Blogs from Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen, Morocco, Africa

Essaouira is an optional tour that John wasn't so sure he wanted to take. By telling John some of the history of Essaouira, Khalid convinced a reluctant John to go. Neither of us were looking forward to the 3 hour drive in each direction… but this may be our only chance to see where Hendrix slept!!! We drove through a few small villages and came to an area where Argan trees grow naturally. Morocco is the ONLY place these trees are found in the wild. Attempts to grow this tree in other countries or even in other parts of Morocco have been unsuccessful. In Israel, the tree did grow but produced no fruit. The demand for Argan Oil is off the hook and it has brought a tremendous boost to the economy of this area. The ... read more

Morocco: A World Apart, A Short Flight Away After spending a night in Hotél Oasis near Madrid's Bajaras Airport, we took the hour and a half's journey and landed at Mohammed VI Airport in Casablanca. We bought the return flights through EasyJet for 211 British pounds, when bought on separate tickets (89 for return Liverpool to Madrid, 122 Madrid to Casablanca). The staggering heat was the first thing any of us noticed; we quickly realised why there is advice against travelling to northern Africa in July. Aside from the poor air conditioning, I was surprised by the modernity of the airport, and the amount of Moroccan women dressed in the latest European trends. It seemed like since the last time I had been to Morocco, over 3 years ago, it's mentality had become a bit more ... read more