The African Chicken Delight

The African Chicken Delight By Chris Jacob

Welcome to the Gourmet Chicken Series. Today we bring you Moroccan Chicken.

Moroccan cuisine is considered as one of the most diverse cuisines around the globe. The reason is because due to Morocco;s interaction with the outside world throughout time. The cuisine of Morocco is a mix of Berber, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and African cuisines. The cooks in the royal kitchens of Fez, Meknes, Marrakech, Rabat and Tetouan refined Moroccan cuisine over the centuries and created the basis for what is known as Moroccan cuisine today.

Ingredients: 2 tbsp. butter, 2 tbsp. vegetable oil, 2 Broiler-fryers cut into pieces, 2 chopped medium onions, 1 chopped clove garlic, 1 cup ground almonds, 1 tbsp. dried basil, 1/2 tsp. pepper 1/2 cup honey, 1-1/2 cups of chicken broth, 2 tbsp. corn starch, 1 lemon for juice

Method: 1. In a casserole heat butter and vegetable oil and brown chicken. 2. Season with salt and pepper and remove. 3. In the remaining fat cook onions and garlic until translucent. 4. Add next 4 ingredients, cook over gentle heat stirring until well mixed. 5. Combine the broth and corn starch and add to the contents of the casserole over high heat. 6. Cook and stir sauce thickens. 7. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. 8. Replace chicken, spooning sauce over chicken. 9. Bake in covered preheat oven at 350 for 1 hour.

BON APTIT……

Chris Jacob

(Gourmet Chicken – Moroccan Chicken)

Born 25th December 1981 in Melbourne, Australia, Chris (also known as CJ) graduated from Monash University in 2003 after completing Bachelor degrees in Commerce and Business Systems. He went on to co-own a Computer Troubleshooters franchise which also introduced him to the opportunities of writing for the News Corp, mX newspaper and Metro News in Australia. He continues in that jounalistic capcity today. He sold the business in late 2005 allowing him to pursue other opportunities both around Australia and abroad. At last check he was involved in global enterprises covering bereavement and business broking, writng a couple of books, becoming an art ditributor and developing an education platform for the new millenium. Chris can always be found having a good time on the dance floor and at any good restaraunt around town usually with a wine in his hand. He currently has no permanent residence but still calls Australia home.

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Body Painting: Henna Tattoo

Body Painting: Henna Tattoo By Lieve Lambrechts

Henna tattoos are an ancient custom in India: girls and women are body painted before ceremonies, like marriage. They painted complicated patterns on their hands and feet to symbolize their fertility.

Henna (or ‘Mehndi’, the Indian name) is made from the henna plant (Lawsonia Inermis). The leaves of the plant are dried and ground. The powder gets mixed with water and you get a sort of green-brownish mud. If you put that mud on your skin, let it harden, and then peel it off, you will notice it has left an orange color.

You can get your henna at an eastern shop or a ‘souk’ in many different colors. There’s orange, mahogany, brown and black. The orange one is the traditional henna. The black henna is synthetic. It contains PDD (P-phenylenediamene) and can cause allergic reactions. Even if it doesn’t cause irritations, it’s still unhealthy. Moreover, in the past, black henna at your wedding was considered a disgrace.

Henna Recipe

With one pack of henna, you’ll have enough to body paint the entire football team. Put the henna in a bowl and gently pour some lemon juice and boiling water in the bowl. Don’t use too much water, the mud has to resemble the thickness of sate sauce. The purpose of the lemon juice is to help the color hold better on your skin.

Your skin should be clean, dry and not fat. If you want to color your nails too, they shouldn’t have nail polish on them. Make sure you really want this, because your nails will be orange for about 2 months. It doesn’t come off! When the henna is cold, you can get to painting.

If you want to paint your foot soles, which is a traditional custom in Marokko, make sure you have a pillow of some kind to keep your feet off the floor, before you know it, the henna mud is everywhere! You can apply the henna with all sorts of instruments, what works best is a syringe (without the needle of course).

