Latest news with #AtlasMountains
Times
14-08-2025
- Times
Take the plunge — this luxe hotel has the largest pool in Marrakesh
By the time you've reached the top of this 570-acre estate's lush drive, you'll have forgotten the arid wilderness outside its gates. Still, it's only upon stepping through Fairmont's signature revolving doors that the sheer scale of this oasis hits you. Doused in petrol blue, the cavernous 14 metre-high lobby delivers drama, but it's the view beyond its colossal central window — fountained terraces, a lake-like pool, manicured fairways and the majestic Atlas Mountains — that really steals the show. The striking setting attracts buggy loads of golfers, but there's ample entertainment here for all ages — including a phenomenal spa, excellent kids' club and seven bars and restaurants — all overseen by a pitch-perfect team. This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue Score 9/10Keen to suit all budgets, the hotel has 20 rooms, 104 suites, and 10 two-bedroom pool villas. Bar the opulent villas, privately situated in individual walled gardens, and jaw-dropping Penthouse Suite, all are housed across four striking terracotta 'residences'. Regardless of category, decor is a mod-Moroccan mix of latticed moucharabieh screens, bold geometric Berber rugs, and handcrafted furniture, while sleek bathrooms glisten with tone-on-tone zellige tiling and polished tadelakt plaster. There are no duff choices. Even the smallest (at a spacious 72 sq m) Deluxe rooms have freestanding tubs, walk-in showers, storage-stacked dressing areas and lounge-worthy garden-facing terraces. Great for younger families requiring extra play space, garden-side suites and rooms (some of which interconnect) lead directly onto the estate's manicured lawns. Travelling with teens? With their tanning decks and hot tub, two-bedroom Presidential suites are ideal for mooching. But for ultimate serenity, opt for a second-floor Deluxe Atlas View suite in Residence D (the furthest from the lobby), complete with a hot-tub-size marble bath and breathtaking mountain views. Score 7/10 There are four restaurants and three bars to choose between. Come nightfall, Le Bar's sultry, jazzy vibe, flamboyant cocktails and fresh sushi lure guests like moths to a flame. Be prepared to wait, though: this was the one spot where Fairmont's unflappable team seemed understaffed. Al Ain, serving heartier Moroccan-Levantine fusion, is worth booking for the nightly live Andalusian music alone. But while mezze dishes of deliciously smoky moutabal, and chicken livers sautéed in lemon and sumac hit the mark, mains of Turkish Iskender kebab and halloumi brochettes are somewhat underwhelming. Elsewhere, you'll find Italian classics at Capricci and Mediterranean fare at L'Olivier, while the nearby Pool Bar (think burgers, bagels and Buddha bowls) is popular with families at lunch. Overlooking the greens, Le Sabra's olive-tree-shaded patio offers a calmer spot to enjoy lighter bites, play underway, and storks perching in palms. Still, breakfast is such a banquet you may not want lunch. Served at Capricci, besides the standard dishes and egg station, expect a deli's worth of savoury treats, from charcuterie to poached salmon sides, plus indecently moreish homebaked breads, pastries and cakes that wouldn't look amiss at teatime. • Best restaurants in Marrakesh• More of the best hotels in Marrakesh Score 9/10An absolute beauty, the 2,000 sq m main pool is Marrakesh's largest and, unsurprisingly, a magnet for children. (Travelling without kids? Don't panic, read on, you've options.) From pottery workshops to belly-dancing classes, there's plenty for active families including bike hire — from toddler trikes to electric, so the whole brood can get pedalling. Smelling of freshly baked cookies, the fantastical kids' club — with treehouse, pool and huggable life-size toy sheep — is free for three to 12-year-olds. Babysitting is also available. Adults are equally spoilt. With its Cabell B Robinson-designed 18-hole course, bar, restaurant and kid-free semi-Olympic pool, Royal Palm Golf & Country Club feels like a separate resort. Elsewhere, a vast fitness centre has all the usual dumbbells and whistles, plus a kinesis room, squash, padel, tennis and another adults-only outdoor pool. Wrapping riad-like around a glass-roofed, bath-warm pool, the blissful spa and its signature treatments are a must. Based on a bride-to-be's traditional purification rituals, the Hammam Dada has you steamed, basted and scrubbed from top to toe. After a beautiful, multisensory experience (the therapists even sing to you), you'll leave feeling and smelling heavenly. Score 9/10Gloriously isolated in rural Tameslouht, the hotel is eight miles from Menara airport. While there's nothing nearby, a complimentary shuttle makes the 20-minute journey into Marrakesh three times a day — but only until 8pm. Price room-only doubles from £350Restaurant mains from £18 Family-friendly YAccessible Y Abigail Flanagan was a guest of Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech ( • Best riads in Marrakesh• Best affordable hotels in Marrakesh
