Why another OAT Tour: From our OAT tour of India, we flew for another OAT tour in Morocco 11/10-25/2024. Although we had planned our India tour for months, the Morocco trip was last-minute decision. As tour dates approach with empty seats, OAT offers some fantastic discounts. This Morocco trip was a great value, and it fit right into our travel schedule. In Aziz, we had another outstanding tour guide (Tour Experience Leader, TEL is the preferred OAT title), and Morocco is a wonderful place to visit. Moroccan culture is welcoming and values hospitality. A stranger who knocks on a Muslim’s door is a gift from God who should be greeted, fed, and welcomed to stay for three days.
We enjoyed Moroccan hospitality often along this tour.
We flew into Rabat, the capital of Morocco, which sits on the Atlantic coast. We arrived a day before our tour would begin, so we had time to settle in, relax, and to explore on our own.
In Rabat: Three Nights 11/10-11/12
Known as the “city of gardens,” Rabat is the seventh largest city in Morocco, where 40-45% of Rabat residents work for government. The population is nearing two million. Morocco became independent in 1955, when the French protectorate ended.
Our initial walk through Rabat took us through the Medina and up to the Kasbah.
A Medina is usually a large, walled collection of buildings, with only narrow walkways forming a labyrinth. They are full of merchants selling all kinds of products including food, clothing, shoes, carpets, and just about anything else you can imagine. Surely these Medinas are the earliest shopping malls. Rabat’s Medina was quiet on the day we walked through. With walkways wider than expected, no crowds, and vendors who were pleasant but never pushy, we found the Medina to be very pleasant.
Beyond that we walked up into The Kasbah, historically back to the 12th century.
A Kasbah is a citadel or fortress where a ruler and family would live. But more than a European castle, a Kasbah was a walled city. So, in Rabat the Kasbah along with the Medina represents the historical “Old Town” of the city. The Kasbah of the Udayas is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It boasts a blend of Andalusian and Moorish architecture as it sits atop a hill looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. Today Rabat’s Kasbah is residential, home to many. Facades are painted white and accented with blue doors. Unlike walkways in the Medina, the streets are even wide enough for vehicles. The Kasbah also features Rabat’s beautiful Botanical Garden.
Dar Naji Moroccan Restaurante: We dined at a lovely restaurant featuring Moroccan food. The food was great, and we were so impressed with our waiter’s ability to pour tea from on high.
On Day #2 we met our charming and outstanding Tour Experience Leader (TEL), Aziz, and our fellow tourists on this trip. Most had already been together on a “Pre-Trip Extension” taking them to Chefchaouen and Tangier. It was a great group of people who welcomed us quickly into their company.
Highlights: With our Tour Group in Rabat:
A bus took us to visit the grounds of the Royal Palace, which includes the seats of the government, a mosque, a royal college, guard barracks, and large gardens. It’s a large and lovely complex, but we saw only the grounds, no interiors, since they’re not open to the public.
The Mausoleum of Mohammed V, a beloved ruler who died in 1961. The mausoleum also includes his two sons: Prince Abdallah (1983) and the late King Hassan II (1999). On the same grounds there is a Mosque and 354 pillars set to represent the Muslim calendar. Remnants of an abandoned project, these pillars, were meant to support a huge construction built to hold 40,000 people.
Hassan Tower: Construction began in 1195 on what was meant to be the world’s largest minaret along with the largest mosque in the western Islamic world. Construction on both ended in 1199 when Sultan Yacoub al-Mansur died. What remains is an impressive tower of 44 meters – only half of its intended height – and about 200 columns that would have supported the huge mosque.
Morocco is a very welcoming, open-minded culture. Although Islam (Sunni) is the official religion, the government also protects religious freedom for minorities, such as Christians, Jews, and Berbers. In 1947 Morocco had a significant Jewish population, with 27 synagogues. The synagogue in Fez is 300 years old. Since the nation of Israel has been established, most Jews have emigrated to Israel. Now there are only 3000 Jews in Morocco.
In Fes: Three Nights 11/13-11/16
After breakfast in Rabat we load into the bus for a four-hour drive to our next destination, Fez. With warm and sunny weather, we enjoyed the passing scenery and a well –timed stop for bathrooms, snacks, and coffee. On arrival in Fez, we grabbed our belongings and left the bus behind, to follow Aziz into the narrow walkways of the Fez Medina where we would find the “Riad” that was our home for the next three nights.
