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Morocco Retreat: Ouirgane

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Morocco Retreat: Ouirgane

Was From $ 835 AUD
Now From $ 710 AUD
Sale!

Description

Leave the modern world of Marrakech behind and escape to a home away from home where olive trees and mountain vistas make your backdrop. The calm and comforts of Amazigh hospitality await on this four-day retreat in Ouirgane, on the green edges of Mt Toubkal National Park. Surround yourself with the flavours and scents of this wild part of the country, hike the surrounding hills through small villages and farms, connect with altruistic locals, try your hand at making some iconic local dishes and, most importantly, take time to sit back, relax, and reconnect with yourself and nature.

Trip Name
Morocco Retreat: Ouirgane
Last Updated
2023-09-09
Days
4
Capacity
12
Highlights
  • Tap into the nomadic spirit of the Imazighen with a hike through the red earth hills and green-dotted valleys on the edges of Mt Toubkal National Park.
  • Break bread and connect with a local Amazigh family in their village and get a feel for daily life in the High Atlas region.
  • Learn the secrets and spices behind Morocco’s famous mint tea, tafarnout and tagine with a cooking demonstration followed by a feast on the delicious dishes for lunch.
  • Enjoy the comfort of your locally owned accommodation, where you’ll experience traditional hospitality and relish the small touches that make all the difference.
  • By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, Education for All. Donations help them support girls in the High Atlas Mountains through secondary school, bringing a generation of women out of the cycle of illiteracy, poverty and early marriage.

Itinerary

ITINERARY CHANGES Our itineraries are updated regularly throughout the year based on customer feedback and to reflect the current situation in each destination. The information included in this Essential Trip Information may therefore differ from when you first booked your trip. It is important that you review this information prior to travel so that you have the latest updates. Due to weather, local conditions, transport schedules, public holidays, or other factors, further changes may be necessary to your itinerary once in-country. The order and timing of included activities in each location may also vary seasonally to ensure our travellers have the best experience. Your tour leader will keep you up to date with any such changes once on tour. OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES A selection of optional activities that have been popular with past travellers are listed in the day-to-day itinerary. This isn't an exhaustive list and should be used as a guide only for some of what might be available. Prices are approximate, are for entrance only, and don’t include transport to and from the sites or local guides unless indicated. All activities are subject to availability, and maybe on a join-in basis. It may not be possible to do all the activities listed in the time available at each destination, so some pre-planning for what you are most interested in is advised. When it's recommended that travellers pre-book these activities, look for a note in the Special Information section of the day-to-day itinerary. For most, they can either be organised independently on the day, or let your leader know you are interested in the Group Meeting and they can assist. Where activities are considered medium or high risk, we work with operators whose safety and credentials we have sighted and assessed. Although it is possible that you may find the same activity cheaper with another operator on the ground, we cannot vouch for the safety or quality of that operator. Medium and high-risk activities not listed above have not been assessed by us and as such our staff and leaders are unable to assist you with organising these activities. Activities that contravene our Responsible Travel policies are also not listed. Please remember that the decision to partake in any activity not listed is at your own discretion and risk.

Day 1 - Marrakech / Ouirgane
Start your Moroccan retreat with a welcome meeting in Marrakech at 11 am this morning, followed by the journey from the city to your accommodation in Ouirgane. Leaving the bustling streets of Marrakech in our rear-view mirror, take a deep breath as you reach the serene foothills of the High Atlas Mountains. Ouirgane is a place of peace and calm and a welcome escape from the action and chaos of Marrakech city life. Settle into your own oasis for the next few nights. Your retreat is a locally owned, traditional Imazighen guest house, built in time-honoured style and full of character with small touches that make a big difference. This places truly feels like a home away from home. The bar, reading room, rose bush-surrounded swimming pool, and backdrop of olive trees and mountain views make it hard to even leave, even just to explore for the day. Tonight, you will enjoy a traditional dinner at the guesthouse, with the smells of lamb tagine, homemade bread and oranges with cinnamon filling the air.
Day 2 - High Atlas Mountains / Ouirgane
Enjoy breakfast today, make sure you eat enough to fuel your body for this morning’s half-day hike deep in the beautiful landscape of the High Atlas Mountains. You’ll navigate boulders and crags, running streams, and pass through traditional Amazigh villages on the way, waving to the villagers as they go about their daily lives. Take in the surrounds that feel beyond the reach of the modern world. The red earth hills and valleys are dotted with green pines and terraced farmlands of almond, cherry and apple trees. Learn more about local life here as you finish your hike and tuck into lunch with a local Amazigh family. Rest your legs back at the guesthouse with an afternoon to relax and soak up the atmosphere. Put your feet up and marvel at the views of lake and mountains before another delectable dinner this evening.
Day 3 - Ouirgane
After breakfast this morning you’ll get a chance to learn the secrets and spices behind the delicious dishes you’ve been feasting on over the last couple of days. Join in with a cooking class at the guesthouse and get a demonstration of how to make Morocco’s signature tea, using mint grown right here in the garden. Then, because bread baking is a key part of Amazigh life, learn how they work the dough to make a special type of bread called tafarnout. If that wasn’t enough, get the inside info behind Morocco’s iconic (and incredibly tasty) tagine. Learn all the secret spices and techniques as it’s cooked outside over a wood fire. Then, enjoy the best part – eating everything you’ve helped create for lunch. The rest of the afternoon is yours, maybe ask your leader about joining one of the optional activities detailed below, or snooze off your lunch by the pool under the shade of a leafy tree.
Day 4 - Ouirgane / Marrakech
This morning, make sure you really take in that view and make the most of the guesthouse and surrounds. After a final breakfast together, depart for Marrakech. On your way back, perhaps ask your Tour Leader about the Intrepid Foundation-backed project – which your trip is helping support – called Education For All, which helps girls from remote villages in this region access an education. Once we arrive in Marrakech, it’s time to part ways.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
22-09-202325-09-2023AUD $ 752-
06-10-202309-10-2023AUD $ 756-
13-10-202316-10-2023AUD $ 710-
10-11-202313-11-2023AUD $ 800-
22-12-202325-12-2023AUD $ 800-

Accommodation

Comfort style hotel (3 nights)

Transport

Private minibus

Map