Arab News
07-08-2025
- General
- Arab News
Czech zoo welcomes 4 rare Barbary lion cubs whose population is extinct in the wild
DVUR KRALOVE, Czech Republic: Four Barbary lion cubs were born recently in a Czech zoo, a vital contribution for a small surviving population of the rare lion that is extinct in the wild. The three females and one male were seen playing in their outdoor enclosure at Dvůr Králové Safari Park on Wednesday, enjoying themselves under the watchful eyes of their parents, Khalila and Bart. That will change soon. As part of an international endangered species program that coordinates efforts for their survival in captivity, the cubs will be sent to other participating parks, including the Beersheba zoo in Israel. Chances are that might not be the end of the story for the animal. Dvůr Králové Deputy Director Jaroslav Hyjánek said that while preliminary steps have been taken for a possible reintroduction of the Barbary lion into its natural habitat, it's still a 'far distant future.' The majestic member of the Northern lion subspecies, the Barbary lion once roamed freely its native northern Africa, including the Atlas Mountains. A symbol of strength, they were almost completely wiped out due to human activities. Many were killed by gladiators in Roman times, while overhunting and a loss of habitat contributed to their extinction later. The last known photo of a wild lion was taken in 1925, while the last individual was killed in 1942. It's believed the last small populations went extinct in the wild in the middle of the 1960s. Fewer than 200 Barbary lions are currently estimated to live in captivity Hyjánek said that after initial talks with Moroccan authorities, who have not rejected the idea of their reintroduction, a conference of experts has been planned to take place in Morocco late this year or early 2026 to decide whether it would make sense to go ahead with such a plan in one of the national parks in the Atlas Mountains. Any reintroduction would face numerous bureaucratic and other obstacles. Since the lion has not been present in the environment for such a long time, the plans would have to ensure their protection, a sufficient prey population and cooperation and approval from local communities. Hyjánek said such a move is still worth trying if it turns out to be sustainable. 'It's important to have such a vision for any animal, ' he said. 'Without it, the existence of zoos wouldn't make sense.'
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Czech zoo welcomes Barbary lion cubs whose population is extinct in the wild
Four Barbary lion cubs have been born in a Czech zoo, a vital contribution to a small surviving population of the rare lion which is extinct in the wild. The three females and one male played in their outdoor enclosure at Dvur Kralove Safari Park on Wednesday, enjoying themselves under the watchful eyes of their parents, Khalila and Bart. That will change soon. As part of an international endangered species programme which co-ordinates efforts for their survival in captivity, the cubs will be sent to other participating parks, including the Beersheba zoo in Israel. That might not be the end of the story for the animal. Dvur Kralove deputy director Jaroslav Hyjanek said that while preliminary steps have been taken for a possible reintroduction of the Barbary lion into its natural habitat, it is still a 'far distant future'. A member of the northern lion subspecies, the Barbary lion once roamed freely its native northern Africa, including the Atlas Mountains. They were almost completely wiped out because of human activity. Many were killed by gladiators in Roman times, while overhunting and a loss of habitat contributed to their extinction in the wild later. The last known photo of a wild lion was taken in 1925, and the last individual was killed in 1942. It is believed the last small populations became extinct in the wild in the middle of the 1960s. Fewer than 200 Barbary lions are estimated to live in captivity Mr Hyjanek said that after initial talks with Moroccan authorities, who have not rejected the idea of their reintroduction, a conference of experts has been planned to take place in Morocco to decide whether it would make sense to go ahead with such a plan in one of the national parks in the Atlas Mountains. Any reintroduction would face numerous bureaucratic and other obstacles. Since the lion has not been present in the environment for such a long time, the plans would have to ensure their protection, a sufficient prey population and co-operation and approval from local communities. Mr Hyjanek said such a move is still worth trying if it turns out to be sustainable. 'It's important to have such a vision for any animal,' he said. 'Without it, the existence of zoos wouldn't make sense.'
