Private Clients of Wendy Plummer – Master Travel Designer & Agency Owner

My PMC Travel May 15th – 25th, 2022

Day 1: Sunday, May 15th, 2022 - BD Arrival at Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport. The entire group will be escorted to town by Sprinter Mini-buses. (About 40 minutes) Depending on your arrival time, you can start by visiting the main attractions of Casablanca. Visit the Mosque Hassan II. Completed in 1993, the Mosque can accommodate up to 25,000 worshippers making it the second largest in Islam today. Visitors must be on time for scheduled visits. You will be part of the last tour visit of the day which starts at 9:00 a.m. 1:30 p.m. Lunch Independently. (Suggested: Rick’s Café)

After lunch, continue on to the French-built Quartier Habous, built to relieve overcrowding in the medina. Today, the Habbous is a mix of shops and parks just outside the city center. Then, visit the Museum of Moroccan Judaism, or El Mellah Museum, the first Jewish museum in a Muslim country. The exhibits tell the story of a community that once numbered 250,000 strong. The museum documents over two millennia of Jewish heritage. It encompasses the Imperial Cities, as well in the lesser-known Berber Jewish communities which are spread through the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara. We will be given a guided tour of the museum by the museum’s curator.

After the visits, check-in at The Casablanca Hotel. Which is a beautifully recreated art Deco style hotel in the exclusive Anfa residential district of Casablanca. Rest and refresh at the hotel. 8:00 p.m. Suggested dinner reservations at Le Petit Rocher Restaurant, offering seafood and great views. Overnight at Le Casablanca Hotel.

Day 2: Monday, May 16th, 2022 – BD

Breakfast at your Hotel. Your guide and driver are at your disposal. Pick-up time at 8:30 a.m. You will be escorted to Marrakech (About 3-hour ride on the highway). Motorcycle group will mount their bikes and follow the group transport on route to Marrakech. There will be convenient stops along the way for coffees or snacks, or even a light lunch. Upon arrival, check-in at Hotel Sofitel Marrakech – Designed with a contemporary style, the 5-star Sofitel Marrakech Lounge & Spa hotel is an oasis of calm in the heart of a beautiful garden with views of the Atlas Mountains. Rest & refresh at your hotel, and enjoy the facilities.

Optional: Afternoon Motorcycle ride through the Palmeraie region of Marrakech, a scenic ancient palm grove offering wonderful views and open riding.

For the main group, your guide and driver will give you a brief introductory of Marrakech including a visit to Djemaa El Fna & Koutoubia Minaret. Visit the Koutoubia Minaret dominates the skyline of Marrakech. The 12th-Century monument is a master class in Moorish architecture. Continue on to the Djemaa el Fnaa, the main square at the heart of the medina. In the late afternoon, food stalls appear next to rows of escargot sellers, snake charmers, musicians and story tellers.

Then, head to the Mellah – Jewish quarter of Marrakesh. Share, understand and appreciate the potential of the coexistence of the two religions and cultures. Jews and Muslims coexisted in harmony for hundreds of years. Marrakesh at the foot of the Atlas mountain range was home to more than 50,000 Jews, according to a 1947 census. Visit the the Jewish Cemetery & the historic Synagogue of Marrakech. Rest & refresh before dinner. 7:30 p.m. Suggested Dinner at Al Fassia Aguedal Restaurant - located in the new part of town. This is a great place for Moroccan home - style cooking. Overnight at Sofitel Lounge & SPA.

Day 3: Tuesday, May 17th, 2022 - BD Breakfast at your Hotel. Your guide and driver are at your disposal.

Today the group will split in two:

- Bikers will join our Motorcycle guide for a day cruising trip through the Atlantic Coast to Essaouira (about 2 ½ hours). On route, you are likely to see goats climb Argan trees in search of the tree nuts.

