One Week in Morocco

I have always wanted to visit Morocco.  Dave says this sounds ridiculous (and he’s probably right) but all relates back to Epcot Morocco always being my favorite in the World Showcase at Disney World in Orlando.  When I was a kid, I remember saving my trip money and buying a necklace there and I still can remember what it looked like even though I was probably 12 or younger.  Also, there was a particular episode about the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in Morocco around the same era, but I digress.  Basically, Morocco has always been on my radar and when the opportunity presented itself, I was all in.  Dave needed a little more convincing, which was easy after forwarding a few photos/links of Marrakech and the Sahara. We learned a lot along the way, and I wanted to share what made this trip a once in a lifetime experience. 

First, we flew from New York because Royal Air Maroc flies directly to Casablanca from JFK.  We had read a lot of negative reviews about the airline, but we had a great experience . . . but also, we regularly fly Spirit to Florida, so it’s possible that we just expect airlines to be terrible and are impressed when things go right!

Day 1:  Marrakech.  We were greeted at the airport by a driver from La Mamounia, our first stop on the trip.  After an overnight flight, we decided we would spend the day at the resort, exploring the gardens and the world famous spa.  While we were being checked in, we were served almond milk and dates in the spectacular lounge area of the lobby.  This was, by far, the most beautiful hotel I have ever seen.  The architecture, gardens, design, and art are just incredible.  The smell of the flowers in the gardens . . . I can’t even begin to describe the beauty of this place.  We spent our day here and had dinner at Le Marocain, the Moroccan restaurant on the property.    

Day 2:  La Mamounia arranged a private tour guide for the day, which we had arranged with the concierge a few months earlier.  Our guide, Ahmed, met us at our hotel and get this he told us he learned to speak English fluently while an employee of Disney . . . at Epcot Morocco (if that’s not fate, I don’t know what is).  The value of a tour guide cannot be overstated, as we did not wait in many lines (Ahmed asked security to let us through while he waited in line and purchased our tickets) and we avoided the most crowded places and saved them for a later day.  Ahmed introduced us to local people and their customs, like the neighborhood baker and the man in charge of heating water behind the stone walls of the Hammam (Moroccan baths).  He also took us to beautiful shops in the Medina, all with high quality goods with merchants we trusted.  Shopping for rugs is an experience.  We saw the most incredible rugs, truly works of art in their own right, at Palais Saadien, and shopped for handmade lamps at Miloud El Jouli.  We didn’t expect to buy carpets and lamps on our first day, but the quality and craftsmanship sold us pretty quickly.  (Both Palais Saadien and Miloud El Jouli shipped our purchases home and everything reached us within about 3 weeks, well packed, and in perfect condition. Palais Saadien had us sign our rugs so that we knew when they arrived that they were the same rugs we purchased).  Throughout the day we visited the Saadian Tombs, the Mellah, Confluences Museum, and Maison de la Photographie.

We ate lunch at Nomad, a restaurant with a beautiful view of the famous square, Djeema el Fna, ate snacks at one of the stalls there later, and dinner at Yakout, an absolutely beautiful restaurant with traditional Moroccan food, all of which I would highly recommend.

Day 3:  We met our driver, Ali, for a four day, three night trip to the Sahara.  Although on a map it doesn’t look far, the drive from Marrakech to the Sahara is at least a nine hour trek, mostly due to the drive through the mountains and low speed roads that travel through villages.  We arranged our driver and our accommodations through Caravanserai, a desert camp based in Merzouga.  We drove through the Atlas Mountains, and although it was cloudy and super windy, the view from the top looking down on the winding road below was pretty incredible.  We stopped at Kasbah Telouet, an abandoned Kasbah that was once home to a powerful and rich Pasha.  While much of the Kasbah is in ruins, the narrow stairways lead to rooms inside with beautiful windows, tile, and architecture.  When we arrived at Hotel Xaluca Dades, our stop in between Marrakech and the Sahara, we were greeted by musicians in traditional Berber dress.

Day 4:  As we made our way toward the Sahara, we stopped at a few spots with beautiful views of the valleys.  We walked along the path of the river lined with merchants selling carpets and leather goods, a common view at each stop, the pops of color set against the orangey Moroccan landscape all so vibrant.  We had asked Ali a million questions about the people and places we passed on the drive, and although he probably thought it was a strange request, we asked him to introduce us to a Berber family and have tea with them.  So, a family of strangers invited us for tea and we got a chance to sit with them, drinking tea and eating peanuts.  The grandfather told us about his work repairing old bicycles and he showed us tools that were used to make the carpets that the Berber people are famous for.  They asked if our parents were retired.  I compared tattoos with the two older women, mine done by a machine on the back of my forearms, theirs done by hand on their chins at the time of marriages.  

