It's clear why some Moroccans consider the Sahara to begin at Ouarzazate. Rocky terrain stretches to the horizon in all directions, interrupted infrequently by a burst of green signaling an oasis or the last few drops of water left in a riverbed. For 10 dirham (less than £1), we took the spectacularly casual guided tour around this unreconstructed mansion, which offers a glimpse into life from times gone by.Even after a full day's driving, we were only halfway to our destination, and the rest of the journey was to be completed in one of the legions of Land Rovers that ferry tourists about, on and off the region's narrow and often treacherous roads.The "road of a thousand kasbahs" from Ouarzazate to the desert-edge town of Zagora is less mountainous but no less striking than the previous day's route over the High Atlas. A delightfully rustic and simple affair, the hotel is staffed by a handful of laid-back locals and the entertainment revolves around nibbling olives while watching the sun set over palm groves from the open-air terrace.Before settling in, we strolled through the grove of trees heavy with dates, across a vast and bone-dry riverbed to the local sight, the Kasbah Amridil.
Built in the 18th century, this crenellated fortress houses 16 functional rooms within its thick mud-and-straw rendered walls. This unprepossessing staging-post town has made a name for itself as Morocco's Hollywood and is home to two massive movie studios where films such as Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia were shot.Ben Moro, another majestic converted kasbah, couldn't be further removed from Tamadot. Popping out of the car at Col du Tichka, we were 2,260m up the highest point on the ever-winding road, well below the elevation of the range's peak but already almost 1km above Britain's highest point.Finally, tired but exhilarated, we were deposited at Hotel Ait Ben Moro, deep in the south of the country on the road out of Ouarzazate. It was an extraordinary drive, punctuated only by a pit-stop at a roadside caf?or a reviving, sugary, mint tea, and a few photo-ops that only served to emphasise the impossibility of capturing the landscape on film. Climbing into one of Marrakesh's "grand" taxis that leave the city to take excursions, we headed south. By lunchtime, we had been to Iceland, the Campsies, California's wilderness, the Moon, and even Mars - such is the variety and extremity of Morocco's landscapes.
The Saturday market in nearby Asni offers a delicious taste of local cuisine.After two days of luxury, it was time to hit the road again - the Sahara beckoned. If you want to spend a week here it's good to know that you can slob in front of the box in your robe and baboush slippers.For those with rather more energy, Tamadot also serves as a base for horse-riding, skiing, trekking (from a six-hour outing into the Atlas Mountains to a challenging three-day ascent of Mount Toubkal) and that other Branson speciality, hot-air ballooning. Tamadot, it explains in the room- service brochure, is a place to escape everything, and that includes CNN. If the need takes you, however, a television can be brought to you, with DVDs of your choice, along with a snack and another cup of mint tea Phew. Although Tamadot is set up for kicking your feet up, dinner there * * feels like a rather formal, if delicious, experience - great for one or two evenings, but not more. We don't think that is likely because consumer confidence is still good."Professor Troop said that the experience of Canada during the Sars outbreak of 2003 showed the potential impact.