Monday, April 22, 2024 | Daniel Neuner / Thomas Fellechner / Michael Stegmayr | Africa
The bikes arrived savely here in Malaga and the tour guide team consisting of Thomas, Michael and Daniel are ready to welcome our guests this evening on this breathtaking tour through Morocco.
We start in Malaga, in the far south of Spain, but already on the first day we will take the ferry to Africa where our real adventure begins.
Over the next two weeks, we will then immerse ourselves in the diverse Kingdom of Morocco, where we will not only come into contact with the landscapes of the Atlas Mountains and the beauty of the desert, but will also have ample opportunity to explore such lively cities as Marrakesh and Fez.
With 17 guests and 3 tour guides on this tour from a total of 5 different countries, there will certainly be plenty of entertainment on this tour, apart from the fascinating landscapes and motorcycling, and we are already looking forward to the exciting conversations.
All in all, it will surely be an unforgettable trip through the north of Africa for everyone and we are already looking forward to bringing our guests closer to the magic of Morocco over the next two weeks.
So stay up to date
Thomas, Michael and Daniel
Good morning Malaga, our first day of riding is coming up. And just in time for this one, the Sahara dust that has clouded the sky for the last few days is gone. After a short briefing, we set off. We have no time to lose as we have a ferry to catch. So we start off, quite unspectacularly, on the highway. Once we arrive at the port of Algeciras, we have time for a coffee before we roll into the belly of the ferry. Passing the Rock of Gibraltar, we head towards our destination of Africa, Ceuta to be precise. We won't be staying here for long, however, because a border into another, seemingly exotic world awaits us. The border crossing is reasonably quick. And after a while we are told "Welcome to Morocco". We drive along the coast further into the country, where we buy some dirhams, SIM cards and our first Moroccan coffee. The hustle and bustle on the streets, the smells, the architecture, everything is somehow different from what we are used to. We turn off in the direction of the Rif Mountains.... and the mountains mean?.... right curves. So we climb up until we reach our destination for the day, the Blue City. Here we not only get a fascinating first impression of the culture of this country, but also a good example of how road traffic in Morocco works differently than we are used to
A real little adventure
We leave the holy city of Chefchauen, which was barred to foreigners for centuries under threat of the death penalty, and drive through the former Spanish part of Morocco.
Winding country roads take us through a beautiful region to Volubilis, an archaeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.
Inhabited since the Neolithic period, it was used as a settlement by Carthage and was expanded by the Romans to become the capital of the province of Mauretania Tingitana.
After visiting the excavation site and a small lunch, the winding roads lead us through Meknes to Ifrane.
The town in the Middle Atlas is a popular winter sports resort and is also becoming increasingly popular as a summer retreat.
The climate and architecture suggest a town in the Alps rather than in Africa.
We leave Ifrane after a coffee stop and make our way to our destination for the day, the town of Azrou.
We already knew from the first few days we spent here that Morocco has much more to offer than just desert landscapes. However, it never ceases to amaze us how varied the landscape is in this North African country.
Right after our start this morning, we drove just a few kilometers and suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a beautiful cedar forest with trees up to 40 meters high. However, the trees were not the reason why we took this little detour, but the Barbary macaques living there, the only macaque species outside Asia. They are not only cute to look at, but also extremely trusting and have no inhibitions about approaching a group of motorcyclists to see if they have brought something for them to eat.
We then drove on through a beautiful mountainous landscape to Khenifra where we were served a sumptuous Moroccan lunch.
Afterwards, the group split up and a small part chose the relaxed route to our hotel in Bin El Ouidane. The rest of the group decided to take the more challenging route on the other side of the mountains and were rewarded with even more beautiful bends.
A new day in paradise dawns. As we stand on our hotel balconies in the morning, the landscape is bathed in the warm light of the newly risen sun. After a short briefing, we set off, first driving along the Bin El-Ouidane reservoir. And then further west. The roads wind up and down along the Red River until we finally reach Ouzoud. In the Berber language, this means olive, but that's not what we came for. Here, as they say, you can marvel at what is probably the most beautiful waterfall in Morocco. We relax and enjoy a coffee on a small terrace right next to the waterfall. Some of us go on a short hike with a guide to admire the waterfall in all its splendor. Of course, a few curious monkeys are not to be missed. Back on the bikes, we set off in the direction of Marrakech. We make every effort to avoid the boring main road for as long as possible on the side roads, which we manage to do. And so, once again, we get to see the real Morocco. The last few kilometers to Marrakech are not very spectacular, but we manage to escape the notorious traffic of this metropolis and arrive at our 5-star hotel early enough to go for a swim. We can hardly wait to get to know this magical and, for us, unfamiliar place better tomorrow.
Today is a rest day, but that doesn't mean we're just lying around. After all, we are in Marrakech, one of the most famous cities in Morocco. Among other things, Marrakech is famous for the Djemaa el-Fna, the place of the hanged. And the winding souk around it. A local guide leads us through the labyrinth of corridors and alleyways. The scent of spices is in the air everywhere. To the left and right, traders sell all kinds of goods. Including traditional handicrafts. Things you rarely find at home. This gives our stroll a very special flair. We will return in the evening to enjoy the exotic hustle and bustle on the Djemaa el-Fna at the best time...in the evening.
Even though we had a great time in the colorful metropolis of Marrakech, today it's time to move on and see more of Morocco.
We've already seen a variety of different landscapes on this tour so far and today will be even more different than anything we've seen before. Today we are heading into the High Atlas, the highest mountain range in Morocco, which impresses us with its panoramas and, for the first time on this tour, offers us really high mountain passes with an elevation of over 2000 meters.