Symmetric and geometric shapes work best. Don’t make the lines too thin, the color won’t come on to your skin very well. The bigger the surface, the brighter the color will be. Now: the annoying part: Waiting…

Let the henna dry in the sun, the warmth of the sun will get your color deeper into your skin. You can also use a hairdryer.

If you make a mistake in the picture your painting: ACT QUICKLY! If you wipe it off too late, the henna will leave a red spot.

After a while, the henna will start to burst. Don’t peel it off yet! The henna has to stay on for at least two hours. Then you can start removing the crusts of mud.

DON’T remove the henna with water! Just scrape the crusts of your skin, you can do this with a bold knife. Don’t let your body painting get in touch with water for the first couple of hours. Right after you scraped off all the crusts, rub your skin in with olive oil. It will make the color brighter and help keep the color on as long as possible. Your henna painting will survive for about a month or so.

Also nice to know: Swimming, body peeling, scrubbing your back, and bodyscrub products will make the henna tattoo deteriorate faster.

For more information, visit the authors website on body painting.

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Henna Design Is An Ideal Way To Get A Temporary Tattoo

Henna Design Is An Ideal Way To Get A Temporary Tattoo By Richard Davies

Have you ever seen henna design? It’s simply captivating as an art form. It’s used in society as a popular way to produce natural tattoos that are temporary by nature. It harnesses the power of nature and produces beautiful manmade results in the form of temporary tattoos.

Henna designs are rich with colour. Artists that perform henna design often have a portfolio of designs to hand that you can choose from. Find one you like and have it put on you by the artist. There’s no need to worry about any long term effects due to the fact that by nature itself they aren’t long lasting. The artists requirements in terms of what they need to work with is quite minimal. A portfolio design and some henna combined with a large helping of creativity is all that’s needed. The henna design is then drawn onto the subject as per their requirements.

Henna designs tend to last for the longest duration of time on both the hands and feet, so this is where they are most commonly drawn. It is then put on the skin using something such as a brush, then once completed it its wrapped which results in a vibrant colour. Henna designs last anywhere from one to four weeks in duration. This is largely dependent upon what quality of henna paste was used.

Some henna designs can be very finely detailed with great complexity, which you may find surprising for something that is most certainly finite. I guess all good things come to an end, but the great thing is you can get another great design drawn onto you whenever you like. If you decide you do ever want a henna design or a permanent tattoo be sure to check out our site for more great coverage.

Article by Richard Davies at Tattoo And Piercing Information. Discover a diverse range of information all about popular tattoos and piercings for free, including nose rings, tattoo design, tattoo books, piercing supplies and plenty more at Henna Design

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Live like a King in Marrakech

With so many fine tailor made holidays to Morocco available, you will have a wealth of options to choose from if you plan to visit. By making the right choices you will experience some of the very finest places and activities in North Africa or, indeed, the world. To make sure your journey really is one fit for a King make sure to include the following in your itinerary;

The Old Souk & the Djemaa el Fna

Marrakech is home to the largest Souk, or traditional market, in Morocco and it is here that you will find the choicest and most intriguing cultural items for sale. There seem to be an almost limitless diversity of curios to browse, and the Souk itself is large enough to warrant hours of wandering between the brightly coloured stalls. If something takes your fancy in this wondrous bazaar (as it inevitably will), remember that the quoted price will be wildy optimistic on the part of the salesman and, far from being an insult, is an invitation to enjoy the art of haggling. Stepping out of the Souk, you will come upon the festive Djemaa el Fna, the central square of Marrakech and filled with all forms of entertainment, from story-tellers to dancing-boys to snake charmers. No luxury holidays are complete without an evening spent enjoying the diversions of this famous place.

Real Moroccan Cuisine

Marrakech the perfect place to try real Moroccan cuisine. For those with an adventurous palate the real treats include the delectable pastille, or sweet pigeon pie, filled with a succulent vegetable purée and the particularly flavoursome dessert of strawberries wrapped in wafer-thin pastry and rolled in ground almonds. If you don’t have time to make it to one of the city’s many restaurants, do still make sure to try as many local dishes as you can. You will often not have far to go as many of the luxury hotels have excellent restaurants on site.