You may want to make a stop at one of the Argan oil cooperatives on the road between Essaouira & Marrakech. They produce the best Argan oil, where the highest standards are used to produce the finest cosmetic and culinary oils. The company’s oil is also certified organic based on international standards. Argan oil has gained notoriety in the USA & Europe for its cosmetic qualities as well as the cooking oil which extremely healthy and adds a pine nut flavor to any fresh salad. Lunch in Essaouira, great fresh sea food. After lunch, start by exploring the enchanting streets and alleys of laid-back Essaouira. Once known as Mogador, Essaouira’s blue and white medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit the street of the thuya workers, the ocean-side ramparts, and the numerous art galleries scattered about town. Once a Portuguese outpost, now a hip art community known for such long-term visitors as Jimmy Hendricks and Cat Stevens. Most recently the film location for several episodes of “Game of Thrones”.

- The main group will get an insider’s look at the Marrakech design and artisanship scene. Visit ateliers and workshops tucked out of public view. These are personal connections of your host for the day, an expat designer living in Marrakech for the last 18 years. Your day will be planned around your special interests once you have spoken with your host.

You will visit wholesalers and specialty shops which are off the Beaten Path known only to industry experts. This is a great day to get your shopping done whether be textiles, indigenous jewelry or just gifs for friends & family. This is a fun day with a little bit of education Moroccan Art & Design mixed in. 1:00 p.m. Lunch Independently. Continue to an atelier where local designers create their own twist on traditional home décor accessories. You will have access to the workshops to see new designs being created using traditional methods. Rest & Refresh at your hotel before dinner.

7:30 p.m. Suggested Festive dinner at Yacout Restaurant - Yacout Restaurant is a landmark of Marrakech. It was among the first opened in the medina around twenty years ago by Mohamed Zkhiri, who still manages this sumptuous venue. The decor is enchanting with private rooms and a breathtaking terrace view of the Medina and the Koutoubia Mosque. Yacout features traditional Moroccan cuisine with a menu incorporating an amazing succession of spices and flavors. With its world class service, it will be an evening to remember! Overnight at Sofitel Lounge & SPA.

Day 4: Wednesday, May 18th, 2022 – BLD

Breakfast at your Hotel. Your guide and driver are at your disposal. Starting from this day, bikers will follow the same program as the rest of the group. Excursions outside of Marrakech will be done by motorcycles, not by sprinters. Early this morning, you will be escorted inland to the foothills of the High Atlas (Approximately 1 Hour & 30 minutes’ Drive).

Enjoy a two-hour guided hike (moderate hike) with one of our local expert mountain guides. Travel along ancient pathways through Berber villages. Stop in a local Berber home for tea and lunch! After the hiking, After lunch, head back to the city of Marrakech.

This afternoon, visit the Jardin Majorelle. The garden was a gift to Marrakech from Yves-Saint Laurent. Purchased from the painter Jacques Majorelle, the garden is adorned with Majorelle blue, the color named for him. Continue to the Berber Museum. Dedicated to Berber traditions, displaying costumes, craftwork, jewels & musical instruments. Then to the Yves-Saint Laurent Museum, opened in October 2017.

The museum highlights the life work of the designer, his works and his connection to Marrakech. The museum also includes a hall for temporary exhibitions, a research library with over 5,000 volumes, a 140-seat auditorium, bookshop and terrace café. The museum itself has been recognized by architectural as unique and innovative design.

Rest and refresh at your Hotel.

8:30 p.m. Suggested dinner reservations at Comptoir Darna - An important nightlife attraction in Marrakech, which arrived on the scene in 1999. It proposes a perfect fusion between the orient and the occident. It’s a place to meet people and enjoy the music, drinks, and international menu. There is an upstairs bar and lounge, with dining room downstairs.

Overnight at Sofitel Lounge & SPA.

