Sleds for rent

Living in Fes, Morocco, I have the privilege of being about one-and-a-half hours away from the mountain town of Ifrane which every year seems to get at least one good snow fall. When the snows come to the mountains south of Fes, there is great commotion. It is broadcast on the local news; on the weekends the mountain roads get packed as city dwellers drive up to the mountains to go sledding, skiing, snow boarding, or just to enjoy the beauty of the snow. There is one particularly famous location for sledding and skiing just past Ifrane called Mischliffen. At an altitude 2100 meters (6900 feet) it tends to stay colder longer than in Ifrane, and the snow stays longer on the ground. Mischliffen is said to be an old volcano crater which hosts a few small hills that are now used for sledding or skiing. There are ski lifts, but they do not always work.

Skiers in Mischliffen

If you are in Fes for more than a day over the months of January and February, going to the mountains and playing in the snow can be a wonderful day trip.

Do you know exactly what you want?
We’d like to hear it! 

We specialize in customized private tours.

As you plan, think in terms of the following categories:

• Accommodations: Hotel, riad, desert auberge, homestay
• Activities: Guided city tours, camel treks, cooking classes, monuments, hiking, birding, adventure sports, and much more!
• Restaurants: North African, European, Asian…Morocco has it
• Transportation: Private vehicles with drivers to suit any need

Contact us with the tour of your dreams. We’d like to make it happen!

Meknes
About an hour’s drive west of Fes is the imperial city of Meknes. Meknes is often considered one of the best imperial cities in Morocco. More laid back then Fes and a bit smaller in size it makes for a nice day trip to get out and explore another city.
Some of the sites of interest you may want to include in your visit are:

Bab el-Mansour – this massive gate is one of the main entrances into the old city. Although you can no longer enter through the main doors and instead need to go in through the side entrances, it is a true work of art with its detailed zellij (tile work) and large columns on each side that are said to have come from the nearby Roman ruins of Volubilis.

Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail – this burial site for the former sultan, Moulay Ismail, who made Meknes the capital for a few years (between 1672–1727) is free to visit. Its cheery yellow painted walls and arched doorways make for some nice photos.

Heri es-Souani – Built as a granary to hold the grain and feed for Moulay Isamail’s thousands of horses, this building was quite a feat for its time. Under the floors of the granary are underground water channels that helped keep the rooms cool year round. During the Lisbon earthquake in 1755, the rooms in the back were damaged. All that remains now are the symmetrical columns. However, it is still breathtaking and another great place to take photos.

Koubbat as-Sufara and underground prison – Another interesting site to visit in Meknes is the Koubbat as-Sufara and underground prison. The Koubbat as-Sufara is the building where foreign ambassadors were once received. Underneath the meeting hall and square outside the building are large underground rooms that are said to have once held prisoners. Most were held there during Moulay Ismail’s rule in 1672 to around 1727. As you tour the prison, it is hard to believe that thousands of people actually were held for long periods of time in this dark, dreary underground environment.

Volubilis
Near Fes (about an hour-and-a-half drive) are the old Roman ruins of Volubilis. This is a UNESCO historic site. Since the ruins are out in the open with few trees or shade, they are best visited in the morning, before the sun gets too high. The impressive monuments and stunning mosaics date largely from the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Near Volubilis is the town of Moulay Idriss that could also be included in your visit. Moulay Idriss is often considered one of the most sacred towns in Morocco and is the burial site for Moulay Idriss, great grandson of the prophet of Isalm, Mohammed. This whitewashed town sits overlooking the old ruins of Volubilis. From the ruins, Moulay Idriss is often said to look like a camel lying down.

Middle Atlas Mountains
For those wanting a break from the noise and hustle and bustle of cities, take the opportunity to visit the countryside, a day trip into the Middle Atlas Mountains makes for a fun outing and breath of fresh air. Several small villages lay just south of Fes. Make a full day trip out of it and visit such towns as Ifrane, Sefrou, Azrou, and the Cedar Forest. Each one has its specialties. Azrou is known for its Tuesday souks (market). The Cedar Forest is known for the famous Barbary apes. Ifrane is known as home to one of Morocco’s most prestigious Universities and French style houses, while Sefrou is known for its small waterfall and for once being a hub for Jewish Moroccans.

