Why Are These Moroccan Goats Climbing Trees?


Why Are These Moroccan Goats Climbing Trees?

Argan oil has been a beauty buzzword for the last several years. Pressed from the nuts of the Moroccan argan tree, this light, golden oil has significant anti-inflammatory properties, and is found in countless hair and skin care products. Argan oil is also considered a specialty/health food product, due to its clean, nutty flavor and high levels of linoleic acid and nutrients (seriously, try it in your next vinaigrette or drizzled on soup).

What most people don't realize is how the oil is harvested. For anyone who's spent time traveling in rural northern Morocco, the sight of goats in argan trees, like so many magpies, isn't uncommon. According to the Daily Mail, however, the native Tamri goats are actually part of what's become a highly profitable cottage industry.

The animals feast upon the argan berries, and the fruit and pulp are absorbed into their digestive tracts. Berber women then collect their droppings, and remove the remaining nuts, from which the oil is then extracted. Think of it as the kopi luwak of the beauty industry.

Unfortunately, the global demand for argan oil is so great, the tree population is thought to be half of what it was 50 years ago, reports the Daily Mail. Conservationists are now pleading with herders to keep their goats out of the trees, so the berries can fall to the ground and reseed.

Despite the environmental complications, there's just something about goats in trees that's irresistible. Check out the gallery for a whimsical tour of Morocco's acrobatic, aerial caprines.



morocco culture,moroccan food,morocco food,moroccan cuisine,morocco beaches,moroccan meal,beaches in morocco,moroccan culture,hercules cave,hercules cave morocco

3 Moroccan Meals You Should


3 Moroccan Meals You Should 


One thing I love most about travelling is getting to taste the local cuisine wherever I go. Having just spent 2 weeks in Morocco, these were 3 yummy staple dishes that the country had to offer, and that I recommend you try should you wash up on Moroccan shores! All of the following were meals I had on my Busabout 8 day tour of Marrakech & the Sahara.

Chicken Tagine

Chicken Tagine is basically chicken, potatoes, peas, carrots, chickpeas, and sometimes other vegetables all mixed up in a natural chicken gravy. Sometimes with Tagine they will make a little dome of potatoes, with the meat hidden underneath. For some reason it always tastes better when they do this!

Vegetable Cous Cous

Cous Cous in very popular in Morocco, with most cafes and restaurants serving a variety of Cous Cous dishes pretty much everywhere you go. With fruit & veg being a major export of Morocco (Agriculture is the largest industry in the country) I always like to opt for the veggie Cous Cous. There are so many fresh vegetables on offer in Morocco it would be a shame not to take advantage of all the fresh produce on offer!

Moroccan Chickpea Soup

If you’re eating out somewhere like Djemaa El Fna in Marrakech (the main square), you’d be as well getting a starter as well as a main meal. Food in Morocco is super cheap. A lot of places offer you soup for 5 Dirham (0.36 GBP/ 0.44 EUR). Chickpea soup is usually what’s on offer. Sometimes I do find the soup a bit watery in the cheaper places, but you can hardly complain considering the price!


morocco culture,moroccan food,morocco food,moroccan cuisine,morocco beaches,moroccan meal,beaches in morocco,moroccan culture,hercules cave,hercules cave morocco

Marrakech Tour: Sights and Attractions


Marrakech is clearly a large city divided into old quarters – the Medina – and the new town – Guéliz.

The focus of the whole city is Djemaa el Fna, a large open space full of entertainers and food sellers at the heart of the Medina. Along the alleyways adjacent to Djemaa el Fna, lie some of the most remarkable landmarks of Marrakech. North of Djemaa el Fna are the souks and the Sidi Ben Youssef Mosque, the main mosque after the Koutoubia. South of Djemaa el Fna, you have the Saadian Tombs and an area full of palaces and the ethnographic museum Maison Tiskiwine.

Bahia palaceBahia Palace:                   portico
Another popular sight in Marrakech is the tour of the many gardens. These include the Jardin Majorelle, near Bab Doukkala, the Ménara, a large pool set in a large olive grove and the Agdal, another pleasant olive grove. Across the Oued Issil to the northeast of Marrakech, lies the Palmery dotted with oases.



Djemaa el Fna
 Djemaa el Fna: The most famous landmark in Marrakech, where large crowds gather to watch groups of acrobats, drummers, snake charmers, story tellers, dancers and many other performers.
Djemaa el Fna is the most famous landmark in Marrakech, a place sure to involve you so effortlessly you will come back again and again.

It is an open space in the heart of the city where a long-established ritual takes place. Large crowds of onlookers – both locals and tourists – gather around to mingle together and watch groups of acrobats, drummers, snake charmers, story tellers, dancer, comedians and fairground acts.

Read more about Djemaa el Fna

The Koutoubia
 The Koutoubia: A seventy metres Almohad tower that dominates the Marrakech skyline, rising from the low-rise buildings of the old town and the plains of the north.
The Koutoubia is to Marrakech what the Statue of Liberty is to New York and the Eiffel Tower is to Paris.

Nearly seventy metres in height and visible for miles afar, the Koutoubia is a landmark that dominates the whole of Marrakech, rising from the low-rise buildings of the old town and the plains of the north.

Originally built by the early Almohads, this is the oldest and most complete of three great Almohad towers – the other two are the Hassan Tower in Rabat and the Giralda in Seville.

Read more about the Koutoubia

The Souks of Marrakech
 Marrakech Souks: Vast, colourful and varied, with small squares devoted to specific crafts and products.
The souks of Marrakech stretch immediately after Djemaa el Fna, along Rue Souk Smarine, a long, covered street. At the end of this street are two lanes: Souk el Kbir and Souk el Attarin – Follow the alleyways and you will discover small squares devoted to specific crafts and products.

At first sight, the souks may seem vast and bewildering. However, with a good map it is perfectly possible to navigate the souks on your own. If you’d rather use some help, there are no shortage of offers from guides, both official and non-official.


 Almoravid Koubba: The only Almoravid structure still standing in Morocco, with a design that is at the root of all Moroccan architecture.
Opposite the Ben Youssef Mosque, on the southern side of Place de la Kissaria, is the Almoravid Koubba.

At first glance, it looks a very simple building with variously shaped doors and windows. With a closer look, you will understand the significance and fascination of this monument, for it is the only Almoravid building still standing intact in Morocco!

Dating back to the reign of Sultan Ali Ben Youssef (1107 – 1143), the Almoravid Koubba probably formed part of the ablution facilities of a nearby mosque. The style of the monument is at the root of all Moroccan architecture, subsequently used in all Almohad and Merenid designs.

Climb down the stairs to get to the level of the Dome and view its ceilings. Note the unique range of Almoravid motifs – the pine cones, acanthus and palm leaves and the powerful expression of form in the square and star-shaped octagons at the dome’s interior support.


 The Marrakech Museum: A magnificient late nineteenth-century palace that houses traditional and contemporary exhibitions of Moroccan art and sculpture.
The Marrakech Museum is housed in a magnificent late-nineteenth century palace, Dar Mnebbi, on the west side of Place de la Kissaria.

The palace was originally built by Mehdi Mnebbi (1894-1908), Moroccan ambassador to London. It was then bought by T’Hami el Glaoui, the famous Pasha of Marrakech during the French protectorate. Restored in 1997, it houses today both traditional and contemporary exhibitions of Moroccan arts and sculpture.


The process involves tanners treading and rinsing skin i

morocco culture,moroccan food,morocco food,moroccan cuisine,morocco beaches,moroccan meal,beaches in morocco,moroccan culture,hercules cave,hercules cave morocco