Oualidia

 
Oualidia is an inviting small hamlet located between Safi and El Jadida and only about 180 km from Marrakech. The hamlet is surrounded by sea; it consists of an 11 km strip of the Atlantic Ocean.

Oualidia is a rich beach communityn most visitors are rich surfers and wealthy fishers. The village is superb for boat excursions, swimming and wendsurfing. The atmosphere is soothing for most of the year. 

Birdwatching is a fundamental advantage of Oualidia and the towns arounds. It's one of the most affluent bird habitats in Morocco. The best spots for watching birds are Cap Beddouza and arounf the lagoons and the best time is between September and April when birds start their migrations back from Europe.

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Horse riding

How often our hearts trembled as we heard the beat of the horses hooves crossing the road. How frequently we followed them with our ears until they trotted away in the distance. Then we would stay awake waiting , sometimes for a long time, until we heard them return.

Exploring the Atlas Mountains and its remote beauty on horse-back is an amazing and remarkable way of getting off the beaten track and relishing the spectacular sceneries of the region.
There are several, distinct options : Single day tours in the surrounding hills, stopping for a cookout in gorgeous, unpretentious villages, in a parterre or by a river - trekking for at least five hours a day and returning to the simple motel for supper. As an alternative, you can order a whole week rides, lodging in traditional stoned houses. The rides guided by long-practiced horsemen, all you have to know is some equestrian skills are required. Hourly lessons for beginners are obtainable : There are many stables around Marrakech you can negotiate directly with; and just for the record, the prices are not expensive.

"Résidence de la Roseraie" at Ouirgane, "Reha" near Agadir and "the Haras de Meknes" in Meknes are probably the major destinations for people who are interested in horse riding.

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Fez, its medina and Al-qarawiyyin

 

 

It is no wonder that Morocco is one of the countries which catch the eyes of any tourist. If one asks the reason behind this tremendous attraction to Morocco, he or she would find that the so-called "Old Medina" and Al-qarawiyyin University are among the most manifest reasons .This article will deal with three points, namely Fez the third largest city of Morocco, its Old Medina and its Al-qarawiyyin University which is considered as the oldest university of the world.

First of all, Fez, one of the largest cities in Morocco, has always been the destination of hundreds of tourists thanks to its status as the country's cultural and spiritual centre. Among other reasons to this overwhelming interest to this city are the following: traditional houses (riads and dars), its varied monuments such as "Bou Inania Madrassa", Dar AL Magana, Zaouia Mawlay Idriss II, Aben Dana Synagogue, and so on. These considerable numbers of religious, civil and military monuments brought about a multi-cultural society. What is more, the architecture of Fez is characterized by construction techniques and decoration developed over a period of more than ten centuries, and where local knowledge and skills are interwoven with diverse outside inspiration (Andalousian, Oriental and African).

Second of all, the old Medina, Fez el Bali, otherwise called the walled city, is regarded as a UNESCO world Heritage site. The latter is an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural, or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant stage in human history. Moreover, the ancient maze-like quarters of the medina take the visitor back to the medieval times. In other words, the medina of Fez is viewed as a masterpiece of human creative genius. If a tourist wanders around its narrow alleys, he or she will get amazed and astounded by the looks of its architecture, landscape design with its aesthetic importance and human values exchange. In general, The Medina of Fez is considered as one of the most extensive and best conserved historic towns of the Arab-Muslim world. It not only stands for a beautiful architectural, archaeological entity and human heritage but also transmits a life style and skills of Moroccan people.

Last but not the least; Al-qarawiyyin University occupies an important spot in Fes. Over twelve hundreds years, this antique university has been one of the leading spiritual and educational centers. It has been the pioneer in the spreading of Islamic religion and Arab civilization. Please allow me, my Dear readers, to say some words about the foundation of this precious heritage. It is said that a young princess, named Fatima Al Fihria migrated with her father Mohammed Al Fihri from Tunisia to Fez, had founded the mosque of Al-qarawiyyin which provide a space for a learning center that turned out to be Al-qarawiyyin university. This is to say, women have always been active participants in the history of Islam and Arabic civilization. Furthermore, the architecture of Al-qarawiyyin has greatly participated in attracting tourists to visit Fez.

In general, Fez is and always will be one of the greatest cities in the Moroccan kingdom. For it not only attracts tourists and wanderers but it also symbolizes knowledge and human achievement.

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Women in the Moroccan Sahara : The fatter the better

In every society, being fat is something unloved ... No one wants to be overweight, and obese people, even in developed countries, suffer from social issues like loneliness, anxiety and depression. Most people consider a fat man or woman as a ugly or hideous person. This is very offensive and unfortunately, it's internationally popular (particularly between teenagers and young adults), but not here in Southern Morocco. Here, in the majority of the Great Sahara - it can vary from one region to another but the notion is the same - a fat woman is a hot one.

