Ferme M'barka, Morocco review: Kingdom of plenty

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This was published 14 years ago

Ferme M'barka, Morocco review: Kingdom of plenty

Desert inn ... La Ferme M'barka's infinity pool at the auberge.

Desert inn ... La Ferme M'barka's infinity pool at the auberge.

Mark Chipperfield reaps what an expatriate farmer has sown in the Moroccan desert.

'I am a very poor farmer," says Jerome de Brouwer, the larger-than-life owner of La Ferme M'barka, surely Morocco's most elegant farm-stay accommodation. "I do not clip the wool from my sheep or milk my goats and I treat my turkeys too much like pets." Monsieur de Brouwer, a successful restaurateur in Belgium, is the first to admit that La Ferme M'barka - a 15-hectare farm surrounded by flat, dusty countryside south of Marrakesh - is more of a personal folly than a model of modern agricultural efficiency.

"Why did I buy this place here in the desert?" he says, gazing at the dramatic outline of the Atlas Mountains. "Just look at the view. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? And, besides, I like the village people very much. It is really their place rather than mine. I am just a gentleman farmer."

Such eccentric ventures are not exactly novel in the North African kingdom. Wealthy foreigners have been buying property in Morocco since the 1960s but de Brouwer and partner Geraldine Moureau have created something truly admirable at Ferme M'barka, a chic country auberge (inn) that still feels like a traditional walled Moroccan farm; a place that is at once magical and yet curiously familiar.

Since buying the land in 2006, the couple have planted 1800 olive trees and groves of fruit trees, which now supply the restaurant with quince, pomegranate, grapefruit, lemons and limes. Wandering around this perfect little kingdom with its contented horses, sheep, goats, chickens and turkeys, you wonder why Monsieur de Brouwer doesn't just keep it to himself - a less generous man would share this spot only with friends and family.

When the burly Belgian first took over Ferme M'barka, he simply converted some of the old mud-walled farm sheds into cottage-style family accommodation. These "lofts" are pleasant and airy, with open fires, modern bathrooms, farm kitchens, private terraces, TVs and sound systems; ideal for anyone travelling with a gaggle of kids or maybe a group of friends on an extended holiday.

Ferme M'barka's piece de resistance, however, is the new complex of 19 individually styled guest suites arranged in the style of a traditional medina - each suite has its own front door, private patio, sitting room and a sumptuous bathroom. The larger two-storey suites offer multiple bedrooms and roof terraces with fine views over the surrounding farmland and olive groves.

Built in the traditional Moroccan style with pise walls, flat roofs, uneven floors and oddly sized doors and windows, each of the whitewashed suites has been individually furnished with woven rugs, hand-made light fittings and dreamy four-poster beds. Special attention has been paid to the bathrooms, which are finished in waxed gunmetal-black concrete, have cavernous baths, wall niches for candles and, in some cases, dinky fireplaces.

Such is the romantic atmosphere of these suites, you can't help feeling a little jealous of its owners, who have created their own special corner of Morocco; the perfect balance of opulence, heritage, design and landscape.

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For guests who do manage to tear themselves away from their suites, there is much to enjoy at the property. Dining on the terrace is a real joy. So popular is the light French and Moroccan cuisine that it has become a popular lunch spot with many European expats in Marrakesh. I had a delightful lunch of grilled-salmon salad and honey-roasted lamb chops for just $41. The wine list is exclusively Moroccan and surprisingly good.

Residents also have the use of the infinity pool, small gymnasium, communal lounge room and a private hammam, which offers the full range of Moroccan scrubs and massages. For those planning a longer sojourn, there is a wide choice of adventure activities: horse riding, mountain biking, four-wheel-driving expeditions and hiking trips into the nearby Atlas Mountains. Guided tours of Marrakesh are easily organised - as are airport transfers.

I'm told that March is the best time to visit; warm enough to be enjoyable, the mountains still carry a mantle of snow. But late autumn is equally pleasant, with daytime temperatures in the high 20s and coolish evenings.

Whatever the month, you should pencil in at least one day's trekking in the High Atlas, the biggest mountain chain in Africa and the impregnable redoubt for the Berber tribes, who, along with Arabs, form the bulk of Morocco's 31 million inhabitants. Despite the rapid modernisation of this progressive Muslim nation, the High Atlas still adheres to the old ways. People live in fortified, ochre-walled villages and tend handkerchief-sized plots of land, on which they grow barley, corn, maize and other crops.

There are few sealed roads up here. Donkeys (and wizened old ladies) seem to be the favoured method of transporting produce and while you see the occasional motorbike, most people walk. My mountain guide, Mohamed, grew up in the Asni district - now one of the most popular hiking destinations in the High Atlas - and provides an invaluable introduction to Berber traditions and belief.

Proud of his Berber heritage, the 29-year-old does not disguise the relentless physical struggle to survive in this remote, harsh and unpredictable place. Heavy snowfalls close many of the roads in winter and flash flooding sometimes sweeps away whole villages.

"Very few people leave the village. There is much work and few tractors," he says. "Life is hard for the Berber people."

After two hours of walking through the bare red landscape dotted with groves of cedars, eucalypt and olive trees, we reach the village of Anraz, where we stop for a glass of mint tea at a tighremt - a simple mud-walled house typical of the region.

After a few minutes, a black-shawled old woman appears with a tea tray, then returns with hot bread in the shape of a giant, uneven bowl. We dip the bread into little plates of fresh olive oil and wild mountain honey. It is a taste that lingers with me to this day.

The writer was a guest of Etihad Airways and Morocco by Prior Arrangement.

TRIP NOTES

WHERE Ferme M'Barka is in the Tamesloht region of Morocco, 25 kilometres south-west of Marrakesh. Phone: +212 06 61 31 50 63, see www.lafermembarka.com.

HOW MUCH La Douria bedrooms from €120 ($181) a night, lofts from €170 a night. The tariff includes a Moroccan-style breakfast.

TOP MARKS The swimming pool has panoramic views of the Atlas Mountains and is big enough for those keen on morning laps.

BLACK MARK The access road is full of potholes and is truly abysmal.

DON'T MISS A personalised tour with Morocco by Prior Arrangement in Marrakesh. Phone +212 24 42 24 91, see moroccobypriorarrangement.net.

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