Morocco
Merhaba, bonjour, and welcome to my post about our week-long trip to Morocco! It’s been a minute since I have been able to write, but I am very excited to share with you all our experiences through this beautiful country. It was the first time we touched down in Africa and we couldn’t have been more excited to immerse into a different culture. From the souks of Marrakech to the sunrises in the Sahara, Morocco proved itself as a must-visit country over and over again. Tuck in, pour some gunpowder tea, and enjoy reading about all things Morocco.
MOROCCO BASICS
Before we delve in, I wanted to share a few “need-to-knows” to help you plan your visit to Morocco.
Currency — Moroccan Dirham [MAD]
During our trip in May 2019, the exchange rate was about 10 MAD to 1 Euro.
Cash — Moroccan is a highly cash-run society. Make sure you have cash saved up before the trip because you will likely pay for most things (minus accommodations) in cash.
Languages — French and Arabic
Most people in Marrakech spoke French, English, and Arabic; in the desert, more spoke Arabic and English.
Water — We were advised not to drink the tap water, so we made sure to buy lots of bottled water.
Shopping — Haggling and bartering is a way of life. I’ll touch on this more below, but enter your trip with the mindset that negotiating will become a part of your every day.
Alcohol — Because Morocco is a largely Muslim community, few places serve beer, wine, or alcohol; however, there are a few places where you can find it.
Dress Code — Again, since Morocco has a big Muslim population, it is culturally appropriate for both men and women to cover their knees and shoulders. I wore lots of long skirts and short-sleeved shirts and was never too hot. Of course we saw a lot of people in shorts and skimpy clothes, mostly Instagram “models”, and they looked ridiculous and culturally unaware.
Tipping — Tipping is common for most services and should be done in cash.
Cafés: round up — i.e. if your bill is 172 MAD, round up to 200 MAD.
High-end restaurants: 10%
Tour guides: 5-10% per person
Private car driver: 100-200 MAD per day
Riad maid/cook: 50 MAD per day
Be Aware — Especially in Marrakech. One of the biggest scams in the city is local boys and men trying to tell you “that way is closed” or “the square is that way, not this way”, but they are lying and will try and take you somewhere that is not where you are trying to go, and will demand money once you are in a hidden place. We were probably talked to 50 times by guys like this. Just politely say, thanks, we got it, and keep moving.
OUR ITINERARY
Day 1 — Marrakech
Day 2 — Marrakech
Day 3 — Marrakech
Day 4 — Desert Luxury Camp
Drive from Marrakech to Ouarzazate
Day 5 — Desert Luxury Camp
Drive from Ouarzazate to Merzouga
Day 6 — Desert Luxury Camp
Day 7 — Drive from Merzouga back to Marrakech
MARRAKECH
Marrakech, Morocco’s fourth largest city by population, is a bustling place filled with markets, gardens, and palaces. It is a former imperial city located in Western Morocco and has remained an important economic center for the country. The old part of the city, which dates back to the 11th century, is called the medina and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Marrakech can be an overwhelming environment, but if you slow down, allow yourself to see the smiles on the people and hear the laughter of the community, you will be able to appreciate what I considered to be beautiful chaos.
Landing at Menara Airport & How To Get Into The City
When you land at Menara Airport, you are given a customs form to fill out. If you remember, pack a pen with you because the flight attendants don’t offer any and there weren’t any at the booths in the actual airport. Two things to remember for the customs forms and traveling to Morocco in general:
1) You must have had your passport for at least 6 months before you can travel to Morocco and the customs agents will check this; and
2) You have to list your occupation, and if you are a journalist, don’t write that in because you will get interrogated about your work and might have a hard time getting into the country. This comes from a local guide, not from personal experience.
Also, drones are banned in Morocco, so if you are traveling here, don’t even bother packing your drone. As sweet as the footage would be, you won’t even get the chance to take any because the airport will confiscate it and keep it until your departure.
When you get past customs, the airport is pretty baron, except for a few currency exchange counters. You do not need to wait in these long lines to get cash. As soon as you go through the airport’s security to leave the airport, there are ATMs where you can take out cash.
There are a few ways to get into the city from the airport. You can hire a private transfer, take a taxi, or ride the bus. We had not organized a private transfer and were either going to take a taxi or the bus. When you walk out of the airport, it is pretty intimidating because there were at least 50 drivers standing there waiting to take us. I had read beforehand that a ride into Marrakech’s city centre should cost 70 MAD. The taxi drivers were pretty aggressive and tried grabbing our bags to get us into their cabs before agreeing on a price. No one would take us for less than 100 MAD, so we said, thanks but no thanks, we’ll take the bus. Lucky for us, the driver pointed out where the bus was, so thank you sir for that.
