In October 2008, 2 Swiss Land Rovers set out on a 3 week trip to Morocco. Your humble scribe and wife Sally in our blue TD5 with Dormobile conversion, and a white TD5 from Neuchâtel, with Simon and his friend Sarah. After an uneventful drive down to Sète in the south of France, we boarded the Marrakech Express for Tangiers.
Waiting to go on board at Sète
After a long (36hr) but quite pleasant crossing, we set off south-east from Tangiers, towards Fes, cutting across the Middle Atlas on gravel tracks down to Ar-Rachidia and Erfoud. From here we planned to take the famous Hamada du Drâa piste across to Tagounite, Foum-Zguid, and eventually to Cap Drâa on the Atlantic coast. Unfortunately Murphy’s Law struck, and southern Morocco had some of the most torrential rain-storms in recent history.
Normally gentle sandy pistes, became rivers of mud.
And innocent Oueds (river crossings) were transformed into raging torrents.
We eventually decided discretion was the better part of valour, and turned back, making a long detour on main roads. Even here things weren’t easy as many of the bridges were flooded and the police were preventing lesser vehicles from crossing.
"Aah LandRovair – eez goode!"
‘No Road (except for Land Rover)’!
Eventually we got onto firmer ground, and resumed our route over to the coast.
Sunset at Cap Drâa
Fishermen at Cap Drâa
‘La plage blanche’ NE of Tan-Tan
As Simon’s friend, Sarah had to get back to work after 2 weeks, we went up to Marrakech to put her on a plane, before returning south over the ‘Tizi ‘n Test’ pass.
Sunset over the ’Tizi‘n’Test’ pass
In the ‘Haute Atlas’
Simon in a delicate position!
A quick burst of Hi-Lift + sand-ladders, and “voila”!
Moroccan street scene
Danger in the Desert
An unwelcome hitch-hiker
After playing tourists for a bit :
Fishing boats – Essaouira
Roman ruins – Volubilis – near Meknès
It was back to Tangiers for the boat home.
Boarding the boat at Tangiers – if ever a vessel was misnamed ..... !!
Despite having travelled extensively in Africa, Morocco remains one of my favourite destinations – especially given current restrictions in most other North African countries – there really is something for everyone.
