Strabo Photo Tour Collection

Morocco: The Essence of Morocco

Photographic & Cultural Exploration, only 3 spaces left!!!

Morocco is a magical place – full of exotic souks, exquisite scenery, picturesque villages, and the dramatic Sahara. Join Brenda Tharp and Jed Manwaring, on their return trip, as they share with you this unique country. We will have a cordial welcome in this land with its irresistible allure and warm hospitality. Combining the history and natural beauty of this rich and fascinating country with first-person encounters, we will visit native villages, ancient medina’s, and craftsmen’s workshops, sharing experiences and sipping mint tea: symbolic of the warm, sincere Moroccan generosity. We will enjoy the sights in and around vibrant Marrakech and ancient Fes, make an unforgettable journey into the Sahara, and photograph architecture, dramatic landscapes, villages, veiled women and laughing children in between. Hotels are comfortable, as is the private, air-conditioned coach for land transportation. An expert local Moroccan guide will add his unique touch to this extraordinary trip, sharing his insights into and his love of this exotic land. This is an amazing tour, one that has sold out in past years.

This new itinerary has been designed to offer our inquisitive travelers the traditional Morocco, along with the enchanting town of Chefchaouen, located in the Rif Mountains in Northern Morocco. Chaouen, as Moroccans refer to the town, nestles in the hollow of two mountains, from which it takes its name. Steep narrow streets with white and indigo lime-washed buildings, small squares, ornate fountains, and houses with elaborately decorated doorways and red tile roofs make this a delightful town. Esteemed as a holy town, with a population of just forty thousand, it has eight mosques and several monasteries.

Brenda and Jed, both accomplished professional photographers, will share ideas and tips for creating dynamic travel photographs while on this photo tour. Through a visual presentation, early in the journey, they will provide tips on capturing a sense of place, photographing people, capturing candid moments, working with available light, and how to simplify your pictures to give them more impact. Both bring untiring energy and a passion for photography to their trips, and love to share in the adventure of travel and photography. They believe that in the process of exploring and photographing the world around you, you gain so much more than just photographs – you bring back the experiences that remain with you forever.

“We focus on creative travel photography on our tours. Having a good foundation of the basics of photography will help you be more prepared for making expressive travel images. We welcome all skill levels and enjoy helping participants expand their skills. We are there to help you make the best pictures you can on the trip, whatever that takes.”

Please join tour leaders Brenda Tharp and Jed Manwaring for this incredible cultural and photographic opportunity. The emphasis of the trip is on photography, yet this is much more, one that non-photographic travelers can enjoy just as well. The pace will provide ample opportunity to wander through medieval towns, it is an amazing journey.

Itinerary

May 13: Home

There are overnight flights from the U.S. to Casablanca, Morocco. We recommend flying Royal Air Maroc/Delta in order to land in Casablanca around 7a.m., May 14, to begin our adventure. If flights arrive later in the day you will need to arrive one day early and we can make transfer and hotel arrangements for you.

May 14: Casablanca - Marrakech

The local guide will meet you upon arrival in Casablanca, early this morning. Board the deluxe, air-conditioned coach, and have our first photography session at the King Hassan II Mosque. North of the medina and rising up on a point above the Atlantic Ocean, the mosque is the largest religious monument in the world after Mecca, and was entirely funded by citizen donations. It was completed in 1993, after 6000 Moroccan craftsmen worked on it day and night for five years. The minaret is offset from the enormous rectangular twenty-two acre prayer hall; three times the size of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

After lunch at a lovely seafood restaurant, the group will depart for Marrakech, having a late afternoon/early evening photo shoot at the famous Djemaa el-Fna Square. It is perhaps the greatest open-air spectacle in the world, where one can see the colors and feel the pulse of Morocco. Drift with the smells and sounds of the souks. Marrakech follows the beat of an African drum. This imperial city has been almost continually occupied since Neolithic times, and was once the Berber capital. Traveling back in time 2,000 years, we’ll see snake charmers, magicians, acrobats, and dancers, delighting children and adults alike. Overnight TICHKA SALAM (L, D)

May 15: Ourika Valley

Just one hour away from the heat and crowds we’ll enjoy the day visiting the Ourika Valley, filled with photographic opportunities. We will stop at villages, dotted with red-colored Kasbahs, riotous palm groves, and spectacular natural settings, to chat with local people, admire the lovely landscapes and learn more about this country of contrasts. Returning to Marrakech in the afternoon, with time this evening for an evening photo lecture. HOTEL TICHKA SALAM. (B, L, D)

May 16: Marrakech – Ait Benhaddou – Skoura

This morning we will stop to visit the exquisite Majorelle Garden. It is part of the former residence of French artist Louis Majorelle, now owned and beautifully renovated by couturier Yves St. Laurent. In among the floral smorgasbord is what was Majorelle’s deep-blue villa, which is simply breathtaking.