Bus 19 will take you from the airport to Jemaa el-Fna for 30 MAD. That’s 3 Euros. It was easy, the bus driver was nice, and it took only about 15-20 minutes. I would not hesitate to take this. It felt way better than feeling like we were getting scammed by the taxi drivers.
Accommodations
Whether you’re looking for an authentic Airbnb experience or a 5-star hotel, Marrakech has you covered. If you’re on Instagram and follow any sort of travel or “influencer” accounts, then you have probably seen a lot of the same riads, or La Mamounia, which are all gorgeous places to stay. However, those riads are likely booked out for the next twelve months, and unless you can afford paying $1,500+ per night for a hotel room, you’re likely not going to stay at La Mamounia. And that’s okay! There are loads of lovely properties in the medina that will give you that “authentic” feel.
We stayed at an Airbnb for the first three nights during our stay in Marrakech. It was a three-bedroom, three-story riad and it was so nice. The host was an eccentric Frenchman, who has lived in Africa for the last twenty years. Despite telling us “Good luck” when he found out it was our first time in Africa, he ended up giving us the best advice, and for that, I’m grateful. The location was within walking distance to everything and we would not hesitate to stay there again.
On our last night, we stayed at the hotel Riad Le Jardin d'Abdou. This place was stunning. I wish we could have stayed here longer to be honest. There are only nine rooms in the riad, so it is quiet and quaint. The garden level space has a small pool to cool off in after getting some sun on their rooftop terrace. The entire place was traditionally Moroccan and the perfect respite from the crazy city. The staff also arranged a taxi for us to the airport when we needed to leave at 3:00 in the morning, which was nice since taxi drivers can over-charge tourists.
THINGS TO DO IN MARRAKECH
Marrakech is FILLED with things to do and see. You would probably need a week to properly see and do everything. That being said, Marrakech is a very stimulating place and you might be happy to stay only three days and see what you can - like we did. We spent a lot of our time in the souks, relaxing in Le Jardin Secret, and walking around the city. Here is a list of the things we did and enjoyed.
Le Jardin Secret
My favorite place in Marrakech is Le Jardin Secret, an oasis of gardens in the middle of the crazy medina. The gardens date back to 400 years ago, but were left in disrepair from 1934 to 2008. It is only in the last decade that the gardens were restored and brought to their full glory as we see them today.
Located near the Ben Youssef Mosque, Le Jardin Secret consists of two gardens. The first is called the “exotic” garden and contains plants from all over the world.
The second garden is called the Islamic garden. This garden is laid out in four parts and follows rigid geometrical rules. In the middle of the four parts is a hand-carved wooden pavilion that is the perfect place to catch some shade and relax [and also laugh at all the women trying to model for the Gram].
Make sure to rub your hands in the hedges lining the gardens. These are fresh rosemary plants and they smell so good!
Chris and I enjoyed Le Jardin Secret so much that we went every single day we were in Marrakech. The medina is filled with tourists, shop owners trying to get you to buy their things, and mopeds whizzing by, so this was our oasis in the midst of the chaos.
The gardens are open every day from 9:30 a.m. until 6:00, 6:30, or 7:00 p.m depending on the time of year. Entry costs 60 MAD / €6 per person.
Right before we went on this trip, we got our first GoPro. We went with the Hero 7 Black model and had a lot of fun playing with it during our trip to Morocco. Here is a quick time lapse video of the Islamic Garden in Le Jardin Secret.
The Souks
A big draw to Marrakech is the endless, winding streets filled with vendors. These are called souks — the name given to an Arab market. They are typically open-air, but you will find covered markets as well. The souks date back centuries and have always been the place for traders and community members alike to pick up essentials, and now a place for tourists to do some shopping as well. Smaller villages will only have souks weekly, or even monthly, but since Marrakech is such a big city, the need for permanent, daily souks has made them a fixture in the city.
The souks are a must if you visit Marrakech. Your senses will be on overload with all the spices, lanterns, rugs, and sounds of haggling. And kitties. So many kitties!
