Introduction:
Where
This report is not intended to set out a comprehensive Moroccan birding itinerary, and simply covers a week-long return trip from Marrakesh to Merzouga via Boumalne du Dades. As a veteran of two previous trips to this fantastically diverse country my hit-list consisted of just two species (Thick-billed Lark and Pharaoh Eagle-Owl) and the itinerary also took in its fair share of cultural attractions such as Erg Chebbi, Ait Benhaddou and Marrakesh.
The following pages provide updates on several selected birding sites and species, whilst also offering advice on various logistical issues.
When
The timing of our trip was dictated entirely by annual leave availability. Most visitors wait until the spring migrants are back in April or May, however this was not possible and our late February date served simply as a means of using up holiday entitlement in a warm and extremely scenic environment.
How
Our Ryanair flight from East Midlands Airport offered both great value and local convenience (http://www.ryanair.com/en). A ‘Dacia Logan 1.4 MPI’ hire car was booked via Locationauto (http://www.locationauto.ma/), a local company who provided both a competitive and reliable service.
Individual references are given for the accommodation we used in the ‘Daily Diary’ section. Without exception the establishments we chose provided both high quality service and great value-for-money.
All site information was gleaned from Dave Gosney’s excellent ‘Finding Birds in Morocco: The Desert’ publication, which is newly updated and contains an excellent series of maps (http://web.me.com/easybirder/easybirder.co.uk/Books.html).
Daily Diary:
Monday 22nd February
The flying time from EMA to Marrakesh is just three hours and twenty minutes, yet I never cease to be amazed at what a totally different culture such a brief journey can deliver one to. Marrakesh Menara Airport is clean and modern, and our Locationauto man is there on cue, with name-board, as Victoria and I enter the arrivals hall.
After scooping a week’s supply of Dirham from the ATM we are shown to our Dacia Logan, not the most elegant automobile ever made but one which proves to be very reliable, even on stony desert tracks and sand. The Locationauto man kindly guides us to the Marrakesh Ibis which is conveniently close to the airport and where we have booked our first night’s accommodation. Or so we think. My first piece of logistical advice is that there are actually three Ibis Hotels in Marrakesh, so make sure you book the correct one!
After some considerable efforts to transfer the reservation we admit defeat and move on to the Ibis on the Casablanca Road, some twenty minutes drive to the north. Here the staff give us a tremendously warm welcome and soon we are tucking into olives, fresh bread, local beer and wine, and a fine introductory tagine. We even start off the trip list, with a pair of House Buntings which have chosen to roost on top of the restaurant ‘emergency exit’ sign!
Tuesday 23rd February
After a bumper buffet breakfast we stock up on essential provisions for our journey and dive into the Marrakesh rush-hour traffic. Emerging unscathed, to the southeast of the city, the beautiful snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas soar up into a blue sky ahead of us.
Soon the flat, fast road begins to wind upwards, first through irrigated fields and olive groves, then through beautiful terrace-sided valleys where brown mud-walled villages cling to hillsides above melt-water streams. Poplars, birches and willows are beginning to come into leaf and the many fruit trees in the valley bottoms are laden with blossom, creating a stunning spectacle. The song of Serin and African Chaffinch echoes through the trees, with Moroccan Magpie, Spotless Starling and African Blue Tit also being notable sightings en route.
As we approach the 2260m Tizi-n-Tichka Pass the road begins to turn through steep hairpins on its route through barren hillsides into a lifeless lunar landscape above the treeline. After a break for a high altitude mint tea, not far below the winter snow-line, we cross over the pass itself and begin a descent past a row of temporarily redundant snowploughs.
On the south side of the High Atlas a starkly different landscape greets us, where the rain shadow deprives the ground of moisture and greens are replaced with browns. Roadsides are dotted with fossil stalls and eager sellers dart out to display wildly dyed geodes to any likely-looking tourist. In villages old men wear pointy wizard-hooded robes and ladies cover heads with colourful scarves in abeyance with Muslim tradition.
Even after reaching the lowlands south of the High Atlas, the lofty snow-capped peaks remain in almost constant view, as we chart a course through an arid sandy landscape which retains contrasting ribbons of greenery following winding river valleys. In the course of our descent we have been flagged down by the occupants of a broken-down car and requested to give a note for help to a certain house in Ouarzazate. When we arrive we are warmly thanked and given mint tea for our troubles. It is only when we find out that our man has a jewellery and carpet emporium upstairs that we realise we have fallen for a scam, with the moral of this story being don’t take notes from strangers!
