Morocco Travel Information

African festival tours are becoming increasingly popular as visitors are finding African culture to be as compelling as its wildlife. The benefit of joining a tour that's based around a specific festival is that you're guaranteed to get a flight, hotel and a front row seat to the event. Since some of Africa's most spectacular festivals change their dates year to year and web sites dedicated to festivals are not always updated (in many cases they are non-existent), it's hard for an independent traveler to get the timing right. Luckily there are tour operators who specialize in handling these events. Some of the more compelling ones I've come across include:

• Essaouira Gnaoua Festival - a unique combination of music and mysticism draws artists from all over the world to Essaouira, a beautiful little town on Morocco's Atlantic coast for a 4 day festival. Sahara Soul Travel offers a 7 day package to coincide with the festival held every year in June.
  Come to Morocco and witness the rich culture by participating in Essaouira gnaoua festival. The Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival celebrate the mysterious music of the Gnaouas and other worldwide rhythms. Originating through a cross-pollination of African magic and Islamic rituals, mesmerizing Gnaoua rhythms of drums and other instruments lead performers into a trance-like state. The Essaouira gnaoua festival is held in Essaouira, a picturesque port painted in blue and white that is the ideal resort of which most travelers dream: laid-back and yet vibrant, atmospheric yet relaxing. In this extraordinary melting pot of music, jazz, rock, and world musicians create original fusions on stage and share their musical cultures. Essaouira gnaoua festival performances are in afternoons and evenings, giving you plenty of time to relax and enjoy the idyllic charm of Essaouira by day. It is one of the major festivals in Morocco. Essaouira gnaoua festival performances are known to be one of the best out of the many festivals in Morocco.
  Your musical journey at the Essaouira gnaoua festival begins with welcome by your private driver upon your arrival at Marrakech, an ancient city of weathered pink buildings and orange groves at the base of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains. Spend the afternoon at the Essaouira gnaoua festival with a private guide as you explore fascinating local souks (markets), ancient palaces, and lush gardens. Be sure to visit the Djemaa el-Fna at the Essaouira gnaoua festival, a carnivalesque public square where water sellers, snake charmers, magicians, and storytellers compete for an audience. Depart in the morning for the seaside town of Essaouira and home to the Essaouira Gnaoua Festival. A former Portuguese settlement in the 18th century, Essaouira overlooks an emerald sea where windsurfers frolic near the fringe of silvery beach and camels ferry passengers across fine sand. Dine at the fish market where you can select your fish to be grilled before your eyes. Explore the old fortress ramparts, browse artisan shops, or dream on the beach. Soak in the atmosphere that has been an inspiration since the 1960s for music legends from the Rolling Stones to Cat Stevens to Jimmy Hendrix, who composed Castles in the Sand on Essaouira’s beaches. Today the town continues to lure musicians and artists alike to the sparkling whitewashed fishing village trimmed with the brilliant azure of its skies. Depart at the conclusion of the festival, or extend your visit to discover many more of Morocco’s delights.
  
• Festival in the Desert - a 7 day trip from Palace Travel to Mali where you'll camp and enjoy a 3 day international music festival celebrating Touareg culture, just north of Timbuktu. January 5 - January 11, 2009.

• Ethiopian Religious Festival Tours - Celebrate Timket (January), Fasika (April) and Meskel (September), the three biggest and most colorful religious celebrations in Ethiopia, with scheduled tours from Grand Holidays Ethiopia.

• Festival on the Niger: Saga Tours offers private tours that are scheduled around a unique 4-day music and arts festival in Segou, along the banks of the Niger River in Mali. January 28 - February 7 2009.