The Medina of Fez is huge, much larger, older (back to the 9th century), and more claustrophobic than that in Rabat, with 9000 narrow, maze-like alleys in the ancient walled city. Some consider it the largest car–free zone in the world. We were all so grateful just to follow our guide. Half a million people live within this Medina, the oldest in Northern Africa.
A Riad is a home that has been refurbished, turning it into a guest house. The Hotel Riad Salam, where we stayed, had joined a couple of homes to make a larger facility. Walking from the dark, narrow alley of the medina into this bright, colorful riad, we were amazed at its large, beautiful spaces decorated with intricate handmade tilework. This place was amazing. Each guest room had its own unique look and feel. In a Riad windows open onto the internal courtyards and gardens. Our stay here was outstanding. In this beautiful setting, we enjoyed breakfast each morning and one lovely dinner. Such a beautiful oasis amid the chaos of this Medina.
Exploring the Medina Fez, a UNESCO World Heritage site: We were joined by another tour guide, named Mohammed, who led us through the mazelike Medina to see its highlights: You can buy most anything here, from traditional garb to Moroccan artwork, or appliances. It’s crowded with people buying, selling, and negotiating prices. But without our guides, we would all have been lost. Fez is considered the largest car free zone in the world. Mules are main transport through the narrow alleys of the Fez Medina.
Fez Facts: Fez is considered the spiritual center of Morocco, and Muslims are not supposed to drink alcohol, but some do. Bars and restaurants that serve alcohol are licensed only to sell to foreigners. Drinking and driving is a serious offense. For a first offence you can spend jail time, pay a fine, and lose your license for a few months. A second offense can mean several months in jail and losing your license for good.
Our Home Hosted Dinner: OAT Tours really engage travelers with the people and cultures in their travels. We split into smaller groups that were welcomed into the homes of locals to chat, visit and share a lovely meal. Sara and I joined three others. A young man met us at the Riad and walked us just five minutes to his family‘s nearby home. We were welcomed warmly, and they even dressed us in Moroccan Kaftans for the event. The food was delicious and the conversation friendly and engaging.
A Day-Trip from Fez to Volubilis and Meknes: Nearly all of us joined this optional excursion to visit two UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Volubilis: These are the oldest Roman ruins to be found in Morocco. The city goes back to the third century BCE. In its time, some 3000 elite Romans may have lived here. We had a bright day and a most entertaining guide to lead us around the partially excavated remains, which are still quite stunning. Many mosaics remain quite bright and vivid despite being exposed for so many years. Unlike most Roman settlements, which are on the coasts or along rivers, Volubilis was inland, in good agricultural lands to supply olive oil, wine and wheat. Sights include an Arc de Triumph from 217 CE, a basilica, which under Constantine became a church, and the remains of housing and Roman baths.
Meknes. Leaving ruins behand, we moved on to Meknes, a city of 500,000 or more. Meknes was once Morocco’s capital. The Medina in Meknes houses 200,000 people. After lunching in Meknes, we toured the “Old City” Medina with a local guide, a woman who helped us understand the role of women in Moroccan culture and how more opportunities have become available as the culture slowly adapts to a more modern culture.
Leaving the Fez region, we have a 9 hour bus ride, We drive though fertile agricultural lands with lots of olive trees, and then through the High Atlas Mountains to Erfoud for a single night, on our way toward the Saraha desert.
A Memorable Moment of Hospitality along the way: After leaving the mountains and cedars behind, as we drove through a mostly barren area, Aziz spotted a man with his mule ploughing a barren field. We stopped the bus, and Aziz spoke to the farmer asking him to visit with us tourists anxious to learn about life in Morocco. Aziz acted as translator for the visit, while the farmer visited and encouraged a few of us to try ploughing behind the mule.
There were only two buildings in sight, our farmer’s home and one other. When four children from that other home saw the bus and the gathering, they went to their own home and returned to invite us all to visit their family. So we all entered this simple home where we were greeted warmly. The man of the house played host and poured the tea, while his wife quietly offered a snack. Again, Aziz translated to facilitate conversation. We were impressed with how friendly and welcoming these people were. From our point of view, they looked poor and struggling, yet they were happy to invite us in for tea and conversation.