East of Ouarzazate we enter flatter stony desert bisected by fast, straight roads, with White-tailed and Desert Wheatears becoming regular features. Not long after leaving the city and rounding a bend, in the middle of nowhere, we are confronted by a ’40 kmph’ sign and a policeman holding a speed camera. This is clearly a regular trap for the unwary, and the officer attempts to levy a ridiculously high on-the-spot fine. He refuses my request to issue a formal ticket and it is clearly a cash making enterprise, but future visitors should take heed. Back in 1997 I cannot recall any such interest in speeding motorists, yet in the course of the next week we have a number of close shaves, and any visiting drivers should clearly be correspondingly wary.
After tracing the route of the beautiful Valle du Dades, where the river valley is again a sea of white fruit blossom, we arrive at Boumalne du Dades, our base for the next two days. But can we find our hotel?! The map with which we have been provided is totally inaccurate, but eventually we find an old man in the town who knows where it is and kindly offers to guide us in. It transpires that the Perle du Dades lies 5km west of the town on the south side of the river and is reached by a winding desert track which is initially unsigned.
Our efforts are all worthwhile, however, as the Perle is found to be a wonderfully restored Kasbah in a spectacular valley-side setting. Complete with extensive walled grounds, swimming pool, lavishly decorated rooms and friendly staff, it is thoroughly recommended (they don’t have their own website, but easily found on http://www.booking.com/).
An evening walk from the Perle, beside the irrigated fields and blossom trees and through the peaceful high-walled village, produces Bluethroat, Woodchat Shrike, Black Redstarts, African Blue Tits and Hoopoes, before we dine on an excellent three-course French meal washed down with Moroccan red wine.
Wednesday 24th February
Arriving at the parked car at 06.30 I am surprised to see the windows iced over. Vic is left sleeping, as I head for the Tagdilt Track, just fifteen minutes drive from the Perle. A kettle of 40 Black Kites rise from their valley roost site as I bump along the desert track to town. After just a few minutes on tarmac I then head south, on a rough track that leads past the tattered plastic and rusting tins of the town’s rubbish tip. Black Kites circle overhead and a pack of particularly fierce-looking feral dogs chase the car!
The Tagdilt Track is justifiably the most renowned desert birding site in Morocco, and I already know it well from many hours spent here twelve years ago. The focus of my efforts here is Thick-billed Lark, a nomadic species of unpredictable appearance which eluded me on my last visit and remains my most-wanted bird in the Western Palearctic.
In the rear-view mirror the snowy Atlas peaks rise above the distant town, as attractive Red-rumped Wheatears become a common track-side species. Dapper little Trumpeter Finches feed on seeds and a variety of larks begin to materialise from the pale sand after a little intensive scanning. Sturdy Desert Larks hop amongst the sparse vegetation, whilst smart Temminck’s Horned Larks forage in pairs.
I have not driven far when a large lark with a particularly speedy gait catches my eye and the scope is soon focussed on my Holy Grail, a superb female Thick-billed Lark! She’s sandy-orange above, with a well-defined face pattern, streaky breast and oversized bill, but is clearly not fond of visitors and refuses to allow close approach as she works her way over the stones. Eventually a group of birds call overhead, and she flies up to join another three Thick-billed Larks which move off on very distinctively patterned black-and-white wings.
Elated, but also longing for closer looks and a male bird, I continue down the Tagdilt Track. Lots more Temminck’s Horned Larks, plus another brief female Thick-billed Lark are located, before the endearing local population of Shaw’s Jirds watch me tentatively inch the car over a wadi which has been deepened by the recent rains. On the flatter, more sparsely vegetated plains beyond the wadis I find Desert Wheatears, Hoopoe Larks, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, three Cream-coloured Coursers and a Red Fox, but not the ‘best area for Thick-billed Larks’ which the Gosney Guide suggests. In fact I see none at all.
Retracing my tracks to the north, Long-legged Buzzards are watched in unfamiliar fast, low-level hunting flight, as they pursue the numerous Shaw’s Jirds and North African Gerbils. Greater Short-toed Lark, Bar-tailed Desert Lark and Tristram’s Warbler are new additions to the list, but the best is saved until last, when a stunning pair of Thick-billed Larks are located, quietly feeding at the edge of a wadi.
