Morocco: Plage Blanche ,Oued Draa and the Sahara

Next Dates: November 27th to December 11th 2007

Grade: 2

It will take four days to travel from the North of Morocco to the beaches of the Plage Blanche. One of our camps will be above the beach in amongst the dunes, a necessity as the tide comes in and we have nowhere else to go. The Oued Draa is over a thousand Kilometers long and stretches from the high atlas to the Atlantic Ocean passing through the Northern Sahara on the way. This adventure explores some of its route from the beaches of the atlantic to the dunes of Chegega. Along the way you will experience sand tracks, flowing rivers in the desert, gorges and mountain pass

Special Equipment

For this adventure you will need a standard four wheel drive car with the following modifications:
· A range of 400miles.
· Two sand ladders.
· One 2m rope.
· capacity to carry 50 liters of water.

You will also need to meet the standard equipment requirements.

Plage Blanche, Oued Draa and the Sahara Route

DAY 1 Tarifa to Settat. Journey time of 4hrs 40mins approx.

We will meet the evening before at the Hotel Piedra Paloma where Neil Hopkinson will run through today's roadbook. Our last meal on Spanish soil is at a nearby restaurant before an early night!! to ready ourselves for Morocco.

The port of Tarifa is only 60 minutes away and it is here that we take the fast ferry to Tanger. Nowadays Moroccan customs is but a formality, the days of waiting three or four hours to get all the paper work done are well behind us and within an hour of arriving in Africa you will be speeding along a very modern Paege that runs along the Atlantic coast to Casablanca and the Hotel Le Parc at Settat. This hotel is set in amongst some beautiful gardens and is an ideal place to rest after a day on the roads of Morocco.

DAY 2 Settat to Essaouira. Journey time of 4 to 5hrs approx.

After breakfast and a briefing on today's route you will head South crossing rural Morocco all the way to the coast at Essaouira. On the way you will cross a river and drive on a gravel piste across the hills near the sea. This gives you plenty of practice with the roadbook because the junctions on the piste may have changed slightly because the locals often forge new tracks across our route. By late afternoon you will have arrived in Essaouira and be settled into a hotel Villa Quieta which is beside the beach. This fishing port is incredible. In the harbor the fishing boats are moored almost on top of each other in a haphazard fashion and there are fish for sale everywhere. The sky is full of gulls looking to snatch a fish that has been disgarded onto the quay. During the evening it is a delight to wander around the blue and white alleys of the town. Shops abound and it is easy to get carried away and fill your car with Moroccan gifts.

DAY 3 Essaouira to Aglou Beach. Journey time of 4 to 5hrs approx.

The temptation is to linger at Essaouira's beautiful fishing port but what is to come is just as exciting, so reluctantly you will start your engine and drive South again, getting ever closer to the Sahara. Our route runs along the coast and near Agadir the road clings to the side of the High Atlas as it plunges into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Half an hour or so after Agadir you will be able to practice your roadbook skills again as the Impala route takes you across fields towards the sea and the small village of Aglou. The Hotel Aglou Beach is a delightful place that was built during the heyday's of the "hippy time" in Morocco and it still exudes that air. After another exciting day you will be able to enjoy a gin and tonic to the sound of Atlantic knowing that the journey south will slow as tomorrow the pace slackens as most of the time our route is off road.

DAY 4 Aglou Beach to Beau Jerif. Journey time of 4 to 5hrs approx.

Sidi Ifni perches on a headland overlooking the sea and it is here where you will re-provision for the next three days. The first off road track, some 12km after the town takes you down to the sea and along the sand. Halfway is a ship that was thrown onto the beach in the 1960's during one of the vicious Atlantic storms, she is rusting away quietly now. Depending upon the state of the tide you will either drive on the sand below her resting place or climb on loose sand onto a track above her. The tracks eventually head inland across low hills towards a river crossing near Fort Bou Jerif. This hotel is absolutely magnificent. When you stop to absorb the surroundings it seems surreal. We will be staying here until tomorrow afternoon so you can just sit, relax and soak it all in. Pierre has owned it now for three years or so and his staff always cook a good meal for us to enjoy over a glass of wine or three!!

DAY 5 Fort Beau Jerif to Plage Assaka. Journey time of 2 to 3hrs approx.

After a relaxing morning enjoying the sunshine and essence of Fort Bou Jerif you will drive across the hills towards the sea and the Oued Assaka. This river before the rains is benign but becomes a dangerous raging torrent at the first whiff of distant rain. We have to take care when we cross it, but an Impala support car will be there to ensure that no harm becomes you. As we get to the Oued estuary the track can sometimes be under water so extreme care is needed to get to our camp on the beach below the cliffs.

DAY 6 Plage Blanche to Oued Aounet-el-Ksab. Journey time of 4 to 5hrs approx.

