MOROCCO
DISCOVER MY 15 DAY ITINERARY
In February 2020, I went on an Intrepid tour of Morocco with my friend Carly. And after, I did a bit of solo travel on the coast. Here's my itinerary with my recommendations:
Day 1 - Casablanca
Fly to Casablanca
Carly and I flew into Madrid from JFK, spent one night, then turned around and took a small flight to Casablanca for the start of our trip. We chose the Essential Morocco trip for 18-29 year olds with Intrepid Travel—and I’m so glad we did! We hit all the hot spots in Morocco while also discovering the little villages that you can’t really do without a tour guide.
Our guide was named Mouna and she was simply the best!
Morocco is a very conservative muslim country, so the
concept of women being tour leaders is not widely accepted.
Mouna opened up to us about the harassment and sexist
issues she faces and how supportive Intrepid is of women in
leadership roles and girls’ education in northern Africa. Not
only did we have a great time, but it’s great knowing that
we’re supporting a company that uses its resources to give
back.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Check into Moroccan House Hotel
After paying a taxi 250 dirhams ($25 USD) we arrived at our hotel in Casablanca. It was a fine hotel in a not so desirable neighborhood—although… there doesn’t seem to be many desirable neighborhoods in Casablanca. Casablanca is a giant city, but there isn’t much to do tourism-wise. I would suggest flying into Casablanca and then making your way onto your next destination in the north of Morocco. Recommendation: Skip it. If I were to come back to Casablanca in need of a hotel, I would look for a less sketchy neighborhood.
Lunch at Etoile Centrale
After checking into the hotel, we got a recommendation to go to this spot for lunch. It was adorable! Like most places in Morocco, the decor was too cute and the food was delicious. Carly got the chicken cous cous and I got a spicy chicken Pastilla (kind of like shredded chicken in a crunchwrap supreme). It was A LOT of food. I would consider sharing with someone… this was a lesson we learned many times over. Recommendation: Go for it! This was right by our hotel and it was perfect.
Welcome Meeting
We met up with Mouna and our tour group for the first time! We went over so many things including go over a giant map of all the places we were going to visit. Lots of questions were asked and it was a very informative meeting!
Dinner at Restaurant La Fleur
After the Welcome Meeting, we all went to a nearby restaurant together. I ordered a Mango juice—and it was amazing. Fresh squeezed juice is very common in Morocco and not expensive at all. I’m going to miss that part of Morocco a lot! I ordered the cous cous and was given a mountain… haha. Luckily, no food goes to waste in Morocco, so don’t feel bad about not eating all your food.
Recommendation: Go for it! If you’re in the area, this was a great spot. Still thinking about that mango juice.
Day 2 - Casablanca to Moulay Idriss
Every day we ate breakfast at the hotel, they were all very simple and very similar: hard-boiled eggs and bread. Nothing too interesting, so I’m going to skip this every day because there’s not much to write about… it was simple and a bit boring and there ya go.
Breakfast at
the Hotel
Our only stop in Casablanca was at the Hassan II Mosque. It’s the only mosque in Morocco that non-muslims can visit—and it’s outstanding! It’s the 3rd largest mosque in the world… like the world. And it was built in 6 years! There were so many cool design features of this mosque that it was so worth getting the guided tour. In total it cost around $13 USD (less if you’re a student) and I enjoyed it more than other mosques I’ve visited.
Recommendation: Go for it! It’s a beautiful building with so many cool modern architectural features. If you’re in Casablanca, check it out!
Hassan II Mosque
Welcome tea at the Guesthouse
We arrived at the tiny town that is Moulay Idriss and checked into our Guesthouse. We were quick to learn that basically anywhere you go in Morocco (specifically hotels) you will always be offered mint tea with lots of sugar. The guesthouse we stayed in is similar to a B&B or a family run inn. It was delightful! We had the best view from the rooftop terrace (and also incredible wifi). Muhammad was a wonderful host and his home is lovely. If you want to stay there, it was called La Colombe Blanche.
Recommendation: Go for it! I’m not sure where to go about booking it, but a google search will surely help you. It was my favorite place we stayed the whole trip.
Walking Tour of Moulay Idriss
After we settled in (and took a lot of pictures of the pet turtles) we had a walking tour guided by Mijad. Moulay Idriss is a beautiful white-washed town that has some small Santorini vibes because of its situation on a mountain. We walked too many stairs to count, but it was so nice to hear about this town’s history. It’s a popular site for pilgrimage because of the tomb of the city founder—Moulay Idriss; he is a descendent of the prophet, Muhammed. It’s only been open to tourists since 2005, and boy does it feel like it. Morocco is a conservative Muslim country, and it was very jarring for me to walk around the main square of the town and only see men eating and hanging out. It affected me more than I expected and it was probably most obvious here in Moulay Idriss. No matter how I felt, it was a fascinating glimpse into the average Moroccan life.
Recommendation: Go for it! Mijad loved to tell Dad jokes and he was lovely guide. We also got to see the public baker and try some of his bread, which was probably a highlight. Haha.
View Point
At the end of our tour, we made up to this amazing view point overlooking the town. It’s such a beautiful place… all the stairs were worth it. =)
Recommendation: Go for it. Gotta get that photo op.
Tea Making Demonstration
Once we returned from our tour, Muhammed our host, gave us a tea making demonstration. Making tea is very important in Morocco and they have a very specific way to do it We also learned a lot about Morocco’s affection for sugar. I usually never take sugar in my tea… but boy did I get used to it and probably a little addicted. Haha. Sugar is so important to Moroccan culture, do as the people do! Take your tea with sugar. Historically, when a man wants to marry a woman, he’ll bring over a large cone of sugar. She then will prepare the tea… he will know her answer by tasting it. If there’s sugar in the tea, she says yes. If it’s bitter… he has his answer. Haha. The entire demonstration was so wonderful to watch and learn about, and we all horribly tried to pour the tea as they do. Twas funny.
Recommendation: Go for it. I’m not sure if this is something Muhammed regularly offers… but I would ask about if you stay here.
Dinner at the Guesthouse
After tea, we ate dinner at the guest house. We had the traditional tagine as well as lamb meatballs with egg. I particularly enjoyed the harissa olives—which are basically just really spicy olives. =) Not the best meal I had on my trip… but that’s mostly because I’m picky and don’t like meatballs. Haha.
Recommendation: Eh, depends on what you like!
