The Travel Source

Stellar trip

Michelle — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:06:38 +0000

Our Sahara tour was EXCELLENT! We had a great time and loved being able to see an enormous portion of the country in such a short amount of time (thanks for the recommended stops). Our driver, Khalid, was cool…he did a good job of making sure we got to see all the hotspots along the way and gave us time to take tons of pictures. He didn’t rush us, but patiently made recommendations to get us to the best places to maximize our time- which is something we really valued. Tinghir was stunning- we loved the massive red walls of the gorge and seeing the lifestyle of the local amazigh people. We stopped near the edge of the desert and took pictures of an enormous herd of camels (maybe a couple hundred) The desert was awesome- we had a good trek out and climbed up a dune near the camp to enjoy the sunset. At night, we circulated around the neighboring camps to enjoy some drum action and dancing. There was a super-moon that night so the dunes were really well lit. We slept outside and enjoyed the quiet isolation of the Sahara. In the morning, we woke up early and climbed (at least partially) a dune to watch the sunrise. Thanks for a stellar trip. Everyone in our party was very pleased by the experience.
Taylor – May 2012

Great Trip

Michelle — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:12:53 +0000

Let me say how much we enjoyed our Morocco trip, particularly the time spent on tour around Morocco with Travel Source. In large measure this was due to the the comfort of the trip (we had a 4-wheel drive Toyota Prado, which made for a very comfortable journey) and the efforts of our driver Mohammed, a very reliable, professional and congenial man, who took it upon himself to make sure we had a positive experience and happy memory of our time in Morocco. Mohammed took very good care of us, he often went out of his way to meet our needs throughout the trip and he was very friendly and obliging with our many requests. No request or task was too much for him. Even on the day where there was no sightseeing, Mohammed arranged for us to go out into the mountains to have a special experience with a village. At the end of the trip, he saw us off at the airport, helped us with our luggage and extended to us the hospitality and kindness you expect from of good friends.
Overall, we have been very impressed by Travel Source responsiveness to our enquiries – always managing to answer all our questions quickly, giving us as much information as we needed and being willing to fit in with our requirements. As we only managed to finalise our plans a couple of days before we left for Morocco, we felt a little anxious when we did not get the name of our driver and contact details until a couple of days before our trip. Thank you again for organizing a great trip for us.
Best wishes
Matt & Alix (April 2012)

Thank you for filling out our form

admin — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 11:09:18 +0000

We will contact you as soon as possible with the information that you have requested. If you would like, you can call our Morocco office at +212-535-637611.

We look forward to serving you,

The Travel Source Team

What is a riad and what is a dar?

Michelle — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:20:14 +0000

Riads and dars are unique to Morocco. A riad is an old house located mostly within the old cities of Morocco such as Fes and Marrakech. The word riad comes from Arabic meaning garden. Riads were often built inwardly with the windows and the doors of the rooms opening into an inner courtyard/garden area. This offered protection for the wives and children from the eyes of prying neighbors and outsiders. The thick walls also offered protection from the weather. The garden areas often have a fountain in the center that help keep the riad cool in the summer as the breeze blows over the water. Riads are often architectural masterpieces with much care being taken into the tile work on the floors and pillars and intricate moldings along the ceilings. Sometimes the ceilings are made with wood and painted with little flowering designs.

A dar, the word means house in Arabic, is similar to a riad except that instead of a garden in the center of the home they would have a closed in patio area in the center of the home that often served as another sitting area. Typically dars are smaller than riads and have two to four bedrooms while a riad can have up to 12 or 14 bedrooms.

In the past most riads and dars were private homes enjoyed exclusively by individual families. Now however because of the cost and upkeep of a riad or dar many have been transformed into unique bed and breakfast style hotels. If you are planning a trip to Morocco and want to make your stay truly memorable I would highly recommend trying to include a night or two of your visit in one of these wonderful works of art.

Sahara in the winter

Michelle — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:33:14 +0000

By: Michelle Mellinger
I recently had the opportunity to go to the Sahara desert with a few friends. Although I have been to the desert before, it never ceases to amaze me when I visit. This was my first time though to visit in the winter, January, and it was cold.

Heading to the campsite

We went by overnight bus leaving from Fes and arriving to the cold, fridged air of the desert town, Rissani, early the next morning. Upon exiting the bus we met our driver who would take us to the guest house where we could rest after our night long bus ride. We rode to the guest house in the dark. However, as soon as the sun came up, a beautiful sight awaited us as we saw the dunes at the doorstep of the guest house located in an ideal spot on the very edge of the dunes!