Royal Golf de Marrakech

At the foot of the Atlas mountains lies the famed Royal golf course of Marrakech. Fringed by cypress, eucalyptus, palm, olive, orange and apricot trees, these links are as respected for their beauty as their design. With a Caddy being a mandatory requirement and even tailor made holidays available based solely around the course, the Royal Golf has established itself as an exclusive experience that touches the very heights of luxury.

Jardin Majorelle

Also built in the grand days of the 1920’s are the delicate Majorelle Gardens. Tinged with verdant greens and ceramics of cobalt blue there are few finer examples of North African horticulture. Open to the public since 1947, one does not have to be a king to feel like one in this ornate and teeming place.

5-Star Treatment

Marrakech is home to some of the finest luxury hotels in the world. Boasting a cultured mélange of styles, Morocco incorporates the generosity of Arab hospitality with the very pinnacle of local cuisine and, of course, international facilities. The most luxurious of the choices provide a level of service unrivalled anywhere in the world and spa facilities that have rightfully earned a grand reputation.

By: Jane Wilkinson

Marrakech for Your Senses

Marrakech for Your Senses By George Giurickovic

We would like to suggest you a trip to Marrakech, Morocco for the simple reason that we help a convention there and we did find it a very interesting place to visit if you’re up for some ’emotional inputs’ overdose. The ‘Great Imperial City’ is surely a great mix of sleepy infusions of meant tea, tasty spices and incenses tha spice up the air and of course great tasting food of the best moroccan gastronomy. The city of Marrakech is a assault to the senses in the middle of incredible old buildings that seem made out of colorful silk in a frame of sand of the ‘old good times’ of the imperial ‘belle epoque’.

If you do choose to go there, the first place that you’ll visit will be most probable the big square ‘Jeema-el-Fna’ that has inspired many many movies, including the well known Casablanca (that -yes- was not filmed in Casablanca but in Marrakech, the real cultural exotic capital of Morocco). Jeema-el-Fna is just a short stroll south of the main ‘suk’ (traditional, labyrinth style market); the square seems to come directly out of a painting and it is full of visual experiences that hardly could be found anywhere else in the world, including snake trainers, silver merchants and much much more. We would suggest to use Jeema-el-Fna as a starting point to explore the fascinating city center of Marrakech and in particular the main ‘suk’. The everchanging main suk is a melting pot of different misterious sounds, chants and also lovely odours and incredible colors that we’ve never seen around in the US (apart of paint stores).

You will find that in the main suk haggling is in fact art and you will soon have fun in the process + you will grab incredible deals on high quality goods. In the main market textiles hanging down from the ceiling of small rustic shops to dry might seem quite odd, but surely are goodlooking. The Medina of Marrakech (the old walled city center) is the oldest and the most big of Morocco and sometimes looks like a colorful maze ready to be explored for new enchanting experiences to be discovered and tasted. Old buildings are so elaborate and detailed that it looks like they’re made of carved wood.

In the Medina itself more than 300.000 people live and work making it a crowded but peaceful place where to observe life ‘flow’. A visit to Marrakech is not complete without a visit to the Koutoubia tower and the gardens of Agdal.

If you’ve got some time on your side we would like to suggest that you visit (tours or cars are easy to find) the nearby Atlas Mountains and of course the beginning of the Sahara desert, in fact Marrakech is the perfect base if you wish to explore one of the most interesting and beautiful area of Morocco and still be able to take advantage of modern comforts and high standards in Marrakech hotels.

If you want to read the full guide of Morocco and Marrakech by Rough Guides Ltd. for free please go to http://www.travelton.com/destinationguides.htm Thanks for reading.

http://www.travelton.com Hotel Reservations – Hotel Deals, lowest rates guaranteed, flights, car rental, activities, free destination guides, resources, tools and more.

