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Behold what treasuresawait in the heart of atypical Moroccan Medina.African LifestylesTHE RIADS OFby Muguette GoufraniHomes of CharacterThese traditional homesof Morocco, which manyreferred to as riads,villas, dars, kasbahs orguest homes, range fromthe simplest structuresto the most sumptuous,luxurious palaces. Legendarycomparisons are made to the Garden of Eden,with its fruit- laden trees, or a treasure-filledhideaway from A Thousand and One Nights.Cascading waterfalls, inner fountains withroses petals and bird baths, interior and rooftoptented patios, refreshing sauna-like hammams- you will find all of this and much more.Many riads are showpieces of Moroccanarchitecture and culture, a constant challengeto innovative decorators attracted by theopportunity to renovate and improve, withamazing transformations from ugly ducklingsto graceful swans. While the concept is thesame, each riad is unique in its own way, as inthe hands and eyes of the owner or designer.Africa Travel Magazine’s editorial team nevertires of visiting a riad, whether it be in theheart of a médina, a desert oasis or a retreathigh in the Atlas Mountains. In our firstMorocco edition, Habeeb Salloum desribes theexperience this way, “We stopped to refreshourselves at the Kasbah Hotel RestaurantAsmaa - a traditional kasbah-style buildingwhose interior is beautified by fountains andtiles in traditional Moroccan fashion. Soonthereafter, we were driving in the barren HighAtlas until we passed a spot 1,907 m (6,255 ft)above sea level - the highest point we were toreach during our journey. From this high pass,the road wound its way downward through anarid landscape until we reached the Ziz River- a thin line of greenery in an otherwise barrencountryside.At places, the road wound its way high abovethe river, then suddenly it would descend to thewater’s edge where vegetables thrive underolive, palm and many other type of trees. Thescene brought to mind the words of the poetastronomerOmar Khayam, “Between thedesert and the sown.”Africa Travel Magazine

MOROCCO. VIVE LA DIFFERENCE!How it startedThe idea for our World Edition supplementon Moroccan homes and lifestyle wasborn in 1996 during the first Africa TravelAssociation (ATA) Conference held inthis fascinating country. The venue wasMarrakech and the focus was on Culturaland Ecotourism. The stage was set in2002, when myself, Editor Jerry Bird andbroadcaster Ogo Sow toured the majorcities from Fez to Rabat, Casablanca,Essaouira and Marrakech. One of thehighlights was our visit to several ofthe boutique hotels, riads and luxuryresorts, such as the Amanjena with its 32Pavilions, six, two-storey maisons and theAl-Hamra Maison, with its pools and oasisof palms and olive trees in the foregroundand the High Atlas Mountains as abackdrop. Our editor has these commentsabout Marrakech, “Where else are all thewalls and buildings tinted in a rich pastelpeach, the broad avenues and promenadeslined with rows and rows of orange trees,with ripe fruit dangling from their brancheslike holiday ornaments?”Riads of MogadorWe stayed an extra few weeks through NewYears at Essauoira, formerly Mogador.Here we were treated to a visit of thesuperb facilities and park-like groundsat the elegant Dar Mimosas, situateda few miles south of the city. At theMédina, inside the walls of a centuries oldPortuguese fortress, a variety of attractiveriads offer fine food and accommodation.I was introduced to Les Terrassesd’Essaouira, a luxurious riad which offers ascenic view of the bay.One of our favorite stops while doingbusiness or shopping is the Riad AlMédina. My brother Maurice Goufraniof the Centre Georges Pompidou in Parisoften stays when he visits the EssaouiraCultural Complex, or attends the popularGanaoua Festival, a three day banquet ofmusic.Our current stay in Essaouira has giventhe Homes and Lifestyles project a giantleap forward. In recent months, we havetraveled the Atlantic Coast from Agadirin the South, via Safi, Al Jaddida andCasablanca to beyond Rabat. Other areasare in our sights as we develop the AfricaTravel Library through our series of WorldEditions and supplements.Living the Moroccan LifestyleWe are actually living in a riad. When mymother retired over a decade ago, she hadan architect friend design her a villa in thetraditional Moroccan style and during theinterim the place has taken shape. Nowthat we have arrived to stay it will