Lunch on
the Train
We all went to the grocery store the night before to buy some picnic food for lunch on the train to Meknes. I actually love this kind of lunch—you buy a baguette, meat, and cheese, bag of chips. Delicious! The train was only an hour and a half long, and we hopped into cabs right after to get to Moulay Idriss. Everything was organized of course, I think it’s just the easiest way to get there without private bus (which we used later in our trip).
Recommendation: Go for it!
Day 3 - Volubilis & Meknes
Tour of Volubilis
We left Moulay Idriss and took a short cab ride to the ruins of Volubilis—an ancient roman city. We met our guide Mijad again and he showed us around. We even got to see some original olive oil presses and a “vomitorium” which is weirdly exactly what you think it is. Volubilis was beautiful, surrounded by nature, and engulfed in the strong Moroccan sun. Recommendation: Go for it! We had too much fun with our pictures.
Walking Tour of Meknes
After our tour, we drove to the city of Meknes—which is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco. As a tourist, I don’t think Meknes has much to offer but it was good to stop by for a few hours and check it out. The large pool was lovely and people actually swim in it during the summer! Crazy. Recommendation: Eh, if you have time.
Berber Craft Exhibition
We stopped by a Berber Craft Exhibition in town—Meknes is known for their tin pottery and linen embroidery. We got to see how every thing gets made and check out all the cool crafts.
Recommendation: Go for it! Just in case you didn’t know, the Berber (or Amazigh) are the indigenous people of Northern Africa—they are not arabs; they even have their own flag.
Meknes Medina
We walked through the medina, tried a few treats and I found a puppy! The owner let me hold it, and it was the best part of my day. Other than that, the Medina was okay… quite smelly, not as picturesque as some of the other we will visit. Recommendation: Eh, if you have time.
Lunch at a House for Camel Burgers
Our last stop in Meknes was for lunch. We ate at a local man’s home where he served camel burgers. Carly and myself were kind against the idea of eating an animal I was about to ride in the desert… (you wouldn’t eat a horse, right?) So, we opted for the vegetarian plate which was quite good.
Recommendation: Go for it! Everyone else said that camel tasted like chicken… I guess we didn’t miss out on much.
Train to Fez
We got back in the Meknes train station and we were off to Fez! It’s only 45 minutes away, so a very easy train.
Check into Hotel de la Paix
We arrived in Fez and checked into our hotel. This was probably the worst hotel we stayed in… The hot water was iffy, the water pressure was eh, and the wifi was just dismal. BUT, there was a bar. With cheap beer. So you know… pick your battles.
Recommendation: Skip it. Find anywhere else to stay. lol. After checking in, we all met down at the bar and played card games and hung out. This is where our affinity for B.S. started and would continue throughout the trip. We were also introduced to Flag Special the cheap beer of choice in Morocco. It was 22 dirhams (around $2.20 USD) and pretty good.
Dinner at Le Gout de Fes
We all met up for dinner near the hotel, nothing fancy. I got a kebab (or gyro) which was fine… it was really cheap and all the food kinda tasted like it. Truthfully. Recommendation: Skip it. Definitely go somewhere else.
Day 4 - Fez
Royal Palace
We met up with our tour guide for the day, Laila, at the oldest royal palace in Fez (there are four). This one dates back to the 14th century, and the doors are just beautiful. We took lots of pictures, and learned a bit about muslim influence in the design of these grand palaces.
Recommendation: Eh, if you have time. It’s a beautiful area but nothing worth carving out of your day until it’s on the way.
Jewish Quarter
We then walked through the Jewish quarter known at Mellah; you can tell it’s the Jewish quarter of a moroccan city if there are balconies. Muslim tradition didn’t allow women to be seen, so there are no windows to the homes facing the outside.
Recommendation: Eh, if you have time. This was right by the royal palace so we walked through it to get back to our bus.
Panoramic View of Fez
We took our vehicle up to this panoramic view for pictures and more explanations of the city. You can see where the Medina is and the palaces, etc. It’s very beautiful.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Pottery Co-Operation of Fes
Fez is known for their ceramics, so we visited the pottery co-op of Fes. We saw how they created each piece, no electric wheels around—they literally spun it with their feet. Then we watched them paint so delicately with camel hair brushes—fascinating. Lastly, we watched them carve the ceramic pieces with small tools and place them by hand for tables and other larger ceramic pieces. We then got to shop and haggle a bit. One of the best parts was that they wrapped everything in foam and duct tape… so you know it’s definitely not going to break.
Recommendation: Go for it! I took quite a few pieces home with me.
Medina
Next we ditched the bus, and headed into the busy Medina. It’s actually much more neat and beautiful than I expected, perhaps because it’s one of the most famous in the world. However, one of the first sights we saw when we walked in was camel heads and sheep heads… Not to be gross, but the camel heads were kind of cool probably because it was such a bizarre sight. Sheep heads… could've done without. Haha. But there’s so much to see in the Medina—everything I’m about to mention is all inside in the Medina. Laila and Mouna were very cautious so that we didn’t get lost and we stayed together as a group.
Recommendation: Go for it! I was expecting it to be chaotic and busy, but it was surprisingly calm and peaceful.
Tannery
Our next stop was at the leather tannery. They literally do everything on sight. Everything. So, when we arrived… it did not smell so great. But they gave us all sprigs of mint to smell and it worked really well--shockingly well. We learned all about the tannery and had some cool views and then tried stuff on!
Recommendation: Go for it! Nice leather, much better prices than you’ll find back home.
Place Seffarine
We stopped by this plaza quickly to see the oldest library in the oldest university in the entire world. The entire world! Just that thought alone, was so cool. This plaza is filled with copper beaters who beat away at large copper bowls, teapots, etc.
Recommendation: Go for it! It’s a fascinating area with a beautiful large tree at the center.
Lunch at Le Patio Bleu
We stopped for lunch at Le Patio Bleu in the Medina. The space itself was beautiful and there is an amazing rooftop terrace… but. It was kinda… eh. No one was obsessed. I regret not ordering the pastilla which is a Fez specialty. I had a bite of my friend’s and it was delicious.
Recommendation: Eh, maybe find a better place. It just seemed a little overpriced to be that boring.
Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss II
After lunch, we popped by the mausoleum of the founder of the city of Fez who was a descendent of the prophet Mohammed. We weren’t allowed in, so it mostly just a big group of people trying to take pictures from a couple doors.
