An Unforgettable 4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco

Morocco is a rustic which accurately has all of it, it presents towering mountain ranges lined in snow, rivers flowing by way of deep canyons, paradise white sand seashores, the vastness of the Sahara Desert, and most significantly of all, it’s all linked collectively by among the most wonderful roads on the planet. The right mixture for an journey motorcycle journey in Morocco!

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco

That is so essential as a result of Morocco is the place we selected to rekindle our love of bike journey. After we first met in Laos again in Could 2013, over three years in the past, I used to be on a bike journey with my finest pal from house, so I invited Kach to exit for the day with me into the mountains round Luang Prabang. That day of cruising across the mountains, stopping at view factors alongside the way in which turned our first date and the primary of many motorcycle adventures we had collectively throughout Laos and northern Vietnam.

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco

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We continued travelling by motorcycle in India with an previous Royal Enfield, exploring the seashores and countryside of south India. After this although, we moved to South America the place the rules of proudly owning and using a bike are so much stricter, so we fell away from bike journey for fairly some time – 2 entire years in actual fact!  After we had the chance to come back to Morocco, we knew that this was the proper second to get again onto a bike on among the finest environments and roads for bike journey on the planet!

The subsequent step in our plans was to seek out out the easiest way to do bike journey in Morocco. As we didn’t have our personal bike and we knew nothing of the routes and roads in Morocco both. We had a glance on-line and whereas there have been fairly a couple of bike rental corporations in Morocco, however there was just one Official BMW Motorrad Associate – Palm Highway. To be an Official accomplice of BMW Motorrad means complying with a really strict set of operational tips, security and naturally high quality and upkeep. This ensures the best ranges of high quality and security within the bikes and gear. As effectively being an official accomplice, the proprietor of Palm Highway, Reda Jabri, can also be a BMW Motorrad Licensed Tour Information, which implies he has accomplished a sequence of skilled coaching programs on the BMW Motorrad coaching heart in Germany. Reda has been using and providing excursions in Morocco for a few years and you’ll learn extra about him right here – Reda Jabri – Motorbikes and Mountains in Morocco!

For our first time using in over two years, our first time using something just like the BMW and our first time using in Morocco, Palm Highway appeared like the proper alternative for our bike journey in Morocco!

Though I had by no means ridden a BMW motorcycle earlier than, bike journey movies like ‘The Motorbike Diaries’ and Ewan Mcgregor’s ‘Lengthy Approach Spherical’ and ‘Lengthy Approach Down’ gave me the bug for journey bike using lengthy earlier than I ever had my license.

Reda had a alternative of BMW’s on supply at Palm Highway; the enduring BMW journey motorcycle, the BMW 1200 GS; the powerful center weight BMW F800 GS – and the agile BMW F700 GS. These are all wonderful journey bikes in their very own ceremony, however after two years of not using I made my alternative based on which bike allowed me to place my ft flat on the bottom – the smaller BMW F700 GS! The F700 GS felt like the proper bike immediately, sufficient measurement and energy to deal with itself on the open roads, but mild and agile sufficient to simply manoeuvre over any tough terrain.

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco

Subsequent up was to determine on our route, I met up with Reda in a Marrakech café to debate one of the best path to take, in order that we may expertise one of the best that Morocco has to supply. Palm Highway presents three normal guided tour routes, all of which mix totally different points of Morocco’s contrasting landscapes and intriguing cultures. Because the time we had was just a little shorter than the 7 days of his shortest route, Reda got here up with a personalized tour.

Day 1 – Marrakech – Tichka – Ouarzazate – Agdez (270 Km) – Crossing the Atlas Mountains

Day 2 – Agdez – Zagora – M’hamid (200 Km) – By way of the Draa Valley

Day 3 – M’hamid – Zagora – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou (280 Km) – Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou

Day 4 – Ait Ben Haddou – Telouet – Tichka – Marrakech (200km) – The wonderful experience house

With no distances larger than 280 km in any at some point, we might by no means be using for greater than 4 hours and with loads of breaks and viewpoints an-route.