The male bird has a sharply demarked black-and-white face pattern, dense lines of black breast streaks increasing in density to form a large black blotch on the lower breast, and an absurdly deep blue-grey bill with a darker tip. Larks really don’t come any better than this brute! With a little patience I am able to watch and photograph the pair at relatively close range, the certain highlight of the entire trip. It is interesting to note how the birds are clearly searching for seeds, mainly around plant bases, where their oversized bills actually appear to be a hindrance as they feed on tiny seed-heads.
It’s now very hot, so having secured my thick-billed goal I return to the Perle where a scrumptious late breakfast awaits. Vic has filled her sketchpad with Berber architecture in my absence, and after an early-afternoon siesta we venture into the higher reaches of the extremely scenic Gorges du Dades. Here the valley-bottom blossom frames the spectacular kasbahs and mosques which dot our route. A lengthy walk allows us to observe Moroccan daily life at close hand, before we continue to the head of the valley where an immensely deep, steep-sided cleft in the orange rocks is traversed by a hair-pinned road leading to a viewpoint providing amazing panoramas down the gorge.
Birding takes a back seat for the afternoon, but several Black Wheatears, African Blue Tits and Laughing Doves are worthy of mention, while dinner back at the Perle is predictably impressive.
Thursday 24th February
With the desert birds already in the bag and a long journey ahead, the pre-breakfast birding is done in the cultivated Valle du Dades, reached by simply walking out of the back of the Perle. Once the sun has climbed above the valley sides the woodland and fields are filled with birdsong, as African Chaffinches, Serins, Cetti’s Warblers, Common Bulbuls and Blackbirds proclaim their territories. The africana Chaffinches both look and sound strikingly different from their European counterparts, while the Moroccan mauritanus race of Great Spotted Woodpecker shows a darker breast, more extensive red vent and red breast spot not found in northern birds.
Several Blackcaps and Sardinian Warblers join the throngs of Chiffchaffs to feed on the abundant insect life as the day warms up, and a pair of striking subpersonata Moroccan Wagtails frequent the river to complete a morning feast of North African racial variation!
After a mountain of pancakes, honey, fresh bread, homemade jam and marmalade we bid the wonderful Perle du Dades farewell and head west through an arid landscape on fast tarmac roads. Reaching the town of Tinerhir we take a detour north, to visit the Gorges du Torda. Here a date palm-lined valley leads to an ever-deepening rift in the mountainside, cut over the millennia by a fast-flowing river. Mint tea is taken in one of the restaurants in the cavernous bowels of the gorge, but it is all too touristy for our liking and as a series of buses spew out hordes of sightseers we beat a hasty retreat. Advice here is to stick with Dades for your Moroccan gorge experience!
From Tinerhir the road east is fast and easy, taking us to Tinejdad and then on to Erfoud. Twelve years earlier the town of Erfoud signalled the end of the paved road and it was desert tracks from here to the Erg Chebbi dunes, but now the tarmac runs all the way. After a brush with the first of many persistent guides and fossil salesman, and another close shave with an over-zealous speed cop, we head down to Rissani, closely following the directions in Mr Gosney’s guide.
Turning west out of Rissani, we enter a fantastic desert setting of sand dunes, starkly eroded rocks and expanses of polished dark stones. Parking at the allotted spot we stock up with water and set off along a tamarisk and palm lined wadi, which takes us a good 2km along the base of some spectacular rock formations. White-tailed Wheatears, Tristram’s Warblers, Trumpeter Finches and Southern Grey Shrikes are noted as we progress, and we are surprised to note some large pools, from where frogs call, which are a clear sign of recent desert rains.
We must be close to the ‘x’ on the map, and as I study the somewhat generalised sketch two young lads miraculously appear from the desert to ask whether I would like to be shown the owl! The Moroccans are not a people to miss the opportunity to make a few extra Dirham, and after a short haggle we agree a price for an owl. I am a few hundred metres off the mark, which makes all the difference on the high cliff face, and within five minutes of reaching the real spot the lads find a magnificent adult Pharaoh Eagle Owl. As we watch the adult it exchanges hoots with a second bird, this one rather closer, and soon we are studying a well grown juvenile. The young bird is in the order of two months old, with almost fully feathered wings while retaining pale gingery down on head and breast.
