Tourism has arrived since Edith
Wharton wrote of southern Morocco's feudal chiefs and heat and savagery
in her book In Morocco (1929). But the south is still exotic, and the
chance of adventure remains. The tourist images of Morocco are often of
the south: endless ripples of immaculate sand dunes, grand kasbahs,
oases with thousands of palm trees, Berber villages hugging the
mountains, and the "blue men" nomadic Tuaregs who epitomize adventure
and harsh desert life. But perhaps most evocative of the region are the
majestic peaks of the High Atlas, where Africa really begins.
Travelling is often difficult here, but almost every road offers
spectacular vistas. Tourist facilities may be less luxurious than
elsewhere, but there are plenty of other delights. The region has kept
its authenticity and many of its traditions - the isolation of its
villages gave rise to many reformist movements, including Ibn Toumen's
Almohads. Life is hard in these extreme landscapes, but it's also simple
and often joyous, and the people, mostly Berbers, are friendly and
welcoming.
