DESTINATIONS ACTIVE & ADVENTURE HOLIDAYS |MOROCCO


CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca; fam group at Aït Benhaddou; a Moroccan feast of tagine, lentil soup and stew PICTURES: Simon Clifford; Paul Philpott; Alice Barnes-Brown


views views AGENTS’


“Exodus facilitates clients being able to see the destination in


the best light, interacting with people and trying the cuisine. Small-group tours are great as you’re sharing the experience.” Paul Philpott, partner, Beacon Travel Service


“Exodus’s use of local hotels, agencies and people on the ground, plus


what they put back into the country with their foundation, is important. I liked staying in the riads – they were full of character and peaceful little oases in the madness.” Lesley Knight, senior travel consultant, Travel With Meon


“I loved the local guides; it’s important to have knowledge


from someone who’s lived there their whole life. I sell Exodus to people who want an immersive experience – it works for those who want authenticity.” Liz Cole, manager, Dreamtime Travel


42 1 MAY 2025


Ilham, our guide, greeted us with a warm smile as


we marvelled at its massive, retractable wooden roof, carved with floral motifs and intricate Arabic calligraphy. She explained: “The wood is cedar from the Middle Atlas Mountains – which is the best. In the Qur’an, the throne of God was on the water, which is why they chose cedar for this mosque, as it resists the corrosion of the ocean air.”


Leaving the Atlantic coast behind, a five-hour train journey to Fez brought us to Art Naji, a pottery studio specialising in the signature Moroccan craft of geometric zellige tiling. Ahmed, a designer, talked us through the process as we strolled through the dusty workshops, each housing a craftsperson deep in concentration. One, who sat cross-legged and surrounded by bags of stone, laid little pieces of fired clay into the shape of an eight-point star. This would be painted then glazed and eventually form part of a mosaic for a fountain. “It takes one year to make a handmade fountain


background – and it costs $29,000, even for a simple design,” said Ahmed. Stepping into our beautiful riad with its own zellige-tiled fountain later that day, I had a newfound appreciation for the time and effort it takes to create this work of art, running my fingers over its glossy surface and counting each of the many colours. Moroccan riads have rooms facing on to a pretty


courtyard, often with a water feature. There are usually no windows to the outside world, where in Fez, a tangle of narrow alleys covered in carpets, spices and street art awaits. Dating to AD808, the Unesco-listed Medina of


Fez is home to some of the


world’s oldest tanneries, and Chouara has treated leather since at least the 11th century


Fez is an impenetrable maze of markets and madrasas. Without guide Mohammed, we may never have found the Chouara Tannery – though admittedly, we could have followed the pungent scent trail of the dyes and the ammonia given off by the process. Fez is home to some of the world’s oldest tanneries, and Chouara has been treating leather since at least the 11th century. A shopkeeper kindly handed each person a fresh mint leaf he dubbed a ‘gas mask’ (to hold in front of our noses) before we stepped out onto a balcony overlooking a honeycomb of interconnected pools – the first set filled with softening substances, including cow urine and pigeon faeces, the second with dyes. I watched as men, waist-deep in the stinky solutions, soaked and stirred animal skin using a system that has stood the test of time for 1,000 years.


ON THE ROAD Morocco’s small segment of the Sahara Desert is an eight-hour drive from Fez, through both the Mid and High Atlas Mountains – the view from the window moved through macaque-filled forests, deep canyons


² travelweekly.co.uk


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