Morocco Textile Tour 2019

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Overview

April 13-29, 2019

Escorted by Yvette Crossley

This trip is for all textile enthusiasts! Come and experience the ancient cities and beautiful landscapes of Morocco whilst supporting the women of Morocco. For the weaver and spinner, there is a hands on workshop carding and spinning camel and goat hair and then weaving on a traditional desert loom; for the knitter, there is the unusual cactus silk dyed in vibrant hues. For needle crafts, there is a workshop to learn how to make needle-weaving buttons used on djellabas and unique to Morocco as well as a workshop to learn Moroccan embroidery techniques and for the quilter, there are endless quilt ideas through the textiles and mosaics you’ll see throughout the country. In Essaouira, there is an opportunity to learn tapestry crotchet which is the method used to make the colourful hats that men wear in Morocco.

Hands-on experiences and demonstrations:

  • Natural dyeing demonstration
  • Workshop carding and spinning camel and goat wool, then weaving on a traditional desert loom
  • Moroccan embroidery workshop(s)
  • Needle weaving button workshop
  • Basket weaving workshop
  • Tapestry crochet workshop
  • Tagine cooking class

Highlights

  • 17 days / 16 night tour: Visiting a weavers co-op, pottery co-op and the tanneries in Fes
  • Interacting and supporting various women’s co-operatives throughout Morocco
  • Experience the sunset and sunrise over the Erg Chebbi dunes
  • See the dramatic landscape of the Todra Gorge
  • Walk through the “Blue City” of Chefchaouen
  • Visit the Valley of the Roses and Kelaa M’gouna
  • Visit the ancient Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, where Indiana Jones, Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia were filmed.
  • Take a horse drawn calesh to Majorelle Gardens; see the private collection of Yves St. Laurent North African textiles, jewelry and carpets at the Berber Arts Museum
  • Visit the seaside fortress of Essaouira
  • Experience the bustling Djemaa el Fna with it’s singers, drummers, dancers & snake charmers
  • Explore and shop in the famous Fes & Marrakech medinas—bring an extra suitcase or bag!

Details

Included



Not Included


Tipping

Tipping is a very important part of Moroccan society and will be discussed at the group meeting on the first night in Casablanca. A tipping kitty will be established at that time for the porters, hotel staff, guides and the principle tour guide and driver. Your tour escort will oversee the tip kitty.


Travel Insurance

We highly recommend that you purchase full travel insurance coverage (medical, trip cancellation, trip interruption, baggage, baggage delay, etc. ) for the tour package and airline tickets. Please speak with us to discuss your insurance needs.


Fitness & Health

The trip is not strenuous and anyone is who is reasonably fit and in good health should be able to participate. There will be a fair amount of walking in the medinas over cobblestone streets and uneven dirt paths. During the walking tours, there will be frequent stops. The tanneries and some riads require climbing steep stairs.


Flights

Arrival in Casablanca should be no later than 5:00pm on Saturday, April 13th, 2019 in order to be transferred to our hotel in time for the evening orientation meeting. It is highly recommended to arrive a day early to recover from jetlag.

Return flights need to depart Casablanca after 3:00pm on Monday, April 29th, 2019. Any flight departing before this time will result in additional transfer fees.

Booking Contact