BreakingNews.ie
07-08-2025
- Science
- BreakingNews.ie
Czech zoo welcomes Barbary lion cubs whose population is extinct in the wild
Four Barbary lion cubs have been born in a Czech zoo, a vital contribution to a small surviving population of the rare lion which is extinct in the wild. The three females and one male played in their outdoor enclosure at Dvur Kralove Safari Park on Wednesday, enjoying themselves under the watchful eyes of their parents, Khalila and Bart. Advertisement That will change soon. As part of an international endangered species programme which co-ordinates efforts for their survival in captivity, the cubs will be sent to other participating parks, including the Beersheba zoo in Israel. One of the cubs runs in its enclosure (Petr David Josek/AP) That might not be the end of the story for the animal. Dvur Kralove deputy director Jaroslav Hyjanek said that while preliminary steps have been taken for a possible reintroduction of the Barbary lion into its natural habitat, it is still a 'far distant future'. A member of the northern lion subspecies, the Barbary lion once roamed freely its native northern Africa, including the Atlas Mountains. Advertisement They were almost completely wiped out because of human activity. Many were killed by gladiators in Roman times, while overhunting and a loss of habitat contributed to their extinction in the wild later. The lions are extinct in the wild (Petr David Josek/AP) The last known photo of a wild lion was taken in 1925, and the last individual was killed in 1942. It is believed the last small populations became extinct in the wild in the middle of the 1960s. Fewer than 200 Barbary lions are estimated to live in captivity Advertisement Mr Hyjanek said that after initial talks with Moroccan authorities, who have not rejected the idea of their reintroduction, a conference of experts has been planned to take place in Morocco to decide whether it would make sense to go ahead with such a plan in one of the national parks in the Atlas Mountains. Three of the cubs play in their enclosure (Petr David Josek/AP) Any reintroduction would face numerous bureaucratic and other obstacles. Since the lion has not been present in the environment for such a long time, the plans would have to ensure their protection, a sufficient prey population and co-operation and approval from local communities. Mr Hyjanek said such a move is still worth trying if it turns out to be sustainable. Advertisement 'It's important to have such a vision for any animal,' he said. 'Without it, the existence of zoos wouldn't make sense.'
The Guardian
07-08-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Four rare Barbary lion cubs born at Czech zoo
Four Barbary lion cubs were born recently in a Czech zoo, a vital contribution for the small surviving population of a rare lion that is extinct in the wild. The three females and one male were seen playing in their outdoor enclosure at Dvůr Králové safari park on Wednesday under the watchful eye of their parents, Khalila and Bart. That will change soon. As part of an international endangered species programme that coordinates efforts for the lions' survival in captivity, the cubs will be sent to other participating parks, including the Midbarium zoo in Israel. There is a chance that may not be the end of the story. The deputy director of Dvůr Králové, Jaroslav Hyjánek, said preliminary steps had been taken to possibly reintroduce the Barbary lion into its natural habitat – but that was still in the 'far distant future'. The Barbary lion, a majestic member of the northern lion subspecies, once roamed freely in its native north Africa, including the Atlas mountains. A symbol of strength, the Barbary lion was almost wiped out by humans. Many were killed by gladiators in Roman times, while overhunting and the loss of habitat contributed to their later near extinction. The last known photo of a wild lion was taken in 1925. It is believed the last small populations went extinct in the wild in the mid-1960s. Fewer than 200 Barbary lions are now estimated to live in captivity. Hyjánek said that after initial talks with Moroccan authorities, who have not rejected the idea of the lions' reintroduction, a conference of experts has been planned in Morocco for later this year or early 2026 to decide whether to go ahead with such a scheme in one of the national parks in the Atlas mountains. Any reintroduction would face bureaucratic and other obstacles. As the lions have not been present in the environment for so long, the plans would have to ensure the animals' protection, a sufficient prey population, and cooperation and approval from local communities. Hyjánek said reintroduction was still worth trying if it turned out to be sustainable. 'It's important to have such a vision for any animal,' he said. 'Without it, the existence of zoos wouldn't make sense.'