After a night wild camping on the  beach we pick up a track which takes us to the top of the cliffs. The track that we follow zigzags from the sea to river crossings inland before popping out at the Plage Blanche. You will see numerous birds and ground squirrels along the way. At the beach you will begin a twenty kilometer drive along the sand close to the sea. We have to travel as the tide is falling as the sand is to soft to drive on on the foreshore. Impala support will be at points on the beach where small rivers flow into the sea, the dips are difficult to see and you could damage your car if you hit one.

After an exhilarating drive the roadbook leads you up a river to a wild camp in amongst some dunes where you will still be able to hear the sea.

DAY 7 Oued Aounet-el-Ksab to Tata.

We will leave the sea behind us today and head East to the Sahara. After two hours of desert and river tracks you will be on the tarmac again near the village of Notfia. We have to use the road to bypass a very sensitive military area. This by no means detracts from the adventure as the route to Tata is a very beautiful one of mountains and oasis towns. We use the Hotel Des Sable close to the outskirts of Tata.

DAY 8 Hotel Des Sable to Tisinit.

Two hours after leaving the hotel you will turn right near the village of  Mrhimina and into the Oued Tissinnt. This is a river that is close to our understanding of the word. It always has some flowing water in it and you will have to pick a route along its length for a few kilometers. we always get a car or two stuck here but again the Impala support will be on hand. The desert changes in character here as we come close to Lac Iriki. Some of the mountains look as though a giant has dumped a load of rocks. We are wild camping again tonight in a vast valley some twenty kilometers from Foum Zguid.

DAY 9 to 11 Lac Iriki to Hotel Azalay.

Lac Iriki is a fantastic place to drive across the lake bed is completely flat and in places smooth enough to drive at very high speeds. You will also experience sand tracks and rivers as well as the dunes of Chegega which are two hundred meters high, we will be driving deep into its heart. The last day and a half is almost all dunes from high to short and steep and you will arrive at the incredible Hotel Azalay a consummate sand driver , looking forward to some more sand in the future.

DAY 12 Hotel Azalay, Mhamid.

Today is a rest day after the excitement of the desert. You will be able to service your cars in preparation for the long drive back to europe. We have a fantastic mechanic at your disposal,Said and his brothers have maintained and repaired Impala cars for many years and can be trusted completely to do an excellent job. Their skills at repairing vehicles with few resources is superb and has to be seen to be believed.The afternoon will either be spent relaxing or you could enjoy a route that we have put together to visit a village beside the Oued Draa which is at least 500 years old and may be a 1000 years old.

DAY 13 Mhamid to Marrakech.

Eight hours north of Mhamid is Marrakech and we have booked you in at some Riads close to the heart of the Medina. You will be able to explore the Place'D Fna(Place of the Dead)and enjoy either its mobile restaurants where the waiters try to coax you to eat at their restaurant over all of the other one hundred or you can find behind elaborately carved doors some very good but expensive restaurants serving traditional Moroccan food and entertainment.

DAY 14 Marrakech.

Marrakech has some magnificent gardens to visit, Jardin Majorelle which boasts a magnificent restaurant where we would recommend you enjoy lunch and La Menara which is very picturesque and relaxing. You may prefer to enjoy a horse drawn carriage ride through the streets but you will enjoy the essence of this amazing city.

DAY 15 Marrakech to Spain.

There is a new paege which has allowed us to enjoy the day before in Marrakech. Tanger is only seven hours driving away and it is possible to easily catch the late afternoon ferry from Tanger to Tarifa in Spain.

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Conditions to Expect in Morocco

Sahara Desert

Temperatures will range from 45°C at the hottest part of the day to 15°C at 2am
· Sunshine all day. Shade is important
· Warm wind from a zephyr to force 8
· High winds will mean that sand will be airborne
· Stones (small to large), flat rock, dry lakes, sand rivers, mountain passes and sand dunes 200 meters high
· Camps are basic. Hotels vary from good to excellent

High Atlas, Anti-Atlas and Cedar Forest

· Temperatures will range from 35°C during the hottest part of the day to 0°C at 2am
· Weather is variable but generally warm and clear (tends to be colder in the Cedar Forest)
· High winds will mean that dust will be airborne
· Rock or sand track abound. Flat rock, mountain passes and if it rains very slippery mud will be an interesting challenge
· Camps are basic. Hotels vary from good to excellent

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The Impala Roadbook

In order to give our clients an exciting adventure without the constraints imposed by a convoy system, we use roadbook's set out in the following manner:

The

roadbook has been designed to be used in conjunction with any maps that you will be required to buy for a particular safari.

Every morning you will be given a briefing on the days route outlining any caution as well as fuel, food and cultural stops. We will also advise you of the crucial waypoints that must not be missed.

The Roadbook Explained.