Recommendation: Eh, if you have time.
Al-Attarine Madrasa
After that, we went into the Madrasa Attarine, which is not the qaranic school like so many think, but it was actually the dorm for the qaranic school. The prayer hall in the middle of the dorms is so spectacular; the details and delicacies of the tile work is breathtaking. We took a lot of pictures. Haha. The dorms itself are simple and so tiny, they almost looks like prison cells… which starkly contrasts the magnificent prayer hall beneath them.
Recommendation: Go for it! It’s beautiful and secluded. Too pretty to pass up.
Weaving Shop
Next we had a stop at the colorful textile haven that was the weaving demonstration. We learned how all the beautiful scarves are made and how to properly wear them in the desert. It was a fun experience.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Metal Demonstration
Our last stop in the Medina was at a metal demonstration… but unfortunately everyone was so tired from the long day I barely paid attention… But… this wasn’t that interesting. Haha.
Recommendation: Eh, if you have time.
Dinner at the Godfather
After a bit of relaxing at the hotel and playing games and drinking beer… Carly and I met up with my friend Katie who lives in Fez. She brought a group of her friends and took us to The Godfather which is an “italian style” restaurant where all the waiters wear suspenders. It was nice to see a different side of Fez. We ordered a pizza that surprisingly wasn’t terrible, but I think some people ordered pasta and it looked really good.
Recommendation: Go for it! If you want a break from Moroccan food and want to get out of the Medina, we were in the Atlas neighborhood and it was a fun atmosphere. Live music. Good food. A great way to end our time in Fez.
Day 5 - Midelt
Coffee at La Paix in Ifrane
On our drive from Fez to Midelt, we stopped for coffee in the second cleanest town in the world—not Morocco, world! It was beautiful; it’s also known as the coldest place in Morocco, people come from all over to ski and do other winter sports. It was not snowy when we were there, but I think February 2020 was an unusually warm month around the world. Or perhaps the new normal… This coffee was totally delicious and this town was adorable.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Stopping for Monkeys
Along our drive right outside Ifrane, we stopped to see the indigenous monkeys of Morocco! They were SO cute. Boy did they love eating those bananas. And oh my gosh, there was a baby… I nearly died. If you know anything about me, monkeys are my jam, and this was such a fun, unexpected activity.
Recommendation: Go for it! I could’ve watched them eat all day.
Alcohol Place
Before lunch, we stopped by the perhaps coolest (scariest) liquor store I’ve ever seen. Inside was totally normal, all sorts of beer, wine, and liquor, but the outside looked so abandoned. It’s hilarious. Since Morocco is a muslim country, not many places have their liquor license and its respectful not to advertise. Every time we bought a case of beer, they wrapped the whole thing like a birthday present so people wouldn’t see what we bought. It’s kinda fun, and a hilarious cultural norm.
Recommendation: Go for it! We bought it a couple days in advance of our Sahara Desert trip. The desert guys are super cool (and they were all drinking too) so it was a lot of fun to crack open a beer around the fire, but more on that later.
Picnic Lunch
In the morning, we stopped at a nice grocery store to gather food for a picnic lunch, and we stopped in the mountains by a stream… it was perfect. I got my sandwich and my strawberries and my chips. Perfect picnic.
Recommendation: Go for it. We had the option to stop for barbecue, but everyone wanted the picnic.
Check into Hotel - Ksar Timnay
We arrived in Midelt and checked into our hotel. It was beautiful and had a pool and all of our rooms were nice and spacious. You could see the snowy mountains in the distance, and in the evening the sunset was unreal.
Recommendation: There aren’t a ton of options in this part of the country, so I think this hotel is probably the best option.
Trek through the Canyon
After checking in, we went on a nice walk around the canyons and mountains of this area. It’s so beautiful, kinda like Arizona but not exactly.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Visit with a Family
We walked to this tiny village looking over the river called Berrem Village. We stopped to have tea and hang out with one of the local families. Girls’ education in Morocco is still a huge problem; many people don’t want to send their daughters to school after age 11 or some are too poor to bus their children to a nearby school that teaches secondary school for girls. This visit was discouraging and uplifting all at once. As a group we always tip our hosts for letting us visit, and Mouna picks this family in particular because they allow their girls to go to school. It was quite a life changing moment to be able to go around the room and tell these little girls what we all do for a living. I hope they were inspired by all of our different careers and continue going to school. I know this visit inspired me to do more research into how I can help these girls who want to go to school. Education for All Morocco does a lot for various villages and creates boarding houses; you can also volunteer your time as well as donate to sponsor a girl.
Recommendation: Go for it. This was one of
the highlights of my trip. Obviously I’m
familiar with Malala and her fight for girls’
education, but I have never seen it up close
before. It’s a horrible out-dated problem
that as westerners we don’t think about,
but we should. Every child deserves to go to
school, no matter their gender.
Dinner at the Hotel with Berber Music
Lastly, we ended the night with a mediocre meal and some loud and hearty Berber music. It was fun… but yeah, very loud. I enjoyed getting to know my fellow travelers better including our amazing tour guide Mouna.
Recommendation: Eh, if you have to. I wasn’t in love with this meal… but there also are not a lot of options.
Check into Campsite
After a bit more driving we arrived in the desert! Our campsite was more of a “glampsite,” which was great because we were facing the endless desert, but we still had outlets and facilities and wifi. Haha. We were greeted with tea of course and got ready for our camel ride. Mouna wrapped all of our scarves and errbody got their sunscreen on—ready for the camels!
Camel Ride through the Desert
This was without a doubt one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. The camels were a little scary at first because they are very tall, but the ride was smooth and actually pretty comfortable. The desert is beyond beautiful and the landscape is martian and crazy. We arrived at a large sand dune and struggled our way up—we walked and it was hard… everyone was out of breath. We hung out on that sand dune for about an hour or an hour and a half; it was so nice. We hung out, took pictures, watched the sun set. The weather was perfect because it was quite hot and as the sun went down it felt so nice. I took a ton of portraits and we all chilled. Hanging on that sand dune was my favorite part of the trip for sure. This is a must do.
Recommendation: Go for it! I’ve done a lot of bucket-list worthy stuff… but this tops them all. You gotta do it!
