Iberostar official blog where we can meet and decide our next travel destination
Header

The souks of Morocco

octubre 29th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Snapshots - (0 Comments)

Morocco’s markets are a matchless explosion of colour characterised by the variety and quality of the products on sale, the heady aromas, the mixture of tones and the characteristic cries of the sellers. A stroll around the narrow streets is guaranteed to transport you back in time to another age.

Shopping in any Moroccan town or city is an unforgettable experience, as the colours, the hustle and bustle and the variety of these markets are a treat for all the senses. Bargaining is the name of the game – and if you’re planning on buying something, the stallholders will almost be offended if you don’t join in. So take good note or you may end up paying over the odds.

You’ll find countless things to buy in these souks, which makes shopping for all kinds of items and gifts easy: rugs, leather goods, dried fruits and nuts, lamps, wooden boxes and much, much more besides.

Moroccan herbs and spices are unique; there are some delicacies that you’ll only find in this country, so don’t forget to take some home to flavour your dishes or offer your friends a refreshing cup of herbal tea. You’ll also find lots of beauty products made from ancient recipes: for instance, apart from being used to decorate women’s bodies, henna is also excellent for strong, glossy hair.

You’ll also find it hard to resist buying traditional Moroccan clothing: slippers, caftans and baggy trousers all look great when teamed with more traditional western styles.

A sight definitely worth seeing are the dyers’ souks such as the Sebbaghine Souk in Marrakech; dark alleyways hung with skeins dyed in a riot of colours. Natural pigments such as indigo, saffron, wild mint, poppy, rose petals, madder, mallow, pomegranate and cobalt are added to the wool which is rolled out and left to dry in the sun.

These outdoor markets are also frequented by hairdressers, dentists, prophets, fortune tellers, scribes and a host of other trades and crafts men. A real sight for the eyes.

Let yourself be drawn in by the souks of Morocco and treat yourself to a unique experience in an incredible country.

,

Morocco’s Coolest City: Majestic White Essaouira

febrero 7th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Snapshots - (0 Comments)

Ever since first visiting Morocco more than a dozen years ago, I’ve always marveled that this North African country manages to pack such a whole lot of interesting into such modest dimensions (it’s a little bigger than California, less than a third the size of Quebec, and merely a little over a quarter as spacious as the U.K.). I mean, here the fascinating destinations just keep on coming – Fez, Marrakesh, Meknes, Rabat, Tangier, Casablanca, Ouarzazate, the Atlas Mountains, Tetouan, Agadir (the resort town that’s the site of Iberostar Founty Beach) and so on. But one place in Morocco that I especially love because of its vibe, style, location, and unusualness, is a city called Essaouira, a drive of 2½ to three hours from Marrakesh and 2½ hours from Agadir.

Something a Little Different

What makes it unusual? Well, as with many cities in Morocco, in Ess you can certainly “come with me to the kasbah” and wander the byways and caravanserais of a deliciously mysterious old medina (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Jewish quarter, sampling exotic shops, galleries, restaurants, tea shops, and cafés along the way. But unlike even other Moroccan coastal urbs like Tangier, there’s just something especially charismatic about Essaouira. To begin with, it’s breezy, white, and bright, perched just over halfway down the country’s Atlantic coast, with temperatures rarely dropping below the 50′s Fahrenheit or rising above the low 70′s (it’s so breezy, in fact, that it’s one of the world’s better regarded windsurfing/kitesurfing meccas). But another big part of what makes it different is that much of what you see of Essaouira today was built along European lines, starting in the early 16th century with the fortress of Mogador, built by the Portuguese, and continued by a Moroccan ruler in the 18th century using European architects and engineers.

Simplicity & Celebrities

As in centuries past, fishing is still very big here; on my first visit I’ll never forget going down to the docks and lunching at a simple table on squid literally taken right off a boat not ten feet away and charbroiled right in front of me. But beach and cultural tourism have been making big inroads for years, and since Orson Welles filmed his Othello here in 1952 Ess also became a spot on the international hippie trail in the 60’s, it’s been a destination for celebs and artsy-fartsy types, from Jimi Hendrix, Cat Stevens and Maria Callas to Colin Farrell, Orlando Bloom, and Liam Neeson. It’s also been a center for a form of Moroccan music called gnaoua, and June’s International Gnaoua and World Music Festival has become known as “Morocco’s Woodstock.”