Day 5: Thursday, May 19th, 2022 – BLD

Breakfast at your Hotel. Your guide and driver are at your disposal. 9:30 a.m. Head to a small village (about 1 ½ hours) for a private, outdoor cooking class hosted by a local chef. Learn about Moroccan spices, including Ras al Hanout, the definite spice of Moroccan cuisine. Bake bread the Moroccan way using a traditional earthen wood-fueled stove. Prepare a tagine, a version of the classic Moroccan stew. Your organic vegetables are gown in the garden on site! While your tagine is cooking over the fire, take a walk (about 20 minutes) across a wide valley, where sheep graze, wild cactus fruit grows, and the day goes on untouched by modern life. Enjoy what you cooked for lunch!

After lunch, take 40 minutes over the High Atlas to the city of Marrakech. Continue on to Al Bahia Palace. A palace and a set of gardens built in the late 19th century, intended to be the greatest palace of its time. Andalusian, Islamic and Moroccan styles are represented.

Continue on to Dar el Bacha Confluences Museum in Marrakech – Once the home for the famous Pacha Glaoui. Located in the medina of Marrakech, is one of the most beautiful palaces of the red city. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century.

Rest and refresh at your Hotel.

7:30 p.m. Dinner at the Hotel.

Overnight at Sofitel Lounge & SPA.

Day 6: Friday, May 20th, 2022 – BD

Breakfast at your Hotel. Your guide and driver are at your disposal. Early this morning, motorcyclists must get prepared for a drive to Ouarzazate, a very adventurous route. Total driving today is about Four hours (plus stops). You will be driven across the TiziN’Tichka Pass, you may want to take photos and enjoy the scenes of High Atlas Mountains along with Berber villages on the way.

The next stop will be the village of Aït Benhaddou, located in the foothills on the southern slopes of the High Atlas in the Province of Ouarzazate, the site of Ait-Ben-Haddou is the most famous Kasbah in the Ounila Valley. The Kasbah of Aït-Ben-Haddou is a striking example of southern Moroccan architecture. The Kasbah is a mainly collective grouping of dwellings.

Stop at a Berber village for lunch, and enjoy fresh lamb cutlets & fresh salads and hot mint tea with the gorgeous view of the mountains. After lunch, you will continue on to Ouarzazate. Ouarzazate, nicknamed the door of the desert. The town is chiefly inhabited by Berber-speakers, who constructed many of the prominent kasbahs and buildings for which the area is known. Ouarzazate is an important holiday destination in Morocco, as a base for excursions across the Draa Valley and into the desert.

Upon arrival, check-in at the Berbere Palace Hotel, which is a luxury 5-star hotel located in the heart of Ouarzazate, just 5 minutes from the famous Taourirt Kasbah. The hotel offers its guests excellent service and all hotel amenities are modern and of high quality. Rest & Refresh at your Hotel.

End of motorcycle driving! vehicles will be collected in order to transport them back to Casablanca. The whole group will be gathered in sprinters for the rest of the trip.

If you feel up to it, you can visit the Atlas Film Corporation Studios. The first ‘Ouallywood’ studio, established by Mohammed Belghimi in 1983, displays sets and props from movies filmed here, including Jewel of the Nile, Kingdom of Heaven and Kundun. Guided tours run every 20 to 40 minutes and take you through some of the stages, sets and workshops incorporated in the 150-hectare site.

Return to Berbere Palace for dinner & overnight. Dinner is included at Berbere Palace, drinks are not. Overnight at Berbere Palace.

Day 7: Saturday, May 21st, 2022 – BD

Breakfast at your Hotel. Your guide and driver are at your disposal. This morning, head inland to Merzouga. (Approximately 5 Hours’ drive). First stop at Skoura.

if you would like, you can visit Skoura’s Palmeraie – Skoura’s defining features remain its mudbrick kasbahs and vast Unesco-protected palmeraie (palm grove), earning the moniker ‘Oasis of 1000 Palms.’ Under this green canopy, a 15-mile patchwork of carefully tended garden plots are watered by an ingenious, centuries-old khettara (underground irrigation system) of locks, levers and canals. More than 100 bird species flourish here.

