Morocco Reviews: Todra Gorge and Aït Ben Haddou

The Todra Gorge is worth a short visit for the views of the cliffsides moving in around the river. You can go for a longer trek through the valley, but I opted for driving to the top of the gorge and only walking the last 300 m, as this is where the track narrows to as little as 10 m wide with steep cliffsides up to 160 m high on both sides. The river is a place for family picnics, and there is a nice quiet atmosphere along the track. The sellers don’t really hassle you, and you can enjoy the walk in peace. 





Hotel Amazir

We stayed in Hotel Amazir, which has a nice pool on a terrace overlooking the river. The terrace is overgrown with flowers, and you can sit on the couches and enjoy the lulling sounds of the river. The rooms are nice with en suite bathrooms and airconditioning. The AC in our room was a bit intense though, so we only had it on for a little while.  




Next day we continued to Aït Ben Haddou. This is a small town, which is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The collection of casbahs has been carefully restored during the years, and used as a set for many films and series, including Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, Prince of Persia and Game of Thrones. This place is definitely worth a visit with its medieval atmosphere and the many beautiful buildings and views. If you climb the hill to the granary located on the top, you get spectacular views of the town and the surrounding countryside. About 30 km away lies Ouarzazate, which is considered the Hollywood of Morocco, as many of the major film studios are placed here. 







The films and series that have used Aït Ben Haddou as location


Hotel la Rose du Sable


In Aït Ben Haddou we stayed in Hotel la Rose du Sable. This hotels has nice rooms with en suite bathrooms and good beds. There is airconditioning, but again it was pretty intense, and could only be turned on or off. There is a small pool, and the hotel has a big terrace with a view over the UNESCO site. The breakfast consisted of bread, yoghurt and orange juice. We left quite early though, so perhaps there would have been a better selection later in the morning. 



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