We arrived in Merzouga, the gateway to the Sahara, on the most perfect, sun filled afternoon.  The camel I rode was named Bob Marley, the eldest camel of the caravan and boss of the camels trekking behind him.  We arrived at the camp just in time to drop our bags and head to the top of the dunes for an incredible sunset.  Afterwards, we tried our best at sand boarding, I gave up before I broke an arm, but Dave impressively sailed downhill successfully on the first try.  We ate dinner in the camp and afterward, sat at the top of a sand dune in the Sahara desert, sky gazing at the milky way, listening to the drums and music fireside at the camp.  It was magical.  We were the last ones to go to bed and were lucky witnesses to dozens of shooting stars.  It was breathtaking.  I could go on and on about this experience, truly once in a lifetime.  I would highly recommend Caravanserai, as every person, from the camel drivers to our driver Ali to the music in the evening and food, exceeded every expectation.

Day 5:  We were up before the sun to catch the Sahara sunrise.  Unfortunately, a few clouds rolled in.  (I mean, you can’t win them all, right??)  After breakfast, we headed back to Merzouga by camel to meet Ali for the two day drive back to Marrakech.  At every roadside stop we happened upon, there were fossils for sale.  Although I had never realized it, Morocco is famous for its fossils, so we asked Ali to bring us to the location where they bring the fossils for cleaning and prepping them for display and sale.  There is a museum here and a streamlined operation at Tahiri Museum, the facility where fossils are carefully extracted, cleaned, and polished.  In the afternoon, we drove through the winding mountain roads on our way to Ouarzazate, and drove past the location where Babel was filmed in 2006.  We stayed the night at Riad Tama, a perfect place to rest before the final drive back to Marrakech.

Day 6:  The morning sun was shining and we got on the road early so we could get to Ait Benhaddou before the crowds, the UNESCO world heritage site and the backdrop of many recognizable movies and TV shows (Gladiator and GOT, for example).  The village was abandoned over time in favor of the more modernized village across the main road that runs through the area, the that road traveled by caravans on their trade routes between Marrakech and Sudan.  In the afternoon, we arrived to a rainy Marrakech, which was slightly disappointing, but the upside was that we got the Secret Garden all to ourselves, and we spent a few hours wandering through the souks (which are mostly covered and shielded us from the rain).  We ate a delicious dinner at Riad l’Orangeraie, where we stayed for the last two nights of our trip.  

Day 7:  On our last full day, we wanted to check out a few of the more popular tourist stops in Marrakech, so we started early with Ahmed, our tour guide from earlier in the week.  We visited the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and Majorelle Garden, once the private home belonging to Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, and easily one of my favorites in Marrakech.  It really is as fabulous as everyone says it is.  We also visited Bahia Palace and Badi Palace (where Dior held its Cruise Collection 2020 fashion show just last week).  In the evening, we caught a traditional music performance at the Musee de Mouassine and capped off our week in Morocco with dinner at Le Grande Cafe de la Poste.  

Here are some of the more important recommendations I would make to anyone planning a trip to Morocco:

• Be respectful of the culture.  Remember that you are in a Muslim country and although there is no “dress code” it is respectful of Moroccan people to dress conservatively.  
• Arrange transport.  More often it’s less expensive than renting a car, and driving in Morocco is no joke.
• Carry small amounts of dirhams with you around Marrakech.  There are many street performers who are working to entertain and will allow photos in exchange for a tip.  So, if you want to see the snake charmers performing in the square, it is expected that you tip.
• Make sure you hire a trustworthy guide.  There are lots of fake guides offering services, so be sure to use a reputable company when hiring a guide, which can be arranged by your hotel or riad.  You should also be aware that guides work on commissions when it comes to shopping, it’s just how the system works.  Our guide took us to beautiful, reputable shops with knowledgeable sales people who packed our items well and delivered everything as promised.  
• Buy the slippers.  Trust me.
• Pack collapsable duffel bags for the return home.  We packed dirty clothing in those bags and packed gifts, books, and fabrics we bought in our suitcases to keep them from being broken or damaged
• Skip the movie studio near Ouarzazate.  Seeing the backdrops for recognizable movies was sort of cool, but why spend time visiting sets when you can visit real kasbahs just a short drive in any direction?
• The Sahara is not desolate and off the beaten path.  There were lots of tourists with us as the camps are organized fairly close together.  To be honest, this wasn’t what I expected.  The closer to the desert we got, the less crowded it was, as tour busses take day trips to Ait Benhaddou and make stops at many of the same places along the way.  
• If you plan on visiting the Sahara, bring some goodies to leave with your guide, like over the counter medicines and things that might be generally difficult for them to buy in their villages.  Many communities share these items with one another when someone is sick or in need of them.  We didn’t know this ahead of time, but we left some travel sized toiletries and medicines that we didn’t need with Ali, our driver.

Morocco is an incredibly beautiful place with a rich culture and history.  I was truly in awe of the art, architecture, and splendor of the city and equally awed by the massive dunes of the Sahara.  But what I treasure most were the people we met, so different than us, but so kind and welcoming.  Our driver, Ali, became a friend in our 18 hours on the road, and I am a better human being for having crossed paths with and having learned from him.  I’d go back in a heartbeat.