Introduction
A Moroccan Culinary Adventure.
Prices $1,905 (6-Nights) CAD*

Doris & Bouchta El Harchali and their family will welcome you with a glass of Moroccan mint tea upon your arrival, preparing you for your immersion into Moroccan hospitality.  

The El Harchali family fell in love with the community of Harhoura, because of its relaxed, peaceful atmosphere, yet still close enough to the hustle and bustle of Rabat.  It also has one of the most environmentally clean climates in the area.  Bouchta discovered Harhoura many years ago while he was living in Rabat.  Formerly only a getaway from the heat of inland summers, Harhoura has now become a small year-round community.  Doris has been facilitating small group trips to Morocco and noticed that many foreigners come to Morocco & miss true contact with the people, and the real Moroccan way of life. Her trips always include short stays at typical Moroccan Maison d’hotes or Bed and Breakfasts.  Seeing the enjoyment of the trip participants when staying at such places, Doris and Bouchta wanted to extend the opportunity to anyone who wanted to experience the true culture & stay in a ‘real’ Moroccan home. Your experience will be viewed through the eyes of a Moroccan leading you in this discovery.

Villa Bourdoud is a 6-bedroom Villa on 3 floors, with 2 salons (Moroccan living rooms), large dining room, kitchen and 4 bathrooms (2 with baths and/or shower).  One of the bedrooms is large enough for 2 adults and their children to share.  It has an outdoor built-in barbecue and patio, fashioned in traditional Moroccan style.  Numerous small gardens with small olive trees, citrus trees, banana tree, pomegranate tree, herbs and flowers.  As well as the stunning scenes of the ocean and the village of Harhoura from the rooftop terrace, most of the bedrooms and salons also have windows looking out to the gorgeous views. 

Comfortable enough to accommodate 12 adults and several children, Villa Bourdoud has many common areas inside and out where people can either visit with others or if preferred, find a cozy spot for some quiet personal time.

The hands-on cooking classes take place right in the heart of the family house – the kitchen. This is a very intimate experience, staying in the villa with the family and being immersed into family life in Morocco. You’ll learn the intricacies of Moroccan cuisine and then of course savour your creations. As you are staying in the family home, children are of course more than welcome and children’s programmes can be arranged for any age.

The Language.

If you would like to brush up on or start to learn to speak Arabic, individual or mini-group classes can easily be added to your week-long itinerary – a two-fold educational travel experience in one week!  Just let us know if you’re interested in adding any additional activities to your program.

Two samples of the most popular menus that you will create:

Menu 1

Salad

Zaalook- Eggplant salad- (Starter)

First Course: Tagine beef and prunes

Second Course: Fish with chermoula (a marinade)

Dessert: Carrot orange dish

Mint tea

Menu 2

Seafood Bastilla – Pastry with seafood (Starter)

First Course: Chicken lemon

Second Course: Vegetarian couscous

Dessert: Gazelle horn and mint tea

And many more menus are available.

The region around Rabat offers a marvelous variety of scenery.  From the Atlantic waves crashing onto the rocky coastline, to fields of mimosas to forests of eucalyptus and cork trees to sandy beaches. The springtime is particularly colorful with wild flowers blanketing the coastal road.

Rabat is approximately one hour from Casablanca, two and 1/2 hours from Fes and five hours from Marrakech.  Being the capital of Morocco, Rabat is well connected by highways & a fast rail network to the rest of Morocco, so you can visit other areas of Morocco or Europe before or after your stay (as you can see from the map).

Harhoura, is a small community on the Atlantic coast just west of Temara.  It is approximately 14 km south of downtown Rabat, the capital of Morocco, and is easily accessed by the coast road or the auto route.  In addition, Temara has a train station and petite taxis will bring you from the station to the property.  There are also buses and grand taxis from Rabat.

Harhoura beach is the closest beach to Rabat.  It has, within walking distance of the property, pharmacies, cafes, and small stores.