Set tucked away in the foothills of the Atlas mountain we find a luxurious eco lodge with every possible comfort, yet in the middle of the wilderness. Explore the marvellous foothills of the Atlas Mountains in the beautifully cultivated valley of Ait Bougmez on this horse riding holiday. You ride superb Barb-Arab horses who are very surefooted, reliable and responsive. This country is just below the High Atlas and the foothills are draped with green forests interspersed with open spaces and marvellous views. It has a perfect temperature for maximum riding in spring and autumn, while in summer the altitude provides refreshing breezes and in winter the sun in the day warms the air during the rides. Your accommodation is beautifully integrated with the surroundings, the chef prepares with tasty Moroccan meals and while you can soak away any riding strains in a traditional hamman at the end of the day.
From: 2010 3 nights low season: price pp - group of 6 £439/€499/$675
Departure dates
2010: 20 May; 3, 19, 24 Jun; 3, 8, 17, 22 Jul; 7, 12, 21, 26 Aug and 25, 30 Sept.
July, August and September are high season.
Other dates on request, please enquire.
Approximate riding time per day
as wanted, 4 to 6 hours
Riding ability required
walk, trot and canter on a good horse. Min age 12.
Day 1 - Arrival
Reception at the airport and immediate transfer to the Ait Bougmez. We must choose a flight that does not arrive too late. The transfer to the valley of the Ait Bougmez takes around 5 hours but is quite dramatic for the last hour or so. Settle into your comfortable room at the Riad and enjoy some traditional Berber cuisine.
Day 2 - Meet your horse and test ride
After breakfast you will meet your guide and horses. Your guide give a short introductory lesson in looking after your horse before taking you off for a short trial ride in the surrounding area.
After lunch at the Riad it’s back on the horses again with a ride to visit the centre of Tabant and a beautiful country walk in the fields of Bougmez. Dinner and overnight.
Day 3 - Day ride R'bat Valley.
After breakfast, we leave for a full day ride with a delicious picnic lunch. Today we ascend the valley R'bat enjoying the views whilst riding past small villages and fields and always surrounded by beautiful mountains. (4 to 5 hours riding)
Day 4 - Marrakech
After a good breakfast we will transfer back to Marrakech and the airport
Optional extra days:
Day 4 - Valley Hkim
Leaving the village we ascend the great valley of the Assif Hkim.
This valley is wider and the paths roads are well suited for some good canters. There are many villages dotted along our route and here we stop for a picnic with the locals. (4 to 5 hours riding)
Day 5 - Valley Arrouss
We leave this morning to ride west. For a good ten km we ride along the valley and its cultures to go to the West End. Here we go back to the village of Arrouss the starting point towards the vertices of M'Goun. For lunch we eat at the guesthouse of Tamazight before riding a different route back to our Riad.
Day 5 - Marrakech
After a good breakfast we will transfer back to Marrakech and the airport
Please note: This itinerary is given for your guidance only and it may be altered in accordance with the prevailing conditions by the organising team.
NOTES - ATLAS MOUNTAIN ECO LODGE
Programme:
This horse riding holiday is available all year round and can be extended for as many days as wanted, or by adding days in Marrakech. We recommend a stay at Riad Dar Grabli in Marrakech.
Horses: The horses are all stallions as it is customary not to castrate riding horses in Morocco. They all have individual characters and are well schooled, of good temperament and no more difficult to handle than normal riding horses. Riding routes can be adapted to individual riding abilities and fitness levels. They range from easy and gentle to steep, challenging and fast.
Accommodation: Dar Itrane is a comfortable eco-lodge built in a traditional style set at 5900 ft. Enjoy the views or see the stars from the rooftop terrace while drinking refreshing mint tea or meet and chat with the Berber team in one of two cosy lounge areas. The lodge is the ideal place for discovering the region, Berber traditions and customs and the ecotourism experience in a unique place.
Dar Itrane, or 'The House of Stars' above all offers a novel travel experience and a leisurely pace while participating in the preservation of the heritage of the Berber people. In the Ait Bougmez Valley, the inhabitants have preserved many different Berber mountain traditions and by staying at the lodge not only will you participate in protecting this culture, but you will also do your bit to enhance this lifestyle.
The weight limit for this ride is 15st /210 lb/95 kg, please enquire if you are an experienced rider exceeding this weight.
FURTHER DETAILS
As we are specialists in our field we have extensive knowledge of all our products from details of accommodation and meals to number/size/type of horses to pace of riding ... and much more.
Should you wish to receive further details of this ride please click here.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
All accommodation, riding, meals, English speaking guide, transfers to and from Marrakesh.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
International flights, drinks at the hotel, tips and items of a personal nature.
What you see on our web site is exactly how much your invoice will come to and this will not change once booked. Unlike some other companies the prices on our web site are fully inclusive of often hidden extras such as: VAT, Sales Tax, state taxes, city taxes, service charges, non-optional tips, fuel surcharges which can add 20% or more to the advertised cost. Prices are available in £ sterling, Euros and US$. Once invoiced, prices are guaranteed against adverse currency fluctuations. Contact us for package prices which include flights from the UK and see each ride for exact details of all items in individual itineraries.
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