It is only 17.00 and we are soaking up fantastic views of the pair in good light when three bicycle-mounted fossil sellers appear almost instantaneously from different directions in the desert; I still have no idea as to how either the owl guides or the fossil salesmen found us! Feeling a little crowded we set off back to the car, now in the long shadows and warm orange light of the evening.
The lads get a lift back to the busy town of Rissani, leaving us a note of their details for any future owl tourists (Ali Bourki +212 0650 194731). Beyond the rather shabby streets of Rissani we hit another straight tarmac road leading to Merzouga. A fantastic orange sunset has now illuminated the sky to the west, picking out dramatic skyline rock formations in stark relief. 30km down the road, and after studying dozens of hotel signs in the headlight beam, we finally find the turning to the Riad Mamuche.
Our accommodation for the night is close to Merzouga, and it’s already dark by the time we locate the hotel sign board beside the main road. Leaving the tarmac, we pick our way through narrow streets to reach the family run Riad Mamouche (http://www.riad-mamouche.com/EN.html), whose top class facilities are just a year old. Hassan gives us a very warm welcome, shows us to a spacious room and soon afterwards we dine on delicious ‘Berber soup’, a fantastic chicken and vegetable tagine, with orange and cinnamon for desert.
The day ends on the rooftop terrace, where the outlines of the Erg Chebbi dunes are visible just 200m away, below a sky full of stars.
Friday 25th February
A failure in the alarm clock department means that we miss the full sunrise-over-the-dunes experience, so after a stroll from the hotel to the edge of the Erg Chebbi we set out by car back to the main road and then follow the signs to the auberges at the north end of the dunes.
Things have changed quite dramatically in the twelve years since my last visit, and not for the best. My mind’s eye holds an image of several modest cafes at the dune base, with one or two camel enclosures in which dozens of Desert Sparrows fed. The 2010 picture is one of uncontrolled development which ruins the outlook at the base of this stunning natural phenomenon, of numerous cars and 4X4s and, most depressingly, large flocks of House Sparrows which have clearly driven the Desert Sparrows to virtual extinction at this once-fantastic site.
A couple of hours birding around the Cafe Yasmina and Auberge Caravan produces Hoopoe, Greater Short-toed and Desert Larks, Trumpeter Finches, Brown-necked Ravens and a surprise pair of Ruddy Shelduck in an area devoid of water. Every one of the dozens of sparrows is scrutinised, but other than House Sparrows the only notable bird is a single male Spanish Sparrow. In light of my two previous visits, when Desert Sparrows were the dominant species, it really is quite depressing.
Returning to the Riad Mamouche we are treated to an outstanding breakfast of olives, fresh bread, pancakes, fresh juice and coffee. Highlight is the generous serving of harsha, a delicious Berber corn bread that we do not come across elsewhere on our travels.
We spend the next few hours at Lake Srij, a huge rain-dependant water body close to Merzouga and just ten minutes drive from our lodgings. A dirt track leads past the town football pitch, east to the lake, which is quite a revelation as one climbs over dry stony hills to be suddenly confronted by a vast expanse of glistening water.
As water is such a rare commodity in the desert, Lake Srij has attracted an immense gathering of waterbirds (and, sadly, bicycle-equipped fossil salesmen!). As we move between various vantage points some 176 Marbled Teal, 400+ Ruddy Shelduck, 600+ Greater Flamingos, 100+ Great Cormorants and 1000+ Eurasian Coots are counted. Lesser numbers of Pochard, Shoveler, Pintail and Little Grebe add to the stunning spectacle, and we note that several pairs of Great Crested Grebes have successfully raised young in the Sahara Desert!
A group of 16 Kentish Plovers are an interesting distraction, with a scattering of Black-winged Stilts being the only other shorebird presence. Hundreds of White Wagtails chase insects around the lake margins, which are also home to a fascinating display of odonata. A number of Red-veined Darters flit around the shallows, a single Saharan Bluetail damselfly is noted, but the highlight are the Vagrant Emperors which defend territories or engage in copulation and ovipositing in huge numbers all around the lake. The male Vagrant Emperors are gorgeous dragonflies, whose pale brown abdomens are topped by an electric blue initial segment, and I take delight in capturing hundreds of images of ovipositing insects.