Continue on to Merzouga.

You will leave toward Tineghir then to Todra Gorges. You will have the chance to stop for a panoramic view of the river.

Continue on to Merzouga passing by Tinejdad, Erfoud. You will have a stop in Erfoud to transfer to your 4x4 vehicles, then continue to Merzouga. Your 4x4 will bring you to your shared desert encampment. Upon arrival, check-in at Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp which is a desert special home in Morocco. It demands nothing much of you, but to relax and gaze at the ever-changing colors of the desert.

Merzouga is a village in the Sahara Desert in Morocco, on the edge of Erg Chebbi, a 50km long and 5km wide set of sand dunes that reach up to 350m. Most people are here to take a camel safari into the dunes, and to get a taste of remote (tourism-influenced) Berber life. You will experience a sunset camel ride in the middle of dunes, enjoy your night & have a traditional berber diner under the stars. Overnight at Merzouga Desert Luxury Lodge – Merzouga.

Day 8: Sunday, May 22nd, 2022 – BD

Breakfast at your encampment.

Enjoy a relaxing morning by the dunes. You may wish to explore on foot.

If you would like, a sunrise camel trek can be arranged.

Your guide and driver are at your disposal today. Return by 4x4 to Erfoud. Head inland to Fes. (Approximately 7 Hours’ drive).

Keep on the road & Continue south over open rocky desert. Follow the stunning green Ziz River valley through the Tafilet oasis to Errachidia, where you will leave the Sahara behind you.

Stop at Errachidia, one of Morocco’s most ancient cities. The city is less visited than other Moroccan cities and continues to retain its unique heritage and customs. Behind the imposing walls are many date palms and the beautiful red colors of the occasionally snowy mountains provide a brilliant contrast to the golden sand of the desert. The region is a mix between Berber and Arabic people, where both Arabic and Berber languages are commonly spoken. Pass by Azrou - Tucked into the hills of the Middle Atlas Mountains, Azrou is a welcome break from the crowds and noise of the imperial cities. Azrou is an ideal base from which to explore the nearby Atlas Cedar Forest, home to the endangered Barbary macaque.

Then stop at Ifrane, world's second cleanest city. Many call the city of Ifrane "Switzerland" Morocco, for its weather similar to the weather prevailing in the European continent, and clean, calm, and beauty.

Continue on to Fès.

Upon arrival, check in at Marriott Jnane Palace Fès – The Marriott Hotel Jnan Palace is a known respite for discerning travelers and a walking distance to the Medina. If you feel comfortable, your guide & driver will give you a brief introductory of Fès.

Dive into the medina of Fes, itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Experience the scents and rhythms of Morocco’s cultural capital. Founded at the confluence of the Rif and Middle Atlas Mountains, Fes has been a center of scholarship and trade for over 1200 years. 8:00 p.m. Suggested dinner reservations at La Maison Blanche. This is a very swish place with ultra-modern decor of grey slate, lots of black and accents of shocking pink. Upstairs is a large bar area where you can have an aperitif. Overnight at Marriott Jnane Palace.

Day 9: Monday, May 23rd, 2022 – BD

Breakfast at your Hotel. Your guide and driver are at your disposal. This morning, start your day with a guided tour of the Mellah (Jewish Quarter) of Fes. Then, visit to the University of al-Qarawiyyin, also written Al Quaraouiyine or Al-Karaouine is a university located in Fez, Morocco. It is the oldest existing, continually operating and the first degree-awarding educational institution in the world according to UNESCO and Guinness World Records and is sometimes referred to as the oldest university.

1:30 p.m. Lunch Independently. After lunch, visit the Al-Attarine Madrasa is a madrasa in Fes, Morocco, near the Al-Qarawiyyin. It was built by the Marinid sultan Uthman II Abu Said (r. 1310-1331) in 1323-5. The madrasa takes its name from the Souk al-Attarine, the spice and perfume market.