Dinner at the Camp
After our ride back to camp, we had dinner in a decorated tent. This was one of my favorite meals! I think we just had normal tajine, but it was made so well. The flavors were so good, I was obsessed.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Drinks and Dancing
We got out the beer and wine and listened to Berber music by the fire. We sat on rugs in the sand and sang and dance, and even tried our best at playing some of the instruments. We smoked sheesha (or hookah) with the Sahara dudes and stayed up way too late. We did handstands and some people injured themselves, and
we told some secrets and it was a perfect night. I
especially liked how chill the desert guys were… they
didn’t care that we were women or that we were all
sitting together hanging out. It was normal to them.
They were all drinking too… I think the desert just makes
you a chiller person. Haha. But it was the perfect ending
to a perfect day.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Day 6 - Sahara Desert
Coffee at Rich City
We stopped quickly in Rich City for a coffee and a bathroom break. This was an alright place to stop, I don’t believe there’s much along the way to the desert anyway.
Recommendation: You don’t have much of an option so… go for it!
We made a quick stop for the pretty view of the mountains and the valley. I bought a little hand-made camel from a boy who biked over to us. I don’t usually buy things from pan-handlers, but he was very sweet and calm and it felt right to purchase one.
Recommendation: Go for it! I think it’s cute. =)
Stop at the
Ziz Valley
Next we made another quick stop to see the Dades Valley, also known as the “Ocean of the South.”
Recommendation: Go for it!
Panoramic view of Dades Valley
We ate lunch outside in a courtyard of a hotel and restaurant. We paid around $8 USD for the buffet and sat next to the pool for a relaxing lunch. The food was pretty good, but nothing exceptional.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Lunch at Madison Vallee de Ziz
Day 7 -Todra Gorges
Sunrise in the Desert
We started the morning watching the sunrise over the sand dunes in the desert. The perfect way to say goodbye!
Kahatarat Canals
As we drove away from the Sahara, we stopped at these old irrigation wells, and learned a little bit about desert life of yore. The system comes from Iran originally, and it works with one big “Mother Well,” which still is in use today, that feeds into the smaller wells that are used to clean the canal so water can go through. It was pretty cool to see old technology in action.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Coffee at
Touroug Cafe
After our late night, this was a much needed coffee stop. This was a cute one for sure. We sat outside in the sun and savored the nice surroundings.
Recommendation: Go for it! Great ambience, good coffee.
Lunch at Ksar Khorbat
On our way to Todra Gorge, we stopped for lunch in this still inhabited palace called Ksar Khorbat. It’s essentially a fortified village, built of soil in the 19th century and recently restored. That being said, it was super cute. We sat outside by the clay walls overlooking palm trees, cats, nature, etc. It was lovely. The food was good not great (I had the worst soup I’ve ever had in my life), but the chicken was good, as it almost always is.
Recommendation: Go for it. This place too cute to pass up, and this village is known as the gateway to southern Morocco tourism.
Check into Darayour Hotel
We arrived in Todra Gorge! And checked into our cute little hotel, Darayour. I really like this hotel and would stay here again. Not only are the staff incredibly nice and funny, but the lodgings were great (we had an awesome view) and the design and architecture of the entire hotel was really appealing and different. There’s a pool and roof and they sell alcohol. Win, win, win.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Panoramic View of Tagadirte
We stopped very briefly to take pictures of the city we just left. The mountains next to the villages are incredibly picturesque.
Todra Gorge
We went for a little walk in the gorges; it’s so interesting because there used to be hotels inside of the gorges, but they had to shut down due to an avalanche. Luckily no one died, but that’s only because the large rock weighing multiple tons landed in the restaurant of the hotel at 3am. So you get to walk around a little ghost town while you’re in there, because the hotel owners just had to get up and leave.
Recommendation: It’s not a hike or anything like that; just a nice stroll through some pretty, tall rocks.
Community
Gardens
After the gorges, we walked through the community gardens. Poverty in this area of Morocco seems to be higher and one way to combat that is with a community garden where anyone can take care and use the plants that are grown. It very enchanting, especially with the gorges as its backdrop.
Recommendation: Go for it! This was definitely lovely.
Rug Cooperative
After our walk through the gardens, we entered the kasbah and the rug cooperative! Here we got to sit on all the cozy rugs and see the different styles and designs that the women make. Every style reflects what village the woman who made it comes from, and that is really special.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Dinner at the Hotel
This was another meal that is high on my list. We had the traditional group tajine that was included on the trip, but this one had some sort of pot roast. It was completely delicious and I didn’t eat anything like it again on my trip.
Recommendation: Go for it! We got to eat roast and drink beer. It doesn’t really get better.
Sheesha on the Terrace
Lastly, we took advantage of the beautiful terrace, and I haven’t seen stars like that night in such a long time. We ordered sheesha that was eh, and hung out and played games.
Recommendation: Go for it! The view alone is worth it. The sheesha wasn’t the best.
Day 8 - Atlas Studios & Ait Benhaddou
This was a super random stop, the coffee was so bad I couldn’t even drink it. However, the pink cabs and all the rose statues everywhere was really cute.
Recomendation: Skip it.
Coffee in the Rose Flower City
View of
Ouarzazate
Kasbahs
We stopped for a quick view of Ouarzazate’s famous kasbah, Kasbah Taourirt. The discussion of what a kasbah really is raged for the majority of our trip… it’s like a former palace, but normal people live there now… I think. Haha. Either way, it’s cool looking!
Recommendation: Go for it.
Lunch at Habous
We went for lunch in the main square in Ouarzazate at a place called Habous. I actually loved this place, I ordered a pizza that was actually pretty good. Carly got a kebab (or gyro) that was so delicious, I would come back just to eat that. They had good wifi, we sat outside facing the square. It was lovely!
Recommendation: Go for it!
Atlas Studio Tour
After lunch, we visited Atlas Studios! I’m so grateful that most people on our tour wanted to stop here, because it wasn’t on our Intrepid itinerary. It cost 80 dirhams (around $8 USD) and was so fun! Obviously, I work in the industry so this was such a fun treat to me. But anyone who likes Game of Thrones in particular would love visiting this studio—we got to see Khaleesi’s horse! The actual one, so cool! We saw the sets of Prison Break, the Mummy, Aladdin, Gladiator… And there were so many photo ops.
Recommendation: Go for it! Loved it!
