Cultural Tours Handcrafted in Morocco

Our company

Company facts...

SheherazadVentures s.a.r.l. is a Moroccan travel company based in Marrakech, Morocco. It was founded in 2009 by Rachel Blech, a former world-music broadcaster, journalist and community artist in partnership with the Hajja brothers who hail from the Moroccan Sahara and who have many years combined professional experience in desert and adventure tourism.

COMPANY INFORMATION:

Morocco: SheherazadVentures s.a.r.l. Registered Office: Appt 55, Residence Ali (C) , Avenue Mohammed VI, Gueliz, Marrakech 40000, Morocco Patente No: 64290060

Ireland: SheherazadVentures (Ireland) is the Registered Business Name of Rachel Blech for trading in the Republic of Ireland. CRO Reg No. 509223

We are also proud members of:

The history of our company:


In 2006, music broadcaster, Rachel Blech, went to Morocco to make a documentary for Irish radio about the hugely popular festival of Gnawa music in Essaouira on the Atlantic Coast. It was on that first visit that Rachel met nomadic ‘Blue Men’ from the remote Saharan village of M’Hamid el Ghizlane at the southernmost end of the Drâa Valley. She was invited to return the following spring to attend the annual International Nomads Festival in their village—a dusty, distant world far removed from the chic glamour of Essaouira.

On that visit, Rachel met the Hajja family of nomadic Sahrawi people who, since a nomadic pastoral existence is no longer possible, now depend upon desert tourism for survival. As a solo female traveller, Rachel was amazed at how safe and secure she felt in their company. Camping under the stars, trekking on a camel and listening to desert songs, she wanted to encourage others to come and experience their simple hospitality and ancient culture, at the same time bringing much-needed work into the village.

Having previously worked in Ireland as a community artist, leading creative workshops for disadvantaged communities, her passion for bringing cultural projects to the region was ignited. In 2008 she brought Irish musicians to perform in the International Nomads Festival for the first time and in 2009 the company was formed. (pictured: Lorna McLaughlin of The Henry Girls)

Morocco Cultural Holidays - Irish musician meets nomads in M'Hamid el Ghizlane

Since then, a part of SheherazadVentures objective has been to create and facilitate opportunities for cultural exchange. SheherazadVentures is especially focussed on offering a wide range of cultural tours, activities and ‘hands-on’ creative experiences for all its clients to enjoy and learn from - individuals, families, small groups as well as for visiting arts and community groups. We also hope that some of our clients will have skills of their own to share.

Visiting community groups, youth clubs and artists collectives who want to travel to Morocco and share their activities with local children and villagers are invited to make contact with us directly and we will organise all holiday logistics for the group and all cultural exchange meetings at a local level.
However the group needs to source its own funding as we cannot assist with this.