"Loveliest maximised scenery drive in... " a El Goumt du Dades Travel Page by angiebabe

Beautiful day but yet again we are rushing as the sun is about to set and we are running out of daylight -visiting the longawaited Dades for a repeat visit has yet been relegated to the tail end of a day when trying to head back to Ouarzazate - but never mind got some good pics and got right up to the mushroom shaped rocks and unusual folded looking rock formations again before we had to turn around and head back to the main road.

This time the right company and right atmosphere to even more acknowledge how beautiful the scenery is all the way along the Dades Gorge Road and thinking what a beautiful place to just walk for a few hours or do the whole length through all the oasis and palmeraie and lush growing areas.

I first visited the Dades Gorge when travelling with two faux guides from Rissani and a french backpacker - no we werent twosomes! - but the faux guides had sort of taken over the trip/ my car but nevermind things have improved since then.

I stayed at local prices - very cheap!- in a lovely room with ensuite at the Hotel Kasbah of the Gorges Valley (the translation on their business cards called it the valley of the Dades Throats Kasbah auberge!)
we arrived in the dark and had a nice meal at their outside dining area over the road from the hotel and then at 10 or 11 pm the power generators came to their end of the day and light was by candle in a metal moroccan lantern. All continued the picturesqueness of the trip around Morocco.
The next day when the sun came up what a glorious sight of orangeish steep rock face out my window and then noted on either side of the hotel.

The hotel host was a very pleasant guy who gave me a stack of his business to give to friends back in England.

Heading back to the main road of the Dades Valley were very unusual rock formations - like folded and bulging rocks which made some lovely photos and a bit further we stopped and went down into the valley area to the river where it was noticeably cooler than the heat above, and walked through the growing areas and across the river. we sat around and relaxed for a while, got pics of some local ladies doing their laundry with some rather dramatic and picturesque looking kasbahs in the background.
I remember being impressed yet again with my small amount of french being able to converse with some local children asking me if i would like to visit the kasbah, have some tea with them and they could get the key for me to visit the kasbah.

I was a bit annoyed to later find a postcard with a scene of mushroom shaped rocks and kasbah along the road that we had not stopped to be shown and i therefore later when visiting morocco again wanted to return to see.

This time what a most beautiful drive!! With a friend who equally appreciates astounding scenery and cultural views combined with lovely weather, foliage and birdlife - ie the storks again.

Again i was driving the Dades Gorges road in the dark - morocco just doesnt have enough daylight hours!!, 2 hours less than the UK!!- but we ended up at the Tissoudrine auberge having not been able to find one that contacts recommended though i had thought i would return to the auberge i had stayed at 3 years before. It was 9 pm and very quiet - we were obviously the only guests and he seemed rather pleasant and we just were too tired to keep looking for any better price etc and on checking the auberge it was spacious, clean and had lots of character so we agreed to pay Doud the 130 dirham each price we haggled down a bit to and moved in to our big spacious room with ensuite.
No longer the generator situation so power is available all night this time!

Though it was noticeably cooler up the Gorge where we were it was still warm and so it was lovely to sit out in the outside patio area with the sound of running water in the creek or river behind us. Doud was an avid conversation but thankfully he finally asked if we would like to eat - we looked at each other and laughed that yes we would ! ( i felt like i'd love to fall asleep any minute and it was 11pm! so yes we would like to eat and get it over with!) There was too much food for that time of night and we were sure it was goat which was too strong a taste to enjoy at that time of night but the fresh fruit was very nice.
The beds were really comfortable and the showers were excellent and warm and much enjoyed.
When the sun came up in the morning it was yet another treat to see such scenery and view around us - some sunrise shots out the bedroom window, and a scramble up to the roof for some more shots and then back to bed. Later it was another scramble for the camera to get shots of the goat herders and goats coming down between the valley parting out our window to catch the goats drinking at the river below us.
and what scenery out at the patio where we had eaten the night before! some more lovely photos of the steep orange rock faces ahead of us further up the gorges road.
and then we were off. up the gorge road - around the spaghetti road incline at the top of where the first visit i had taken shots that were worthy of being enlarged to put into gift calendars - this time it was with amazement to see a new restaurant and auberge had been built down over the cliff side where i had previously been entertained by some musicians and been engrossed in taking photos.
and on up the gorge road - and what awesome views all the way and i couldnt bring myself to stop before Msemrir!! so i have finally been there! and maybe we took full use of the new digital and added about 200-300 pics to our stunning collection!
I am even more so convinced that the views along the way are in comparison with excellent views i have seen when driving around imilchil, up todra gorge, the paradise valley road between telouet and tizga and ait benhaddou and others but here it is all is in one compact road!
and then another 200 or so getting back down to the main road. Particularly lovely with the prolific numbers of pink oleanders in bloom along the way!

and another lovely return for the Mgouna Rose Festival May 2007 - stayed with lovely Moroccan friends at their hotel over the road from the Auberge Tissadrine that ive written about staying at June 2006.