Our destination for the day is the small village of Ait-Ben-Haddou, one of the last remaining traditional clay villages in Morocco and also the backdrop for such well-known films as Gladiature and the Game of Thrones series.
After the time change after Ramadan robbed us of an hour's sleep tonight. At first, we all stumble through the corridors of our pretty hotel a little confused. But after a leisurely coffee and our morning briefing, we are all wide awake. And that's a good thing because there's a lot to discover today and catch up on what we missed yesterday. Our first stop is the historic Aid-Ben Haddou, which is not only beautiful but has also been used as a backdrop for a number of films.... and since we're in the middle of movie fever, we also pay a visit to the Atlas film studios. We have left the mountains behind us and drive through a desert landscape for most of the day. The glittering world of "Mollywood" is a welcome change. But the real highlight is still to come. The Dades Gorge with its bizarre rock formations, beautiful views, charming roads and probably the most famous viewpoint in Morocco in the motorcycle world. Daniel is waiting for us with a picnic against this backdrop. Freshly fortified, we explore this beautiful part of the world individually and at our own pace.
Our day begins as the previous one ended, with the best weather. After a short briefing, we start a little earlier than usual, because this day is to be a very special one. Our first stop is the Todra Gorge. And although it is less famous than the Dades Gorge, it is no less impressive. Pictures and videos can hardly or not at all depict this imposing sight. You simply have to have been here. After exploring the gorge at our own leisure, we head deeper into the desert. In the middle of nowhere, Michael is waiting for us with a picnic. And so we even have a little off-road adventure. Back on the asphalt, we reel off kilometer after kilometer. The landscape becomes increasingly barren and the seemingly endless stone deserts to the left and right of the road turn more and more into a sea of sand. Welcome to the Sahara. When we arrive at our hotel, a place resembling a kashba, we have some time to freshen up. Because later in the evening we will experience the second highlight of the day. Just in time for sunset, we ride through the desert on camels like the Berbers of old, finally reaching a small camp in the middle of the sand dunes. This is where we will spend the night. After a fantastic dinner, we admire the clearest starry sky we have ever seen and enjoy the absolute silence of the desert. What a day
The day begins in the silence of the desert. Nestled in the sand dunes, our camp is not far from our hotel. And while some start the return journey by camel, others can claim to have hiked through the Sahara. Not many people can claim that. Back at the hotel, it's time to relax and enjoy. There are pools, a sauna and also a spa. You could easily forget that we are in the desert. In the afternoon there is still some action on the agenda. We drive out into the desert again and scour the dunes with quads and buggies. What fun.
Well rested and full of unforgettable impressions, we start this new day early. We have over 400 km ahead of us today, but also the next rest day. After our morning briefing and a short photo session with kissing camels, we set off. Our destination is Fes, the cultural capital of Morocco. But to reach it, we have to leave the desert behind us. And cross the Atlas Mountains again. So in the morning we reel off kilometer after kilometer until we reach the Ziz Valley, in the middle of which there are huge palm plantations. The scenery is framed by mighty barren rock faces. The contrast could not be greater. We return to the valley along nameless mountain roads and through tunnels dug by legionnaires. After lunch, we ride along seemingly endless straight roads through nowhere until we finally reach Boulemane. There we recover from the last few kilometers with a cup of tea or coffee. Because from now on it gets exciting again. Until shortly before Fes, we are greeted by wonderfully sweeping bends in an increasingly green landscape. A great contrast to the barren rock and desert landscapes of the last few days. Once we arrive in Fes, we venture into the adventure of city traffic, which we try to avoid as much as possible on bypasses and side roads. A little later than usual, we finally reach our destination, a 5-star hotel with a view of the metropolis of Fes.
Yesterday we left the Moroccan desert and arrived in the Moroccan metropolis of Fes after a long day's drive. Today we are taking a rest day here and use the opportunity to explore the oldest of Morocco's four royal cities in more detail.
Fes was founded in 789 and therefore has not only a long but also a very varied history and a lot of tradition to offer. The old town of Fes has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, which alone makes the city center worth a visit.
You could spend hours in the narrow and winding old town and still probably not have discovered everything worth seeing. We have therefore hired a local city guide to show us all the special features of the city.
After two nights in the vibrant metropolis of Fes, we leave it again today and set off in the morning for the small town of Chefchauen, better known as the "Blue City", where we had already spend one night almost two weeks ago at the start of our tour.
For a change, the sky doesn't greet us with bright sunshine this morning, but it is slightly cloudy and pleasantly warm, perfect for exploring another part of Morocco on our motorcycles.
We have already seen many different landscapes on our tour, but today we can add another one to our collection with the area north of Fes, known as "Little Andalusia". We explore this area on small winding country roads and the hilly landscape is indeed very reminiscent of the south of Spain.
The last day of the trip was all about getting back to Europe.
We leave Chefchaouen and take the quickest route to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the Moroccan mainland.
Crossing the border is always a challenge, but with Edelweiss' experience, it was mastered brilliantly.
And as soon as we got back to "Europe" it started to rain and we were finally able to show off our rain gear.
Then we quickly boarded the ferry and after a stormy crossing we were back on the European continent.
The well-maintained highway brought us back to the hotel, where we met for dinner (after a quick shower).
Afterwards, the guests and tour guides reviewed the last two weeks and then came the unpleasant part: saying goodbye to new friends.
Hopefully we will all see each other again soon on a great Edelweiss tour.
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