Moroccan cuisine

Moroccan cuisine has long been considered as one of the most diverse cuisines in the world. The reason for this was Morocco's relationship with the outside world for many centuries. Cuisine of Morocco - the connection of Arab, Berber, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and African cuisines. Cooks royal kitchens of Fez, Meknes, Marrakech, Rabat and Tetouan refined Moroccan cuisine over the centuries and created the basis for what today is known as Moroccan cuisine.

Key ingredients

Morocco raises a wide range of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables, and even some rain. The country produces a large number of sheep, poultry, livestock and seafood products, which are the basis for the kitchen.

Use of spices

Spices are used extensively in Moroccan food. While the spices were imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many of the components, such as saffron from Tiliouin, mint and olives from Meknes, and oranges and lemons from Fez, are grown in local fields. The most common are karfa spices (cinnamon), kamoun (caraway), harkoum (turmeric), skinbir (ginger), libzar (black pepper), tahmira (red pepper), sesame seeds, kasbour (coriander), maadnous (parsley), zaafrane Belda (saffron) and mint.

Main Dishes

The main Moroccan dish, which most people are familiar - is couscous, which is a very old dish and is probably of Berber origin.

Chicken - the most frequently-used meats in Morocco. Usually red meat in Morocco - is beef. Lamb is more preferable, but also more expensive. The breed of sheep bred in North Africa, has a fat back, which means that the Moroccan lamb does not have the sharp scent, which usually have Western lamb and mutton.

Among the most famous Moroccan dishes Couscous, Pastilla (also called Besteeya or Bastila), Tadzhine, Tanja and Hariri. Although the latter dish is a soup, it is considered as a separate dish, sometimes served with dates, especially during the month of Ramadan.

Desserts
Sweets are not necessarily served at the end of eating. The most common dessert - Ka'b al zhzal ( "gazelle horns"), which is a pastry filled with almond paste and sprinkled with sugar. Another dessert - honey cake, which has a specific form of a pretzel with roasted fried parts, which are then dipped in hot honey and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Halva shebaiki a - biscuits, which is eaten during the month of Ramadan.

The mint tea that is common place with the main meal is also probably the most popular drink in general in Morocco. Making a good mint tea is considered an art form and drinking tea with friends and family is a very important part of the day. As important as the making of the tea is the pouring of it which can be quite tricky for the novice as the pot used is quite large with a long, curved spout and poured in to the glasses from quite a height.

Casablanca Town...

Also known as Casa or Dar el Baida, Casablanca is essentially the capital of Morocco. Any European citizen or traveler will feel right at home here, and will feel an almost instinctive understanding of life in this city. In Casablanca, and around the city there are a large number of hotels. Regardless of your budget, you can find good housing and noted that this is an excellent place to provide an outstanding colorful cuisine.


Casablanca was founded as a town in 1906 with a population of 20 000 people. Later in 1907, when the French took possession of the territories, Fez became their commercial center, while Tangier was reorganized into the main harbor. The French were soon driven from this land, and had to find a new port, and remained the Moroccan city of Tangier. Since then, many things changed. Now with a population of more than 3 million, Casablanca resembles the South European city.

Bazaars and markets - the main features colorful Moroccan life, and they are the biggest temptations in the country.

They can be found everywhere, every town has its own special market. Big cities such as Fez and Marrakech have a maze of individual markets (each nomination on the street or square dedicated to a specific trade), while in rural areas are also hundreds of weekly markets offered on different days in each village area.

In most English-speaking Europeans and Americans Casablanca is associated with the high life, wealth, and adventures. It is here in Casablanca in 1943 passed the famous Casablanca Conference, at which U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the head of the national committee for the liberation of France in Algeria, de Gaulle discussed plans for military operations against the Allies in Germany 1943 in Casablanca, it was decided to land Allied troops in Sicily and to postpone the opening of 2-second front in northern France ...
That Casablanca chose the place of the same name in black and white Hollywood film director Michael Curtiz.

Interestingly, the original place of Humphrey Bogart's role in this film was supposed to play a young actor Ronald Reagan. The film "Casablanca" was awarded the Oscar for best film of the year for best director and screenplay.

The most interesting for tourists the old part of town - Medina. It remains coloring the eastern city - narrow (three feet, no more) and winding streets, donkeys, harnessed to the cart. Right and left are dozens of little shops with fielded out goods.

In a beautiful old building Mahakma du Pacha, where the Pasha of Casablanca before its done by a court and received his guests, now housed Prefecture one of the seven districts of the city. The decoration of 64 rooms and inside patios are excellent examples of the wealth of traditional decorative art.

And then - the church of Notre Dame de Lourdes, a monumental concrete construction with huge colorful windows.

One of the main attractions of Casablanca is located on the Atlantic coast to the north-west of the medina - the MOSQUEE HASSAN II - the tallest building in the city is built on the shores of the ocean and the second largest in the Muslim world after the mosque in Mecca. This creation of French architect Michel Pinceau. 3300 Masters, using technologies of the XXI century, erected the world's highest minaret (200 meters), set a retractable roof, which for three minutes makes room for prayer in a magnificent terrace. In addition to purely religious significance, the mosque is a cultural center. There is a madrassa, a library, a national museum.