Pretty  fun-kay, no?  Check it out, and I guarantee you’ll fall as much in love with Essaouira as I did.
photo | jonl1973

, , , ,

Tunisian Food 101: A Palette of Exotic Flavors

enero 25th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Mystery Guest - (15 Comments)

Sun, sand and sea…what more could a person want for a relaxing vacation? Europeans have long known the allure of travel to Tunisia, that small piece of North Africa that’s been attracting tourists with its natural beauty and Mediterranean coast for years. Steeped in culture that can be dated all the way back to prehistoric times, Tunisia has become a playground for those seeking everything from relaxing sea water therapy to playing the links.

This “mystery guest” loves nothing more than relaxing in the atmosphere of one of Iberostar’s ten resorts and hotels in Tunisia. Whether it be the elegant five-star Iberostar Solaria in Hammamet, or the comfortable Mehari Djerba with its Tunisian architecture and 27-hole golf course nearby, I’m always ready to relax and soak up some sun and serious food when I visit.

If you’re new to Tunisian food, you’re in for a real treat, as the influences of nearby cultures permeate the foods. Forget what you thought you knew, and open up your senses to the Tunisian tajin, which is a crustless quiche, brik, made of egg and tuna stuffed into a hearty dough, and couscous, the national dish, which in my humble opinion is by far the finest in all of North Africa.

Chef Slim Bettajeb oversees the food at all ten of Iberostar’s Tunisian resorts. I was able to get a few minutes of his time and learn a bit about the man behind the food at our favorite resorts.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career. How did you get to be an Iberostar chef?

I studied the culinary arts at École Hotelliere from 1984 to 1985. Having worked in several major hotel chains, I took the opportunity to participate in various international events, including the Guinness world records — for the biggest couscous (2 tons), as well as having participated in gastronomic week festivals around the world, until I came to work for Iberostar.

What Tunisian dishes are served at your resort? Are they served every day at lunch and dinner? Is anything typically Tunisian served at breakfast?

We specialize in all types of couscous dishes such as stews, rices, hot appetizers, and hors d’oeuvres. We serve several of them daily for lunch and dinner, changing our menu often. Mornings bring more typical dishes for breakfast such as donuts (ftaia) and bread (mlaoui).

Which is your favorite Tunisian dish, and why?

My favorite food is bourgoul, which you may know as bulghur or cracked wheat. We prepare it with dried meat and vegetables. It’s healthy and hearty with lots of natural fiber, protein and carbohydrates.

Do you have a recipe that you could share with our readers that would be simple to make at home?

Yes, this Ojja with eggs recipe is relatively simple and would give them the opportunity to sample the flavors of Tunisia at home.

Ojja with eggs

Ingredients

  • Diced peppers 0.250 kg
  • Diced tomato 0.200 kg
  • Crushed garlic 0.080
  • Tomato paste 3 gs
  • 5 eggs
  • salt
  • pepper
  • turmeric
  • caraway
  • Olive oil 0.050 l

Coarsely chop the peppers and tomatoes and crush the garlic. Add the fresh tomatoes, peppers and tomato paste until slightly wet, season with salt, pepper, turmeric and caraway. Simmer. At the end of cooking add the eggs and let them cook. Serve hot.

, , , ,

Tunisia’s Ancient Glory: The Ruins of Mighty Carthage

enero 18th, 2012 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Snapshots - (0 Comments)

Chances are you’ve heard of Hannibal, and maybe even that he and his army tried to invade Italy by crossing the Alps with elephants. The city-state he fought for, Carthage, was classical Rome’s biggest rival in the Mediterranean, and one of the big kahunas of the entire ancient world. Even if you’re coming to Tunisia mainly for a warm beach vacation, you owe it to yourself to not miss this important UNESCO World Heritage Site (especially if you’re staying in Hammamet, less than an hour’s drive away).

Just across the bay from the modern capital Tunis, “Kart-hadasht” was founded even earlier than Rome, in the 8th or 9th century BC, as a colony of Phoenicians from farther east along the Mediterranean coast, under a queen that history most commonly knows by her Greek name Dido; eventually the city became a commerce-oriented republic rich and powerful enough to rule over hundreds of other Phoenician (aka Punic) cities along the coast, as well as coastal areas of what are now Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and Spain. But its rivalry with Rome led to what are called the Punic wars, and Rome finally defeated, invaded, and refounded Carthage in 146 BC. It was later overrun by the Vandals, then became part of the Byzantine Empire until it was conquered by Arabs in 698 AD. So the ruins you’ll find here today include various and sundry cultural and historical influences.

The sprawling and utterly fascinating modern-day archaeological site includes ports, an acropolis, necropoles (cemeteries), an amphitheater, temples, baths, residential areas, early Christian churches, Islamic mosques, and more (there are also several nearby archaeology, oceanography, and history museums). There’s a lot of ground to cover, so bring a hat, water, sunscreen, and good walking shoes!

Photo | Unitopia

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,