We return to the Mamouche via a pit stop in Merzouga, which proves to be a dusty, tatty mishmash of souvenir shops and guiding agents. After a siesta and swim we have a 16.00 appointment with some camels. Climbing aboard the well-worn saddles of Jimmi and Hendrix, they lurch to their feet with a jolt and we set off on a trek through the sand, gaining wonderful late evening views of the Erg Chebbi and surrounding barren landscape. Leaving the camels and mounting a suitable orange pinnacle, we sit and watch the sun descend below the horizon in spectacular fashion.
It all sounds idyllic but we actually conclude that the camel trip is an uncomfortable, over-priced waste of an evening. Anyone wanting a memorable sunset in the dunes would be well advised to do it on foot and find a nice secluded spot away from the hawkers (should such a thing actually exist at Erg Chebbi!).
The day is concluded with another fine, traditional meal at the Mamouche.
Saturday 26th February
With alarms double checked we are out at 05.45 to sprint up the dunes and catch a real Saharan sunrise. Then it’s back to the car, to follow the sandy track around the base of the dunes. Moving north, I check the camel park at every single hotel and fail to get a sniff of a Desert Sparrow; all very disappointing when one considers the ease with which this species could be seen twelve years previously. I meet a couple of locals in the course of my stay who claim that they can show me a Desert Sparrow for suitable reimbursement, but I am both reluctant to pay for a bird that was formerly so simple to find and am also far from convinced that the ‘guides’ in question can come up with the goods. It really is sad that this once-unforgettable birding site has deteriorated so dramatically in such a short space of time.
The bird list is pretty much identical to the previous morning, i.e. several hundred House Sparrows, one male Spanish Sparrow, Brown-necked Ravens, Trumpeter Finches and Greater Short-toed Larks. The Hoopoe Larks are the highlight, with some very confiding individuals including a bird in full song flight right beside the car.
Another huge and extremely tasty breakfast at the Riad Mamouche revives the somewhat flagging spirits, washed down with large volumes of coffee to fuel the impending drive to the west. At 11.00 we are on our way, tracing our route back across the desert and then following the Valle du Dades, always with a keen eye for a lurking speed cop.
For the first time in our stay it is overcast, with high winds whipping up dense sand storms in places. Our only stop is for an improvised picnic beneath the Boumalne blossom trees, by which time the sun has broken through the cloud. After a full six hours at the wheel we turn off the N9, and head north along the valley of the Asif Ounila which leads us to Ait Benhaddou.
Our destination is something of an unknown quantity, as the chosen hotel has failed to reply to my emails and I have read little about the spot since selecting it as a suitable location to break the journey back to Marrakesh. Crossing the brow of a hill and descending towards the town in the evening light we are confronted by the full splendour of 11th Century Ait Benhaddou, whose mud-brick walls cover a large section of the hillside on the opposite river bank.
Following signs to the Hotel dar Mouna, and taking a narrow alleyway in the new section of the town, we are led to a pair of huge wooden gates which are firmly locked. It doesn’t look good, but soon we have raised the staff, to receive a particularly warm welcome and confirmation of our internet reservation. Rounding the side of the excellently appointed hotel we find a wide veranda where astonishing panoramic views open out across the valley and directly onto the old town. Terraced walls drop down to the wide river, beyond which the spectacular kasbahs cling to a steep hillside, with green date palms at their feet and snowy Atlas peaks as a backdrop. This really is breathtaking stuff, and there is little wonder that the UNESCO World Heritage Site has been used as the set for a string of films such as Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth and Gladiator.
It is the perfect place to end the day, as Victoria pulls out her sketch pad and me a notebook, and we sip beer and chew olives in the last hours of daylight. Ait Benhaddou and the Hotel dar Mouna are the revelation of the trip and we would advise anyone to include a visit to this unmissable gem in their itinerary (http://www.darmouna.com/).
A fantastic evening meal is served in luxurious surroundings, although the speciality sheep’s tail tagine is somewhat unexpected!
Sunday 27th February
With a couple of birding hours available pre-breakfast I am up with the sun and off down the valley to see what I can discover in this uncharted territory. Unfortunately yesterday’s strong winds have returned, which means that conditions are far from ideal, but it’s still an interesting exploration.
The upper valley is flanked by large expanses of stony desert, which appear ideal for larks. The wind may be a contributing factor, but surprisingly the plains appear devoid of lark interest. What I do find, however, are at least eleven Cream-coloured Coursers, with a tight group allowing point blank approach after a little off-road driving and I secure some fantastic images of these stunning birds.
