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| Viewing: Essaouira Gnawa Festival & Tour |
Package ID: 1305 |
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| Essaouira Gnawa Festival & Tour |
Gnawa Music Festival is a celebration of the mysterious
music of the Gnawas, the product of a mystic tradition with
branches as widespread as Haitian voodoo and Brazilian
Candomblé. (Private Tour)
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Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival 12th Edition
June 25 - 28, 2009 - Essaouira
A picturesque port painted in blue and white, Essaouira is the ideal resort that most travelers dream of when they think of North Africa: laid-back and yet vibrant, atmospheric and relaxing.
The town's status as an independent travelers' favorite makes it the perfect venue for a festival devoted to the feats of the Gnawas, best known for their tasseled hats, which spin wildly as the musicians rock, entranced by their own music. Artists appearing include the best musicians of the genre as well as performers from around the world.
Originating through a cross-pollination of African magic and Islamic rituals, the Gnawa brotherhoods form a structured unit around a Master, who leads music and dancing until the participants are in a state of trance. The mesmerizing rhythms of the drums, the guenbri (a form of lute) and the hand-held garagab (metal castanets) lead performers into a trance-like state - during religious ceremonies, Gnawas have even been known to impale themselves on swords or beat their heads with iron balls without sustaining any visible external injuries.
Faint-hearted visitors will be pleased to know that the Essaouira Festival does not feature such extreme performances: the program focuses on the purely musical elements of Gnawa tradition and their influence on African-inspired music.
I T I N E R A R Y -10 Days
We can customize your trip for 10 days including the number of days that you would like to join the Festival in addition to exploring the rest of Morocco according to your interest for USD 2250 per person and minimum 2 people.
If you don't have any specific activities or areas of interest, and would prefer that we suggest some to you, please let us know.
Note:
To make your trip shorter or longer than 10 days, please let us know and we can customize it for you accordingly.
"2 people with a private car and English speaking Guide"
"3 people or more with a private luxury van and English speaking guide"
Sample Itinerary
I T I N E R A R Y # 1
After your arrival to Casablanca or Marrakech airport, your expert driver would escort you to your hotel or riad in Marrakech.
Day 1, 2 & 3 - Essaouira Festival
Day 3 - Ourika
You will explore one of the most beautiful and unspoiled valleys of the High Atlas Valley of Ourika rises gently up to the preliminary hills of the High Atlas where small typical villages have nested. It is a pure and magnificent place where silence is only " disturbed " by birds singing, water streams and wagtails. Ourika is famous for its pottery, minerals and crystal.
If it is Monday, Thursday or Friday, you will visit the bustling weekly souk of the Valley.
A couple of hours trekking to explore one of the hidden water falls.
A cup of tea within a Berber family to have a taste of the Berber life style.
Dinner and overnight at your luxury Kasbah Omar at Anrar Mountain of Ourika.
Day 4 - 5 hours trekking to explore the hidden water villages of the high atlas
From our Berber village Anrar at Douar Tafza until we reach the Berber hamlet of Oualmes (1150m) to start our 5 hour hike across the river and up along a narrow winding hillside path surrounded by fields of corn towards Anins and the through the col (1670m) where you have lunch at the Berber village of Tizin-Oucheg. From here You you'll continue your Berber adventure to explore the hidden village of Agard then to Anamer villlage followed by a short trek that would bring you back to Tazintoute village at 1148m) where you shall cross the Assif Ourika to get to your vehicle for your return to your Anrar village around 7.00 in the evening.
Dinner and overnight at the luxury Berber Kasbah Omar at Anrar village in Ourika.
Traditional Moroccan bath & massage is available at Kasbah Omar with extra cost and by reservation only....... if you are interested, please let us know! ($90pp)
Day 5 - Marrakech
An enchanting palm oasis set against the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas Mountains, Marrakesh is Morocco's second oldest majestic imperial city and retains the splendor of its ancient past. Buildings
are blushed in hues of rosy earth, and horse-drawn carriages clip along broad avenues lined with palm,
lime and orange trees. Donkeys carrying carts trawl past fragrant gardens of roses, honeysuckle and
jasmine.
Explore the ancient Bahia Palace from the days of the harem, now populated by a sentry of nesting storks, enter the ancient royal Saadian Tombs, explore the vibrant and historic Jewish mellah where some of the best jewelry is found in Morocco, and view the majestic Koutoubia Mosque before entry into the 9th century walled medina.
Dinner and overnight at your luxury riad at the old city of Marrakech.
Day 6 - Marrakech
You’ll explore the rest of Marrakech... including the Eve Saint Laurent garden, the ancient Menara pool ... followed by a tour around the ancient Medina wall and the palmeraie ride.
The night beats in the heart of the old city's famed square, Djemaa el-Fna, where delectable fare is
grilled over coals in the bustling torch-lit open-air markets. Mystical snake charmers, hustlers and
mischievous monkeys are part of the nightly drama unfolding as Berber acrobats, fortune tellers,
musicians and engaging storytellers seduce rapt crowds. Wind your way through the serpentine labyrinth of the spice-filled air of the bustling souk, unchanged for over 1000 years, where you'll discover
the best of traditional Moroccan craftsmanship.