Check into Labaraka Auberge
We made it to Ait Benhaddou, which was high on my list of my favorite places in Morocco. The hotel was fine, nothing flashy, but the wifi was decent and the water pressure was great. Haha.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Tour of Ait Benhaddou Kasbahs
Mouna took us on a walking tour of the Ait Benhaddou Kasbahs and it felt like we were back on the sets of Atlas Studios—except this was real! Winding pathways, walls of clay, lots of stairs. I found Ait Benhaddou incredibly charming and would have liked to spent more time shopping at all the vendors lining the way up. I don’t know why, but the vendors here just had cuter stuff than anywhere else. We made our way up the kasbahs to the top for an incredible view. We took a million pictures of course but that’s half the fun.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Tea at Tawesna
As we walked down through the kasbah, we stopped at Tawesna for tea and learned a little bit about this association that intrepid supports. A woman from this village made it out and became a pilot in Casablanca; she wanted to help the women of this village so that they could provide work for themselves and autonomously make a living. It started out just as a place that serves tea, but now they have many women in their organization with many skills (like rug weaving etc). I love this type of responsible tourism—it’s so important to support local businesses, especially ones that are helping women.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Dinner at the Hotel
Dinner was included tonight, so we had the classic tajine. By this point, I was really getting used to tajine; it took me a while, but I started to really love it. Using the bread to scoop the chicken and vegetables is not only the traditional way to eat it, but it’s also delicious.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Sheesha and Cards
After dinner, we
smoked sheesha and played a rowdy game of spoons—which is Mouna’s favorite game.
Day 9 - Marrakech
Coffee at Cafe Restaurant Beautiful View
On the road to Marrakech, we stopped at this adorable cafe for some time to get coffee and buy some argon oil if we wanted to. The cafe is aptly named—we sat on a terrace overlooking the mountains; the view was inspiring and made me want to go to Peru. Haha.
Recommendation: Go for it! There’s not much around here, so this is the perfect spot to relax a bit.
Unfortunately, I can’t for the life of me remember our host’s name… but we stopped in the middle of no where to eat an included lunch at this man’s home. We got to see more puppies! And the food was really good. I can’t really give a recommendation because I think you’d just have to do an intrepid tour.
Lunch at Someone’s Home
Panoramic view of the Atlas Mountains
We made a short stop, just to see more views of the Atlas Mountains. Nothing short of breath taking.
Recommendation: Go for it!
We arrived in Marrakech! Our hotel was very nice; it had a pool and reliable wifi—we were happy campers for sure. Our room was normal—we did have a fridge which was perfect and outlets by the bed.
Recommendation: Depends on what kind of lodging you want. We were staying in the new city of Marrakech, which looks like many European city streets—H&M, malls, restaurants, bars, etc. So if you’re looking to party a bit, staying in this part of town is a good idea. BUT, if you want to stay in a super cute Moroccan riad—you should stay inside or near the medina. After our Intrepid trip, Carly and I did stay in a riad in the medina… more on that later… but, if I was going back to Morocco… I think I might stay in the new city. But stay tuned and I’ll explain my thought process on that and everything I felt about our riad.
Check into Hotel Amalou
Mouna took us on a walking tour of Marrakech where we got to acquaint ourselves with this huge, bustling city starting at the Koutoubia Mosque. I actually loved Marrakech—maybe my opinion is different from others because I live in New York City—but I love a big city with a ton of people, noise, life everywhere. Some people on our tour didn’t seem to love the rowdiness especially because we’d been traveling in secluded small, places since Fez. But I loved it! Here’s all the places we went on our tour.
Jamal Fenna Square - this is entranceway to the medina. It’s a huge square filled with so many people; you can see monkeys and snakes (I DO NOT recommend), you can get henna, listen to Berber music… This is the Times Square of Marrakech if you will.
Medina - then we entered the medina which has winding alleyways and filled to the brim with people and things to buy. Watch out for motorcycles… they are everywhere and super annoying.
Jewish Quarter - we passed this quarter on our way to the palace, you can tell what it is by all the balconies.
Walking tour of Marrakech
We spent a good amount of time at the Bahia Palace. This place was gorgeous and its history, egregious. The king had 4 wives and 24 mistresses that lived with him in this palace and he named the place after his favorite wife, Bahia. The king (and many others) believes that a female should be seen three times in her life… her birth, her wedding, and her death. So basically… just her wedding. Everyone that worked in the palace was blinded and castrated. This was the end of the 19th century by the way. So yeah, the place was very beautiful but also quite haunting.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Bahia Palace
After the palace we stopped at a local spice shop to learn all about Marrkech’s specialty—spices! We got to try all sorts of different things that they had—like a spice to spice up your love life that they shoved in Bart’s face (lol), also a spice that you sniffed and it helped with sinus problems, etc. Most people, including myself, walked away purchasing a ton of gifts to take back home!
Recommendation: Go for it! The presentation was informative and really fun.
Koutoubia Herbal Spice Shop
Our last stop in the Medina was for an included food tasting at Canne a Sucre. We each chose a different juice and type of Moroccan pancake. I got the strawberry juice and the olive and cheese pancake. It. Was. Delicious. Honestly, I’m still thinking about that little thing. The olives were soaked in harissa and oil, so that pancake had a lovely spice to it. And the strawberry juice was just divine. Now, I’m obsessed with strawberry juice. Haha.
Recommendation: Go for it! When I go back to Marrakech, I will definitely make another stop. It’s such a cheap and easy meal when you need something quick and tasty.
Dinner at
Canne a Sucre
We ended our first night in Marrakech on the rooftop of La Renaissance for some drinks. Note to anyone going to Morocco: when the elevator says “only 6 persons” heed this. We had 8 or 9 people in the elevator, no one thought anything of it… we came to a sudden and frightening halt more than once. And by the way, when you’re stuck in an elevator with 9 people… it gets stuffy and hot real quick. I’ve never been afraid of elevators until that moment. Haha. But then they got us out, and we were like… DRINKS. So we sat on the rooftop, played games drank beer and hung out with a beautiful view.
Recommendation: Go for it! Maybe just obey the elevator rules unlike us.
