Exploring Hiking & Berber Culture in Telouet, the High Atlas mountains of Morocco

02/01/25 • 33 min

We recommend watching the video version of this episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here:
"Exploring Hiking & Berber Culture in Telouet, the High Atlas mountains of Morocco"Combine outstanding hiking and trekking with authentic Amazigh (Berber) cultural experiences by visiting the town of Telouet, in the heart of the stunning High Atlas Mountains.

Our episode today features a conversation between Azdean and local guide & historian Ali el-Haddadi, who leads trekking tours and escorts groups through the region. Telouet is located about a three hour drive from Marrakech, on the south slope of the mountains heading down towards Aït Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate.

Ali tells us about Berber history and influence in this part of Morocco, where even until very recent times (in the past 30 years) there was minimal electricity, people lived off the land and used techniques passed down for centuries to preserve food, build their homes and make their clothing.

You can see this amazing and authentic culture still to this day, especially through a certified and trustworthy tour operator like Destination Morocco, who can match you with local families, find safe and exciting activities and organize truly immersive experiences.

This episode is like a living guidebook, recorded on location with a true local. For Ali, a lifelong interest in languages has made him an impressive polyglot, English alone being his 3rd or 4th language. We've added some subtitles to the video to help you follow along! But when you meet someone like Mr. Ali in person, you truly see the impact and importance of modern tourism on the locals, opening up opportunities that never existed before, and broadening cultural understanding for everyone.

We previously posted this recording as audio-only, but now have a beautiful video version to share with you.

If trekking and cultural immersion are on your Morocco bucket list, consider adding Telouet to your itinerary. This episode will give you some further inspiration and encouragement to do so!

Telouet
Guide Ali Ahdadi

Video Episode credits:
Youssef and Fattah

Music credits:
Edward Karl Hanson / Moroccan Marketplace / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Do you dream of exploring the enchanting land of Morocco?
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If you're a discerning traveler who values an immersive, curated adventure, visit www.destinationsmorocco.com, and let us bring your dream Moroccan vacation to life.
Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.Explore our Private Tours and Small Group Tours!

We previously posted this recording as audio-only, but now have a beautiful video version to share with you.

If trekking and cultural immersion are on your Morocco bucket list, consider adding Telouet to your itinerary. This episode will give you some further inspiration and encouragement to do so!

Telouet
Guide Ali Ahdadi

Video Episode credits:
Youssef and Fattah

Music credits:
Edward Karl Hanson / Moroccan Marketplace / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Previous Episode

Travel to Morocco in 2025: Travel Highlights to Help Your Planning

This episode also has a video version on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: "Travel to Morocco in 2025: Travel Highlights to Help Your Planning"
Or stay here for the audio version - your choice!
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Morocco had a banner year in 2024, with tourist numbers reaching over 17 million, a number predicted for 2026 and yet reached two years ahead of time.
With new air routes getting underway, both international and domestic, and new hotels and luxury brands setting up in the country, Morocco is very much on the up and up. For the first time, it outdrew Egypt as the top destination for travellers in Africa. Tourist numbers are predicted to reach 26 million per year by 2030, the year Morocco co-hosts the World Cup, alongside Spain and Portugal.
All of which means, now is the time to go! Azdean and Destination Morocco podcast producer Ted Cragg discuss, in today's episode, what to prepare for in 2025, particularly events and prices that could affect your travels.
They highlight some of the numerous large festivals that take place throughout the year, including the Gnawa Music Festival in Essaouira in June, and the Marrakech International Film Festival in December. These are annual events that always draw large crowds, but equally are exciting and prestigious events to witness.
Adding to the excitement though in 2025, and in a preview of what's to come 5 years from now, are some major international football/soccer tournaments that will take place in Morocco.
The U-17 Africa Cup of Nations will be held from March 30 to April 19, followed by the Women's Africa Cup of Nations from July 5 to 26.
Then, FIFA's U-17 Women's World Cup will take place from October 17 to November 8, expanded to 24 teams for the first time.
And in the largest of them all, Morocco will host for the second time ever the Africa Cup of Nations, starting towards the end of the year, December 21, 2025 and running to January 18, 2026. This major tournament will be spread amongst six cities across the country: Tangier, Agadir, Rabat, Marrakech, Fez, and Casablanca.
Therefore, if you are planning a visit during one of these festivals or tournaments, make sure you do your research! Prices will likely be inflated, and accommodation will be less available and flexible as the dates draw near.
Alternatively, knowing when these events are taking place may help you decide exactly when to go, if you would rather avoid the crowds and the hype and go at a quieter pace.
Either way, we have lots to look forward to in Morocco in 2025, an exciting year in and of itself, but also a prelude of what to expect for the rest of the decade.

Next Episode

Buy a Moroccan Rug and Enjoy the Experience!

We recommend watching the video version of this episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here:
"Buy a Moroccan Rug and Support the Work of Local Women"

Today's episode features the Akhnif Lglaoui Carpet Co-Operative, located just south of Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate, about 150 miles south of Marrakech.

Akhnif Lglaoui Carpet Co-Op

Learn about rugmaking in an informative, curious, no-pressure environment that supports the work of the local women who work so hard to make these amazing yet functional pieces of art.
We meet Sarah, host and guide of the facility, who gave Azdean and family a tour and shows them the incredible weaving and rugmaking that is done there, all by hand.
This Women's Co-op is groundbreaking, and crucially important not just to the local economy, but to women's recognition and self-sufficiency. Instead of relying on others, typically men, to sell their detailed and complex creations, products of hours of hard work and labour (which are then often resold at even higher prices, for which the women don't see an extra dime) - at the co-op, each weaver has a say in the price and value of their rug, and when it's sold they get a very generous and appropriate percentage.
Imran and Azdean sat down with Sarah to learn about her story and what brought her back to Aït Benhaddou, now working to showcase the co-op and its efforts, as well as teaching the women some English!
Sarah explains the shopping experience there, which puts an emphasis on removing the stress and pressure to buy that you typically find elsewhere. At Akhnif Lglaoui, you are free to browse, learn about rugs and carpets, and perhaps even order one later from back home, once you've made the correct measurements in your house.
It's a breath of fresh air when it comes to shopping in Morocco, which you'll appreciate after our episode on Tipping in Morocco, and our Q&A on bartering and avoiding touts, which talked about safety and security, especially while shopping. It is refreshing to find a place that allows you to really appreciate the craft and work that goes into these unique, individual creations.
The Akhnif Glaoui has a bright future and we are pleased to support them and send our guests their way.

Destination Morocco Podcast - Exploring Hiking & Berber Culture in Telouet, the High Atlas mountains of Morocco

Transcript

Ted Cragg: Greetings everyone, this is Ted, Destination Morocco podcast producer. I want to jump in with a quick word before the start of this episode. This is in fact a video episode, so although we do have an audio version and the information is the same, I highly encourage you to check out the video version which is on our Destination Morocco YouTube channel.

This episode is a conversation between Azdean and a local guide from Tlouet by the name of Ali El-Haddadi. Ali