Tour Details/Dates/Prices A Moroccan Culinary Adventure. Prices $1,905 (6-Nights) CAD*

Your Accommodation
Villa Bourdoud has 6 bedrooms available and as it was previously a family home there aren’t private bathrooms.  There are shared facilities on each of the 3 floors, 2 bathrooms with baths & 1 with a shower located right beside the bedrooms. Other accommodation with private bathroom can be arranged if preferred (price to be determined based upon accommodation selection).

Optional:Extended Stay in Rabat or Casablanca
Spend an extra day or two in either of these two beautiful historic cities– sightseeing & exploring the amazing architecture, markets and museum visits & shopping for handcrafted items to take home with you.

Custom Designed Gourmet Safari
If you’d like to spend more time in the kitchen we can easily arrange it for you. There is also a plethora of other activities in the area if you’d like to spend less time in the kitchen or if your partner doesn’t like to cook: exploring the history and architecture of the area, hiking – there are lots of trails, to visits to vineyards for the wine connoisseur, to rest and relaxation as you take in the country air.

Little Extras
• Apron available for purchase from a local Woman's Co-operative (or bring your own if you wish)

• Recipes of the week

Tour Length: 7 days/6 nights

Tour Begins: Harhoura (nearby Rabat), Morocco

Tour Concludes: Harhoura (nearby Rabat), Morocco

Tour Dates:

Culinary vacations are available all year round upon request except June 1st through to September 1st.

Tour Price for 2009:

Please contact us for 2009 prices, thank you.

Tour Price for 2008:
6-Nights
$1,905*
*Double Occupancy per Person. Prices in Canadian Dollars (excluding airfare).

Please note:
Solo traveller prices are also available.
If you would like to purchase airfare please let us know and we’ll arrange it for you right away.
All dates and prices are subject to availability.
Prices may be affected by international exchange rate fluctuations.
Interested or any questions? Contact us.

Payment:
Form of Payment.
We accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Diners,cheque or money orders in CAD $.
Place a Deposit on Your Dream.
A deposit of $700 CAD per person is required at time of booking to secure your culinary vacation dates.
Please note: Your deposit is non-refundable due to the fact that our travel partners will be in receipt of monies, however in most instances the deposit can be applied to future travel.

Balance due.
Balance is due no later than 60 days before departure.

Number of Participants:
Minimum: 4 (simply join an existing group)
Maximum: 12

Travel Accessories:
Local Weather
Currency Conversion
Local time

Questions? Just email or call
E-mail: jackie@gourmetsafari.com
Phone: 416.238.9987 (local Toronto) or 1.800.839.5795 (toll free in North America)


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My Safari Notes. (my personal experience)

We were greeted at the Rabat train station by Bouchta (the Villa’s owner) and whisked away on a quick tour of the city.  It’s quite a regal city being the capital of the country.  We explored the sites of the seat of parliament and the main Royal Palace.  The city centre is very sophisticated with wide boulevards lined with palm trees and very orderly traffic (unlike the rest of Morocco that we experienced).  One of the king’s many palaces is here and we took a short detour into the grounds – didn’t see much though unfortunately.  After a quick tour of the city centre we were on our way to Villa Bourdoud.  It’s located in the picturesque ocean side town of Harhoura, a short 10-15 minute drive from the city.  With a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean, the house is in a very nice location.  We could hear the roar of the ocean and its calling, so we decided to take a stroll along the ocean side boardwalk.  We could feel the ocean’s fresh spray as we inhaled the fresh salty air - we instantly felt relaxed.

We settled into our sizeable room on the third floor and took a tour of the Villa.  With its six bedrooms, kitchen, dining room & salon it’s a comfortable size for up to twelve people.  There are shared bathroom facilities on each of the three floors.  The Villa was freshly painted from top to bottom and just furnished, so everything was brand new.  It had been unoccupied for a few years before Bouchta and his wife Doris purchased it with a small group of investors.  The have lovingly been restoring it back to its original splendour – one room at a time and have succeeded in bringing it back to life.  The most impressive part of the Villa is its rooftop terrace with sunroom.  What a place to take in sunrises and stunning sunsets. 

The hospitality of Bouchta and his daughter's Houda and Mouna was something else – I have never quite experienced hospitality of that caliber before.  It was a true Moroccan family style welcome at its best and they really went out of their way to make us feel comfortable (and pampered in their special way). 

Every morning we had a delicious typical Moroccan breakfast consisting of various types of Moroccan pancakes that were delicious, alongside jams, honey, fresh olive oil for dipping (from Bouchta’s mother’s farm), croissants and of course freshly squeezed orange juice, café noir and café au lait.  A breakfast fit for a king with enough to feed an army – you will never go hungry at Villa Bourdoud.  Lunches are the main meal in Morocco (mind you that’s slowly changing due to the working world).  On our first day we had a delicious lunch of turkey tagine, eggplant salad, salade nicoise, breads, olives and mint tea to top it off.  The dinners were just as impressive, considering they weren't a main meal you would never know it.  We savoured numerous salads, a delicious couscous with beef and countless fresh vegetables.  My new Moroccan favourite is the B’Stilla - traditionally a pigeon pie, but Mouna (the Chef) makes it with chicken and seafood instead.  It’s a great combination of savoury and sweet – it is so good.  Mouna is an incredibly talented cook and loves what she does.  And her sister Houda does an incredible job at making you feel welcome and anticipating your every need - she really knows the true secret to hospitality. 

We also discovered that the secret ingredient to Moroccan cooking is the use of fresh seasonal produce and traditional spices.  We explored the many food markets of Rabat where locals frequent daily to purchase fresh fish, vegetables, fruits and meats. 

Rabat is just filled with history in its city centre & outlying areas.  We visited the Kasbah des Oudaïas for tea – an airy 'village within the city', a pleasant place to take a stroll to admire some incredible architecture and see many historic sights. The Kasbah was the Alhomad citadel of medieval Rabat, and is guarded by an impressive arched gate built around 1195. Inside the Kasbah is the palace and Andalucian gardens, as well as a broad terrace, which gives beautiful views of the river and the ocean.  It was very peaceful watching the world go by from the terrace – we sat there for a while and took it all in.  We also took a tour of the royal family’s mausoleum with its stunning interiors of handmade ceramics and handcrafted wood – I can’t imagine the time and effort that went into designing and contructing it.  The Tour Hassan, situated right beside the mausoleum it also very impressive with its 250 standing columns left after the mosque collapsed during construction.  Our last stop was the artisan market – it was a treasure trove filled with impressive handmade treasures of carpets, lanterns, woodwork, material, leather items, the list is endless.

I will never forget the incredible Moroccan brand of hospitality that we experienced at Villa Bourdard.

Jackie DeKnock – Gourmet Safari Founder (and Foodie)

February 2006