Beautiful, mysterious African country of Morocco ...

Beautiful, mysterious African country of Morocco ... It has absorbed the spirit of history and is famous for its many local attractions. Trip to the Thousand and One Nights "gives a lot of unforgettable moments and saturate your life with a variety of entertainment to your taste.

The bright blue doors and red walls, honey-sweet figs and tart-bitter mint tea, stone sun Essaouira and the heart of Marrakesh - vociferous Jam El Fna, boiling the ocean and the pink silk of the Atlas Mountains, casbah, canyons, desert - all these and even more - Morocco.

In Morocco, a buzzing nightlife goes on until the dawn, as in European countries. Alcohol is not prohibited.

As in other eastern countries, Morocco decided to bargain. So do not hesitate to go for souvenirs at the bazaar and traded to exhaustion. Each city in Morocco have their favorite types of trades handled by local residents.

In Essaouira better to buy souvenirs (paintings, lamps made of leather), national clothes and items from Tui. In a large salon quality is higher, but the price match. In the Medina in the shops cheaper by 30-50%, but lower quality. In Casablanca, European things known model homes are sold cheaper than doubled. Smuggled watches famous brands - from 10 to 50 USD. In Fes - souvenirs, gold. In Rabat - souvenirs, carpets, leather. In Marrakesh prices higher, a lot of European goods.

During the period of Ramadan (from December to February) it is forbidden to eat and drink until the sun goes down, forbidden to drink alcohol (even tourists), stores the day working with a shorter working day or do not work at all.

It is accepted to eat with your hands, 3-name fingers of his right hand, folded in a pinch. Do not touch the food with his left hand, regarded as "unclean". At the beginning of lunch is often served in a bowl with hot pink "water for washing hands. Bread, as a symbol of prosperity, should be consumed sparingly and with dignity.

There are many pickpockets in Morocco, so you should take the usual safety measures - do not wear a wallet in an easily accessible outside pockets of clothes, cameras and purses - only on a belt, do not leave in the car or put the machine only to parking lot security guards specially serviced (shall be uniform tokens).

Under no circumstances it is not recommended to enter into any negotiations or dealings with persons in pursuit of tourists. Do not follow the advice, suggestions, and "friendly" recommendations of the local population. Do not believe the assurances of the absence of a bus, on a cheap souvenirs in a single bench, ended on tickets and so on.

Holidays in Morocco - is the perfect beginning for those who intend to travel to Africa and to explore its beauty.

Kenya Travelling Tips

In general, Kenya - is a safe country, but there are a few rules that visitors must comply. For example, during the safari in national parks is forbidden to leave the place of residence without being accompanied by guards. And during the safari itself it is forbidden to leave the car without the permission of the guide. In Kenya, unlike in some other southern African countries, it is strongly prohibited hunting on wild animals. Violators will face a serious punishment: a large fine or even imprisonment. Do not wander alone in Nairobi after 18.30. In Kenya, it darkens very quickly and at 19.00 is quite dark. Keep track of your pockets and bags, pickpockets in Kenya are as much as in any other major tourist center.

It is not recommended to take pictures of local people without their permission and independently (without guide) to visit the homes of local residents, especially the Maasai. Ignorance of local ethnic customs can lead to misunderstandings or even conflicts.

Malaria - is a disease prevalent in the Indian Ocean and Western Kenya. Therefore, everyone who comes to Nairobi, it is recommended to take preventive measures. The treatment begins with a week before entering the country, continues during the entire trip and 6 weeks after it. Anti-malarial tablets and certain medications can be purchased at pharmacies and supermarkets. A permanent inhabitant for these places is also a causative agent of yellow fever, therefore, it is compulsory to make vaccination for a trip to Kenya. Big cities have modern hospitals, have excellent medical facilities at Nairobi. If you are sick, so-called flying doctor will take you to Nairobi from anywhere in Kenya. It costs $ 25. It is also recommended during a safari to close the open parts of the body and use special tools against insect bites.

It is not recommended to drink water from the tap and buy fruit from street vendors. It is better to use only bottled drinks and canned packaging, and vegetables and fruits sould be well-peeled and washed before eating.

Madagascar Travel

Madagascar, larger than California and about size the size of Texas or France, is the world's 4 th largest island. Isolated in the Indian Ocean off the coast of southern Africa, about 70% of the estimated 250,000 species found on the island exist nowhere else on the globe. The island is home to such evolutionary oddities as lemurs, a group of primates endemic to the island; colored lizards including geckos and chameleons; tenrecs, spiny hedgehog-like creatures; and the fossa, a carnivorous animal that looks like a cross between a puma and a dog but is closely related to the mongoose.