Our day was spent reading by the poolside, napping, drinking tea and coffee, walking on the dunes, and laughing at ourselves as we each tried our hand at sand boarding, without much success. It is harder than it looks. Then near sunset time we were led to the camels patiently waiting for us to begin our trek out into the dunes. Our guide, Moha, walked in front of our camels leading the way. I was amazed by his ability to walk so effortlessly in the sand as I was tired after walking on the dunes for just ten minutes. But, Moha–like all the guides at the guest house–was born and raised in the Sahara. The sand is as normal for them as the cobblestone sidewalks of the old Fes medina are to me. We arrived at our campsite at the edge of the tallest dune, Erg Chebbi, around 150 meters, just as the sun was setting and were served delicious glasses of mint tea and peanuts to snack on as we waited for dinner. Following a delicious dinner of chicken and vegetable tagine, Moha and his two friends built a campfire for us and brought out their drums. What a fun and memorable night! We listened to the men sing and play their drums while lying back on the mattress placed for us on the sand. There seemed to be millions of stars above our heads, as well.

Shadows

Early the following morning one of my friends and I decided to wake up early to watch the sunrise over the dunes. We climbed halfway up the tallest dune in the desert, Erg Chebbi, and sat down to watch the sun come up. It was eerily quiet and still except for the occasional crow of a rooster or snort of a camel. (One of the benefits to going to the desert in the middle of winter is that there are not many people who visit that time of year.) Following a gorgeous sunrise we went back down to the tents to be served breakfast and then it was up on the camels again for the morning trek back to the guest house.

The remainder of the day was spent with more relaxing, walking on the dunes, reading books by the poolside, and talking with the staff. In the evening we were driven back to the bus station where we got on the bus once again to return to Fes. We arrived back in Fes early in the morning on the third day, exhausted, but filled with many wonderful memories that I am sure will stay with us the rest of our lives.

Please feel free to contact us for information on how to have your own memorable experience of the Sahara desert, either as a part of a package tour or separate.

Snow in Morocco

Michelle — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:49:27 +0000

Sleds for rent

Snow is not a word that comes to mind when people think of Morocco. More often than not, people’s first thoughts are images of sand, palm trees and camels.

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

When there is snow in Mischliffen, men renting skis, sleds, snow boards, and even boots seem to appear out of nowhere. For 20 Moroccan dirhams you can rent a sled for the afternoon. The sleds are creatively built out of wood and old skis. After an afternoon of sledding, snow boarding, or skiing you may wish to walk over to the only hotel in Mischliffen, Hotel Aglias, for a cup of hot chocolate or coffee to warm up.

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.

Tailor Your Tour

John — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:52:14 +0000

Do you know exactly what you want?

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

If you would like some travel advice, our Moroccan travel experts are ready to assist you.

Impressed with Morocco

Michelle — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:38:56 +0000

“Our guide Hamid Zerhiri was just great. Nothing was too much trouble, he was informative, always friendly and speaks good English. Furthermore, his driving was careful and compliant with the rules of the road (a rather rare attribute), with the result that we felt completely safe wherever we went. Our hotels and riads all more than met our expectations. And, without exception, we ate famously in all the riads. It was a shame that our one full day in Fez was on a Friday. The result was that we did not get a good feel for the hustle and bustle of the Fez Medina. It hardly needs saying that we were most impressed with Morocco wherever we went. We had a great time, in large part due to the itinerary you put together for us and Hamid our guide. Many thanks.”
Roger – January 2012

Out of your way

Michelle — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:20:06 +0000

“We were delighted to have found your agency for this tour and thank you for all your work in organizing and customizing the tour. Our driver, Khalid, was great: excellent English, knowledgeable, nice, funny, accommodating, very safe driver, he knew shortcuts in cities to avoid traffic, was on time – we had a very good experience with him. The Travel Source services were great, you went out of your way to adjust and customize the tour, set everything up, and provide guidance about Morocco. You made us feel very comfortable about traveling to this country that was not familiar to us.”
Uliana November 2011

Day Trips from Fes

Michelle — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:37:10 +0000

If you are visiting the historical city of Fes, Morocco and have a few extra days to travel around, there are several great day trips you can take from Fes.

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.