Katy Holland: Is Morocco a sensible place to take kids?

Are we there yet? It'll certainly be an unforgettable adventure for all.

Sunday 03 May 2009 00:00 BST
Comments

Is Morocco a sensible place to take kids? Nicola Davies wants to know. She has five energetic children to keep happy – and she seems to think I'll be able to advise.

Nicola, I'd say there aren't many "sensible" places to take five kids (other than boarding school perhaps?) but Morocco is certainly good for an adventure, especially for kids with energy to burn.

I'd recommend taking a look at Bushbaby Travel's new programme (01252 792984; bushbabytravel.com), which offers trips to suit all requirements. Take the kids for a three-night sojourn in one of its glorious hotels in the heart of Marrakech, trek the Atlas mountains in the company of a donkey, and then spend a night or two by the sea at the ancient port of Essaouira, pictured below.

Alternatively, check out the brand new child-friendly activities for families at Jnane Tamsna (00 212 524 32 84 84; jnanetamsna.com), in the countryside around Marrakech, which include cookery classes and plant scavenger hunts.

And Club Med (08453 676767; clubmed.co.uk) has just launched a children's club at its resort in Marrakech's La Palmeraie, so you can break up the sightseeing with some kid-friendly fun. Read more about it in Kate Simon's recent article for these pages, "Taking the family to Marrakech is child's play", at Independent.co.uk/travel/Africa.

To get the kids really involved, Hands Up Holidays (020-7193 1062; handsupholidays.com) have a nine-day family trip which takes in all the highlights and gets the kids helping out at an impoverished Berber school. The people at Handsup say Morocco is one of their most popular destinations for families, and will adapt trips to suit budgets, age groups, time frames, and desired activities, which include camping.

Is this a sensible thing to do with five kids? I won't go as far as using the "s" word, Nicola, but it'll certainly be an unforgettable adventure for all.

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