Fifteen kilometers from Europe, yet a different world. A world where transportation still often goes by donkey, shepherds are in the fields all day to herd their sheep and women fetch water from a well. Also a world where many, often young, women are still completely veiled.
We take a six-week trip to Morocco in a 4×4 campervan. The trip gives a fantastic and complete picture of the nature and culture of the country. By car from the Netherlands to Sète near Montpellier in France, then by ferry to Tangier. We will visit the royal cities of Fez, Meknes and Marrakech, visit picturesque smaller towns like Chefchaouen, Essaouira, Taroudant and Tafraout, climb the sand dunes of Merzouga and take a beach walk and a boat trip in two lagoons with many birds. We see the fantastic scenery of the High Atlas during a trip doot the Dadès Gorge and Todra Gorge. We also ride a stretch of slope in the Sahara between Merzouga and Zagora. We walk through the palm gardens of oasis sites, enter cattle markets and walk in huge souks and markets where all sorts of things are sold. Large pieces of meat hang on hooks in front of the stalls and chickens are slaughtered in front of you. We end the trip the way we started: by ferry from Tangier to Sete and from there by car to Holland.
The stretch of track we drove requires a four-wheel drive car and some experience driving in desert sand is recommended. As an alternative, however, there is a fine asphalt road. We did the section from Tata to Tan Tan on the paved road, but a nice piste can be driven instead.
The total trip was 44 days. We travelled 4,892 km by car. This is without the sailing from Sète to Tanger Med and back. The blog of this trip (in Dutch) can be found on PolarSteps.
