Marrakesh
Morocco’s most iconic city is a gateway into years of Moorish history and culture.
Marrakesh was the first city I visited in Morocco – even more significantly, I was in Africa for the first time. Travelling in late December, I hardly knew what to expect. But, despite my apprehension and a ridiculously early four-hour flight from London, I wouldn’t let things put a damper on my mood. I was travelling here for the first time, as part of a group I was yet to meet, ready to make new friends and explore a brand new country.
The main question I’ve received since letting people know I’ve travelled to Marrakesh is ‘Is it safe for solo female travellers?’ As in any country, I’d always advise people to travel with caution and keep your wits about you. That is, always keep an eye on your belongings, have details of your hotel saved, make sure someone knows where you are and plan your route home at the end of the night. If you’re travelling as part of a group, the benefit is you’ll always have someone to spend time with who has your back – two heads are better than one.
But on the whole I had a fantastic experience in Morocco, and no country I’ve visited before or since has left me feeling so full of joy. I found our hosts incredible welcoming and, with the exception of one or two places where my friends and I didn’t feel we wanted to stay too long, we had a really memorable experience.
We spent the first night exploring areas in Marrakesh including Le Jardin Secret, a not-so-secret botanic garden, and in the evening visited the speakeasy Barometre Marrakech for an after-dinner cocktail.
Marrakesh would be the first city I’d set foot in for a two-week excursion around Morocco. The first week would be spent visiting cities, crossing the Atlas mountains into the desert and spending New Year’s Eve in Merzourga, the desert camp. We’d also take part in tour of Skoura, a smaller, more remote camp, where we’d come across ancient kasbahs and locals living a nomadic way of life.
Skoura
After a four-hour drive of more than 200km, we’d arrive in Skoura, a smaller, more remote camp, where we’d come across ancient kasbahs and locals living a nomadic way of life. Here we visited the Dades Gorge, a fantastic rock formation with plenty of opportunities for group pictures, and many of the local kasbahs, or settlements.
Merzourga
I can’t overstate how incredible my time was in Merzourga. From staying in a desert camp and taking a wild, Sahara jeep excursion, to watching local drumming, getting involved in a cooking class, taking a sunset camel ride and sandboarding on New Year’s Eve, I feel like I was lucky to have so many incredible experiences with people I’d just met who’ve now become close friends.
Morocco really does have it all and it has to be seen to be believed: nowhere have I felt more connected to people and more part of a culture that was so much fun to experience.
Aït ben Haddou
Full disclosure: we did a lot of driving around the country in two weeks, covering just over 2,000km (2,009km if my calculations are correct!). So while it was exciting and full of incredible experiences, you have to take into account the many, long hours on the road. Fortunately, group trips tend to attract like-minded people who don’t mind a few hours by a window, watching the landscape change or taking a much-needed nap before stopping off at the next destination.
After an epic New Years’ party in the desert followed by an early start (ouch) and a seven-hour drive, we reached Aït ben Haddou. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has been used as a filming location for Gladiator and Game of Thrones among others, due to its unique architecture and the enchanting mystery of its citadel.
You could spend hours wandering through its alleyways, sampling food and drink, buying trinkets from vendors (or even treating yourself to a hand-made Moroccan rug) and taking in the panoramic views from the top of the fortress. No matter how you choose to spend your time there, it feels like a place suspended in time and is one of the places to which I’ve most wanted to return.
Northern cities
The second week was more city-oriented, departing Marrakesh and spending time in Casablanca, before setting off early the next morning. The Andalucian gardens of Rabat were reminiscent of the gardens in Granada and Seville, giving them a distinctly Spanish theme (or perhaps it was the other way round, after hundreds of years of Moorish influence had left its mark in Spain).
We also passed the temple of Venus ruins and a local women’s collective, where we were served to a delicious and warming home-made lunch (perfect after a windy hike) and a delightful tea ceremony that left us glowing from the warm hospitality.
Chefchaouen
After Rabat we’d head to Chefchaouen, the famous Blue City. In this beautiful city, we stayed in the well-known Hotel Madrid, with its ornate Arabic decor bordering on chintzy and fantastically-decorated reception rooms with floral patterns up to the rafters. After an orientation walk around the city, the main part of the stay was spent hiking up the famous ‘two horns’, or surrounding mountains.
With Morocco seeing the most rainfall in 130 years, this wet January day was probably the least well-timed hike of the trip, but remains one of my favourite memories because of how ludicrous the weather was, and the reward at the top. The four boys and I – who’d foolishly made the journey in spite of the weather – stopped at a nomadic settlement at the top. Our sodden outdoor clothes immediately started steaming in the presence of a warm fire, and we huddled around it, welcoming a huge tagine to warm us up from the inside and always bond us to this crazy excursion.
One especially memorable experience was watching a brilliant football game as part of the Africa Cup on a large TV screen in a packed-out café. Our group joined at least a hundred local people to drink strong, sugary mint tea and watch the Morocco v Tanzania game, and the minute the home country scored you can only imagine how the place erupted with celebrations.
Fes
After two days in Chefchaouen, we ventured on to Fes, which was in my opinion the best city in Morocco. Its cultural heritage was everywhere, from the small side-streets occupied by both Muslim and Jewish residents, to its grand mosques and the world’s oldest tannery.
The evening was spent, if not in a Hammam, then visiting a local nightclub for entertainment that wouldn’t be out of place in a 19th-century traveller’s accounts. Belly dancing, a wedding ceremony, magicians and a band kept an entire ballroom full of visitors entertained and well-fed with three-course meals. Despite only being there for a night, it was easy for us to imagine how these talented performers completed their shows 7 days a week, all year round.
No blog about this incredible country would be complete without at least a mention of its cuisine. For a foodie, it’s heaven. And no more so than in the nightclub in Fes, where I can’t over-emphasise the scale of the multiple-course dinner we had the fortune to enjoy.
Hot air ballooning over the Atlas Mountains
All of this would take me back to a final two days in Marrakech, and to see the city again after two eye-opening weeks in the country would change the way I viewed everything there, as I now felt I knew it more intimately.
My very last day after two weeks of the most amazing experiences started early, at 5am. On waking I regretted my eagerness when booking the trip that I’d pre-booked every single optional activity, but, deciding to berate my earlier self another time, I got up and headed into the hotel reception for pick-up.
It turns out my doubts were dispelled as soon as I arrived at a remote desert camp with at least a hundred other travellers. We were all taking part in a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the Sahara Desert, encompassing views of the Atlas Mountains and the vast terrain beneath.
To say this experience was unforgettable would be an understatement. The remarkable views demanded your full attention, with orange and pinky hues warm in the sky. For me the experience was really completed by the wonderful company I had, many adventurous Americans and a few other Brits who were here to enjoy the quietly spectacular surroundings. While each of us had travelled for our own reasons, it was a joyful experience that brought us all together.
Homeward bound
On landing in Morocco, I was immediately put at ease and struck by how welcoming and friendly everyone was. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I had no idea how to act coming to an Islamic nation for the first time, and my research had pulled up previously un-thought-of questions, such as what can I wear? And can I drink alcohol? (The answer to the first is modest clothing, and to the second is yes.)
But apprehensions aside, my first impressions set the tone for the rest of the trip. I met some incredible friends on this trip and we immediately bonded over a shared curiosity of the country, a desire to spend time in an Arabic-speaking country and a search for new experiences.
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