MERRY CHRISTMAS

Dear friends,

I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.

Stay tuned!

I'll be back with new images very soon!

Morocco: what else?

High Atlas mountains in autumn

High Atlas  can be called the Grand Atlas Mountains; in Arabic it reads: الاطلس الكبير‎ and in French it is Haut Atlas.

It is a mountain range in central  Morocco.

It offers dramatic landscapes which are a joy for photographers and for us... for all of us without a professional camera! Actually, I simply enjoy watching my customers' pictures!

Tizi n tichka - December 2014

The range includes Jbel Toubkal, which at 4,167 m is the highest in the range and lies in Toubkal national Park. It is a  weather system barrier in Morocco running east-west and separating the desert climatic influences, which are particularly important in the summer, from the Mediterranean climate to the north, resulting in evident changes in temperature across the range.

In the higher elevations snow falls regularly, allowing winter sports!! Why don't you contact us? Sahara Atlas Tours can provide you with useful pieces of information about your winter holiday in Morocco!! Forget Saint Moritz in Switzerland and Jackson Hole in Colorado and join us in Morocco! It is now trendy to spend your winter holidays in our beautiful ski resorts!

Feel free to contact us: SAHARA ATLAS TOURS.

Have a look here!

Did you like the clip?
We can organize wonderful treks in that area for those of you who love adventures, but in safe hands!!

 Snow lasts well into late spring in the High Atlas, mostly on the northern faces of the range.

You will have great fun! 

snow - Tizi n'Tichka November 2014

Theatre Productions in Morocco

Did you know that Morocco boasts a very important theatre tradition?

The Amazigh Theater Festival in Morocco is a theatrical spectacle with a unique twist. 

Theatre comprehends elements of speech, gesture, music, dance and sound; they are all incorporated in a similar way in theatres across the globe.

You will be able to enjoy theatre productions in Berber language.

This ancient North African language has been an integral part of Moroccan Culture for centuries and it continues to play a large role in Morocco today. 

Moroccan theater  is a fusion of Western theatrical traditions and the Arabo-Tamazigh performance cultures. 

Masks, miming and puppetry may be found combined with the use of Berber language in theatre festivals in Morocco.

If you want to enjoy the theatrical delights of the Amazigh Theater Festival in Morocco, you should do your best to get to Casablanca during the month of May. Of course, the exact dates of this festival may change each year; it would be better to check in advance if you would like to make sure that you are able to enjoy as much of this festival as possible. Even if you do not understand the Berber language, a visit to such a festival will provide interesting insight into the language and customs of Morocco.

Theatrical genres may include comedies, horrors, musical theater and much more and you can expect to find something for everyone. So come and enjoy this remarkable and unique form of theatre in Casablanca in Morocco. It is the only place in the world where you will ever see a theatrical production staged in this ancient language.

Do not hesitate to contact Sahara Atlas Tours for information on Berber Theatre Production.

Theatre is supported by the Ministery of Culture: 2015 will be a very important year for theatre.
Have a look at this very interesting article: 15 millions DH will be invested to support cultural programmes.

SAHARA ATLAS TOURS FOR YOUR TAILOR-MADE HOLIDAY

Every traveller has got individual and specific requirements.

Sahara Atlas Tours is the company which can design a personal itinerary, tailor-made specifically to your needs.

Your itinerary will be tailored thinking about the time you have available to travel, your sightseeing preferences, the accommodation you require (whatever type, whatever level), and your budget. 

We’ll advise you on all the must-sees  during the tour.

Let us think about  planning your holiday and relax! 

It will be your holiday! a  perfect dream holiday designed exclusively for you by Sahara Atlas Tours.
Our customers seem to appreciate our commitment and we are glad to read their commentaries.

magic moments in the desert... sunrise camel ride..

sunset camel ride in the Sahara desert... only with Sahara Atlas Tours

trekking in our beautiful valleys... check our customers' commentaries..,

Peeping out of a window onto a beautiful landscape... only in Morocco!

fascinating treks

Medina

A medina is the old part of a town or city in Morocco. It is walled  and contains narrow streets, palaces and mosques. Many medinas are pedestrian zones as there is not enough space in the alleyways for cars to pass. The word "medina" means city or town in modern-day Arabic. 


Feel free to download these maps from our directory. They will be useful for you when you visit our beautiful medinas.
Morocco boasts some wonderful examples of medinas in our beautiful towns of Marrakech, Fes, Chefchaouen and Essaouira.

Medina of Marrakech

Medina of Chefchaouen

Medina of Fes

Medina of Essaouira

Sahara Atlas Tours will be delighted to organize a tailor-made tour for you! It will be great to read your experiences on this blog! 

Flora of Morocco

We love exploring our valleys and we will be able to show you so many types of unique species of plants.
You can find different types of plants depending on the area we are going to explore during our tours!
Our customers always love the botanical aspect of our tours!

The climate on the coast is very nice and favorable for the healthy growth of great vegetation.

The costal vegetation is mainly a large collection of Casuarina, Eucalyptus, Citrus, Loquat, Acacia and many others. Casuarina plants are not exclusively native to Morocco: you can find them in a few other Southern Hemisphere countries too. I saw a lot of them in Namibia and in Australia.

 In the wetter places there are meadows and orchards with plants such as fennel, commonly found.

You can find the Cedar forest on the Middle Atlas mountains.

Generally in the mountainous steppe regions you will find unique species of shrubs, jujube trees, mastics, poplars, tamarisks and willows. 

