The Atlas Mountains of Morocco
- Genea Morfeld Swan
- Oct 14, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 21, 2019
Kasbah Africa
Price: discounted for travel industry professionals
We only spent two nights at the amazing Kasbah Africa in the Atlas Mountains and oh, how I wish it could have been more! We found this hotel through the Staff Travel Voyage site which gives discounts to travel industry professionals. It was my first time booking through this page and I am very excited about how it turned out!
So through Staff Travel Voyage https://stafftravel.voyage/ you have to request availability at the locations you are interested in based your dates. Then your request goes to that company and they respond in 24-48 hours if they have the availability. Not all hotels will let one employee reserved two rooms at the same great rate, but some will. Kasbah Africa did.
Pro tips: You will need your employee number to join the page and will need to take your work badge to check in to your hotel.
The Kasbah Africa sent a transfer to pick us up at our hotel in Marrakesh. There was some communication hiccup here and the cab driver arrived an hour late, so I recommend calling the hotel directly about the transfer, not going through the Staff Travel Voyage message page. Your hotel's info should be listed on the STV site. (Another thing contributing to our late departure from Marrakesh was most likely the remote location of our riad within the medina walls. Our driver had to park and cross the large market on foot to reach us!)
The drive from Marrakesh is about 1.25 hours and cost about $45. We did two stops along the way but didn’t feel pressure to buy anything. Our favorite stop was at Tatfi Blldi where the ladies showed us how to make cosmetic and edible Argan oil. We may have spent $50 or more there, plus we left a $2 tip (20 MAD) in the basket for the hard working Berber ladies actually demonstrating the making of the oil.
We had traditional Berber mint tea in a tent when we first arrived (sugar-free, unlike the Arab version, because Arabs seem to like sugar in everything) and received an explanation of the different kinds, and uses, of Argan oil. Argan trees capable of producing the Argan fruit only grow in Morocco!
Fun fact: The Berbers are the native people of Morocco. They speak a different language that is only now being written down. They have a political movement going to change their name to Amazingh as the name Berber was given to them by the Arabs and it means something like ‘babbling.’
We were so impressed with the location of Kasbah Africa -- built straight into a mountain side with 156 steps to complete. Not for the exercise-adverse! Also, the rooms are incredibly spacious. Plenty of room if you are a family of four wanting to share. We didn't, so we booked two rooms! The bathroom water is not potable and has that non-potable water smell but it didn't even register as a blip of negative. The kasbah supplied plenty of bottled water.
After some lazy moments around the pool, we hiked the stream bed.
The office manager Hassan reserved us a 5 mile hike the next day with a local. The hike and mosque visit was about $35 per person. Abdellatif, a local Berber guide, took us to see the Tal Mal Mosque, a local Unesco site. It was built in 1156 to commemorate the founder of the Almohad dynasty, Mohamed Ibn Tumart and once hosted hundreds of believers but now there are only 65 families in the area and they go to a much smaller mosque closer to their homes. It is only one of two mosques available for viewing by non-Muslims.
Pro tip: Carry water and wear sunscreen when walking in these arid mountains! Also, remember this is a Muslim country and women should cover their shoulders and knees. My daughter and I also took a scarf to cover our heads in the mosque out of respect for the culture.
Before we started our hike, we stopped at a local bar to use the restroom. I saw no women in this bar and the restroom was further evidence of their absence as it was one tiny room with a hole in the ground. No paper. Thankfully, I had a tissue. We purchased a couple of sodas at the bar for the kids since we used the restroom there.
Our long, arid hike through Berber villages and the Atlas Mountains had us visiting an elementary school in session, cemetery (stones are placed at the head and foot and there are no name markers) and examining a pot where Berber women make their bread. Abedellatiff was very informative and kind — even loaning me his walking pole for the entire hike!
After the mosque we stopped for a picnic, prepared for us by the wonderful staff at Kasbah Africa. We purchased some items from the local shop owner who let us use his shop for our picnic. I did haggle the price down a bit but still paid maybe more than I should have, to help support the local economy. I spent about $30 on a locally made Berber bracelet and a Sahara made necklace for my son.
I highly recommend having a guide! Have you or your hotel contact Abedellatiff who taught himself English and is a guide-extraordinaire a.torod@hotmail.com 00-212 (0) 6-67-231-178
Pro tip: Be sure to tip your guides and service professionals!
A special shoutout to our host, Rachid, our hotel manager Hassan and our nice waiter Raf! You really made our time at Kasbah Africa special. (I am sorry if I butchered your names)
Our last night we had a bonfire with the staff and a nice British family. We survived said bonfire with much hilarity, tree climbing to make sure nothing burned and lots of mint tea!
It was very hard to leave Kasbah Africa and the amazing Atlas Mountains. My son is already planning on returning on a ski trip!
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