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April 2-12, 2013
Leaders: Audrey Voth Petkau and MEDA Staff
Morocco is a country of legends where vibrant cultures and faiths meet and where ancient history is preserved. On this tour, you will have the opportunity to meet many MEDA partners, visit projects and learn more about the initiatives that are maintaining traditional skills while offering a brighter future for Morocco's young people.
 King Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca You will also enjoy the natural splendors of this magnificent country – from its snow-capped mountains to its haunting deserts and its coastal beauty. Explore the famed city of Casablanca and walk the streets of the ancient spice markets of Marrakech. Learn more about the history of this country while visiting elaborate mosques and important museums. Audrey Voth Petkau will take care of the details so you can enjoy every moment of this fascinating tour
Our tour will depart JFK International Airport in New York on an overnight flight to Paris, connecting on to Casablanca. It will be mid-afternoon when we arrive in this famed city. We will transfer to our hotel, where we will stay for the next three nights.
 Ancient city walls of Rabat
After a good night’s sleep, we will visit the Casablanca MEDA office and will meet some of its partners in this city. We will enjoy lunch at the beautiful Restaurant La Mer. We will enjoy an afternoon excursion to Rabat, the capital of the kingdom of Morocco and a city that offers magnificent architecture and views. We hope to visit the Hassan Tower and Kasbah Oudayas.
Today we will enjoy a tour of the fabled ancient city of Casablanca. Our sightseeing may include the King Hassan II mosque, the Jewish museum, the walled town of the Old Medina District Market, and the ocean-side Shrine of Sidi Abderrahman with its beautiful white walls. We also hope to enjoy a visit to the Solidarité Féminine, a traditional hammam or spa that provides work to marginalized Moroccan women.
 Berber settlement in the Atlas Mountains
This morning we will say farewell to Casablanca and head inland to the small city of Khenifra in the Atlas Mountains. En route we will stop for lunch at an oasis city at the base of the mountains. In Khenifra, we will visit MEDA’s partner which serves women and youth clients in rural areas of the Atlas Mountains and focuses on the Amazigh (Berber) population. We hope to get to know the culture of the Amazigh people, known as “free people,” and who have lived in northern Africa for all of the area’s recorded history.
 Spice market in Marrakech
Today we will travel to the enchanting market city of Marrakech. Be prepared for the snake charmers, exotic spices, rose-colored buildings, and enchanting drama of this oasis in the desert – all of which have long drawn travelers to its fascinating streets. We will enjoy lunch en route in Beni Mellal. We will spend two nights in Marrakech.
We will explore the city of Marrakech today. We might stop to see the best in Moroccan painted ceilings, ceramics, and garden design at El Bahia Palace, the Koutoubia mosque, and Djemaa EIfna Square, which has been described as the “most exuberant marketplace in the world.” Tonight’s dinner will feature a spectacular folklore show.
 An ancient kasbah
After breakfast, we will head into the magnificent desert as we travel to Ouarzazate. If time allows, we will visit the old Arab quarters of Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, Kasbah Taourirt or Tifeltout in Ouarzazate. We will travel on to Merzouga and enjoy an incredible sunset excursion – traveling into the desert in a 4x4 vehicle and returning by camel! Tonight we will spend the night in an exotic setting as we stay at a bivouac resort.
 MEDA partner
This morning, we will travel back to Ouarzazate where we will visit ASSAMID, MEDA’s partner in this area. ASSAMID works in a community on the edge of the Sahara Desert, providing education for out-of-school-youth and supporting agricultural work in the nearby villages. We will also get to know another partner – AESD, an association working to preserve the environment and heritage, and to support women and youth in skill development.
Our flight from Ouarzazate to Casablanca leaves early this morning, allowing us to have a glimpse of the desert from the air before we land in Casablanca. There we will have lunch together in a local restaurant before we have free time to explore the city on our own, or perhaps to look out over the Atlantic one last time. We will enjoy reflecting on our experiences as we share our final Moroccan dinner together in Casablanca.
It’s time to return to North America this morning, but we will have many new memories and stories to take home, as well as new friendships made.
For further information regarding the complete tour fare, please
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