Carol Nash is a broker, not an insurance company, so it depends who the policy is with.

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

I've been informed that you can easily get Morocco insurance at the border point, so no issue. "Axa Assurance" is what you're looking for there, but ask anyone at the border.

Also - having now driven from Casablanca to Ifrane, I can tell you the cops are very much in evidence, with radar guns and radios just watching for you everywhere, so watch your speed!

At the hotel now, weather is fantastic, temperature perfect, though the forecast is for hot, it should be fine here at 1500+ m altitude.

You're going to love the riding here!

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

If you want a little trip, almost still within town, stick N33 33.696 W5 07.506 into Google Maps or your sat nav.

Within town, pass the lion on your left, head towards Mischelfin Hotel but turn left just before signposted Source Vitel. Carry on past lovely water meadows and springs. Keep going and descending following the streams then you come to big waterfalls.

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

And a little spin to get to know the area if anyone arrives early. Take some melon for the wild Monkeys and visit the caldera of an extinct volcano.



Head SW out of Ifrane following signs for Azrou, turn left by the Shell station on the edge of town and follow the orange route through the cedar forest. Rejoin the N8 past Ras el Ma, then turn left a bit further on signposted Cedre Gourand. That will take you to 'apes 3' on the above map. If they are not there take the limestone gravel road to 'apes 1'. Afterwards cut across country to Mischleiffen and descend into the caldera!

Some pics: M21 Monkeys, Volcanos and Yes

Have fun!

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

great info Tim, thanks for posting!

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

We hope to have a few days after ‪#‎HUMM15‬, starting from Ifrane and ending up in Casablanca. Any suggestions for 'must see' in Morocco? We will be 2-up on an 800GS!

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Susan Johnson

Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Typical things to see you can find in a guidebook, so places like Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Moulay Idriss, Fes/Meknes. But they will be busy with tourists.

Or are you more interested in scenery and nature? And how many days, how many hours of riding/visiting per day?

Good site for photos and brief write-ups: LookLex / Morocco

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

Enjoy the ride, but please don't feed the wild apes! Here's why: EDUCATION - Welcome to Monkey Forest

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Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional

An organisation that has captured 140 wild monkeys and put them on show in the UK as a money making venture isn't where I would normally look for advice. When I was studying Arabic I spent literally tens of hours in the cedar forests in the Middle Atlas doing my 'homework' surrounded by monkeys and the thought of these creatures in a zoo in the UK isn't nice.

The text on your link reads, "Feeding of wild Barbary macaques by tourists is bad for a Barbary macaque’s health, according to research. The scientists studied macaques at tourist sites in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco, where people regularly feed them with bread, pasta, crisps and chocolate. Compared to monkeys away from tourist sites, that eat what they find naturally in the forest, the tourist fed animals were overweight, had coats in a poor condition and also harboured more parasites - all these things are linked to their bad diet. The researchers also found that feeding by tourists led the monkeys to be more aggressive to each other."

Yes, I've seen people feed them bread and peanuts, but never pasta or chocolate. Neither are particularly common anyway, pasta isn't used much in Morocco as a foodstuff and chocolate melts in the heat. I've never seen overweight monkeys either. Researchers sometimes come up with conclusions that match their preconceived ideas, but I agree that bread and crisps are not their natural diet. As for coats harbouring parasites, one of their pleasures is grooming each other and eating the parasites.

The macaques just love melons which are good for them. Melon is one of the world's health foods with several B vitamins, omega-3 in the seeds, potassium and lots of water content.

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

I think the main problem with feeding wildlife is that people feed them the same crap they're eating - crisps or white bread! Melon sounds very healthy!

__________________
Susan Johnson

Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

We always overestimate how much time we'll want to ride, and already I can tell we're going to be very tired after the HUMM! So we'll rest on Sunday, get the bike (800 GS) on Sunday night, have 5 days for touring, then we have to be back in Ifrane to give the bike back, retrieve our rental car and drive to Casablanca.


We never ride more than 5-6 hours a day.


Would like to do 1 day at a market, probably Fes? The rest would be scenery and nature and wildlife. Fewer tourists would be nice, but not required.


Will definitely check out the monkeys and volcanos around Azrou, plus the springs!


Thanks,
Susan

__________________
Susan Johnson

Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

The best 'authentic' market experience would be Azrou which is on a Tuesday. Azrou is the main market town of the Middle Atlas and it's a real experience watching the various trucks arriving with single produce loads, whether they be hay, onions, oranges, apples, etc. These 'wholesalers' then sell to the individual stall holders. There's areas for livestock, pots and pans, carpets, and so on.

Location N33.450425 W5.2151021 and on Google maps: http://tinyurl.com/lbasqb3

A lovely ride is through the cedar forests and limestone karst scenery of the Middle Atlas, from Azrou to Khenifra, visiting Ain Leuh (spring of wood), the source/springs of Oum er Rbia and Aguelmane Azigza on the way. Google Maps route: http://tinyurl.com/nm53obm

The next day you could head south to Cascades Ouzoud.

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

I was there a few weeks back and came across some very native Baraby's on the "toursit route" which heads off to the west at where Tim has marked apes 1 on his map.

These fellas were rather upset at the sight of me, but after a while they got used to me as long as I kept a good 10 metres distance. I managed to get some great shots with a little patience and as there were so few vehicles on the road it was all carm.

I found these fellows after about 6km where the road splits into two. It was a magic time! And they had babies!!!!

Attached Thumbnails

 

I'm a sucker for wild animals, so that's a high priority. The market at Azrou sounds great, not too big and close by. Thanks Tim and Dave!

__________________
Susan Johnson

Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Final preparations at beginning of Day 3. Teams are quite keen, some even have their own team stickers!

__________________
Susan Johnson

Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com