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco – Certainly one of many unbelievable views

DAY 1 – Marrakech – Tichka – Ouarzazate – Agdez (270 Km)

On the primary day, we began from Marrakesh, navigating the busy roads of town till the site visitors steadily light away and the flat straight highway began morphing right into a serpentine black ribbon wrapped round mountain slopes. These winding roads took us excessive into the Atlas Mountains the place the wind grew stronger and colder and using the motorcycle began to change into extra of a problem.

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco – Final cease earlier than the toughest a part of the route

We stopped for espresso at a restaurant with a panoramic mountain view to relaxation and put together for the hardest a part of the day’s using – the Tichka Go. There was already a smattering of snow throughout the terraced slopes and there was extra to come back as we headed increased in direction of the snow-covered peaks we may see within the distance.

What got here subsequent was actually the most-challenging experience of my life to date – the beneath freezing temperatures, gale-force gusts of wind, snow and icy mud – all creating circumstances that have been a large step up from something I had ridden by way of earlier than. It was a tense experience, however reaching the highest of the move made all of it worthwhile, regardless of being an nearly whole whiteout.

As we descended again down the opposite facet of the Atlas Mountain vary, I spotted how a lot I had taken clean, dry, grippy tarmac roads with no consideration as we received again to swinging the bikes easily by way of the corners whereas the snow melted away once more to disclose the rocks and sand of the desert lowlands.

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco – Restoration cease after the difficult Tichka Go

After lunch in Ouarzazate we continued to the traditional city of Agdez, the place we spent the night time at DAR QAMAR STE ASLIM MOBILIER, an exquisite boutique resort positioned within the coronary heart of the previous village.

Take a look at our full evaluation of Dar Qamar Ste Aslim Mobilier, a real hidden gem of a resort in Agdez.

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco – Dar Qamar Ste Aslim Mobilier

DAY 2 – Agdez – Zagora – M’hamid (200 Km)

Day 2 – Agdez – Zagora – M’hamid (200 Km)

The subsequent day we rode one other 200 km’s on twisting, curving roads, by way of Zagora and onwards to M’hamid, also referred to as the top of the world, the place the highway ends and the desert begins. From right here we travelled by 4×4 into the desert with Sahara Expertise, to spend the night time in a luxurious desert camp and even experience camels by way of the gorgeous sand dunes at sundown.

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco

This experience can be one of the crucial spectacular, as we entered Draa Valley with its carpet of Palm Timber, using by way of the twisting roads of the valley with a renewed confidence after two years with none using in any respect. The BMW F700GS was the proper motorcycle for these roads; large enough to be well-balanced and succesful with rider and pillion, highly effective sufficient to move a number of autos safely between corners, but nimble and agile sufficient to carve up the turns with not more than slight shift within the hips. The F700GS shouldn’t be missed in favour of its greater, extra standard brothers, it’s an ideal touring motorcycle in its personal proper.

On the ultimate stretch of the experience to M’Hamid, we handed by way of the city of Zagora after which out into the dusty, dry warmth of the desert. The distinction to the day gone by’s using couldn’t have been larger; the new air blasting up by way of the helmet, which changed the icy air and drifting snow of the day earlier than turned to spirals of sand whipped up by the desert wind. The nearer we received to our vacation spot, the extra the peerlessly clean Moroccan tarmac began to crumble and slender on the edges, till we reached M’Hamid, known as the top of the world, the place the highway merely stopped altogether and the desert took its place.

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco

Because the highway ended and the desert started we rode into the towered entrance of Lodge Kasbah of Sahara Expertise, the place we might relaxation for lunch and put together for the journey into the desert, swapping two wheels for 4 with an skilled native Berber to navigate us safely by way of the consistently shifting sand dunes. With our heads lined with conventional Berber blue desert head put on, we drove for nearly two hours by way of the desert, stopping alongside the way in which to go to a nomadic household dwelling in a desert tent, surrounded solely by rocks, sand and the few animals they saved.

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco

Our ultimate cease for the night time was a desert camp in a big hole between sand dunes. To seek out it there in any respect was a whole shock, fully hidden by the towering sand on all sides. The posh desert camp was made up of ten or extra white tents, about ten ft tall by ten ft vast. Inside we have been amazed to discover a comfy double mattress, electrical factors and lights, even a totally functioning lavatory with working scorching water!