You'll cap off your evening at the spectacular dinner event, Fantasia, where we’ll bear witness to a splendid dramatic display of Arabian Nights, belly dancing, folkloric troupes, and stately Arabian steeds charging in dynastic battles as of yore.
Overnight stay at your riad at the old city of in Marrakech.
Day 7 - Rabat - Meknes - Fez
A couple of hours drive for some of Rabat's highlights... the capital of the kingdom of Morocco......... the Kasbah des Oudaias, situated on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll find magnificent views. Inside the gates discover artisan galleries, an ornate 17th century palace now part of the Musée des Oudaia (Museum of Moroccan Arts), and the beautiful Andalusian Gardens near the famous Tour Hassan, a 12th century minaret intended to be the highest and the largest in the Muslim world. And not to be missed in the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and King Hassan’s stately official palace.
After, you travel past centuries-old olive groves and vineyards we near Meknes, the Ismalian capital, famous for its 25-mile-long walls - and, not to mention excellent wine - where ......... Heading to port Bab El Mansour and Bab El Khamis, journey back thousands of years including some of Meknes highlights.
Dinner and lodging at your luxury riad in Fez.
Day 8 - Fez
Fez is the holiest city in the Islamic world after Mecca and Medina. Founded at the beginning of the 9th century by Moulay Idriss II, and barely unchanged, this enchanting city has been a seat of government, philosophy, medicine and most notably religion since then. Fez, the best surviving example of an ancient Arab city, is comprised of the "new" city, established in the 12th century, and the 2,000-year-old medina, where donkeys and mules laden with goods still trawl alongside buyers through the ancient market, itself a fascinating maze of lanes, blind alleys and bustling souks assaulting the senses with spices and exotic delicacies. Fez is the perfect place to hone your bargaining skills in buying souvenirs, brightly colored hand-loomed carpets or fine crafted artisan goods. Visit the famous leather tanneries, a honeycomb of vats erupting in an explosion of brilliant color. Then, climb to the venerated Merenid Tombs for a spectacular panoramic view of Fez.
Dinner at the famous La maison Bleu.
Accommodation at your luxury riad or hotel in Fez.
Day 9 - Casablanca
Discover the charm and decadent languor of Casablanca. Like a dreamy mirage, the shimmering city of white appears against the azure of the surrounding sea. Steeped in romantic mystique and intrigue, Casablanca’s whitewashed dramatic Hispano-Moorish homes lay scattered amid Art Deco jewels and an elegant city center. Its ancient Arab quarter and new medina, with undeniably French influence, mark the passage from past to present. Casablanca’s modern attitude and big-city edge makes it today the most cosmopolitan of all Moroccan cities, a vibrant economic hub with the largest port found anywhere in the Maghreb. Some of the highlights we’ll explore include the majestic Hassan II Mosque (the only mosque non-Muslims are permitted to enter in Morocco), the lively squares of Place des Nations Unies and Mohammed V— hosting some of the city’s most impressive architecture —. Dinner and overnight at your luxury hotel in Casablanca.
Day 10 - Casablanca – Transfer to the airport for your return home with plenty of Arabian nights and days.
Note:
If you wish to modify or change the entire itinerary according to your interest and desire, please let us know!
Cost:
$2250 per person based on double occupancy
$4500 for 2Pax
What's Included:
* Breakfast and dinner daily
* 4* Riad, Kasbah & hotel lodging
* Private luxury car, gas, tolls & English speaking driver for the entire trip
* Transfers to and from airport
* Knowledgeable certified guides at the Imperial cities
* Museums fee
* All taxes
* Agency fee
Not included in package price:
* International Airfare
* lunch
* Drinks
* Travel Insurance
I T I N E R A R Y # 2
After your arrival to Casablanca or Marrakech airport, your expert driver would escort you to your hotel or riad in Marrakech.
Day 1, 2 & 3 - Essaouira Festival
Day 4 – Marrakech – Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou - Ouarzazate
We continue our adventure along the majestic beauty of the High Atlas Mountains, through the scenic route of Tizi n’Tichka’s lush oasis valleys …..mountainous areas highly popular with trekkers…….Berber villages….. and Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou on your way to Ouarzazate........ was built by the French in the 1920s, and has since been a frequent location for Hollywood film shoots. You’ll visit one another famous kasbahs of Morocco, Tifoultoute, used as a hotel for the cast of Lawrence of Arabia in the 1960s. Although it was once protected by a powerful dynasty, now its only guards are a sentry of large storks nesting atop its towers.......... You will visit the Moroccan MGM Film Studio.
Dinner at restaurant Kasbah.
B&B at your luxury hotel in Ouarzazate.
Day 5 - Boumalne du Dades - Tinghir - Todra Gorges - Camel ride & overnight in Merzouga
After a special Berber breakfast, You’ll depart for Tinghir, traveling the rugged Road of a Thousand Kasbahs that rise up like turreted sand castles along this ancient caravan trading route. This area has long been a popular location for Hollywood films such as The Last Temptation of Christ, Jewel of the Nile, and most recently Hideous Kinky. The central region is one of the most exciting and romantic destinations of Morocco nestled along rich river valleys, palmeries and burnished mud-brick homes ablaze in vibrant color under the shelter of the blue desert sky.