Further down the valley several vegetated wadis provide some shelter from the strong winds and the presence of Woodchat Shrikes and Subalpine Warblers shows that Spring migration has started, as does the almost constant northward passage of Barn Swallows. A singing male Blue Rock Thrush is another bird of note, and a pair of White Storks appear to be new arrivals to the valley.
Back at the Dar Mouna, Vic has filled several more sheets of the sketch pad and a fantastic breakfast awaits. After some more drawings and photos of this memorable location we finally set off on our journey back over the High Atlas at 11.30. It’s a beautiful clear day of snow-clad peaks, leafy valleys and stark high altitude beauty. Other than a photogenic African Chaffinch outside Abdul’s tagine stall there is little of note in the bird department, but some young boys with a tethered Barbary Ground Squirrel indicate the presence of this species which continues to elude me in a wild state.
On the north side of the mountains we descend into low cloud which gives way to rain. The drizzle follows us all the way to the lowlands, where we break into the sun just in time to photograph blue-eared Moroccan Magpies on the outskirts of Marrakesh.
The journey to the airport to drop off the hire car looks very straightforward on the map, but the poor signposting in Marrakesh leads to confusion and we take up the offer of a friendly motorcyclist to guide us in, as surely a few Dirham will save lots of time? Scammed again, it transpires! Our man leads us through narrow backstreets for twenty minutes when we know full well that the airport can only be a stones-throw away. Needless to say we soon dispense with his services, but such efforts to drag every last money-making chance from the tourist can really grind one down in this otherwise fantastic country.
Relieved to finally make the airport we ditch the hire car and head for the taxi rank, as we intend to spend our final day touring the sites of Marrakesh on foot. As if to restore our faith in Moroccan nature, the taxi man keeps to his word and after parking up at the edge of the medina he guides us through the fascinating labyrinth of souks and alleyways to deliver us at a large wooden door signposted Dar Tamlil (http://www.dartamlil.com/?lng=en). A friendly face answers our knock and leaving the dark, narrow alleyway we enter a beautifully tiled patio which is open to the sun three floors above. Soon we are drinking mint tea in beautifully decorated surroundings, in an incredibly peaceful setting which seems a million miles away from the frantic world of the souks which lie just yards away; this place is another little gem and we would recommend it to anyone planning to spend some time in Marrakesh.
After acquainting ourselves with our modest, yet clean and perfectly adequate room, we set out for a night on the town in one of the most fascinating cultural centres in the world. It is now dark, as we negotiate the two-minute walk to Djemaa El-Fna, where the narrow souk-cum-alleyway opens out onto the evening mayhem of Marrakesh’s unforgettable main square. Djemaa has existed since 1050 AD, when it was used for public executions, and its name translates as ‘assembly of the dead’. In 2010 it has probably changed surprisingly little, and as we wander amongst the assembled groups of minstrels, acrobats, storytellers and astrologers it is reassuring to note that the vast majority of visitors are still Moroccan.
The sights, sounds and smells of Djemaa overload one’s senses, and anyone visiting Morocco would be foolish to miss out on this unique experience. Having toured the performers, the smell of the food stalls can be resisted no longer and we are soon sitting down at one of the many temporary tables for a feast of lamb kebabs, bread and couscous. Next on the evening itinerary is a visit to the souks, where fresh pastries from a sweet stall round-off the meal as we take a stroll through the mesmerising maze of shop-lined alleyways.
After a coffee in a bar overlooking the square we retire to the Dar Tamlil, still high on what has to be one of the most amazing night’s entertainment on Earth.
Monday 28th February
The last day of our trip begins with a leisurely breakfast on the fantastic rooftop terrace of our riad. The sky is cloudless and House Buntings sing from high walls and TV aerials all around, regularly venturing into easy photographic range. A couple of Booted Eagles drift overhead, presumably on their migration north, before we set out to see the town by daylight.
In the sunshine Djemaa lacks some of its night-time magic, with the food stalls cleared to make way for snake charmers, Barbary Macaque photographic touts and water sellers. We spend our morning in the maze of fascinating souks, which purvey all imaginable goods and provide endless opportunity for the determined haggler to practice their work.
After a final meal overlooking Djemaa we bid the square farewell, vacate the wonderful Riad Dar Tamlil and return to the airport, bringing an extremely enjoyable trip to a close. A visit to Morocco is both easy and very cheap, yet we have had a fantastic week in this wonderfully diverse country, with many highlights in terms of birds, scenery, cuisine and culture.
