Ouarzazate Off The Beaten Path

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Famous MIA singer had her famous music "Bad Girls" (the one with the cars spinning on the road) filmes here in Ouarzazate, just in the other side of the river on the way out of Tabounte. You can still see the mark of the car wheels on the asphalt.

MIA official music clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uYs0gJD-LE

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There is an unknown and unvisited movie set in Ouarzazate. By this it is very interesting as it is lost in time. No one goes there but it is very beautiful. It is the set of the city of Jerusalem for the movie Pope Joan filmed back in 1999.

This set is located after the Tifoultoute Kasbah. Heading to Tifoultoute you can already spot it up the mountains far. Off road track direction of Kasbah Zitoune hotel, then turn left into the mountain. There is a guard to whom you could give 10 or 20 dirhams out of sympathy.

The movie is about a woman of British descent born in the German city of Ingelheim in the middle of the ninth century. She disguises herself as a man and rises through the Vatican hierarchy.

trailer of Pope Joan movie here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPjzAgrMsfY

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Apart from the main studios near the road, CLA Cinema Studios in Ouarzazate also has 3 main sets out in the open, in the desert plateau. This is amazing and you'll be amazed.

Visit the JERUSALEM set, Initially used for the production of the movie Kingdom of Heaven; KASBAH set, Authentique Kasba (Village) Arabe style; the MEKKA set, Initially used for the production of the movie The Greatest Journey.

You have to have your own transportation or join someone in the studios. There is an entrance fee of 50 dirhams per person.

If you are a movie buff, then I suppose a visit to one of the studios is a must. I know of at least two studios, the Studios Kanzaman and the Studios Atlas Studios CLA. They both are located about 2/3 kilometres from Ourzazate city centre.

I did not visit them inside, I just stopped for a photo. However I know that, if there is no movie being filmed, it is possible (for a fee) to go inside and visit the sets and locations.

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When you go from Ouarzazate to the Draa Valley and Zagora, you will first pass an impressive and barren mountaineous area. It is the Jbel Tifrnine, the most eastern part of the Anti Atlas.

When we took this route by hired car in 2008, we saw before we reached the col Tizi-n-Tinififft at 1660 m first black mountain slopes, blinking in the sun and deep cliffs. At the highest point we parked our car to look backwards to the breathtaking views in the direction of the High Atlas.

Then we continued in the direction of the Draa Valley. On the way we saw many colours of the minerals in the rocks. Following the descending road we saw long slopes with lots of rolling stones and dry valleys and from here we the first views at the Draa valley below.

I was surprised that I didn't remember how scenic this route was from the first visit 8 years before when we passed also these mountains with a landrovertrip coming from the other side. Then I realised that in the landrover we sat in the back and had limited views from the sidewindows. Sitting in the front seat in your own car gives you the best panorama view you can imagine. From now I think I will only travel in the front seat.

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ait ben haddou is around 30 kilometers and an easy and very interesting daytrip to make from ouarzazate.
it's an old desert castle sitting on top of a hill and the place is listed as world heritage by UNESCO.
the village where it's located is very small, so you might prefer to stay in ouarzazate and do a day trip out there.
ait ben haddou is easily reached by mini bus or taxi.

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ouarzazate is a good place to start if you plan to visit the desert.
we booked a trip though the hotel zaghro where we had our own pajero jeep with a driver for 3 days.
the trip we bought included two nights stay in desert camps and cost us just over 200 euros per person.
it was nice to have the freedom of having our own car with a driver.
that way we could stop when we anted, but also go off the road and in to the desert without getting lost.
it was a really intersting trip that i would highly recommend.

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Instead of going the Ouarzate to Marrakech main road route to Telouet which takes about an hour and a half theres the 4 wheel drive route to Telouet which goes past Ait Benhaddou and is stunning - its only 58 km - but its strictly four wheel drive vehicle route -
but we did it in our little normal car! it took us 5 hours!!

but we did it and what a challenge and a stunning day out!!(i had a rather amazing at the wheel boyfriend!)

It can also make an excellent walk which can be done in 2 days and you link up with minibuses that go from anmiter fairly frequently into Telouet which is 11 km from Anmiter. also From anmiter are buses that go back to Marrakech each morning about 7 am .
If you are wanting to go back to Ouarzazate then you can catch a grande taxi to amezgane and then wait for one to Ouarzazate, not usually very long a wait, or catch the early morning bus and get off at the main road and flag a grande taxi or bus.