Mountains, Lakes & Family Homes

Another early start but they are so worth it, throughout this trip we have seen so much.

Breakfast is again down near the pool and we depart from this stunning Riad at 9am.

We are all feeling a little jaded this morning and the first stage of the bus journey today passes quietly.

We travel by road for 2 hours and I wake from dozing like most of the group I am amazed to see it is snowing!!

We stop for hot drinks in Ifrane – a strange little place nestled in the Middle Atlas Mountains it is often referred to as Africa’s “Little Switzerland” and at 1650 metres it is close to a ski resort! The cafe we visit is packed with locals out to play in the snow on this Sunday morning.

From here we travel for about a further 2 hours to our lunch stop – we are again eating in a Moroccan family home in Khenifra - a place that seems untouched by the outside world – this is a premium experience chosen by the local tour leaders and helps to support people who may otherwise struggle on the incomes they have. Adil gives us a tea demonstration – 6 spoons of tea in a pot plus 1 cup of hot water, wait 1 minute, stir the pot and pour the contents out (this is to remove the dirt from the pot) now fill the pot with water and leave for 5 minutes – tea is then ready. For lunch we have Rfissa – Moroccan crepes filled with chicken, almonds and dates – not typically served in restaurants. The lunch we are served is huge and very tasty, when it is time to say goodbye we can hardly move.

We then continue on our way through deserted landscapes with high snow capped mountains as a backdrop finally reaching our destination the Widiane Resort at Bin el-Ouidane, overlooking the lake the setting is absolutely stunning. This is definitely the most modern property we have stayed in, the room is huge with a large bathroom and a balcony with views to the lake. The hotel feels empty but there are guests at both dinner and breakfast. The restaurant here is located nearer to the lake than the rooms at the hotel but it should be noted it is a very steep driveway from one to the other (buggies are available). Our meal tonight is with cous cous and once finished we head off to bed with full stomachs but are all very tired.