• Sounds of Wisdom (Sauti za Busara) -- is a 5 day music festival celebrating Swahili culture in the heart of Stonetown in Zanzibar. Zanzibar Festival Tours offers a 2 week package that includes tickets to the festival, accommodation in Stone Town and at the beach. February 11 - February 23, 2009.
• February Festivals and Events in Africa
  February Festivals and Events in Africa include Africa's biggest film festival in Burkina Faso; religious celebrations in Mauritius; a gay pride parade in South Africa; music festivals in Zanzibar and Mali.
• March Festivals and Events in Africa
  March Festivals and Events in Africa include a grueling marathon in the Sahara desert; Africa's largest film festival in Burkina Faso; a colorful spring festival in Mauritius and a cultural festival in Cape Town, South Africa.
• April Festivals and Events in Africa
  African Festivals and Events in April. April brings spring to northern Africa and fall to South Africa. Easter is celebrated by Christians throughout the continent and runners have their pick of interesting marathons in the Sahara Desert and the African bush.
• May Festivals and Events in Africa
  African Festivals and Events in May include a fragrant Rose festival in Morocco and a hunting feast in Ghana. A battle of the bands will rock Harare at the end of May and a film festival in Uganda will keep the video halls packed in Kampala. All the events are kicked off with International Labor Day on the 1st of May, which is a national holiday in most African countries.
• June Festivals and Events in Africa
  African Festivals and Events in June include several music festivals in Morocco; a dance festival in Senegal; a film festival and a cultural festival in South Africa; and a film festival in Zanzibar.
• July Festivals and Events in Africa
  If you need a reason to travel to Africa this July then perhaps a Dhow festival or the Marrakech Popular Arts festival and others will inspire you.
• August Festivals and Events in Africa
  August Festivals and Events in Africa include wine festivals in South Africa; a harvest festival in Ghana; a Berber marriage festival in Morocco; a fashion show in Cape Town and a Camel Derby in Kenya.
• September Festivals and Events in Africa
  September Festivals and Events in Africa. African festivals and events in September include a whale festival in South Africa, a music festival in Malawi, a salt festival in Niger, a voodoo festival in Togo, and more.
• October Festivals and Events in Africa
  October festivals and events in Africa include a music festival along Malawi's lakeshore; a date festival in Morocco; cultural festivals in the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Seychelles; the end of Ramadan; and a festival celebrating the sunrise at Abu Simbel, one of Egypt's finest ancient sites
• November Festivals and Events in Africa
  November Festivals and Events in Africa inlcude a film festival in Cape Town, a Durbar festival in Ghana, a carnival in Mombasa (Kenya) and more.
  December Festivals and Events in Africa
  December Festivals and Events in Africa. A harvest festival in Swaziland, a Saharan cultural festival in Tunisia, a Minstrel Parade in South Africa are just some of the great events going on in Africa this December.
• Christmas in Africa
  Christmas in Africa is celebrated throughout the continent where there are christian communities. This article looks at the festivities, church services, dinners and more that happen throughout Africa at Christmas. There's also information on how to say "Merry Christmas' in several African languages.
• New Year's Eve in Africa
  New Year's Eve in Africa. Find out how Africans celebrate New Year's Eve from Morocco on down to South Africa.
• Africa Travel During Ramadan - Ramadan and Traveling to Africa
  Africa Travel During Ramadan. Information about traveling to Africa during Ramadan. Find out if Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims, will affect your travel plans. Find out where in Africa Ramadan is adhered to, if travelers are also expected to fast, if shops, banks and museums will still be open and more.
• 26th Africa Cup of Nations
  The 26th Africa Cup of Nations, is being held in Ghana (2008). The Africa cup of Nations is Africa's biggest, and most important sporting event. Find out who is playing, when the matches are, how to see them on TV, what players to watch and more fun facts about the Africa Cup of Nations.
• The Dakar Rally
  Information and fun facts about the Dakar Rally, the world's most gruelling off-road race. Motorcycles, cars and trucks race over 7000 miles from Europe through Africa. Originally the race went from Paris to Dakar but the route changes annually.
• Africa in FIFA's World Cup 2006
  Five African nations will be represented at FIFA's World Cup this summer (2006) in June, the world's most important sporting event. The teams come from Angola, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Tunisia. Find out about the African teams, fixtures and groups. I've also picked out what players to watch and which African teams are favored to do well.
• Guide to the Total Solar Eclipse in Africa, 29 March 2006
  The Total Solar Eclipse in Africa, 29 March 2006. Travel guide to see the total solar eclipse in Africa. Lists solar eclipse tours, country information, weather conditions, maps and more about the total eclipse traversing Africa, March 2006. The path of the eclipse will go through Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Libya and Egypt.

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