Continue to the iconic Chouara Tanneries. It’s best to head up to the balconies of one of the shops that will welcome you with a sprig of mint and a memorable view. See the stunning gates of the Royal Palace. Rest & Refresh at your Hotel before dinner.

7:30 p.m. Suggested dinner reservations at Amaraz, Hotel Sahrai’s gourmet Moroccan restaurant. One of our favorites with a fabulous view at night. Overnight at Marriott Jnane Palace.

Day 10: Tuesday, May 24th, 2022 – BD

Breakfast at your Hotel. Your guide and driver are at your disposal. Before departing from Fès, our local ground team will make special arrangements for you to visit one of the famous ceramic factories of Fes. See the entire production and creative process in realizing the famous traditional Fes ceramic designs. You will be escorted to Rabat (About 2-Hour drive plus stops). First, visit Meknes, the Imperial capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail, founder of the ruling Alaouite Dynasty. Explore Meknes’ massive granaries and stables, ornate city gates and the grand Place El Hedim. The Bab Mansour is often mentioned as Morocco’s most beautiful city gates. Visit the Dar Jamaï Museum, a palace of powerful Viziers that now houses a collection of antique ceramics and crafts.

Then, stop at Volubulis, the ruins of the late Roman era capital of the province of Mauritania. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Volubulis overlooks the fertile plains of the Meknes region near the foot of Mt. Zerhoun. Intact mosaics, restored arches and olive oil presses give one a sense of the importance of this outpost on the fringes of the empire. At Volubulis, your expert guide will arrange for a local guide to take you through the site. This is required by local regulations. Continue on to Rabat. 1:30 p.m. Lunch Independently.

After lunch, visit Hassan Tour, Rabat’s iconic landmark, is the half-finished minaret of a planned mosque whose remnants attest to its ambitions.

Visit the Mausoleums of Mohammed V and Hassan II, two rulers who worked hand-in-hand with the Jewish community.

Then, visit the Kasbah des Oudaias, built by the Almohad Dynasty in the 12th century, is worth serious exploration. Stroll the narrow streets to the Andalusian gardens sit on the site of the former palace and are something of a town square – especially in the summer months.

After lunch, check-in at the View Hotel. A hotel in the heart of the city enjoying an exceptional location, with its 17 panoramic floors overlooking Rabat. Then rest & refresh before dinner.

8:00 p.m. Suggested Festive dinner reservations at the Legend Club – Atop the towering view hotel, against an elegant contemporary setting, Legend Club offers a modern reinterpretation of new age gastronomic cuisine, always respectful of the seasonal nature of its materials. Nested on the fifteenth floor, the restaurant offers a breathtaking panorama of Rabat. The best view in the city! Overnight at the View Hotel.

Day 11: Wednesday, May 25th, 2022 - B Breakfast at your Hotel. Your guide and driver are at your disposal. This morning, you will be escorted to the Casablanca Mohamed V Airport for your departing flight. VIP airport services, which includes help checking in, being expedited through passport control and use of the VIP lounge while you await your departure.

Included in your land package:

▪ VIP airport services upon arrival and departure. ▪ 10 nights’ accommodation (double occupancy). ▪ Hotel service charges and taxes. ▪ Breakfast every morning. ▪ 5 Days Motorcycles. ▪ All Dinners. ▪ Guiding services. ▪ Air-conditioned vehicle with driver at disposal. ▪ Camel Ride Experience. ▪ Village Cooking Class Experience. ▪ Insider’s look at the Marrakech design and artisanship scene. ▪ All admissions while accompanied by your guide. ▪ The services of our Marrakech office and 24/7 emergency contact.

Not included:

▪ International air transportation. ▪ Meals notes as suggested: All lunches. ▪ Gratuities, tips for porters, drivers, and guides.

Insurance: We strongly recommend that all clients purchase a comprehensive travel package that includes trip cancellation protection and emergency medical evacuation.