BACK TO SIMPLICITY … A HANDS ON EXPERIENCE OF LIVING A TRADITIONAL VILLAGE LIFE

Travelling only a short distance north-eastwards from Marrakech (about 35 kms; about 40/45 minutes), across the Marrakech Plain, spending a day amongst the villagers and village activities of Douar Oulad Elguern is most enlightening and very stimulating.

This small, traditional village is little changed since its founding about 200 years ago. Farming was the main economic activity here (pastoral and arable) but changing climate and recent years of successive droughts has made survival here more and more marginal. There is evidence of this all around.

Spending a day with the village community is truly very special. Nothing is put on for visitors, all that you see and experience is as it would be on a normal day; it is all totally real.

Travelling from Marrakech, you travel across the Marrakech Plain, passing several traditional villages on the way. On arrival in Douar Oulad Elguern, you will be welcomed with the traditional tea ceremony in a typical village home's salon. From the very start here are many opportunities to engage with the very warm and welcoming villagers and to also participate in several of their daily activities.

Along with your tea, you also enjoy a traditional second breakfast in the salon. This typically consists of delicious home-made bread, olive oil, olives, honey and butter (all foodstuffs from the land around).

After all the introductions and eating, it is then time to participate in some of the village's daily activities; time to roll up your sleeves … and, for the males, trouser legs!

For females: In a number of ladies’ homes, the making of bread, making couscous, preparing vegetables for tagines are the main activities. There will no doubt be many young children around in these family homes too so much informal fun is often an added bonus.

For males: Fetching water from the village well (with a donkey) perhaps, making traditional mud and straw bricks, making charcoal, taking a walk around the village and the land of the community are the main activities. Sometimes an artisan's workshop is visited where a craft can be observed e.g. metalwork.

Everyone then reconvenes back in the salon in early afternoon and with many stories to swap with each other of their varied morning’s activities.

Your group then enjoys a large and sumptuous lunch, traditionally eaten in a salon around several round tables and using fingers, traditionally washed first using a basin and kettle; happily, forks and spoons available too!

After some small siesta time, there is the opportunity to ask questions, discuss and otherwise evaluate what the day has provided for everyone. Perhaps too there might be time for taking a further stroll around the village, to see and learn of the challenges facing the community.

Option: Traditional henna decorative hand painting. The ladies of the village use natural henna, not the chemicals that some people use in Jemaa El Fna Square in Marrakech. At a supplement then this can be organized in the afternoon.

Mid to late afternoon return to Marrakech.