Activities
 
 
 
Local traditions and customs

Here are some examples of the local traditions and customs you could participate in:

-    Go to the weekly mountain souk at nearby Immoulas on Sunday: mainly men, donkeys and stalls selling basic produce, a long way from mass tourism

-    Drink tea with a local person in a traditional Berber home: you never know how long you will be there…

-    Attend a wedding, which can’t be organised in advance (the wedding festivities most often only being announced the day before!). A good idea to have a small present ready in case

-    Take part in the moussem (summer festival at the end of the harvest) around mid-August. The difficult part is the need to plan for a long stay as the date is always very approximate until the last minute! A day of dancing, costumes and music, with nothing at all touristy about this sacred rite!

-    Organise a Berber evening with Berber friends and neighbours at our house: this involves preparing a meal and booking musicians, and then it’s inch’allah or God willing, as they say here! (Additional cost)

-    A hammam session with henna: a long session spent among women, chatting and applying body treatments, a special moment for communication and sharing. There’s nothing to stop men from following their example!

-    Have your own wedding ceremony or celebrate your wedding anniversary Berber-style over a 3-night period (plus the days spent preparing, especially your outfit) – price on request.

-    Get yourself an impromptu invitation to eat with a local family, taking along the basic ingredients and sharing the meal you have made with local people

-    Book the village band (with about twenty taking part) to play for you: dancing and music from another era, as much as you like (expect to pay around 250€)

-    Have a go at making argan nut oil like the women of the village: shelling the nuts, crushing them etc (in season)

-    More simply, organise a Berber music and dance session at the house for friends and neighbours

-    Ask Hafida to put on her wedding dress and jewellery, just for pleasure and to take photos!

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