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Morocco: Marriage of Old and New

Morocco: Marriage of Old and New By Vivian Gilbert Zabel

Anyone desiring an adventure in a foreign land should consider Morocco in northwest Africa. The marriage of old and new gives depth and interest to a visit.

The vista from the water appears as if from the Arabian Nights with sand dunes casting shadows in the moonlight as the ocean laps on the white beaches. Ancient towns drowse in the African sun as robed men and women travel by foot, by donkey, or by car. Europeans and Americans pass by in late model vehicles. Morocco’s combination of the most modern life with the most ancient of entities fascinates, interests, and excites me as I travel.

The sun causes the city to shine like a pearl nestled by the Atlantic. Casablanca (which means white house), the gateway to Morocco, meets the eyes first in this place of adventure and beauty. From the contemporary, busy harbor to the center of the city, swarm multicolored, diversely dressed people. A flock of bright-hued, short-skirted girls with long hair flying clack by in their chunky heels. Behind glides a somber group of burnoosed Fatima faces veiled and mysterious. A young Frenchman, in the latest style, saunters by a beggar in robe and dirt. A half-naked toddler, all dark eyes and watery sores, stares at another child dressed in clean clothes riding in a stroller.

In the midst of the metropolis, I visit moderately tall high-rise buildings and many of the latest stores. Then after a short walk or ride in any direction, I discover lovely old villas arrayed in yellows, reds, blues, greens — all flowers and plants. Tucked in here and pushed in there, dirty and cramped stores attract my attention. A little farther away stand shacks of straw, cardboard, mud, or tin, where misery, filth, and poverty of unbelievable depth live. The contrast between the rich being so rich and the poor being so poor shocks me.

When I leave the city, a modern ribbon of asphalt runs into fog-wrapped foothills. Along the roadside, a native man upon his donkey rides before the less-than-animal woman trudging behind. A dark-faced man with a smile-flash of white tries to take all the road with one small bicycle. A European whizzes by in a bug-like car; a limousine, chauffeur driven, majestically rolls past bearing a powerful sheik.

In towns or cities, such as Marrakech, easily accessed commercial areas provide for business needs. Behind low walls, villas or modest homes line wide boulevards. Along narrow winding streets that cars cannot maneuver, doors from windowless houses open directly onto the roadway. The dwellings abut each other, closely packed side by side. Children run chasing and kicking a ball, as veiled women return from market carrying the day’s needs in net bags or in bundles upon their heads.

Beyond the town boundaries, a donkey and a camel yoked together plow a field. The camel will not cooperate; the donkey has to turn him. In the field next door, an American-made tractor does the work in much less time.

Here and there small settlements break the skyline with most of the huts made of wood, mud, or tin; the out-buildings, of straw. Occasionally a more affluent home of stone, built around an open courtyard, appears. Little beauty such as flowers or trees brighten the outside of the drab humble home.

In Morocco exist the wealthy and the indigent; but even more evident are the modern and the ancient ways. The rich, the poor, the old, and the new bring a flavor of enchantment to a country of Arabian Night mystery.

Vivian Gilbert Zabel taught English, composition, and creative writing for twenty-five years, honing her skills as she studied and taught. She is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/, a site for Writers, and her portfolio is http://www.Writing.Com/authors/vzabel. Her books, Hidden Lies and Other Storied and Walking the Earth , can be found through Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com.

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Henna Tattoos – A Natural Way to Decorate Your Body

Henna Tattoos – A Natural Way to Decorate Your Body By Sarah Freeland

Henna tattoos are a natural form of body art – a safe and temporary alternative to getting a real tattoo. Henna tattoo artists use a natural henna ink which is made from powder from the leaves of the henna plant. They make a paste with the henna powder and paint a henna tattoo anywhere on your body.

The tradition of henna tattooing, also called mendhi, has been practiced for millions of years. They have found henna art traces as far as back as the tombs of pharaohs day. Henna tattoo art is still a popular tradition today.