Drinks at La Renaissance
After our morning tea, we shopped around for a bit making sure to stay close to square so we didn’t get lost before our hammam appointment. We went into the prettiest lantern shops (there are a ton) and I bought a little Moroccan lantern. Don’t forget to haggle! A great place to start is offering half of what they just offered you. Haha.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Shopping in the Medina
After shopping, it was finally time for our hammam experience! If you’ve followed my travels you know I’ve been to a Turkish hammam twice, but not Moroccan. There are a few similarities, but they are quite different. There were seven of us girls and they were not prepared for that… so three of us had to wait a really long time in the sauna… longer than you should be in the sauna. That left a bad taste in my mouth. In a Turkish bath, you sit in a beautiful marbled room and lay on marble slabs… the Moroccan version was a bit lower key, let’s say. After we got scrubbed and sat there until we were super pruny… we finally got to sit in our robes and drink some tea before our massage. The massage was nice but nothing crazy… it seems all of our massages were different depending on the masseuse.
Recommendation: Go for it? This is difficult because I think if we didn’t have the delays we did, I would be more eager to recommend this place… the Riad in the middle of the spa was beautiful. So… go for it?
Hammam at 5 Elements Spa
Because our hammam ran super late, we hurried back to the square so we can get our henna done before everyone got tired of waiting on us. Haha Mohammad is a henna artist that Mouna contacted for us, he was quick and efficient. It wasn’t as cheap as I was expecting… I think I paid 250 dirham (around $25 USD) for my full hand henna. I think. But I loved it! He even wrote out our names in Arabic.
Recommendation: Go for it! I think henna is so pretty!
Henna with Mohammad
After henna, we stopped for a quick lunch and ate some sandwiches on the go. The gardens were about a 20 minute walk from our hotel and we wanted to make sure we got in before they closed. The gardens were beautiful! There were tons of different types of plants—mostly succulents though. They had koi fish too and lots of pretty places to take pictures. We had a fun time walking around the place as a group, and I think we were in and out in 45 minutes or less.
Recommendation: Eh, if you have time. Or if you are really into botany. Haha. This was a nice excursion, but I would probably rate this low on all the Marrakech activities we did.
Jardines Majorelle
After the gardens we went back to the hotel for a little R&R before our final dinner as a group together. We went to a French restaurant in the new city called Bistro La Saveur—please note that this definitely offered Italian cuisine. Haha, not sure why it was considered french. But either way, it was delicious! We had a ton of wine and cheese and I ordered a pizza. We toasted our amazing tour leader, Mouna, and presented her with our collective tip. I laughed so hard during our dinner… I don’t remember the last time I laughed that hard. I had to scream into my napkin to keep quiet. I’m not going to get into the specifics of it, but there was a strawberry garnish and a lively interrogation and that’s all I’ll say. =) Spending the last eleven days with all of these people really made us close, and I cherish each and every one of them. Our last meal together as a group was reflective of our entire trip: so much laughter, so much heart.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Dinner at Bistro La Saveur
After dinner, we somehow rallied one of Mouna’s fellow tour guides to buy us beer illegally from a hotel…? Haha. Anyway, we brought our haul back to the hotel where Alex hosted us on his private terrace. (Yeah, I think Carly and I got gypped.)
We played some games and hung out and said our final good byes. I can’t stress enough how much I enjoyed traveling with Intrepid; mostly because Mouna was the best, but also because of their dedication to responsible tourism. We always stayed in local hotels and guesthouses; we ate in people’s homes; and patronized female-owned businesses. I’m so happy that I got to experience Morocco like this, and I 100% would recommend Intrepid so any traveler looking to check out Morocco.
Recommendation: Go for it! I loved starting my travels with the tour because after I did a bit of solo travel and I had a very good idea of how things operate in this country! So the Intrepid trip may be over, but my travels are not. Just keep reading. =)
Drinks on the Terrace
Day 10 - Marrakech
Our second day was organized around the hammam! So the boys got the first bath shift and the girls were free to roam the medina while we waited for ours. Brasserie du Glacier was recommended by Moana because of it’s amazing rooftop views of the medina and mosque. Unfortunately, the rooftop wasn’t open until later, so we got coffee and tea on the first floor patio—still lovely. It was nice to see the square in the morning before all the vendors were out; I really hate seeing those caged monkeys. =(
Recommendation: Go for it! It was a relaxing way to start the day.
Tea at Brasserie du Glacier
Day 11 - Marrakech
We took a cab from our hotel in the new city over to the medina to find our cute little riad we booked on Airbnb. Just a heads up, cabbies hate driving into the medina—luckily our driver was nice and able to follow phone directions (thanks maps.me) but others were not as willing. We were dropped off and walked for another 10 minutes looking for our hotel.
As I mentioned earlier, I don’t think I would stay in the medina
again. Mostly because our Riad was difficult to find and shoved in
a tiny corner of a small street. It was a little sketchy in the daytime,
so at night we were on higher alert. Morocco is actually pretty safe
for tourists… but as a female, I just would have preferred a different
location. Also, this riad was RIGHT by a mosque… so we woke up to
the loudest call to prayer I have ever heard. We were both woke up
gasping it was so alarming. All in all… I’d actually prefer to stay in
the new city or a different neighborhood and just come to the old
city during the day like we did on our tour.
Recommendation: Skip it.
Check into
Riad Puchka
Our first day not on the Intrepid tour and a small group of us, who were staying in Marrakech for a while longer, got together to hang for the day. We met up in the main square with the intention of finding a rooftop cafe for lunch. We headed to a neighborhood called Kasbah which is just south of the medina. This area is super charming—it’s where the hammam was. Kasbah Cafe was totally packed for lunch as were the other rooftop places nearby. I suggest coming here a bit earlier in the day or a bit later—we got there right at 1pm and so we sat on the first floor instead. It was still a lovely lunch however, the food was so incredible, and they were very accommodating of our time constraints. The food came so quickly, we didn’t have to rush our lunch.
Recommendation: Go for it! The food was really good and the atmosphere was perfect.
Lunch at Kasbah Cafe
I mentioned we had a time constraint because the six of us decided to do an escape game together! Except this escape game wasn’t indoors… it’s set all around the medina. Carly and I have literally done escape games all around the world (Croatia, Prague), but I have never seen something like this. The coolest part was that the creator of this game, Charif, made everything himself—all the technology we used was completely invented by him. I was blown away! If you are a fan of puzzle games and want to do something in the medina that isn’t shopping, you should definitely do this! We had a lot of fun and we ended up winning the game.
Recommendation: Go for it! We paid $25 USD and I feel like it’s totally worth it. Charif was such a good dude and seeing the city in a different way like this was a blast. I booked through AirBnB Experiences, but I would probably go straight through their website.
