from €1,785* per person	8 Days	March, September, October
Boutique accommodations		Exertion level: 3
Operator: Gourmet On Tour		16 people max

The Villa

Our luxury palazzo, set against the backdrop of the majestic Atlas and Jbel Ette Mountains,
was constructed to reflect the traditional style of Moroccan architecture while offering modern
conveniences. Magnificent Moroccan antique doors open from the grand columned entrance, as well as in the great hall and dining room. The graceful archways of the villa create a calm and elegant ambience surrounding an interior courtyard filled with scented flowers and the calming  sounds of a bubbling fountain.
The eight spacious bedrooms are decorated in traditional Moroccan style and all have bath-
rooms en-suite, ambient wall lighting, limestone Tadlakt wall finishes, and most rooms feature
private fireplaces. The luxury villa’s large upper terrace has a panoramic view of the Atlas
mountain range and sweeping views over the Palmeraie. The peripheral salon features a rustic
fireplace and pergola with underfloor heating for those cool evenings. The roof terrace boasts
an observatory with a GPS Celestron telescope for a finite view of the bright planets or endless
stars in the vast Moroccan sky.

Swimming pools, a Hammam (Turkish steam bath), an exercise spa, tennis courts, games
room, and conference facilities are sensitively integrated among the palm trees.
 
Location

Marrakech, the former capital and perhaps the most famous Moroccan city of all, is centrally
located at the base of the snow- capped Atlas Mountains. Marrakech began as an oasis where
water was abundant for the caravans of old after crossing the vast Sahara and the high Atlas.
At an elevation of 1500 feet it remains an oasis of wonderful weather with clear dry air infused
with North African sun.

The red walled city was founded almost 1000 years ago. Within the old red walls of the city
and the labyrinth of busy streets, is a humming core known as the Djemaa el-Fna square.
Djemaa-el-fna, dominated from a distance by the city's most prominent landmark, the
Koutoubia Mosque, is a jumble of jugglers, story tellers, snake charmers, magicians, herb and
potion vendors, knickknack sellers, acrobats, benign lunatics and rows and rows of mouth wa-
tering food stalls. Even more spectacular in the evening, this incredible carnival atmosphere
has attracted farmers, traders, thieves, slaves and just about every possible species over the
centuries. Many aspects remain as they have been for centuries and visitors can almost touch
the history of Morocco and its daily life here in Marrakech.

If you can tear yourself away from all this, Marrakech offers a variety of activities and attrac-
tions. There are amazing treks into the glorious Atlas mountains or, depending on your favour-
ite mode of transport, you can choose between camels, horses and off road bicycles to explore
the Palmeraie, a grove of over 150,000 towering palm trees. You can visit the ancient quarter
and delight in the beauty of the Palais Dar Si Said (museum of Moroccan art), the Bahia Palace and the Saadians tombs. With its fantastic sunny days and Jasmine scented evenings, its heady, exotic cuisine and its famous Souq, you are sure to fall in love with this city!

Cooking school

Rich in both history and flavor, Morocco cuisine is one of the most exotic in the world. The so-
phisticated Moroccan palate arose as the country played host to travelers and rulers from such
disparate lands as China, India, Spain and Persia and then, finally, from serving for 40 years as a French protectorate. In particular, the French influence remains. French is the second lan-
guage of Morocco, and an air of French sophistication infuses the Saharan oasis with a Euro-
pean flavor. Our cooking school captures this richness in its Moroccan cooking holidays.
It is in this oasis and in our customized kitchen that you will join other cooking enthusiasts for
a unique culinary vacation. Our local staff will pamper you and escort you to the colourful mar-
ket.  During the hands-on cooking lessons our expert chefs will introduce you to the exotic
combination of ingredients and techniques that exemplify traditional Moroccan cuisine. You will
learn first-hand how the fascinating history of this country has influenced its cuisine, and we
will also introduce you to some of our own fusion recipes.
 
Traditional Moroccan Recipes

Even the most jaded palates will respond to the delicious and astonishing blend of flavors that
you will learn to create in your own kitchen with some great Moroccan recipes.
The Tajine serves as the framework for a college of ingredients, spices and styles. Imagine
making Tajine de viande, Tajine des poissons, poulet aux olives et citron couscous, M’Choui
(Spiced Roast Lamb), B’Stilla (the legendary centerpiece of every banquet), Harira (traditional
lentil soup), Kseksu Bidawi (Couscous with seven vegetables), Matecha M'assala (Sweet To-
mato Confit), Chakchuka (Grilled Pepper & Tomato Salad), Tajen Djaj bel Btata Lehleewa
(Tagine of Chicken with Sweet Potatoes), salade Marocaine, cornes de gazelle (sugar-coated
pastries with a delicate almond paste filling) and M’Henca (almond filled pastry), Beghrir (Mo-
roccan Pancakes) or briaouts au miel covered in honey.
Simple and easy to prepare organic salads and vegetables take on an immediate exotic flavor
with Moroccan recipes.

Your Wine

Forty years of French rule has left a legacy of wine, and we diligently pair all meals with ap-
propriate libations, including Spanish, French and the recently improved Moroccan wines. Our
greatest discovery of local wine is CB, which uses traditional French techniques of wine production. The delicious and delicately rose-coloured Boulaouane de Gris is the perfect accompaniment for many of the dishes, and of course, French champagne is justifiably traditional.