Before applying henna ink to your skin, make sure to test a small amount on your body and check for allergic reactions. Henna tattoos rarely cause reactions in people, but its important to make sure. Once you know the henna ink will not cause a bad reaction, you or your henna tattoo artist can begin the work of art on your skin.

The sky is the limit with the patterns and images of henna tattoos, but the colors are usually limited to dark shades of red, green, brown, or black. This also depends on how your skin reacts since every skin tone will take the henna tattoo ink a little differently.

For more information on henna tattoos and tattoo supplies visit http://www.tattooandpiercingsupplies.com

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First Visit impressions of Morocco

First Visit impressions of Morocco By Philip Suter

Having never visited Morocco or even Africa, I was very excited at the prospect in mid November 2005.

As soon as I boarded the Royal Air Maroc plane at London Heathrow on a late Saturday afternoon I was in another world. Announcements and signage in English French and Arabic. Moroccan stile cuisine and hospitality.

On arrival at the Aeroport Mohammed V after showing you passport several times I was soon on the motorway to Casablanca that is the principal city of the country (but not the capital). It seemed rather like being in France autoroute signage, A French chain owned DIY store, but not so once the taxi had entered Casablanca itself. Here there were people walking out in front of cars, cars just about avoiding other ones and I was\very pleased I was not actually doing the driving, particularly with the lack of seat belts (or even one that worked!).

There is a great French influence in the country it was ruled by the French and Spanish till 1956 and a lot of architecture new and old is very much of the French influence and even the Post boxes are the same shape and yellow colour as in France.

November is probably not the best time of year to visit the country, particularly if you dont want to get wet. The rainy season is from October to November and April to May. On my second day I took the train from Casablanca to Rabat the capital. There is a very efficient and inexpensive rail network that is mainly in the north of the country. Unfortunately just before arriving at the station in Rabat the heavens opened. They had done on the previous day as I explored Casablanca, but the visit to Rabat only lasted just over an hour, because this wasnt rain, it was flash floods and the roads suddenly took on the appearance of rivers. So much for exploring Rabat.

The day before in Casablanca was much more successful. I had spent a while reading a popular traveler’s guide book that helped me understand more about the culture and people. I was not too surprised with offers by people wanting to help, show and ask for money. Men holding hands as they walked along or kissing when they met (like a guard greeting one his passengers) was part of normal life, it happened because they were friends, not a sexual relationship as would be thought of in the west. I also knew that I had to be careful taking photos as many women are not happy about this.

The city has the Mosquee Hassan II a spectacular site, that is built with a glass floor on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. The minaret is the tallest in the world 200 hundred meters high. The roof also opens and shuts.

Unlike a lot of European countries where taxis are modern vehicles, in Morocco you will find the large Grand taxis that normally travel with as many people legally possible going from town to city and are usually a Mercedes of the 1980s era that will be a certain colour depending on the town or city they are based in. Each town will also have its own coloured Petit Taxi. Theses are normally Peugeots and Fiats (colour coded for each town or city) that most likely started life in the 1980 and 1990s in Europe and were exported south to start a new lease of life as a passenger carrying vehicle for four.

Moving onto Marrakesh ( known as Marrakech locally) by train proved to be very interesting. Paying the additional amount for first class at least guaranteed a comfortable seat, although my limited experience in second class did not prove to have any discomfort. The landscape changes with more and more dryer fields, even cacti being cultivated in places and farmers using ploughs pulled by horses or donkeys. You can see Atlas Mountains in the distance as you come into Marrakesh. Many people decide to stay in the Ville Nouvelle where you will find the western style hotels and even villa complexes a few miles out where you are enclosed from the outside real world. I was staying in a small Riad in the centre off the Djemaa el Fna the large city centre square in the Medina.

A Riad is a type of Guest House that is normally built round a patio garden. Normally some of the rooms are open plan to the elements and there is not so much rain there as nearer the coast. The experience of reaching the destination was varied. A petit taxi to the edge of the Djemaa el Fna and then because taxi are not allowed in after midday you have to hire a porter and cart.