becomethe African base for our magazine andgrowing library of magazines, books andmedia resources. At the moment we aredeveloping the garden area, which will be apleasant retreat, with additional shade trees,flowers, birds and fish pools. The roofterrace has an outstanding view of the newworld class golf course, with constructionwell underway - confounding theskeptics who said it could not be done.Facts About Morocco:Courtesy of Habeeb Salloum.1) Nationals of most countries do notneed visas to enter Morocco- only validpassports.2) If you know French, its is easy to getaround in Morocco. Everyone speaksFrench, but many also know English.3) Unit of currency in Morocco is thedirham which fluctuates at around 10 to12 to a dollar. Exchange money at banksor hotels - rates are all the same with nocommission.4) When traveling in Morocco, trainsare the most comfortable. Buses areinexpensive - CTM the best. Small autos,with unlimited mileage and fully insured,rent for about $50. a day, fully insured.5) The mass of hustlers which onceAfrica Travel Magazineinfested the tourist spots in Morocco havebeen greatly diminished by the strong armof the law.6) Tips are expected for every service -always carry small change.7) Bargain for all tourist items - never shopwith a guide - his commission is usuallyabout 30%.8) At night, avoid dark alleyways. Moroccois safer than many other countries, butmuggers still stalk the lonely streets.9) When in Erfoud, for a breath-takingtaste of the desert, one should make a tripto Merzouga, an oasis near the Algerianborder surrounded by sand dunes - somemore than 50 m 164 ft) high. The oasis’slake is a favorite spot for migrating birds,especially in February and March, when theDayet Srji flamingos appear. On the otherhand, if traveling the desert is on one’smind, trips to the desert can be arranged bytour companies in Erfoud.10) Two good places to stay in Erfoud:Hotel Salem - a 4 star abode - from $56. To$80. A room; Hotel Ziz, an excellent 3 starabode located in the heart of town - $34. aroom.Note: All prices quoted are in U.S. dollars.This feature continues on thefollowing page.

THE RIADS OF MARRAKECH ARE EVERYTHINGby Muguette GoufraniWhile I was born inMorocco and beganmy career there withour family’s tourcompany and RoyalAir Maroc, beforeworking my wayaround the world, my return as partof the Africa Travel Association, hasbeen a true rediscovery. Marrakechwas ATA’s host city for a Culturaland Ecotourism Conference in1996 and Fez had the same honorsin 2002. As Morocco’s thirdlargest city and a bustling center ofcommerce, Marrakech is high on ourlist as an ideal convention site andplace to visit. The metropolitan areacomprises the Médina, a walled citybuilt centuries ago as a fortification,surrounded by one of the mostmodern communities anywhere,with upscale shops, famous namehotels, leafy parks and treedboulevards.Hidden TreasuresWithin the Médina itself you willfind several huge doors, whichlike the entrance to Ali Baba’scave, open up to reveal what NorthAfricans call a ‘riad.’ During a stopin Marrakech enroute to Casablanca,we had the pleasure of staying atthe Hotel Riad Shama, and visitingseveral othersincluding the HotelRiad Oasis. Bothare operated by thesame company andeach has its uniqueattractions - magicalArabian architectureand decor, pools andoriental lounges,Africa Travel Magazinespacious bed rooms, cosy fireplacesand luxury bathrooms. Want toenjoy the fresh air of SouthernMorocco and a bird’s eye view ofthe exotic surroundings within theMédina? Each riad provides guestswith access to a roof terrace orsundeck. How did we know aboutthese two attractive riads? We spentsome time learning about them fromthe general manager herself - duringour weeks at ITB Berlin and theSalon International de Tourism inParis. After checkingin at the Hotel RiadShama, we took awalk through the souk,a huge marketplacewith products andservices of everydescription - and plentyof bargains awaitingyour pleasure. Close