Escape the Medina
We ended the game on a lovely rooftop in the middle of the medina where we were treated to some victory tea. We stayed there a while hanging out and enjoyed the perfect day and wonderful view.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Rooftop at Maazouz Cafe
We wanted to hang with some adult beverages, so we found this popular rooftop bar called Cafe Arabe. They had decent prices (not cheap, but not insane) and we watched the sunset with our delicious cocktails.
Recommendation: Go for it! This was touristy, but that’s kind of what you get when you’re looking for a place with alcohol… obviously because Moroccans don’t really drink (or do it in public). There were a lot of reservations for the evening, so if you’d like to go there past 6:30, I would call ahead.
Drinks at
Cafe Arabe
After the sunset, it was time for dinner and we headed to a place that Charif recommended to us. We sat on the rooftop and got some delicious Moroccan fusion food. I ordered a burger that was delicious, and they gave us little shalls because it was chilly.
Recommendation: Go for it! This doesn’t have alcohol, but the food was great. Also, Bart looked hilarious in the woman’s shall and I just had to point that out. Lol.
Dinner at L’Mida
Day 12 - Day Trip from Marrakech
Brekky at the Riad
After our breakfast, we walked back toward the
square to check into my hostel. Carly was flying
out late that night, and I was staying one more day in Marrakech before heading to the beach. We stashed our stuff quickly as I checked in. After staying there I can honestly say this might be one of the worst hostels I’ve been in in a while… I usually always shower every day, but when I saw what the shower was… I just couldn’t do it. I knew I was there only one night so I waited until I went to my next hostel. Aside from the bathrooms being disgusting, the rooms were cramped and there was one outlet for the entire room to use… one. I love staying in hostels, but I like nicer ones with more modern facilities.
Recommendation: Skip it. It might have been cool looking, but it doesn’t live up to my standard.
Check into Hostel Waka Waka
After checking into my hostel, we walked over to our meeting spot in the square and met up with Bart and Mouna! We were shocked that after our trip Mouna wanted to hang out with us still… but luckily she did and we had the best day! Mouna found us a taxi to hire for the whole day and Mohammad only charged us 450 dirham ($45 USD) total. Insanely cheap. We split it between the three of us (because we didn’t want Mouna to pay) and tipped a bit and it’s the best under $20 ever spent.
Recommendation: Go for it! The drive was about an hour and a half total and we stopped along the way to take pictures of the beautiful scenery!
Road trip to Ourika Valley and Setti Fatma Waterfall
On the way to the waterfall, our driver told us about a weekly Berber Market, and we of course wanted to check it out. We were the only tourists there, and it was a strange combination of random trinkets, school supplies, food, and antiques. There were very old school stalls where people were eating kebabs, and the entire experience was very authentic.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Berber Market
We made it to the starting place of the little trek. This was the perfect “hike” because it wasn’t very difficult, but at times heart pumping. In the beginning there were a lot of shops and stalls; we stopped for orange juice at one point. Then you have to do a bit of strategic climbing up some rocks before you make it to the waterfall.
Recommendation: Go for it! Now… don’t expect Niagara Falls… haha. It’s a small cute little waterfall and it’s more about the experience getting there. We took some family pictures and were ready for lunch!
Trek to the Waterfall Setti Fatma
We climbed back down the rocks and went through the shops (where we bought a couple of things) and stopped for lunch at this caffe. We sat in the cushions right by the stream and it felt like paradise. The stream rushing beside you, the view of the mountains all around you… it doesn’t get better than that. We ordered a saffron chicken tajine to share… and my oh my… I’m obsessed. It comes with French fries on the top and the saffron juice is so amazing. This is without a doubt my favorite moroccan dish. The chicken melts off the bone and you dip the bread in the saffron juice… it’s delicious.
Recommendation: Go for it! Without a doubt my favorite meal.
Lunch at Caffé Restaurant Asenfou
After lunch, we met back up with Mohammad and hit the road to Marrakech. We stopped about halfway to have tea because… at this point we had been in Morocco for a long time, and we couldn’t go that long with our tea. The view from the cafe is gorgeous as well and we drank tea as the Moroccans do—with lots of sugar.
Recommendation: Go for it! As I mentioned before we started to really love the mint tea with sugar, I think we were becoming addicted.
Tea at Cafe Imourzer
We returned to Marrakech and said goodbye (for real this time) to Mouna. (Love you Mouna!) Then we stopped at the hostel and watched Carly try to fit all of her things into her bag given the weight restrictions from her flight… and it was so funny to watch her put on layers and layers of clothes, albeit incredibly stressful for her. We said goodbye to her as she headed for the airport; and then there were two! Bart and I went around the medina shopping for some last minute gifts for his family.
Shopping in
the Medina
We ate a lovely breakfast at our riad, filled with so many types of bread and carbs it was delightful. Breakfast was included and they just sort kept sending dishes out…
Recommendation: Go for it!
We went to this fancy place for drinks in the Medina; it was another rooftop bar and restaurant that only had tourists in it and had a lot of reservations. This was expensive, however, the cocktails were delicious and very sophisticated. We enjoyed the sunset on the roof on our last night in Marrakech.
Recommendation: Go for it! If you’re okay with spending money on cocktails with New York prices, definitely head here. Make a reservation if you’d like to eat dinner here!
Drinks at Terrasse Des Epices
After drinks, we went to another rooftop restaurant called Knock Knock Cfe. I ordered cinnamon cous cous (that was more like strings than little pearls) and it was really good! Bart got a sandwich because apparently Dutch men love sandwiches more than anything and they eat a ton of them… He also said that he eats chocolate sprinkles for breakfast every morning so… you know, I learned a lot about weird Dutch cultural norms. Haha.
Recommendation: Eh, if you have time. This was good but not amazing… perhaps it’s how we ordered, but the servers were also a little salty, which is uncommon in Morocco. I don’t believe I would come back here.
Dinner at Knock Knock Restaurant
Day 13 - Essaouira
After a classic free breakfast at the hostel, I grabbed a cab to the Supratours bus station. I bought an 80 dirham ticket (around $8 USD) for a three hour ride to the coastal city. If you are taking this route, I highly suggest taking Supratours instead of CTM, because the station is walkable to everything in Essaouira. CTM’s station is very out of the way apparently (I got lucky because I didn’t know this).
Recommendation: Go for it! It was an easy ride, no wifi, but a nice bus.
Bus to Essaouira
Halfway through our bus journey we stopped for 20 minutes at this roadside cafe. I got a kebab type sandwich for 35 dirhams ($3.5 USD).