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco

Because the solar began to set, a person arrived with three camels to take us on a sundown camel trek by way of the desert. The camels groaned in noisy protest as they kneeled for us to clamber onto their backs. As we rode a brief distance from the camp, it turned apparent how simply individuals may get misplaced within the desert, as inside minutes the camp was out of sight and each dune seemed the identical as the subsequent. Solely our native information actually knew the place we have been. As we headed again in direction of the camp, the solar fell slowly into the sand.

That night we sat right down to a house cooked Moroccan dinner of lamb tagine and couscous, earlier than transferring to the big campfire outdoors, the place there was no noise to disturb the peace and stillness of the desert and no mild however the fireplace, permitting each star to shine clearly towards the black sky.

Learn all about our luxurious desert tenting with Sahara Expertise.

The desert is such an integral a part of Moroccan life, historical past and tradition. The truth is, it’d even be attainable to say that you could be taught extra about Morocco from one night time within the desert, than from per week in Marrakech.

DAY 3 – M’hamid – Zagora – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou (280 Km)

Early the subsequent morning, we had a lightweight breakfast and jumped again into the 4 wheel drive to move again to M’Hamid, again to our bikes and again to the highway, to bathe and alter within the Lodge Kasbah prepared for the primary leg of our return journey to Marrakech.

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco

Leaving the desert behind, we rode again by way of Zagora and Ouarzazate, to the city of Ait Ben Haddou, the place we spent the night time within the luxurious Riad Ksar Ighnda, a palatial luxurious resort constructed into the ruins of the previous city, or the Ksar. The Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou is a standard pre-Saharan settlement, made up of earthen buildings packed collectively inside defensive partitions and strengthened by towers within the corners.

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco

Using as much as the gates of Ksar Ighnda felt like approaching a fortress, with excessive partitions, towers and tall wood doorways. Our rooms have been positioned on the roof prime the place a community of interconnecting roof terraces gave unbelievable views throughout the encircling panorama, a carpet of lush inexperienced vegetation and palm timber filling the small valley. Within the interior courtyard was a big, cooling pool shaded by foliage and native timber. After exploring the varied overlapping ranges and shapes of the resort itself, we headed for the hamman to soak out the mud after the exhilarating experience again from the desert.

Learn our full evaluation of the Riad Ksar Ighnda in Ait Ben Haddou.

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco

DAY 4 – Ait Ben Haddou – Telouet – Tichka – Marrakech

The ultimate day of our bike journey would take us all the way in which again from Ait Ben Haddhou, over the Atlas Mountains by way of the Tishka Go and all the way in which again to Marrakech. The wonderful factor about this route is that though we have been using the identical method we had come from, each nook and each view is a completely distinctive expertise when using in the other way!

As we climbed again as much as the highest of the Tishka Go, a lot of the snow had melted away and the gale pressure winds of the earlier days had disappeared making it a a lot simpler and nice experience.

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco

This final leg of the experience was an opportunity to replicate on the entire journey of the previous few days; the way it was attainable to expertise a bustling metropolis, a snow-covered mountain move, a palm-filled valley, rocky plains and the never-ending vastness of the Sahara Desert, all in simply a number of days. To say my using had improved can be an understatement. The problem of an even bigger bike, snow and dirt, and a relentless stream of tight mountain bends, all mixed with the watchful eye and skilled recommendation from Reda, growing my expertise and confidence on the bike.

This was our first time again on the motorcycle collectively in two years and it was a really unbelievable to expertise first-hand what retains luring journey bikers right here from everywhere in the world, yr after yr.

We rode all the way in which from Ait Ben Haddou again to Marrakesh, again over the Atlas Mountains by way of the Tichka Go, stopping to absorb the wonderful surroundings alongside the way in which, ending our day at Marrakech Riad Cinnamon.

4 Day Journey Motorcycle Journey in Morocco

It felt wonderful to be again on two wheels once more, particularly such an incredible bike (the BMW F700GS) and being guided by way of one of the best routes by Reda. We have been formally again on two wheels, with many extra motorcycle adventures but to come back!

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