruins

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RABAT/ Sale April 12- 15
From Larache: 80K
On the way: Near Kenitra: Mamora forest (cork oak)
*drive E from Kenitra to Sidi Yahya el Gharb, then take R411 toward Sidi Moussa el Harrati to get impression of area’s beauty.

Rabat/Sale Riad:

Rabat highlights:
Oudaia gate and musée Oudaia
Tomb of Mohammed V, the Kasbah
Chellah Necropolis. 
Andalus Garden and Café Maure
Mellah, Jewish traditional homes

Train to airport.


2 comments:

  1. Hurrah! Got it! Will check every day. Rita

    ReplyDelete
  2. Luivl still going strong, Anita. Next game Friday, 3/28 against Kentucky. They will play Elite 8 (whatever that is) on 3/30, Sunday, if they win that game. Will keep you posted. They are good! Perhaps Florida and Louisville will make the finals, as predicted on Twitter. Rita

    ReplyDelete