A five-hour taxi ride from Taroudant to Ouazazate…View image…, (a small city but the last big town in the south) used as a jump off point for trips into the desert and called the door of the desert. Aptly named because African traders once crossed here on their way to northern cities in Morocco and Europe. Ouazazate is also the home of Atlas Studios, one of the largest movie studios in the world and now open to the public. Movies shot on location around this area include: Lawrence of Arabia, The Man Who Would Be King, Gladiator and Alexander.

Our sole purpose for visiting Ouazazate was to see the old Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou before ending the trip in Marrakesh. Unfortunately, not enough time to plan an expedition out to Merzouga, M’Hamid and the Dunes of Erg Chebbi. Camels and sand dunes are favorites of mine and many agencies here can arrange a trek to spend one night in the dunes or a longer period of time.

Hotel Kenzi Azghor, Ouzazate, MoroccoThe Hotel Kenzi Azghor is still bookable,  located in the center of town. Ouarzazate, pop. 40,000, was another place with not much to see or do but has many bus connections throughout Morocco. Zagora, Agadir, Casablanca, Marrakesh and Fes are a few of the easily reached cities.

Morocco road map
Made arrangements with the taxi driver to pick us up for the five-hour ride to Marrakesh tomorrow and walked into the Kasbah with its red-brown walls, through the Oasis and eyeballed the Palace of Glaoui, built by the last ruling dynasty in this region. Almost all sights and services are around Avenue Mohammed V, the one main road

ex-Marine in the Ouazazate oasis, Morocco 

Ouazazate’s Kasbah, Morocco
You always win some and lose some and we discovered that it would have been cheaper to fly from Ouazazate to Marrakesh than use the bus or taxi! Unfortunately, we had no idea where our taxi driver was staying and hesitated to leave his money with the front desk. Just knew he’d never see it and kept to the original plan of driving tomorrow.