Orionid meteor showers to light up desert sky
THE KING of Morocco is keen to encourage millions more tourists to his country and the no-frills airlines have responded by launching new services from the UK — but here are a couple of trips with an air of exclusivity and adventure.
In mid-October, Mario Di Maggio, astronomer and manager of the Birmingham planetarium, will lead a small party for three hours by camel into the Sahara to witness the Orionid meteor showers in the peace and darkness of the desert.
They occur as the Earth speeds through the wake of space debris left by Halley’s Comet. The meteoroids smash into the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 66km a second, creating spectacular coloured trails and occasional fireballs. As guests rest on rugs and cushions in a tented Berber camp, sipping sweet mint tea, Di Maggio will explain what’s happening and why and describe the visible constellations and planets.
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The best “shows”, when there will be virtually no light interference from the moon, are expected on October 20 and 21 and are likely to be the highlight of a five-night holiday with the Best of Morocco. The excursion starts with a flight on October 18 from Heathrow to Ouazarzate, a town on the edge of the desert, and costs £795 with half-board, including the camel trek, a night in the dunes and the explanations of the astronomer.
Alternatively, enjoy a four-night trip into the Anti-Atlas mountains. There are regular departures this autumn and the highlight is a trip to the Blue Rocks near Tafraout in the southwest of the country — an artistic oasis in the desert and one of the world’s most spectacular art installations. In 1984 Jean Verame, a Belgian artist, and a team of local firemen used 18 tonnes of paint to cover most of the huge rocks in an out-of-the-way field in blue, red, orange and purple shades. The rocks can be viewed on a short excursion from Les Amandiers Hotel, a kasbah-style property on a prominent hill in Tafraout with great views of the surrounding landscape.
The hotel has spacious rooms and the only pool in town and a holiday there with the Best of Morocco costs from £550, with half-board for four nights, British Airways flights from Gatwick and transfers.
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0845 0264588; realmorocco.com