Best time to travel:
Climate:
Essaouira is nice year-round, as the average temperature throughout the year is 21 degrees celsius. The Atlas Mountains is also a year-round destination. Though spring (April to May) and fall (September to October) generally offer the best weather.
Flights to Morocco:
Direct flights from London airports to Marrakech are offered by Ryan Air, Easy Jet and British Airways.
Getting Around:
The return airport transfer and transfers specified in the trails, are included. For those who would like to extend their stay to do a bit more sightseeing, we are happy to offer a rental car. For the riding in Essaouira we usually recommend a rental car. This gives you the option the be more flexible and maybe go to Essaouri to stroll through the medina.
The Riding:
The riding will be on Arabian and Arabian-Berber mix stallions or mares. The saddles are english saddles. The horses are very well trained and well taking care of. The horses are not very big, the witter is around 1.60 (16 hands).
Tack:
You will be riding english style saddles.
Recommended Riding Cloths:
Jumpers, jodhpur boots or long riding boots, half or full chaps, long sleeve shirt, fleece jacket, gloves and rain protection. Also see ‘what to bring’
Weight allowance for riders:
85kg/187lb and the maximum body height is 200cm/6.5lb.
Though as we know, an experienced rider, who may exceed the weight limit, may ride very light on the horse’s back. So, please do check with us first.
Travel Essentials:
Before you go:
Visas & Passports– Passports must be valid for at least 6 months. Visas are not necessary for UK passport holders. Other nationalities should check with the local Italian embassy.
Insurance – We strongly recommend that you take out a policy to cover theft, loss, and medical issues. Please visit our page on travel insurancefor further information. It is a good idea to photocopy and scan all relevant documents – passport, travel insurance policy, etc. – and leave one copy at home. Carry another copy with you, separate from the originals and digital versions on your smartphone.
Electricity – 220v. You will need UK-European Plug adaptors.
Currency – Dirham are easy to get in the UK and it’s worth shopping around to avoid airport rates. If you are very organised you can get a pre-paid currency card, which you can use in a similar way to a debit card. We recommend Revolut and Monzo.
Clothing– The coastal areas are mild throughout the year, though depending on where the wind comes from it can get hot in summer. The wind in Essaouira is constantly blower, for this reason something long-sleeved would be recommended. The Atlas Mountains can get hot in summer as well. In the winter time the nights can get cold. Therefore it is worth taking an extra layer.
Driving Licence– All car rental companies accept UK photo drivers license. Although not all companies require a Driving License Code, we would recommend obtaining one before you collect your car. You can do this through the DVLA website (https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence) and you will need: your driving licence number, your National Insurance numbers, the postcode on your driving licence
While you are here:
Time difference– There is no time difference between Morocco and the UK.
Telephone– Dial 0044 or +44 for a UK number.
The Morocco internationalcode is +212
Tipping– Normally you tip around 10% at restaurants. We recommend the following amounts for local guides based on your experience: €3-5 per person.