Recommendation: Eh, I would have preferred a bag of chips… It wasn’t too good.
Kebab at Cafe Restaurant Atlas
I arrived at the Supratours bus station in Essaouira and walked to my hostel in the medina. Essaouira is a small beach town, so everything was incredibly walkable.
Recommendation: Go for it! The hostel was fantastic. They have daily activities and offer a variety of discounts on booking all sorts of activities like hammam, cooking classes, and horseback riding. There’s a daily tea time at 6pm where people come to socialize. The amenities are great; every bed has a privacy curtain and a group of outlets, and the bathrooms are clean and private. On top of all of this, it’s super cute inside and there is a rooftop overlooking the town and the ocean.
Check into The Chill Art Hostel
I wanted to acquaint myself with Essaouira so I walked around the Medina just to see what it was like. Essaouira is very relaxed; it’s a surfer town with lots of hippie expats living here, selling their art and whatnot. It felt like if Croatia and Morocco had a baby, this is what you would get.
Recommendation: Go for it! The Medina is similar to every other one… lots of shops selling similar things. But the white washed walls and close distance to the ocean gives it extra charm.
Walk around the Medina
The hostel offers dinner for 50 dirhams ($5 USD) every night. You can choose the veggie tajine or tonight it was tandoori chicken. I got the chicken… it was decent, nothing special. But hey, it was cheap!
Recommendation: Go for it! Everyone eats family style, so it’s a great way to get to know your fellow travelers.
Dinner at the Hostel
The nightly activity on Fridays was to go to a couple bars together… not exactly a pub crawl, but similar idea. Our first stop was The Hole. This unmarked location in Medina is filled with local Moroccan men getting their beer on. There were also live musicians in there playing for tips. Fun fact: moroccan women are not allowed inside, but foreign women are. Yet another weird double standard Morocco has for women… The beer was super cheap 17 dirhams ($1.70 USD), which is the cheapest I found in Morocco, and we had a big group and had a lot of fun.
Recommendation: Go for it! If you google “The Hole,” it shows up on google maps—but only google maps, so you can find it that way. I personally feel like it’s my feminist duty to go to places like this to show the Moroccan men there that women can drink beer and be friends with other men and it’s not weird. But hey, that’s just me.
Drinks at
The Hole
Lastly, we went to this rooftop dance club called Taros in the main square by the pier. It is very touristy and much more expensive, but obviously super fun and very beautiful.
Recommendation: Go for it! If you want to dance in Essaouira… this is the place to be!
Taros
Day 14 - Essaouira
Hostel free breakfast
Pretty good spread! Still the classic Moroccan breakfast… lots of bread, laughing cow cheese, olives, etc. But they had this fig jam that was so good.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Essaouira’s unofficial motto is “Let’s Chill” and I embraced it fully. My plan was to hammam and beach every day and spoiler alert: I succeeded. I stumbled upon this Hammam and really enjoyed it; my massage was really nice and relaxing. It’s very clean and peaceful.
Recommendation: Go for it! I went somewhere else the next day and regretted not coming back here…
Massage at Azur Hammam and Spa
After the spa, I headed to the beach, just a short walk away from the Medina and pier. I found a place renting beach chairs for 30 dirhams a day ($3 USD) and it was the best. This beach is nice and relaxing and I got a nice base tan.
Recommendation: Go for it!
Beach
Upstairs, there was a rooftop place called Barcelona Bar (they show a lot of soccer games). The menu had mostly seafood which I don’t eat, so I ordered some zucchini chips and patatas bravas. The bartender told me the potatoes wouldn’t be enough for a meal… he was wrong; and the zucchini chips were gross. So I ended up barely eating them. To top it all off… I got back to hostel and got very sick. Let’s just say my stomach rejected that meal.
Recommendation: Skip it. It’s a nice view and good wifi… so come here for drinks only.
Lunch at Barcelona Bar
Day 15 - Essaouira
Pictures of the Port
After another free breakfast at the hostel, I walked around the port to take pictures of the historic UNESCO world heritage site. There are a ton of boats, and fishermen… the seagulls fly above you and there are a ton of them! It’s a really pretty scene (if not scary because… you know, bird poop) and it reminded me of Bravos from Game of Thrones.
Recommendation: Go for it! If you like seafood, I would make some purchases from all the small stalls that line the pier.
After my purchase, I went to a different hammam for a facial (because I was sunburnt). It was 40 minutes for 150 dirhams ($15 USD) and oh boy… it was bad. They put two different masks on my face and just left me sitting there for 20 minutes each time alone… This place was not as nice as Azur either. I regret not going back there.
Recommendation: Skip it.
Hammam Diabat Blanc
I was searching for a place where I could find the saffron chicken and fries like we had during our day trip to the waterfall. I also was craving some more strawberry juice, so I walked around the city for a while looking at all the menus. I stumbled upon Zaytouna which is tucked into the side of a lively plaza filled with other cafes. This. was. delicious.
Recommendation: Go for it! Once again, I’m dreaming about this unbelievable dish. It was without a doubt the best thing I ate in Morocco and Zaytouna did not disappoint. Would happily return and order the same things.
Lunch at Cafe Restaurant Zaytouna
After lunch, I returned to the beach to get my tan on. I rented the same chairs from Ali and basked in the sun.
Beach
Dinner at African Roots
After the beach, I returned to the hostel for tea time and met some lovely travelers. We drank tea on the rooftop and watched the sun set. Then for dinner, we decided to go to a restaurant called African Roots that has live music. I ordered the cheesy pasta and it was actually really good. The portions were small, but tasty. If you are looking for non-Moroccan food to change things up, this is a great option. There is no alcohol sold, but you can bring your own inside which is another cool feature.
Recommendation: Eh, if you have time. Another downside was that this place was a bit pricy. Not sure if I would return, but my pasta was delicious… so, you decide.
Goodbye
Morocco!
I returned to Madrid the next day and spent a day with my old host family from 2012 before returning to the U.S. the day after. Looking back, I’m incredibly grateful for the timing of this trip: I returned in late February and went into quarantine for COVID19 in March… Morocco is a beautiful country with a lot to offer and a lot of eye opening experiences; I’m so happy I chose Intrepid and I’m so happy I went to the beach. When I return to Morocco, I look forward to returning to Marrakech and visiting all of the coastal beach towns. Until next time!