Berber hospitality at a comfortable guest house in a serene mountain setting in the Toubkal National Park built in traditional style employing local craftsmen and materials yet including A/C and heating in all rooms owners promote eco-tourism and assist in conservation of the National Park only 40 minutes from Marrakech and within easy reach of some of Morocco's most scenic valleys and gorges run by friendly staff from the local hamlet. food ideal base for trekking in a quiet corner of the park near a sanctuary for Barbary Sheep fantastic situation with stunning views from the picture window in the lounge and from large roof terrace

Treks

Day 1: Transfer from the airport to Dar (Berbere guesthouse). Explore the berber way of life.
Day 2: you meet the muleteers at the beginning of the trek in the Azaden valley. you now enter the Toubkal National Park with its special reserve for the mouflon (mountain sheep). Camp at Tizien (1500m).
Passing through the villages in the Azaden valley . The trek starts with a walk in a giant garden of cultivated terraces, walnut trees and colourful ochre houses. After a picnic lunch you continue the trek to Tizi Oussem.You spend the night in a Berbere house . 5hours

             Day 3: After Brakfast ,you continue your ascent to Imlil (The biggest village in the Aït Mizane Valley, Imlil is also a major walkers’ base. Treks for Toubkal often start here. In the centre of the village is the car park/taxi area ) .  5hours.

Please Click here for Dar Tassa's site :www.dartassa.com

The Berber people were completely isolated until the early 1900s, and in some villages they still live the way they have for centuries. They have their own separate language, customs and traditions, and even their own interpretation of Islam. They build their flat-roofed earthen houses clinging to the sides of the mountains. In the valleys below they cultivate beautifully terraced gardens, fruit groves and fields of wheat, barley and vegetables amongst the rocky ground. The region is wild and harsh and the mountains are criss-crossed by mule paths that are the only access ways between villages. The Berber people have made these mountains their home for centuries, and although their life is simple and rustic, they are incredibly hospitable and only too eager to invite you in for a mint tea. Despite the wild surroundings, the Berbers will always offer you a winning smile as you pass shepherds tending their flocks and locals travelling between villages. You can get a feel for the Berber way of life by visiting the local hammam (steam bath) - it's also a fabulous way to unwind at the end of a hot and dusty day. You may also be able to visit a weekly souq (market), where the local farmers all gather, bringing their wares to trade and haggle, riding into town on their donkeys, and trading everything from tomatoes to turkeys, carpets to corn. And of course you'll get to sample authentic Moroccan cuisine, delicious tagines and couscous, prepared by your cook and muleteers, who always seem to have a song at hand.

Marrakech:

A mixture of sensuous luxury and aesthetic simplicity, the historic Moroccan city of Marrakech attracts a fashionable crowd of winter sun seekers. The dusky, pink-walled Medina, the 'old city', boasts a greater density of chic boutique lodgings than possibly anywhere else in the world and the multitude of emporia will keep shopaholics busy for days. Even non-shoppers will be amazed by the colour, diversity and vibrancy surrounding the souks. In short, fabulous nightclubs, new-wave riads and radical new Moroccan food makes this the coolest place to be.

   From the "Square of the Dead" DJemaa El-Fna Square, one can already see the city's landmark, the minaret of the venerable Koutoubia Mosque. It was named after the souk el koutoubiyyin, the bazaar of the book-traders, which is nearby. It might well be noted that this market originated in the 12th century, a long period during which a Christian European would have been hard-pressed to write the word book. The hall-type mosque has 17 aisles and 112 columns covering a total floor area of 5400 sq.m (58,000 sq. ft) and is thus among the largest of its kind - 25,000 faithful can say their prayers within it.

HOW TO GET THERE

AIRPORT
Marrakech International Airport is 5km south-west of town.

AIRLINES FROM THE UK

From July ,Easyjet will start flying daily to Marrakech ,www.easyjet.com     

Royal Air Maroc (020 7439 4361; www.royalmaroc.com) flies daily from Gatwick to Marrakech. BA (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com) flies from Heathrow and Gatwick to Marrakech. Atlas blue ; www.atlas-blue.com) , flies from Gatwick direct to Marrakech Mon,Tues,Thurs & Saturdays

WHEN TO GO

Winter is 'the season' with temperatures averaging 22ºC between November and March. This falls dramatically at night. Rain is rare, but certainly not unknown. In summer, temperatures soar into the hundreds, exacerbated by the chergui, a fiery desert wind.

TRAVEL TIPS
Carry small change and tip ‘little and often’. Try to have a few centimes for beggars, remembering the words of the Prophet: ‘If you can spare it, give – and if you cannot, speak kindly’. The average wage is less than 5 dirhams an hour (30p).

TOURIST INFO
The ONMT office (00 212 4 436057) is on Place Abdel Moumen ben Ali in the new town.