The square is full of mobile restaurants, traders, snake charmers and appears to be very much alive most hours of the day. There are also several panoramic cafs where you can get a superb view day or night of the surrounding scene including the Koutoubia Mosque . If you want to sit there and have a beer or glass of wine think again. Morocco is an Islamic nation so alcohol drinking is not a high priority. Although wine and beer are produced in the country, many cafes and restaurants would only serve light drinks (Coke, orange, mineral water, coffee etc) or the national. drink -mint tea. You certainly would not have a problem in the hotels in the Ville Nouvelle.

The food is generally excellent and very reasonable as well. The traditional Moroccan Tajine (A steam cooked meat stew) and couscous were tried.

The country has great contrasts of wealth and poverty. There are numerous developments being built as holiday homes near to Marrakesh and the three hour drive back to Casablanca to take the plane back home took in the new prosperous areas and past little shantytown areas of small buildings with corrugated iron roofs held down with boulders and each having a satellite dish. The taxi driver made a couple of stops to buy cigarettes. By the side of the road someone would come out with either packets or split packets. On each occasion the driver bought 2 cigarettes.

Jobs are very important, the host at the Riad said that a waiter in a restaurant cannot afford to make mistakes. He knows that there is another million of unemployed people waiting to take the job. There are numerous police about. Normally going around in fours or more. They man roadblocks at the entrances and exits to most towns. This is probably high security or could be giving the employed force more to do.

If you are going there on holiday make sure that you spend your Dirhams before you get to the airport. You wont be able to change themback in the departures area or spend them on drink or tobacco at the Duty Free they only accept euros.

The country is large about the of California USA, there is a lot to see, I would like to visit other cities like Tangier and Fes. Even though it rained in Casablanca and Rabat it was hot dry and sunny in Marrakesh and the last night of 17 degrees centigrade on the roof of the Riad was quite a contrast to 24 hours later back in the south of England that was undergoing one of the first cold spells of the winter.

Philip Suter is a Director of JML Property Services, a UK based company offering Insurance products on line and a holiday home advertising service http://www.jmlvillas.com/ and management training with in the uk. He is a very experienced property consultant with over 30 years work in the Residential letting business and served in the national council of ARLA. He is a Fellow of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and a Member of The association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA)

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Morocco Vacations

Morocco Vacations By Mansi Aggarwal

Morocco is a place where sand embraces the sea and snow. The charismatic beauty of the place is such that it lures visitors from around the world. The southern coast of Morocco converges in the Western Sahara whereas its northern sides are enveloped by the bedazzling snow capped Atlas Mountains. The Atlas Mountains not just add to the scenic splendor of the place but also safeguard it against its hostile neighbor, Algeria. The area between the mountains and Moroccos Atlantic coast is covered with fertile plains. Beautiful gorges venturing into the sand and stony wastes of Sahara desert can be witnessed at the edge of the Anti Atlas.

Morocco cities are places worth visiting. Perhaps the oldest city of this place is Fes. Fes is also known as the heart of morocco. The medina of Fes el-Bali or Old Fes is one of the largest living medieval cities in the world today. The magnificent gates and walls here add to the grandeur of the place. The Moroccan city of Marrakesh is known for its rich culture and heritage. Marrakesh is the former capital of morocco. Today the city is famous for its vibrant markets and festivals. To keep its visitors especially children busy the city presents a plethora of activities by magicians, snake charmers, acrobats etc. Spring and autumn seasons are ideal to explore this wonderful city. The city of Rabat displays a perfect confluence of historical events and contemporary developments. The ambience of this city is Islamic as well as European in nature.