 

Unusually and weirdly, Shakira, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian are not sexy women anymore! Sporty girls are just skinny, athletic shapes are as ugly as sticks and perfect bodies no longer are perfect. A man from the Great Sahara, in any event, do still hold the same features and definitions of the beauty : the most important qualifier is the heavy body.

 

At a very young age, mothers begin to make their daughters ready for marital life, they prepare them physically. Fathers seem to be proud of their fleshy daughters, and kind of ashamed if they have a thin kid (some fathers consider their skinny daughters as a curse). Young men are racing for winning the heart of the fattest (the princess), and the one who marry a fat, beefy girl is the lucky one. Girls themselves are proud to have a chubby body.

 

The whole Sahara believe in one single thing when it comes to beauty, even stars (singers and actresses) have the same perspective : The fatter the better.

Saida Charaf, The best known singer from Sahara

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M'diq (Rincon)

 

A small but very gorgeous town on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco (only 15 km away from Tetouan), M'diq (or Rincon like most local people prefer to call it) is a town of fishmen. Very quiet an calm, all you can hear is the voice of the seagulls, the Athan from the old mosques, or the historical church bells on Sundays.
Rincon is a Spanish word that means corner, probably because it's located on the northwest corner of Tamuda Bay. Mdi'q is a real waterfront town.

 

During the day it's very peaceful: The impossible quietness and the unbelievable silence fell over. But at night, everything is radically different, the town center is lively and animated. There you can find shops, restaurants and play areas for children. In summers, the village never sleeps.

 

The magnificent village has a small harbour : a part of it is only for luxurious tourists and their fancy yachts, and the other part is for local fishmen and their small boats. Like I said before, It's a town of fishmen.

Enjoy our collection of pictures : 

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Henna

Henna or Al-Henna is a North African plant (its scientific name is Lawsonia inermis). It has a has a big influence on Moroccan life, people use it for cosmetic purposes, healthy aims or in order to exorcist the bad spirits.

 

Some people think of Henna only as an embellishment or a substitutional to a perpetual tattoo, but here in Morocco, the real function of Henna overrides that of cosmetics and fairness. According to the Berber's belief in spirits and supernatural, a woman body with Henna is a body protected against the evil eye and all kinds of sickness and bad luck. Others go beyond that, and see Henna as a perfect protection for the entire family, that's why it's almost uncommon to see a woman without Henna in Souse region.

The preferable opportunity where Henna is totally present is the "Henna ritual" (a night before the wedding ceremony). The bride (In some region, the groom too) and her unmarried friends group together to celebrate the upcoming wedding and share some moments before the big day (It's kind of close to the western traditions of the Bachelor Party). The Negaffat (plural of Neggafa, Henna tatto makers) decorate the bride (and the unmarried girls) hands and feet with special Henna tattoos related to marriage. It's a way to cherish the marital relation.

 

Henna in Morocco can be found everywhere, you can also buy some tattoos designs with some stories behind them. They are very cheap and available in souks and stores. Djemma el Fna Square in Marrakech is a place where you can find professional tattoo makers with thousands of authentic designs. The colour and the thickness of the design will vary according to your skin, and will be less eminent if your skin is a little dark.

Designs can vary from a region to another, let's see some pictures from different areas.

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Ouzoud Waterfalls

Not far from Marrakech, Ouzoud Waterfalls are existing in the Grand Atlas town of Tanaghmeilt, Azilal. They are lying down a road off the Marrakesh–Azilal Road. There are many facilities you can use to get there (cabs from Azilal, grand cabs from Beni Melal, or throught agencies from Marrakech). Azilal can be the easiest and the cheapest way to reach there, but many tourist recommend touristic tours from Marrakech in order to see the whole region. The province of Azilal is a big land of mystery, full of tales and sights. Visitors almost get drunk on sensations.

Ouzoud is an old Berber word that has a meaning, close enough to "the grinding grain", and the local people seem to be very proud of this name. The majority there speak berber as a native language, but since it has been a tourist attraction area for many decades, people learn to speak so many languages, including English, French and Spanish.

The contiguity of these sappy and voluptuous falls in a land of red sandstone, dust and dessert somehow glares your prospects and puts a "sunset" in your mind. The amphitheatre of the falls falling into small lakes in a fertile and green valley that stays almost invisible till the last moment. The weather is always warm and relaxing and there is always a chance where to play, eat and sleep. When you visit the site, you will find restaurants with Moroccan traditional food, cafés, shops, hotels, camps and canoeing trips.  The heroic gladness of the red landscape and the enjoyable life giving power of water seems to be captivated in every breeze, the arching rainbows add more colours to the place and all you can do then is simply catch your breath in wonder. The Ouzoud Waterfalls site is a real vacation paradise.

 

Not only are The Ouzoud Waterfalls a big pleasure for eyes, but they are also a considerable amusement for ears. The fascinating roar, the water make, seems to dwell like an ancient ritual song. 

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