Let us know if you are interested in finding out more about day trips from Fes. We can provide day trips from Fes to all of these locations.

I had a most wonderful tour of Morocco.  
My guide, Adil, was great.  Not only did he have a wealth of
information about Morocco, he had an excellent sense of humor, and was fun
to be with.
He did everything he could to accommodate my wishes.
It was truly an individualized tour.
I felt completely safe. I loved learning new Arabic words and about Moroccan culture

-Linda (October 2011)

It’s hard to pick a highlight, but I think the favourite places would have to be Fez and Marrakech and the drive through the Atlas mountains was fascinating and brilliant!! Would not have missed it!! Would have loved more time of course.

Have to say our guide Zaire was an absolute gem! We all shed tears when we said our goodbyes at the airport in Casablanca. Such an intelligent polite young man with a delightful sense of humour and he could not have been more caring, thoughtful and kind. His knowlege of the country was inexhaustable but he knew when to give us all some quiet time on those long drives.

The drivers were also fabulous, and we felt in very safe hands constantly. Once we had a bus with some aircon that also was great.

Overall Michelle, finally, I would like to say a big thankyou to you (and John) for your help and efficiency throughout the planning of our trip. Without you we would have not had a hope of doing it the way we wanted. I can’t say how much we appreciated your prompt replies to all our questions.

Many many thanks for your part in what was an amazing experience.”

Annie – October 2011

The mint tea is often served from shiny silver or gold tea pots and poured into small glass tea cups. Sometimes the tea cups are simple with just an etched leaf pattern on the sides and other times they can be fancy, made of different colored glass. Mint tea is generally made with boiled water, fresh mint tea leaves, Chinese gunpowder tea, and lots of sugar. Sometimes all the mint leaves will be thrown into the pot to cook with the tea and other times you might find a sprig of mint in your cup. In a home often the woman of the house will pour the first glass of tea into one of the tea cups. She will then pour the tea back into the tea pot. She will do this two or three times and then pour just a tiny bit of tea into a glass swirl it around and taste it to make sure it is suitable for the guests and has enough sugar. If it tastes right she will proceed to pour tea into all the glasses holding the tea pot up high to create foam as it fills the glasses (the more foam in a glass the better) and finally will pass out the glasses of tea to be enjoyed by the guests.

A simple recipe for making your own Moroccan Mint Tea:
Ingredients you will need:
3-4 cups of water
1 heaping tablespoon of gunpowder tea (Chinese green tea)
3–6 generous tablespoons of sugar
4-6 sprigs of mint

Step 1:
Place 3 to 4 cups of water in a pot on the stove and bring water to a boil.
Step 2:
Place 1 tablespoon of gunpowder tea into the bottom of a teakettle or another pan. Add a small amount of boiled water to the gunpowder and swish around. Remove water from the teakettle or pan leaving behind the gunpowder tea. Add to the gunpowder 3 tablespoons of sugar and 3-4 sprigs of mint. Cover with the remaining boiled water.
Step 3:
Place teakettle or pan on stove and bring the tea to a boil. Once boiling remove from heat. Mix the tea by pouring first one glass of tea into a cup and returning it back to the teakettle and then repeating this step 2 or 3 times until mixed.

Serve and enjoy!

The in-country coordination of each customized study program is administered through the seasoned hands of English-speaking expats who have logged years of  experience working in Morocco.

For more information contact John Findley at: jfindley@thetravelsource.net

Colorful paints for sale in Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen is also a good starting place for taking hikes into the mountains surrounding the city and perhaps even a trip out to the beautiful national park of Talassemtane. However, if you do plan to go on hikes around Chefchaouen, it is recommended you get a guide as the area is known for growing and selling a drug called hashish, like marijuana, which makes hiking alone less advisable.