Other pulls of morocco include Ait Benhaddou, the most exotic and best-preserved kasbahs in the entire Atlas area. It is one amongst the coveted place for film shootings. The beautiful Central Medina is a huge square in the medina that is the backdrop for one of the worlds greatest spectacles. From open-air food stalls to storytellers, snake charmers and musicians here you will find every source of entertainment. Be it any time of the year the Hasan II Mosque, the worlds third biggest religious monument is seldom left unvisited. The exterior of the mosque bears a French design while its interior is dedicated to the Moroccan style. If you want to see the largest and the well-kept Roman ruins in morocco then Volubilis is the place you need to hit. The origins of Volubilis can be traced back to 2nd and 3rd centuries AD though excavations reveal that Carthaginian traders discovered the site.

The month of May is swarming with Muslims because of the Mousseum of sid Mohammed Ma al-Ainin festival. This is an occasion to see the blue people i.e Tuareg nomads of Sahara. Also popularly known is the National folklore Festival of Marrakesh. It is a ten-day event that is attended by dancers, musician and other entertainers from all the corners of the city. November is the month of celebration of Independence Day in Morocco.

Mansi aggarwal writes about morocco vacations. Learn more at http://www.offtomorocco.com

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Travel to Morocco for Exciting Holidays Abroad

Travel to Morocco for Exciting Holidays Abroad By Martin Kleis

Morocco is a wonderful Country with some majestic mountain ranges, great coastline and some of the most intriguing Cities on the Continent. Many travellers end up in the Country to sample life in the famous Cities of Casablanca, Marrakech and Rabat and most are not disappointed by what they find. The people are very friendly as well and the infrastructure is very good for the region and it is getting better with the current Government aiming to increase tourist numbers to the Country.

The best time to visit Morocco is during the spring and autumn when it is cooler and more comfortable. The summer can be a good time to visit the coastal areas, but the interior of the country will be uncomfortably hot. The winter can get quite cold in the north though the further south you go, the days will get warmer, however, night time will still be chilly.

Health wise – There is a small risk from Malaria in the extreme south of the Country, but many do not believe it is worth the effort of taking anti-malarial medication. Consult your doctor before coming to this conclusion, it is better to be safe than sorry! Altitude sickness can occur in the mountains and you should be prepared for this. The medical services in Morocco are average and serious injuries and illness may lead to evacuation by air to Spain.

Visas and Documents – Most visitors to Morocco will be able to visit the Country without a visa and be able to stay for up to three months on arrival. Israeli citizens will have to apply for a month long visa before departure. If you are coming from a country or region that is affected by yellow fever or cholera you will need to prove that you have been vaccinated, most clinics or doctors issue certificates with the vaccination.

Cost – Morocco is relatively inexpensive to travel around, though the popular tourist destinations like Casablanca and Marrakech will be slightly more expensive. A budget of $25 a day should suffice, if you are not bothered about eating in restaurants and dont mind staying in guesthouses. Travel around the country is good value, but you should be careful when dealing with taxi drivers, especially in tourist hotspots.

The Sights – There are so many things to see and experience in this wonderful Country and the fact is that you will not have the time to visit them all and all though this is a shame, remember it is important to enjoy this visit and that you can visit again in the future. Obviously, some of the most well known attractions of the Country are some of the best with the Imperial Cities of Fez, Meknes, Marrakech and Casablanca, all amazing destinations with plenty to do and see. Walking through the bazaars and backstreets has got to be one of the

highlights of visiting Morocco – Morocco also has some splendid hiking opportunities, with the most popular being the High Atlas with the impressive Jebel Toubkal. What should be remembered is that there are alternatives to this popular destination, with the Anti Atlas to the south and the rarely visited and wilder Rif Mountains near Tangiers and Chefchaouen.

The mighty ruins of Volubulis are the largest Roman remains in Morocco and it is now a World Heritage listed site. It is one of many ruins across the north of the Country, but none are in the magnitude of this site which lies close to Meknes.

While some may not consider it a highlight, travelling down the Western Sahara to Mauritania is an adventure and a must for many overland travellers making their way to West Africa. It may be an uncomfortable ride, but think of all the fabulous anecdotes you can tell your friends.

For further travel resources, including travel articles and guides on many beautifull locations, why not visit http://www.travelllama.com you can also enter our complimentary travel draw.

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