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Our trip leader (Daniel Kane) is a consummate professional of the highest calibre. His knowledge of the region, the animals, and the people, made the trip even more fantastic than we could have imagined. His attention to detail is a rare attribute and his personal demeanour was extremely pleasant. There were so many 'highlights' in this tour it would be difficult to pinpoint one, however, finding the endemic viper (Vipera monticola monticola) in the High Atlas Mountains was certainly a fantastic thrill (once again, due to our tour leader's skill and knowledge).
P.F, USA, May '24
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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The Reptiles & Amphibians of Morocco
Tour Code: MAR09An 8-day holiday to encounter and photograph the exciting reptile- and amphibian-life of southern Morocco's diverse habitats, with the guidance of an expert herpetologist.
8 days
from
£1,995
£1,995
Land only price
from
£1,795
£1,795
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
Southern Morocco is a wonderful destination for a holiday focusing on reptiles and amphibians. Humid tropical specialities including Mediterranean Chameleon, Puff Adder and Egyptian Cobra live an hour’s drive from desert specialists such as the Desert Horned Viper, Moroccan Spiny-tailed Lizard and Desert Monitor. We will go in search of diurnal species during the day and venture out after dark to look for the region's exciting nocturnal species. Likely birds include Northern Bald Ibis, Lanner Falcon, the stunning Moussier's Redstart and many others. Mammals we are likely to encounter include Greater Egyptian Jerboa, North African Elephant Shrew and Rüppell's Fox, with a chance for numerous other species. With few tourists making it south of Agadir, we will also get a true taste of authentic southern Morocco, staying in comfortable and traditional accommodation throughout.
An optional 3-day extension offers the chance to enjoy the High Atlas region of Oukaïmeden, home to such specialities as Mountain Viper, Atlas Day Gecko, North African Eyed Lizard and Moroccan Painted Frog.
The wonderful food, hospitable people and incredible scenery will certainly make this a most memorable wildlife holiday. This exciting tour is part of our portfolio of herpetology holidays.
- A chance to encounter Mediterranean Chameleon, Puff Adder and Egyptian Cobra.
- Stunning but little-known species include Northern Elegant Gecko, Desert Monitor and Sahara Sand Viper.
- Search for the incredible, rare and sought-after North African Cat Snake.
- Special amphibians may include Stripeless Tree Frog and Moroccan Toad.
- Exciting birds and mammals likely to include Lanner Falcon, Greater Hoopoe Lark, African Golden Wolf and North African Elephant Shrew.
Grading
On a typical day on our herpetology tours we’ll begin searching in the field after breakfast, when the sun has warmed the substrates and landscapes, often getting into the vehicles at 9am and, after stopping for approximately one hour for lunch (which is often a continental-style picnic eaten in situ), we’ll continue into early-evening when we will stop for a rest and dinner. Most evenings it will be possible to do excursions in search of nocturnal species, which will on average be for three hours after dinner. With an equal percentage of the target reptile and amphibian species likely to be nocturnal, these night searches are an important part of the tour but are optional, with some participants preferring to rest on some of the days. On average, 5-8 miles are walked per day.
We’ll focus our time in the field on building an enviable list of reptile and amphibian species seen. Whilst searching, there is no doubt we’ll come across a huge variety of amazing fauna and flora, which we’ll also take time to enjoy, but reptiles and amphibians will strongly remain our focus. Sensitively checking under stones, logs and other refugia is an effective way of finding many species. Some of the target reptile or amphibian species may require longer field hours to locate and therefore this tour is suitable, and most enjoyable, for experienced naturalists who, aside from wishing to see the region’s rarely-seen reptiles and amphibians, relish being in the field searching for and identifying the vast array of birds, mammals, butterflies, invertebrates, and other wildlife which can be found sharing the wonderful habitats that we’ll explore on the tour.
In summary, Naturetrek herpetology holidays are suitable, and offer tremendous value, for those who spend most of their holiday time in wildlife habitats and for whom seeing some of the world’s superb reptiles and amphibians is the focus of their time away.
On this holiday we will of course often be walking on sandy or rocky terrain with some occasional small ascents required.