You'lltravel through the Dadès Valley past dramatic escarpments and plunging gorges via Tinerhir through the gorges..........then a drive to Merzouga for a Camel ride and dinner and overnight at a bedwin / Nomad tent to have a taste of the Nomad life style.
Day 6 - Merzouga -Boumalne du Dades – Todra Gorges - Tinghir
After a special Berber breakfast, we’ll depart for Todra Gorges , traveling the rugged Road of a Thousand Kasbahs that rise up like turreted sand castles along this ancient caravan trading route. This area has long been a popular location for Hollywood films such as The Last Temptation of Christ, Jewel of the Nile, and most recently Hideous Kinky. The central region is one of the most exciting and romantic destinations of Morocco nestled along rich river valleys, palmeries and burnished mud-brick homes ablaze in vibrant color under the shelter of the blue desert sky. We’ll travel through the Dadès Valley past dramatic escarpments and plunging gorges via Tinghir.
Dinner and overnight at your luxury Kasbah in Tinghir.
Day 7 – Kalat Megouna – Skoura – Ouarzazate – Ourika Valley (High Atlas Mountains)
A stop at Kalat Megouna… follwed by a short drive to Ouarzazate for lunch….. Then you continue your adventure along the majestic beauty of the High Atlas Mountains, through the scenic route of Tizi n’Tichka’s lush oasis valleys and mountainous areas highly popular with trekkers. You’ll stop for lunch at one of the Berber villages on your way to Ourika / High Atlas Montains past a pageantry of fragrant, dense pine and cedar forests, terraced farms and sienna mud-brick Berber villagesto visit the Berber village of Anrar and to have a taste of the Berber life style by having a cup of tea within a Berber family.
Afternoon, Hammam (Moroccan Bath) and massage…. (optional)
Dinner and overnight at your luxury Kasbah Omar at the village of Anrar.
Day 8 - Marrakech
An enchanting palm oasis set against the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas Mountains, Marrakesh is Morocco's second oldest majestic imperial city and retains the splendor of its ancient past. Buildings are blushed in hues of rosy earth, and horse-drawn carriages clip along broad avenues lined with palm, lime and orange trees. Donkeys carrying carts trawl past fragrant gardens of roses, honeysuckle and jasmine.
Explore with your certified guide the ancient Bahia Palace from the days of the harem, now populated by a sentry of nesting storks, enter the ancient royal Saadian Tombs, explore the vibrant and historic Jewish mellah where some of the best jewelry is found in Morocco, and view the majestic Koutoubia Mosque before entry into the 9th century walled medina.
You’ll cap off our journey at the dinner event of Fantasia as we bear witness to a splendid dramatic display of Arabian Nights filled with belly dancing, folkloric troupes, and stately Arabian steeds charging in dynastic battles as of yore.
Accommodation at your luxury hotel or riad in Marrakech.
Day 9 - Marrakech
Explore the rest of Marrakech for the second day by visiting the Eve Saint Laurent garden, the ancient Menara pool, the palmerai ride followed by a tour around the ancient Medina wall.
The night beats in the heart of the old city's famed square, Djemaa el-Fna, where delectable fare is grilled over coals in the bustling torch-lit open-air markets. Mystical snake charmers, hustlers and mischievous monkeys are part of the nightly drama unfolding as Berber acrobats, fortune tellers, musicians and engaging storytellers seduce rapt crowds. Wind your way through the serpentine labyrinth of the spice-filled air of the bustling souk, unchanged for over 1000 years, where you'll discover the best of traditional Moroccan craftsmanship.
Traditional dinner at the famous restaurant Stylia from the 15th century.
B&B at your luxury hotel or riad in Marrakech.
Day 10 - Marrakesh
Transfer to Marrakech airport for your return home with plenty of tales of Arabian days and nights.
Cost:
$2250 per person based on double occupancy
$4500 for 2Pax
What's Included:
Breakfast and dinner daily
Four-star hotel and riad lodging and all transportation
Transfers to and from airport
Knowledgeable certified guides
Camel ride in the Sahara
Private car, gas & driver for the entire trip
Museums fee
All taxes
Not included in package price:
International Airfare
Lunch
Drinks
Travel Insurance
2 years and under are free of charge
2 – 6 years old 75% off
7-11 years old 50% off
12 years old & up full cost
What's Included:
Breakfast and dinner daily
Four-star hotel and riad lodging and all transportation
Transfers to and from airport
Knowledgeable certified guides
Festival Fee
Private car, gas & driver for the entire trip
All taxes
Not included in package price:
International Airfare
Lunch
Drinks
Travel Insurance
Note:
Private guided tour---Not a group tour.
If it is over your budget-----Hotels can be changed for lower.
Upgrade to 5* or 5*deluxe accommodation is available.
We can't make the sun shine, or the rain fall, but we can promise to do everything in our power to ensure an unforgettable and exceptional visit to Morocco. I hope you'll join us.
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