Two Exhilarating Weeks in Morocco

Sahara desert desires, cities which might be mazes of blue, palaces stuffed from ground to ceiling with majestic mosaics, enchanting music filling the air and wafts of spices thrilling your senses…welcome to Morocco!

In October of 2021, I spent two exhilarating weeks in Morocco with mates and different journey advisors. I at all times knew that Morocco seemed magical, however little did I do know simply how a lot the nation would completely enthrall and captivate me. As they are saying “Morocco is a sense.” Between the structure, the meals, the historical past and most significantly the folks, Morocco actually is a rustic that I imagine all people ought to journey to expertise the easiest of what “journey” has to supply. You’ll be able to’t assist however fall in love with each side of this lovely land and its many faces. Morocco, which is barely smaller than the scale of Spain or France, has so many alternative landscapes. You’ll be able to go to the ocean, the mountains, the oasis and the desert all in at some point!

ADVERTISING

We began our journey in Marrakech, the place I’ve by no means seen such grandeur in resorts in my life. I’ve by no means identified something just like the true luxurious I skilled at a number of of Marrakech’s 5-star properties. I felt like a queen in my non-public two-bedroom ryad, with a personal courtyard and fountains and a workers that makes use of secret alleyways to wash in order to not disturb the visitors. Sure, I’m speaking concerning the well-known Royal Mansour, which completely lived as much as the hype. This spectacular masterpiece of a “resort” displays the true essence of Moroccan custom whereas exceeding all expectations of at the moment’s luxurious traveler. The craftsmanship within the tile on the partitions and paintings within the cedarwood within the ceilings proper right down to the smallest minute element actually took my breath away.

In our full week in Marrakech, we toured the medina and have become mates with native craftsmen, shopped, took trend excursions and met designers, took a cooking class, rode camels within the Agafay Desert, visited the palaces and discovered historical past, shopped some extra, toured Majorelle Backyard, took a day journey to Essaouira and performed with goats in timber. Sure, goats in timber! We additionally went into the Atlas Mountains for an evening and stayed at Richard Branson’s Kasbah Tamadot, which is pure magnificence to behold. From right here, we hiked into a neighborhood Berber village and had been invited right into a household’s dwelling to drink tea with them. (Our guides translated.) All of the schoolchildren had been so excited to see us, as we had been the primary guests since COVID. Apparently, not one Berber ever received sick from COVID, and we took all precautions to ensure it stayed that method.

On the time we went to Morocco, it was one of many solely nations by no means to have shut its borders to American vacationers. Whereas we had been there, we bumped into many Individuals who had been so pleased to have made the choice to go to, as they could not have in “regular” occasions. I had a colleague who visited Morocco again in March of 2020, and she or he took photos of a just about empty medina. Nonetheless, in October, it was packed and stuffed with motion! On the time of penning this although, Morocco closed its borders in December and received’t open till Jan 31.

After Marrakech, we left the town and made our method again into the Atlas Mountains to see essentially the most dramatic landscapes and study Arab and Berber tradition. We stopped at Ksar Ait Ben Haddou, which is the backdrop for a lot of films and TV reveals akin to Recreation of Thrones. The subsequent day we made it to the Sahara Desert, my private crown jewel of the journey. We rode ATVs, rode camels once more and watched the solar set after which rise over the sand dunes. It was a sight in contrast to something I’ve ever seen earlier than. I at all times really feel fortunate to be a journey advisor, however right here I used to be overwhelmed with simply how grateful I’m to have the ability to expertise the world like this. I really cried with tears of pleasure on the magnificence I used to be capable of expertise firsthand.

After we left the Sahara, we drove north to Fez. We fed monkeys on the aspect of the street, explored the tanneries and medina in Fez, purchased ceramics and wore the well-known foolish purple hats, found historic Roman ruins in Meknes, took one million photos within the blue metropolis of Chefchaouen and ate at Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca. Many occasions alongside the best way, we noticed giant clusters of locals alongside the street and questioned in the event that they had been ready in line to be examined for COVID. It seems they had been really all ready to get vaccinated.

No quantity of articles or photos can do that nation justice. When you like to journey, Morocco completely needs to be in your bucket checklist for the close to future. Morocco has the right quantity of tradition shock, with its delicacies, artwork and tradition, but additionally has the familiarities of dwelling that make it a secure and clear vacation spot. The persons are so heat and welcoming and are very open to speaking truthfully about the most effective and worst elements of their present political and cultural local weather. To see extra photos from my journey, comply with me on Instagram @cali.hersh.journey and be at liberty to succeed in out for extra specifics. I urge all journey advisors to have their shoppers use a DMC, and I’d be pleased to share details about the great suppliers that helped us on our journey.