1. Notes. This section has important information such as 'enter river bed'. We also put symbols here to indicate a food, fuel or photo stop.

2. GPS. The actual position that corresponds to the tulip diagram in latitude and longitude.

3. Tulips. These diagrams indicate the direction to travel, the arrow indicating the track or road to take. Any track or road with a double line across it means that you should not travel that route.

4. Kilometers. We split kilometer markings into 'Partial' and 'Total'. The partial is the amount of kilometer from the preceding tulip or GPS co-ordinate. The total is the amount of kilometer traveled so far that day or since the kilometer were zeroed.

It is important to use all of this information together as you will experience slight discrepancies in both the final GPS numbers and kilometers. This is quite normal and is often no more than the difference in your cornering lines or where exactly you zeroed the unit.

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Navigational Equipment

You will need to purchase the following navigational equipment. If you are uncertain as to what to get just ask us and we will gladly advise you.

· GPS
· Compass
· TPC maps or Ordinary Maps.

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Driving and Rules for Morocco

1 . Always Slow down early for Police Checkpoints and be polite and courteous. They will ask you where you are going and are often interested in talking about what it is like in England and in your car.

2. On the off road tracks it is often very slippery and you should always use four wheel drive with a locked center diff. Extreme Caution is often needed on bends and brows of hills. Always drive at a speed where you can stop easily in the distance that you can actually see ahead.

3. Punctures can be quite numerous and you will be able to get tyres repaired at all towns and most villages.

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Training Days

The training day's, as well as being fun, give you the chance to get to know us and your fellow travelers. During these very comprehensive training day's you will have the opportunity to have your vehicle looked over by the Impala team, who are experts in expedition vehicle preparation, and can give you all the advice you need.

The weekends include training in:

· Navigation
· Driving
· Maintenance

and will include advice on: camping and health.

There is one for each Impala trip that we run, contact us for dates.

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Equipment for Morocco

Your Car

Preparation

· Full service - with oil changes of engine, gear box and axle oils
· Guards for differentials, steering and fuel tanks
· Half shafts and differentials must be checked for wear
· Fuel capacity of 640 kilometers (400 miles)

Spare parts needed for car: -

All these should fit into 2 x 2ft square boxes

· Rags or blue roll
· Alternator
· Belts and hoses
· 1wheel bearing and seals
· Relays (diesel or petrol cars)
· Windscreen cleaner
· Air pump tyre inflator
· Tyre gauge
· 1 inner tube
· 1 spare tyre
· Grease & grease gun
· Water pump
· Track rod ends
· Seals:-
   - Gearbox
   - Axle
   - Front engine cover
· Electrical parts needed for petrol cars:-
   - Plugs
   - Leads
   - C.B. points
   - Distributor cap
   - Coil
   - Rotor arm
   - Condenser
· Oil:-
   - 5 liters engine
   - 5 liters gearbox
   - 1 liter brake fluid
   - 2 liters power steering fluid

Tools:- You will need to have a selection of tools that will enable you to change wheels and tyres as well as manage simple repairs to your car. We have a comprehensive tool kit on Impala cars so do not bring too many as we will be on hand to help with repair.

Tyres:- The ability to blow up tyres and repair punctures is very important and you will need to have some Tyre Leavers and a puncture repair kit for tubeless and tubes as well as an air pump.

Recovery Equipment

· 1 x 2 meter rope for towing
· 2x 2 meter aluminum sand/bridging ladders
· 1 x shovel

Daily Maintenance

· Keep engine oil level at or close to high
· Look for oil leaks
· Hand check wheel nuts for looseness
· Clean windscreen

Weekly Maintenance

· Check wheel bearings for any free play, investigate any movement
· Look at the tightness of all drive belts.
· Hand check suspension bolts. Do not check with a spanner as this stretches the threads and they will come            undone.

Safety points to remember

· If wheel has been changed, hand check nuts after 2 hours driving then at the end of that days driving.
· Remember you know your car and will be aware of any changes to its handling or performance.
· Your car will need a major service on your return to home.

Camping Equipment

Camping is an integral part of an adventure with Impala so the list below has been compiled to ensure that you have a comfortable camp. The list is for two people.

· Tents:- A two man tent is only big enough for one person.
· Sand and normal tent pegs will be needed.
· Sleeping bags will need to cope with low temperatures.
· Good quality sleeping mats
· Small camping stove and three or four canisters.
· Kettle
· 2 camping saucepans
· 2 plates, bowls and mugs.
· 2 sets of knives, forks, spoons & teaspoons
· Fridge

· Water Siphon and purification tablets or system.

· Chairs, table and an awning or camouflage net for shade and shelter from rain.

· Tin Opener
· Scissors
· Sharp knife
· Wooden Spoon
· Small chopping board
· Washing up bowl, clothes and washing liquid.