Driving south from Marrakech, we will cross the High Atlas Mountains at 7,400 feet, with panoramic views of arid mountains and lush oases shadowing the rivers far below. We will take a picnic lunch, and continue on to one of the most exotic and best-preserved Kasbahs in the whole Atlas region; it has been used for scenes in films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Jesus of Nazareth. UNESCO has designated Ait Benhaddou a World Heritage Site. After late afternoon photography of the Kasbah, we will head for our destination for tonight, a renovated Kasbah hotel that provides an ideal location for private photography in the early morning. Overnight HOTEL KASBAH BEN MORO. (B, Picnic L, D)

May 17 - May 18: Skoura – Tinerhir

There will be time for early morning photography around the hotel, or exploring a small palm grove out back. After breakfast, a drive along the “Valley of the Thousand Kasbahs” will take us through stony desert landscapes with many villages and Kasbahs. Turning off the main road this morning, we will enter the stunning Dades Gorge, filled with unusual red rock formations and fascinating villages and Kasbahs. On the way we may see Berbers tending their camels or sheep, women swathed in dark haik, embroidered with vivid colors, or children playing soccer in a stony desert field. We will arrive at our hotel in Tinerhir in late afternoon. After dinner, Brenda and Jed will moderate a group photo review.

The next morning will be free with an optional walk in to town, or you can spend time at the hotel photographing the colorful architectural details and gardens. After lunch, we depart for the Todra Gorge and valley views, where soaring cliffs and massive walls interrupt the path of the sun. There will be time for photographing this amazing gorge, and for exploring a small village outside the gorge. KASBAH LAMRANI. (B, L, D both days)

May 19 - May 20: Erfoud – Merzouga

This morning we will learn about the different styles and techniques employed in the creation of Berber rugs, meeting and photographing the women weavers who made them. If we want to make a purchase, we will follow the ancient Moroccan custom of bargaining for our choices, as we sip mint tea.

After enjoying a picnic lunch en route, we will continue to Erfoud, an oasis region at the edge of the Sahara. We will then travel a short distance by Land Rovers to our Berber tents in the desert, arriving in time to mount our camels for a short ride onto Erg Chebbi, Morocco’s only genuine Saharan Erg – a huge, drifting expanse of sand dunes that typify much of the Algerian Sahara. Afterwards, we will walk out onto the dunes to capture sunset light.

Tomorrow morning, there will be time for an optional camel ride deeper into the dunes for sunrise photography. The dunes themselves are fascinating, especially as the sun reaches the horizon and the colors change from pink to gold to red. This will be your most extraordinary and unforgettable desert experience.

This afternoon we will visit Khmlia, where Sudanese musicians and dancers will perform just for us. There is also an opportunity to visit an operational, one-room schoolhouse. Overnight AUBERGE DU SUD (Accommodations are in typical Berber tents with mattress and blankets. Comfortable rooms may be available in the lodge, though these cannot be guaranteed - nor can a single room). (B, D; B, L, D)

May 21 - May 23: Merzouga – Erfoud – Fes

Following an early breakfast, we return to the bus in Erfoud, then drive on to Fes. Since this will be the longest day of driving, your escorts will take into account the interests of the group, and stop for photographic opportunities they feel appropriate and timely. Examples of such locations are the spectacular Ziz Valley, often called the “Grand Canyon of Morocco,” which offers sweeping vistas and fascinating rock formations.

After lunch, we climb into the Middle Atlas, the moorlands, granite outcroppings; brooding skies and sheep pastures may remind you of the British Isles, driving through majestic cedar and cork forests, where troops of Barbary apes forage and bird songs fill the chilly air. The final destination is Fes, the most completely Islamic medieval city in the world.