A FINE HOTEL SHOULD BE - AND MUCH MOREby is Djemaa el Fna, one of thebusiest market squares in Africa,with snake charmers, acrobats,story-tellers, dancers, and musicians.By night, the square turns into anopen-air restaurant where traditionalMoroccan dishes, such as cous cousand tangine are on the menu.What is a Riad?A traditional Riad is a Moroccanhome or palace, whichoften includes aninterior garden. Theancient Roman city ofVolubilis, which wevisited in 2002, duringour conference in Fez,provides a reference forthe beginnings of riadarchitecture. The designof these courtyarddwellings in the coastalregions of Moroccowere an adaptation and modificationof the Roman villa. When theAlmoravids conquered Spain inthe 11th century they sent Muslim,Christian and Jewish artisans fromSpain to Morocco to work onmonuments. These artisans broughtwith them the idea of arrangingthe rooms of the house aroundthe central open-air courtyard thathas become today’sriads. The riads wereinward focused whichallowed for familyprivacy and protectionfrom the weather inMorocco. This inwardfocus was expressedin the central locationof most of theinterior gardens andcourtyards and thelack of large windowson the exterior clay or mud brickwalls. Entrance to these houses isa major transitional experience andencourages reflection because allof the rooms open into the centralatrium space. In the central gardenof traditional riads there are oftenfour orange or lemon trees andpossibly a fountain. The walls ofthe riads are adorned with tadelaktplaster and zellige tiles. The styleof these riads has changed over theyears, but the basic form is still usedin designs today. Many riads arenow used as hotels or restaurants.Photos from the Riad Shama are onthe above page (left) and those fromthe Riad Oasis are on above page(right). To find out more or to bookrooms for yourself or group at eitherhotel, contact Muguette Goufrani bye-mail: airhwy@smartt.comCONTINUED ON NEXT PAGEAfrica Travel Magazine

ESSAOUIRA GNAOUA, A MUSICAL BANQUETfresh salad for less than five dollars U.S. Mytwo colleagues split a large crab for a similartab. Overhead a flotilla of sea gulls wasdipping and diving against a background ofcrashing whitecaps, rocky outcrops and ruggedremnants of the centuries old Portuguesefort that marks the city’s place in history.Some call this the “city of winds ... and whenwe visited Essaouira earlier this same week,a minor storm was brewing. Gusts swept thearea clear of surfers, bathers, wanderers andbeachcombers. A few lonesome camel driversstill tended their stalls near the far endof the crescent shaped beach, and the wavesgrew even more fierce as they pounded theshore. But today, near the end of December,the weather is as balmy as any springafternoon, and the buyers and browsersare out in force, filling the Medina with itsdozens of shops and stalls. We found anexcellent Cyber Cafe right by the entranceand are getting our dozens of e-mail lettersready to send around the world. It’s a greatway to stay in touch, which is why we alwayscarry our ‘portable office - a reliableMacintosh laptop computer.Arabian Nights On New YearsEve in MoroccoOne of my favorite meeting places inEssaouira is the 5-star Sofitel Mogador,located on the main promenade facing thebeach. Here’s where we spent one of themost enjoyable New Year’sEve celebrations in years.It started with an invitationto a Fashion Show, whichcontinued into the weehours. For starters, the hotel’sdining room staff wereall decked like Aladdin (ofthe lamp), and the entireballroom looked like ascene from Arabian Nights,complete with belly dancers,mariachis with theirSpanish guitars, Magiciansand special visual andmusical effects. The entireevening was unforgettable.Africa Travel MagazineWe then moved to the hotel’s beach siderestaurant, where the music was going fulltilt. One of local girls modeled Muguette’sbottle- green gown with shoulder wrap- oneof several gifts we received from our friendand former Tourism Minister, Hon. SyllaDiakite of Conakry, Guinea. The MoroccanKhaftan fashion segment of the eveningproved highly popular.Doors of HospitalityAnother friendly, convenient place to meetis the Hotel des Isles. Next to the Medinaand offers a full range of services. Since wespent almost two weeks in the immediatearea, we are pleased to recommend a stayin Essaouira to any traveler looking forsomething different. Photos courtesy: ThierryMareschal and the Essaouira CulturalCenter.Mistral Travel Ltd.A tourist transport company for TravelAgents sending clients to Morocco. NewToyota Land-Cruisers, latest model FordTransit 14 seat Mini-Buses, 32/46 Coaches.Tours and accommodation arranged alsoAirport Transfers. Business clients welcomed.Contactus for your requirements.Tel/Fax: (00 212) (0) 44476129E-Mail: mistral@yahoo.co.ukWeb Site: www.mistraltravel .comGeorge David Cook, Directeur, Essaouira,Maroc .Tel/fax 212 0444 76129.