Nevertheless, Madagascar is an extremely poor country with poor infrastructure -- flying is often the only option to get between points since roads, when they exist, are frequently in bad condition. Phones and internet access are unknown in parts of the country and in some villages, children have never seen a person with white skin. Also, despite it's poverty, Madagascar is not a particularly cheap destination for most western tourists who are not willing to put up with the discomfort, frustrations, and hassles of public transportation.


Madagascar's wildlife is among the best in the world in terms of diversity, abundance, and approachability and travel to Madagascar for this purpose is most rewarding. Deciduous forests, crystalline lakes, massive caverns, and savanna grassland dot the broad western plains, and the southern tip of the island is covered with a magnificent desert. Madagaskar is crisscrossed by no less than 6 different micro-climates!

The Sahara - the hottest place on Earth

The Sahara is one of the hottest places on Earth. Even though temperatures there may rise to 136 F (57.7 C), its dryness, not heat, that makes a place like the Sahara a desert. The frozen continent of Antarctica is so dry that some scientists consider it a desert, too.

By studying satellite photos, some scientists have come to believe that the Sahara regularly shrinks and grows. In the early 1980s, the Sahara's southern edge expanded into the Sahel, a dry band that separates the desert from the savanna. But by the mid-1980s this area was green and wet again.

Due to the massive size of the Sahara, Africa is split into 2 regions: that which lies above or forms part of the Sahara and the rest of Africa south of the Sahara. On the west, the Sahara is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and on the east by the Red Sea, and to the north are the Atlas Mountains and Mediterranean Sea.

Many researchers have gone into the Sahara looking for clues as to how long ago humans began inhabiting the desert. According to archeologists, the Sahara was much more densely populated thousands of years ago when the desert's climate was not as harsh as it is today. Fossils, rock art, stone artifacts, bone harpoons, shells and many other items have been found in areas which today are considered too hot and dry to inhabit. This suggests that these areas were quite habitable thousands of years ago, but that the climate of the Sahara has since changed drastically. The artifacts found were located near remains of giraffe, elephant, buffalo, antelopes, rhinoceros, and warthog, as well as the remains of fish, crocodiles, hippopotamuses and other aquatic animals which suggests that thousands of years ago water was quite abundant in the Sahara.

The majority of the people living in the Sahara Desert are nomads, which means that these people continuously move from region to region in search of better living conditions. It is believed that the first nomadic peoples came to this region after domestic animals were introduced to the Sahara 7,000 years ago. Researchers believe that sheep and goats were introduced to the Sahara region by the Caspain culture of northern Africa.

Many of the Sahara's winds have special names:

Haboob is the Arabic name for a wild, sand-laden wind.

Khamsin, also Arabic, means "50 days." This wind sweeps across the desert from March through May, filling the air with sand.

The name of the desert wind Harmattan comes from a word in the West African language Twi that means "to tear your breath apart."


Sand dunes make up only about 15 % of the Sahara, but the desert is so huge (about 5.63 million sq km) that even a single dune may be enormous. The sand dune known as the Libyan Erg is as big as France.

About 70 % of the Sahara consists of rocky plains covered with stones and gravel. Shale and limestone plateaus or mountain ranges make up the rest. Before the Sahara became a desert, it was home to many savanna animals, including the giraffe. People began to paint and etch the Sahara's animals in desert rock about 12,000 years ago. Archaeologists estimate that the oldest remaining pictures date back to 6500 B.C.

By looking at paintings and etchings created thousands of years apart, we can see how life changed as the Sahara slowly became a desert.

An African hunting safari...

An African hunting safari will be an event that will be one of the great adventures and most exciting experience of your whole life. Hunting South Africa in the hauntingly beautiful and historic Eastern Cape Province, in the true Bushveld where the Kudu, Impala, Springbok and Bushbuck call home, will leave you with unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime. You not only will be treated like royalty but will discover the nature and the ambience of Africa in the most comfortable and relaxing environment possible in the Dark Continent.

South Africa provides some of Africa's best hunting but don't expect to forage into the vast untrammeled wilderness fighting off marauding Lion and fierce warlike savages, much like Selous or Burton did, you'll will be disappointed.

Zambia offers hunting in the classical sense, vast open wilderness concessions where Africa's large beasts wander freely, pretty much as they did a 100 years ago in relative solitude. Of all Africa's hunting countries, Zambia must stand amongst the top 3 as the destination of choice for those seeking the true African hunting experience. No matter if you're after the larger beasts or simply seeking the solitude of an African wilderness hunt, Zambia is where you'll find the safari of your dreams.

Zambia offers lion, leopard, cape buffalo, sable, sitatunga, roan, plus many of Africa's other common plains antelope.

In addition, Zambia has some magnificent private unfenced hunting properties which have excellent trophy quality and species not found in South Africa or Namibia - the best available trophies in the country are: Sable, Sitatunga, Roan, Livingstone's Eland, Puku, Chobe Bushbuck, Sharpe's Grysbok, Kafue Lechwe, Black Lechwe, Defassa Waterbuck plus all the other prime animals like very big Kudu (55" plus), Warthog etc.