The next two days enjoy guided tours of Fes, Morocco’s oldest imperial city and the center of culture and religious learning. Fes is arguably the symbolic heart of Morocco, as all the great dynasties have left their mark on the city; it has, however, retained its Arab identity. The medina, Fes el-Bali, is one of the largest living medieval cities in the world. Its narrow winding alleys and covered bazaars are intricate in their design and are awash of brilliant colors – a veritable assault on the senses as you squeeze past recalcitrant donkeys and submit to the sounds and smells of this jostling city. The dye makers, hills of spices, vats of tanners, and palaces of merchants will beckon us. During a visit to a tannery we can watch the tanners as they work in the varied colors of this land. Overnight HOTEL YACOUT. (B, L, D; B, L, D; B)

May 24 - May 25: Chefchaouen

This morning we depart early for the Rif region of Northern Morocco, and the town of Chefchaouen (shef-shau-en), built in to the mountainside. The town was founded in 1492 by Moorish exiles from Spain, often called Chaouen by Moroccans. Chefchaouen was known as the hashish capital of Morocco and has been a favorite haunt of backpackers for years. Hash has been grown, since the fifteenth Century, and is called Kif being the short version of the Arabic word for pleasure. Our accommodations are set in the hillside just above the town, away from the hustle and bustle of the medina, yet walking distance to the areas we will be photographing.

In the medina, people sell all sorts of vegetables and fruits amid the narrow cobbled alleyways of whitewashed walls and blue doors. Chaouen offers many native handicrafts that are not available elsewhere in Morocco, such as wool garments and woven blankets. The goat cheese native to the area is also popular. Pack mules are still lead throughout the streets carrying many of the handcrafted goods and supplies as they have for centuries. The eager merchants are more than willing to discuss their merchandise and engage in the time honored art of negotiation.

The open-aired market is one of the oldest and most charming, with steep, narrow streets, paved with stones that have been polished by the thousands of feet, which have trodden throughout the medina for centuries. The homes are painted white, azure blue, indigo, and purple and have blue shutters and elaborately decorated doorways. Notice the small squares, ornate fountains and ochre tile. Overnight DAR CHEFCHAOUEN. (B, D; B)

May 26: Rabat - Casablanca

This morning we depart early for the Capital City of Rabat. There are areas closed to traffic, making this an ideal location for our last photo opportunity. The Oudaia Kasbah interior is a delightful whitewashed Andalusian village built by refugees, combining winding city streets, public gardens and iridescent blue and white houses. Re-boarding the coach, we’ll arrive in Casablanca in time to freshen up before enjoying a farewell dinner. Overnight SHERATON TOWERS. (B, D)

May 27: Casablanca - Home

After an early breakfast, we’ll leave for the airport for the flight home. (B)

Notes: While there are specific itineraries and destinations, Brenda and Jed allow time for ‘unscheduled stops’ for photographs along the way. Brenda has been leading photography tours and workshops for over 25 years, with Jed joining in on many of them over the past 12 years. They welcome photographers of all levels and any non-photographer traveling companions.

Accommodations

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Guides

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Food & Drink

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Notes

FITNESS AND HEALTH
The trip is not strenuous, and anyone who is reasonably fit and in good health should be able to participate. The international flight from JFK/New York City is six and a half hours. Some days the group will spend several hours in a vehicle traveling between destinations, however, rest stops and photo stops are planned to break up any long ride.

The maximum altitude you will reach on this trip is about 10,000 feet above sea level. If you have any questions about your ability to participate in this trip, please contact 607-756-8676 for more information. You should also be aware that medical services or facilities might not be readily available during all or part of your trip. This could include emergency medical care, presence of physicians, or adequate medication. If you have any special needs or any physical condition that you feel might prevent you from fully participating, please contact Strabo Tours with your concerns (607)756-8676.

Pricing Info

Tour land cost: $3,895 US Dollars based upon minimum of 10 paying participants. There is a small group surcharge of $300 if 6-9 paying participants. All our program prices are based on double occupancy unless noted in exceptions.

Single room supplement: $695; single rooms are subject to availability and are not guaranteed. We try to accommodate travelers who request single accommodations, as well as travelers who are looking for a roommate. If a single room is requested, or if we are unable to find a suitable roommate, you will be required to pay the supplement.

Note: The land costs on international tours is based upon current exchange rates. Although the rate has been relatively stable, should it change, there may need to be an adjustment in the land cost.

General Tour Info (includes, excludes and other details)