The overall vegetation is Mediterranean in the mountains with thuya, holm oak, juniper.

The plains have cork oaks, olive trees and the argan trees. 

You can find the esparto plants and the artemisia plants in the interior region.

The Alpine zone is typically above the 2500m: you can find Vicia canescens in huge quantity. 

So many species of plants are exclusive and found nowhere else. The Vicia canescens are not palatable to goats which has saved them from being grazed unlike other plants.

The Argan tree forest has a very high value: Argan trees are useful in cosmetics and creation of medicines. 

There are national parks planned to conserve these Argan forests. These trees not only have cosmetic value they also have great resistance to droughts and have capability to adjust to the environmental changes. 

Even the Sahara desert is home to some herbs and small shrubs. Generally in the steppe areas the scrub vegetation is mostly climax vegetation like Ephemerals in north and halophytes in sandy areas. Overall the sandy desert does not support much vegetation. 

The vegetation is precious and efforts are being taken to ensure that it is saved from extinction as it will help slow down desertification.

trek in the Sahara Desert... Merzouga!

MERZOUGA

trek in the desert - sunrise

trek in the desert - sunset

I always wonder what the most proper attitude is in the desert, in front of the majesty of the sun.

No doubt it is a fascinating experience, a very precious memory to bring home: just don't forget to choose the right company for your camel trek in the desert! We are waiting for you at Sahara Atlas Tours!

A camel ride through the dunes is a suitable activity for everyone: your children will love it!

You may choose among many options: a short ride to a permanent Berber camp, where we will be having dinner while listening to drums in the night and enjoying an unforgettable stargazing session, before sleeping in a Berber tent or directly on the open air in summertime; a short ride to the dunes and then spend the night in a comfortable hotel in Merzouga near the desert; a longer trek in the desert, with the possibility to spend two or three nights in the desert, visiting the oasis and sharing the life of nomads in their everyday activities.

MOROCCAN TRAVEL MEMORIES: ADVENTURES AND HAPPY ENDS

IT WAS on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils.

well... don't panic! I have been reading Mrs. Shelley recently and I was just thinking about it!

and his masrterpiece reminded me of a November night in my homecountry, during a fab tour a couple of years ago!

The weather on the edge of the Sahara desert may be unexpected !
Believe me, it will not take anything away from an incredible trip!

My brilliant customers and I (I told you they are special friends for me, didn't I?) were heading southwards, in direction of Merzouga.

Well... we had simply to stop and we could but watch the storm unfold!

We took advantage of a fantastic terrace (a covered terrace) in our hotel: my customers were sooo happy!

They told me it was a very impressive experience and an unusual memory to bring home! Such an unforgettable adventure!

The valley was so lit up that we could see the river, turned into a torrent.

My customers had the right attitude.. it is so important when you travel! Unexpected events may occur, but we always find a solution, Inchallah!

In that case, the hotel had a hammam! Our journey to the desert resulted in a spa therapy!

The ladies were enthusiastic and the gentlemen ... did not want to go out of the hammam!

a very happy end, indeed!

Stay tuned with us! We are going to talk about the hammam experience very soon.

... the storm was not annoying, eventually... it was the best opportunity we had for a break! and we kept going after that...

and this is a typical Moroccan rainbow ... it's worthwhile to experience a storm, isn't it?

what about you? do you have any travel memories to tell us? we would be happy to read it!

Moroccan Gnawa Music

Berber symbols

feel free to ask our guides about our original cultural heritage!
we are so proud of it! and it will be a pleasure to share it with you!
There is so much we can show you about Berber culture, which is so rich and fascinating.
Don't forget to check out this imporant site for an introduction to Berber Culture!

Moroccan traditional music

forget the daily stress!

feel free to contact us: SAHARA ATLAS TOURS

hop on! off road by 4x4

We are testing our 4x4!


you will be in safe hands on our 4x4!
we are fully licensed driver-guides and our 4x4 is waiting for you!

let's dance! Moroccan music festivals

well... thank you, Mr. Bowie, for lending us a few words!

We are not organising a concert with Mr. David Bowie, though! maybe in the future...

Actually, we would like to introduce a couple of very interesting events! and you will be able to listen to gorgeous music!
not only treks and dunes...

FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DES NOMADES

GNAOUA MUSIC

about us: Sahara Atlas Tours. Off the beaten track in Morocco!

Sahara Atlas Tours provides  tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveller and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavour. 
From Morocco’s Imperial Cities to the unforgettable dunes and breath-taking landscape of the Sahara we offer a captivating experience that you will not forget. At Sahara Atlas Tours we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! 
Please feel free to call  Sahara Atlas Tours at  +212 667 760 169 or visit our website SAHARA ATLAS TOURS.

HAVE A LOOK AT OUR RANKING ON TRIPADVISOR

treks, tracks, dunes and thoughts

SAHARA ATLAS TOURS - PRIVATE DAY TOURS

Thus far, our trip has been a very positive combination of challenges and rewards.  
We have been touring Morocco with our beloved customers for many years... well... not only customers...each time they are new special friends for us.  
Our customers share the same goals as we do: discoveries, passion for nature, adventures, art and history, local habits.

We have been working to help travellers seeking adventures, trips of a lifetime, private tours and safe weekend breaks find the best solution.

Now it's good to stop and think about our journey! 

Meanwhile, we are doing a simple safety check of our 4x4 before starting a new tour!