March break 2019

Morocco

spencer family

Cultural Morocco

Morocco is a country of dizzying diversity. Here you’ll find epic mountain ranges, ancient cities, sweeping deserts, all alongside friendly people and warm hospitality. Morocco is a storied country, that has, over the centuries, woven its ties to Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and the wider Middle East into whole cloth.

Because Morocco – not just the medinas, but all of it – is fun. It’s cheeky. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. Moroccans like to take the proverbial a bit, especially when it comes to bartering and banter and we ‘set in our ways’ grownups can be intimidated by that. But the children will get the cheeky chappy side of it straight away, giggling and going along for the ride. Which is just what you need to do in Morocco. Chill and find the child within.

Getting There

Trip Planning Progress

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ACCOMMODATIONS
AUG 14 & 15 2 Nights	Rome	Palazzo Dama Junior Suite Junior Suite with extra bed	Booked
AUG 16 & 17 2 Nights	Florence	Lugarno Florence City View Apartment	Booked
AUG 18 & 19 2 Nights	Venice	Hotel Flora 1 Double Room Classic & Double Room Comfort	Booked
AUG 20 - 26 7 Nights	Provence	Villa Borie	Booked
AUG 27 - 30 4 Nights	Paris	Relais Christine One Superior Queen & One Superior Twin	Booked

Trip Sketch

Act I: Morocco – March 8

Take the day flights from Boston to London, spend the night at the Sofitel at Heathrow.

At 10:05am, fly to Marrakech. Arrive at 2:30pm.

Welcome to Morocco!

March 9

• Private transfer from airport to the High Atlas Mountains
• Check in at Richard Branson’s immaculate property, the Kasbah Tamadot (3 nights)
• Relax and settle in to your temporary home, dining at the hotel while witnessing the sunset

March 10

• Morning Mountain Bike Ride through the Berber villages.
• Lunch is en route.
• Spend the afternoon at the hotel, either at the pool, on the tennis court or in the spa

MARCH 11

• Spend the morning on ATV’s exploring the hills and valleys surrounding Tamadot
• After lunch put on you hiking shoes for a trek to nearby villages and take the stunning mountain panoramas.

The Berbers & Toubkal National Park

Stretching over a total of 100,000 hectares, Toubkal National Park abounds with amazingly diverse flora and fauna. With highly varied landscapes and altitudes going from 1200 to 4167 meters, the park is covered in holm oak and thujas forests, junipers and various herbaceous plants. You may come across mountain sheep roaming in the lowlands or one of the many species of birds of prey that call Toubkal home, including the Bonelli eagles. In addition to the quiet and beauty of the scenery, you’ll experience local culture through at an authentic Berber village.

Berber history goes back to prehistoric times. They’ve been around for at least 4,000 years, and fought against the Romans, Arab, and French invaders to retain their land and relative independence. Incredibly, they have managed to preserve their own language and culture, which you’ll get the opportunity to discover on your own.

 

Agafay – March 12 

March 12

• Transfer from Tamadot into the Agafay Desert (1h30)
• Camel Ride & ATV Tour through the dunes
• Sleep under the stars at Inara Camp
  

The Agafay Desert

Less than 30 miles from Marrakech, Agafay is a unique mineral desert with an exceptional micro climate, halfway between the mountains of the Atlas and the great plains of Marrakesh, and offers a breathtaking arid landscape.

The weather changes quickly here, and throughout the day colours, contrasts and atmospheres shift and swirl quite dramatically.

No sand dunes here, but soft rolling hills of pebble, stone and rock, although as you follow the tracks and hills of the Agafay Desert you will feel the soul of the Sahara in this immersion into an authentic nomad experience.

Marrakech – March 13 to 16

March 13

• After breakfast at Inara, transfer by motorcycle into Marrakech. Brad driving his own and the others in a side car.
• A late lunch in Marrakech
• Afternoon exploring the Medina
• Check into La Sultana (3 nights)

March 14

• The girls will roll up their sleeves and learn to cook Moroccan cuisine during a half-day cooking class
• The guys will do a city tour on bike
• Everyone will meet up in the afternoon for a Hammam

March 15

• Take a tour to experience modern Marrakech, while additionally making a visit to the Majorelle Gardens
• Wear your most fasionable outfit, as you tour the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, devoted entirely to the work of the legendary fashion designer
• Options for the guys includes; Golf, Tennis, more ATVs?
• Dinner tonight is at our host’s Riad, home cooking by his mother. The Torrey’s will be joining you.

Medinas of Marrakech

A visit to Marrakesh, one of Morocco‘s jewels, would not be complete without a visit to the medina, with its ancient walls, over 20 huge gates and a central courtyard where people continue to live a traditional way of life.

There are plenty of things to keep you entertained in the medina; mosques to admire, palaces to excite, and souks to get lost in, but you won’t do justice to any of these sights in one day. And why would you want to?

Bahia Palace has incredible architecture, and enchanting rooms with mosaiced ceilings and ornate stone carvings. The palace is richly decorated throughout; the multi-colored tiles, green ceramic roofs, bright yellow and blue arches, and courtyard gardens full of jasmine and cypress trees are a photographers dream.

Marrakech to London – March 16

March 16

• Today, your last day in Morocco, is at your leisure – shop for any last items, visit any last sites, and soak it in as best you can.
• Transfer to the airport for a 3:15pm flight to London
• Stay together as a complete family at the Sofitel London Heathrow Hotel

Act II: Spain – March 17

Say goodbye to Elisabeth & William, and jump on a plane to colourful Barcelona.
Say hello to the Cotton House, your home for the next three nights.

Barcelona – March 17, 18 & 19

March 17

• Tour the Gothic Quarter
• Dinner tonight?
  • Fine Dining at Hotel Neri
  • Casual Tapas at Bar Pla
  • At a Vermouth Bar like Bar Mut
  • We’ll send you good options to choose from

March 18 – A Culinary Walk

Quick bite:  In this full-day exploration of the proudly Catalan district of Gràcia, we’ll visit markets, an old school bodega, cozy traditional haunts, and creative contemporary restaurants in search of the neighborhood’s soul.

After a morning of food, perhaps a bike ride  (or walk) along the beach is in order.

 

March 19 – Gaudi’s Barcelona

AM – A Gaudi Tour
PM – Dinner at Tickets

Learn about the fantastic architecture of Antoni Gaudí, Barcelona’s most important architect, and situate his work within the context of Catalan society of the time. Besides visiting some of Gaudí’s most important sites, including the Casa Batlló (for which we secure skip-the-line tickets), we’ll look broadly at how the city expanded in the late 19th and early 20th century and became a breeding ground for the modernist movement and, eventually, such luminaries as Miró and Picasso. In the company of an architect or art historian, we’ll also compare and contrast the work of Gaudí’s contemporaries to fully understand the breadth of design that was Catalan Modernisme.

Farewell to Spain – head home from Barcelona

Catch your return flight to Boston.

Contact Us

+1.416.724.3977
takemeaway@travelimpresarios.com