Outline Itinerary
Day 1
Fly Agadir, drive south to Sidi Ifni
Day 2
Sidi Ifni
Day 3/4
Guelmim & Assa
Day 5
Tantan
Day 6
Khenifiss National Park
Day 7
Mirleft
Day 8
Depart Agadir, inbound flights
Reviews
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Wonderful accommodation with hosts who really cared about our stay and making sure we had an authentic experience. Couldn’t fault the leaders, both clearly passionate about the animals and making sure we had everything we need at all times and we learnt a lot from them. One of my highlights was finding a Sahara Sand Viper in the sand dunes after searching all evening and following the tracks to find it waiting under the sand.
K.F, Hampshire, May '23 -
Excellent assortment of wildlife, varied scenery, and with great food and accommodation.
P.H. Dorset, Sep '22
Dates & Prices
2025
Departures
Availability
Cost
Thu 11th Sep – Thu 18th Sep
FULL
£1,995
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,795
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£295
Thu 18th Sep – Thu 25th Sep
FULL
£1,995
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,795
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£295
2026
Departures
Availability
Cost
Thu 30th Apr – Thu 7th May
5
£1,995
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,795
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£295
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Simone Giachello
Tour Leader: Simone Giachello
Simone Giachello is a naturalist and passionate photographer from northern Italy, with a soft spot for herpetofauna and montane habitats. Born in Milan, his love for nature has been strong since childhood but truly blossomed during his university years when he approached nature photography and began traveling around Italy, discovering a, for him, unexpected biodiversity. After completing his master’s degree in Natural Sciences, he couldn’t resist the call of the mountains and moved from the city to a village in the heart of the Bergamasque Alps.
Nature conservation has played a key role in shaping his career and life. Simone works as an ecologist at the University of Milan, where he studies how high-altitude ecosystems and amphibian populations are impacted by anthropogenic threats such as climate change, habitat degradation, and invasive species, with the aim of developing effective conservation strategies. He loves merging scientific research with hands-on field experience to raise awareness in the general public by showcasing the beauty of nature through photography and guided excursions and trips.
His work and passion have taken him around Italy and the world, from the cave systems of Sardinia to the Sahel of Mauritania, from the snowy peaks of the Alps to the Danube Delta in Romania, from the cloud forests of Costa Rica to the desert of southern Morocco. Whether it's a brief one-day excursion or a three-week expedition, he thrives on exploring remote areas in search of rare and elusive species but also loves to rediscover and appreciate the beauty of the most common ones we have right outside our door. Yet, what he cherishes most is not just finding the target species, but experiencing the immense variety of habitats that blanket our planet.
Thu 10th Sep – Thu 17th Sep
1
£1,995
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,795
Room sharing options:
If a customer on this departure has already expressed an interest in sharing a room it will be flagged here. We will identify if there are sharing options for male, female or both.
Female sharing available
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£295
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Simone Giachello
Tour Leader: Simone Giachello
Simone Giachello is a naturalist and passionate photographer from northern Italy, with a soft spot for herpetofauna and montane habitats. Born in Milan, his love for nature has been strong since childhood but truly blossomed during his university years when he approached nature photography and began traveling around Italy, discovering a, for him, unexpected biodiversity. After completing his master’s degree in Natural Sciences, he couldn’t resist the call of the mountains and moved from the city to a village in the heart of the Bergamasque Alps.
Nature conservation has played a key role in shaping his career and life. Simone works as an ecologist at the University of Milan, where he studies how high-altitude ecosystems and amphibian populations are impacted by anthropogenic threats such as climate change, habitat degradation, and invasive species, with the aim of developing effective conservation strategies. He loves merging scientific research with hands-on field experience to raise awareness in the general public by showcasing the beauty of nature through photography and guided excursions and trips.
His work and passion have taken him around Italy and the world, from the cave systems of Sardinia to the Sahel of Mauritania, from the snowy peaks of the Alps to the Danube Delta in Romania, from the cloud forests of Costa Rica to the desert of southern Morocco. Whether it's a brief one-day excursion or a three-week expedition, he thrives on exploring remote areas in search of rare and elusive species but also loves to rediscover and appreciate the beauty of the most common ones we have right outside our door. Yet, what he cherishes most is not just finding the target species, but experiencing the immense variety of habitats that blanket our planet.
Tue 22nd Sep – Tue 29th Sep
5
£1,995
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,795
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£295
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
Enquire
Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
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