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Suggested Food Supplies

You must always have a reserve of food for emergencies. Make sure that everyone in your party can be fed for 5 days.

Try to take food that does not need a lot of preparation i.e. ready made meals to heat in a saucepan, dried fruit and tinned produce. Try to buy items that have combustible packaging; i.e. paper, card or plastic. Couscous is a good substitute for rice which takes a lot of boiling (therefore using up resources).

Fresh vegetables, fruit and bread can be bought on most day's.

Remember to avoid eating salads in restaurants and drinks like orange squash which use local water as this will often lead to a stomach upset or food poisoning.

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Health Advice for Morocco

We take a serious view on Health and Hygiene during our adventures and as long as a few basic rules are followed you will have an enjoyable, illness free time with Impala Adventures. Not washing hands after going to the toilet is often the most common reason for a stomach upset.

Water

1. Use only bottled water, making sure the top is secured. At Café's and Restaurants water is often put on tables in what appears to be sealed bottles but in fact it is often tap water which has been put into water bottles.

2. Any opened bottles must not be used for drinking after 1 day. Use yesterday's opened water for washing.

3. Try to keep the water cool. This can be achieved by covering with a blanket low down in the vehicle.

4. Drink at least 2 liters of water a day. YOU CAN VERY EASILY BECOME DEHYDRATED.

5. Take some water purification tablets to treat local water.

First Aid Advice

Every car should have a basic first aid kit. We at Impala are first aid trained specifically for motor vehicle accidents and on some trips a doctor is often a support member.

A typical medical kit should include:

· Painkillers
· Plasters
· Lip-salve
· Sun block
· Insect repellent
· Tweezers
· Thermometer
· Tissues (pre-moisturised are best)
· Eyewash
· Moisturising cream
· Multi-vitamins
· Lacto-calamine cream
· Mentholated balm for aching muscles
· General antibiotics
· Scissors

Suggested Vaccinations for Morocco

Polio, Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Typhoid

All vaccinations can be obtained at your local surgery. You should check with your doctor up to 7 months before you leave as some courses are for 6 month period.

We suggest that you take Medical Insurance cover whilst you adventure with us.

In case of an emergency we will have a satellite phone with us at all times.

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Ferries to Europe.

We at Impala can arrange your ferries for you from England to France or Spain. The ferry from Tarifa to Tanger in Morocco is part of the adventure cost.

Our rates are very competitive as we are agents for Brittany Ferries(England to France or Spain)and FRS(Spain to Tanger)

How to Get to Morocco

Give yourself at least three days to get from England to the South of Spain, it can be traveled more quickly but it is a long journey and will be tiring.

We can deliver your car to the South of Spain and meet you at Malaga airport. Ring Neil or Louise on 07930 910870 to discuss this option.

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OPTIONS AVALIABLE

There are two options available for Morocco:

Taking your own car

This is the most popular option as Morocco is an ideal adventure destination to take a standard off road car.

No modifications are needed, the only non-standard criteria are to have a fuel range of 400 miles which can be achieved by carrying one or two jerry can's.

We also recommend fitting of differential guards.

Car Hire

Morocco has many four wheel drive hire companies hiring Jeeps and Shoguns. We will hire the car and deal with all paperwork.

When we hire a car for you a deposit will need to be left with the hire company. This will be from £1000 - £1066. A credit card can be used for this.

The deposit is intended to cover your excess, which constitutes your maximum liability in the event of anything happening to the car while you are hiring it. You will be required to pay for any damage, including to tyres or windscreen that occurs to the vehicle up to the excess amount.

When the car is returned to the airport the deposit will be returned to you as long as there is no damage. One of the Impala staff will look at the car with you while the car hire company is checking for damage.

You will need to get a return flight from Europe to Marrakech. We will advise you of the dates on booking.

Contact Neil or Louise on 07930 910870 to discuss this option or e-mail us at www.impalaadventures.com

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Price

This adventure will cost £1800.00 For a car with two passengers.

Look what we include:

Booking

Right click on one of the below links and select "Save Target As" to save a booking form to your computer:

Offroad Safari Booking Form (as Word Doc for PC)

Offroad Safari Booking Form (as pdf)

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Impala Rules and Regulations

It is the parents' responsibility to make sure that their children understand and follow the rules and regulations set out below.

1. Never leave your tent open unattended. This is because all insects and wildlife will look for somewhere cool out of the sun - your tent being the ideal place!

2. Always assume that every stone or tussock of grass, fallen tree or log harbors a scorpion, snake or spider beneath it.

3. DO NOT LITTER. Rubbish should not be left at campsites or thrown from cars. Please take all rubbish with you until it can be disposed of safely, or burn it on a campfire (please note that tin cans, beer cans etc DO NOT burn).

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