Ait Ben Haddou Travel Guide
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From Within the Walls of Ait Ben Haddou
by DSwede
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Ait Ben Haddou
by TheView
Pro
The most well preserved and beautiful Kasbah in High Atlas Region
Con
People now ask for entrance money
In a nutshell
Fantastic place to get a view of an old fortified village with amazing view to the Valley
Explore Ait Ben Haddou
visit a kasbah inside the village of kasbahs
angiebabe Says:
For 5 dirham you can go up inside to the top of a kasbah and get a basic idea of the layout in which up to 4 families lived in these fortified homes.Its rather dark especially down in the lower areas where the animals lived and grains were stored as you make your way up the...
Entrance to the fortified village of AitBenHaddou
angiebabe Says:
Down the cobbled path with the (hustlers) shops with the usual scarves, pottery, jewellery, rugs and all sorts of trinkets and anything sellable on either side and then cross the river - which may be a dry river bed, or with a bit of water in it hop over on the stepping...
Stop at the viewpoint for a panoramic view
angiebabe Says:
When approaching the village of Ait Benhaddou there is a viewpoint with parking area on the right side of the road - pull in here for great views of the multilevelled old town of multi kasbahed Ait Benhaddou - as it graduates up the hill to the fortress and granary on top of...
What's real and What's not?
suvanki Says:
Viewing Ait- Benhaddou from the front entrance, or from above - the fortified wall of the exterior looks like it is part of the history of this architecturally preserved Ksar. Well, the impressive looking entrance gateway was added late last century, in order to provide an...
View from The Granary
suvanki Says:
Climbing to the top of the Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou is well worth the effort, for the views over the hammada (stony desert ), the Palmyra landscape, and views over the riverbed.The Granary-or Agadir is the best viewpoint - Please see my previous tip for more information. I'd...
Meet the donkey!
suvanki Says:
I first spotted this donkey as we approached the Ksar - it was carrying water bottles up a pathway near the entrance, guided by its owner..Later, while enjoying a glass of mint tea in one of the locals houses, I was startled by it suddenly appearing and braying loudly in the...
Ait Ben Haddou
suvanki Says:
Ait means 'belonging to'. So this is the Ksar of Ben Haddou!This Unesco protected Ksar is well worth a visit, whether to recognise the place from some of the block buster films that have featured this place- Gladiator, Alexander, Jesus of Nazareth, Lawrence of Arabia etc,or...
Riad Ksar Ighnda
1 Review and 33 Opinions Wonderfull trip where we arrived at the riad ksar ighnda, the hotel arranged the transportation and...
La Baraka hotel: great food and restaurant decor
angiebabe Says:
Have stayed here several times now over the past 2 years - 2010-2012 for 1-2 nights at a time and had several breakfast. lunch and evening meals here which have all been very good. We prefer to stay here now as regular patronage to an establishment creates a rapport and the...
Auberge La Goulade: Excellent pizza's in deserted village!
li-anne Says:
Auberge la Goulade, chez Samie et Michel;We wanted to see what else there is in Ait Ben Haddou, and came across this small restaurant. Actually it's a guesthouse as well, they have rooms also. We ordered some pizza's and although it took a while to prepare them, it was worth...
New walk bridge over the river to Ait Benhaddou
angiebabe Says:
In one of my Off the Beaten Path tips here I suggested missing the touts that are along the usual pathway that most people take down to where the river crossing is and over to the main entrance by going on up further past this pathway to cross the river - well now there is a...
The "current" way to get across the river
DSwede Says:
I've seen people's reviews about taking the donkeys or the small boats across the river, with more details about how much they should cost, etc.Please note that those posts are now a bit out of date. There is a pedestrian walking bridge that spans the ~100m river and is...
Various outlets around the ksar: Local crafts
suvanki Says:
Walking through the Ksar of Ait Benhaddou, making our way up to the Granary, we passed by a few shops which were selling paintings, jewellery, clothing, scarves etc. It was a good excuse to stop and catch my breath, while looking at these goods!We stopped while a small boy...
The Chellaba
globetrott Says:
The " Chellabah " is that typical clothing for men - and it is quite good for the climate as your skin is not dried out by the sun, you also have a hood for the head, and at most places I have been in Maroc, there was always a bit of wind ( it was in March ).Mostly it is...
some thoughts about children working for tourists
globetrott Says:
Plenty of children are waiting for customers to guide them over the river, as there are only a few places and paths through the wide river, that may be used to get to the ancient town of Ait Ben Haddou.Mostly their whole family depends on that kind of extra-income...BUT just...
Don't enter via main entrance
BE001903 Says:
As all tourist trying to enter the main gate to the kasbah we were asked to pay a fee. When we refused they got angry and some old guy tried to make us pay.
We left and entered the kasbah at the lefthand side (there are some shops at the entrance ), with no hassle there. I...
Take a warm jacket for the desert - at night
globetrott Says:
It sounds a bit funny at the first moment - but in the Sahara it is mostly a bit windy and your skin will dry out completely within a short time, when you will not cover your arms and feet completely.I had my winterjacket with me, stuffed with feathers inside and it was a...
Ait Benhaddou - things to bring
suvanki Says:
Light weight day sac for carrying camera, water etc. Travel lightly especially as it can be fiecely hot mid day mid summer, and the paths are quite uneven
Sturdy shoes for walking around the Ksar - there are some loose stones etc. on the way upto/down from the granary, with...
Telouet
suvanki Says:
Travellers from Marrakech to Ouarzazate (and vise -versa) often detour to Ait Benhaddou. Not far from this site is another place well worth stopping at for an hour or two- Telouet!The main reason for visiting Telouet is to visit the Telouet Kasbah - Built in the 1940's as a...
Tamdaght Kasbah
angiebabe Says:
A further 7 km from Ait Benhaddou, of bitumen/tarmac road, is another Glaoui fortification the Tamdaght kasbah.I walked right around it as I was captivated by the almond blossoms in the valley below - from where there are also great views of the ornate turrets and stork...
Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou
call_me_rhia Says:
Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou - the perfect casbah... a sight of amazing beauty built mainly in mud on the slope of a steep rocky hill. It is made up of a maze of multi-storey ancient dwellings and was once a thriving community on the caravan route. Very few families live in the...
Explore Deeper into Ait Ben Haddou
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