Navigating the souks is undoubtedly challenging. The streets and alleyways are narrow, the shops all start to look the same since a lot of them are selling similar items, and there are off-shoots all over the place. There are tons of people, mopeds everywhere, and vendors trying to get you in their store. Doesn’t sound stressful at all, right? Here are a few tips we learned along the way that made the souks less overwhelming:
Map Out Your Route
Try not to have your phone out with your maps open the whole time. It is very easy to get lost in the souks and you do have to watch out for guys trying to give you directions. What they are really doing is taking you to an off the beaten path area so they can take your money. We never had issue with this, but we have heard stories, and it can’t be a great feeling to get trapped like that. Inevitably, you will get turned around or lost, but it’s okay. Pull out your phone, or map, set your route, and put your phone away. If anyone asks if you need help with directions, politely decline. They will eventually let you be. For fellow Apple phone and Apple watch users, one trick we found to be super helpful was to set the route on Apple Maps, put our phone away, and then just use our watch since the directions come through on the watch. It even vibrates when you need to make a turn.
Solo vs Local Guide
You do not need to hire a local guide to take you through the souks. A lot of blogs will tell you that and if that’s what you want to do, great, but it’s not necessary at all. Quite frankly, any local guides are only going to take you to the vendors they know and they 100% are getting a cut of whatever you spend.
Don’t Buy Right Away
Walk through the souks several times and don’t buy anything right away. There are a lot of vendors who sell similar things, so talk with them and start to get a good idea for what something might cost you. During this process, you may find a particular vendor who you trust or like more than another, so get their business card, or star their store on your maps, so you can return and buy from them later on.
Listen and Be Kind
These guys have nothing but time and for them, we have nothing but money. So of course they try to talk to anyone and show them what they are selling. Too often, tourists see these guys as annoyances and are rude and brush them off. Stop doing that if that’s you! Listen to what they have to say, and if you’re not interested, tell them thank you for showing me, and move on. You can even tell them you’ll be back tomorrow. Our Airbnb host gave us this advice. He basically said, they lie, you lie, we all lie, but kindness with the lies will go a long way. And you guys, it did. It made walking through the souks so much more enjoyable.
Haggle and Negotiate
Never ever accept the first price that the shop owner gives you. You are not being cheap or rude, it is part of the culture. You can tell the shop owner that you saw that particular item for “x amount” at a different shop, or you can walk away. There are many different tactics. At the end of the day, they would rather make the sale than not. The best piece of advice a local gave us is that if you walk away from a sale feeling good about what you paid for it, then you made a good deal.
Be Weary of Quality
If you are in the market for a leather pouf, make sure the inside is also lined with leather. If it is not double-sided leather, it’s made cheaply. Ask to see the inside of the pouf. If you are in the market for rugs, do not believe them when they say it’s centuries old. Nothing is older than roughly 100 years and if it looks old, it’s because they hang them out in the sun and put bleach on them to make them look old. If you go into shopping with the notion that you’re likely not getting purely handmade, authentic, old pieces, then you’ll be in a good headspace. We went knowing that we could get these things way cheaper than if we were to buy them in Europe or the States. Oh, also, the argan oil is not real argan oil, so don’t buy it.
Try to Relax
Once you do this, you will be able to enjoy your surroundings and making your way through the souks. I actually enjoyed them because these people are happy. They are constantly running into people they know, they have huge smiles on their faces, and they are always laughing with each other. This is their home and community and I liked seeing them in their element.
After combing through the souks, we were ready to buy a few things on Day 3. We knew we wanted two hammam towels and a leather pouf. We weren’t picky about where we got the towels. However, we had looked at quite a few leather goods shops and found a vendor we really liked for the poufs. He showed us how he hand stitches them and how they were leather inside and out. We also liked that the actual guy who made them ran his own store. After several rounds of negotiations, we walked away with two leather poufs that we really love. The best part was watching his son and his son’s friend unload the hundreds of plastic bags that filled the poufs and then fold them up into the tiniest bag so they would be easy to transport.
Museum of Marrakech
One of the most beautiful places we visited in Marrakech was the Musée de Marrakech. Constructed in the late 1800s, it is the former Dar Menabhi Palace. The intricate tile-work, hand-carved wooden detail, and ornate columns and archways were stunning. The museum houses modern and traditional Moroccan artwork, but we honestly just spent our time admiring the building itself.
The museum is open every day from 9:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. and costs only 30 MAD.
Guided Walking Tour
One thing Chris and I love to do while traveling in a new city is do a guided walking tour of some sort. It’s an easy way to see a lot, learn about the city’s history and culture, and get some local tips. I wasn’t having the greatest luck finding many tours on Google, and then I got an email from AirBnb advertising tours in Marrakech and there just so happened to be a guided walking tour. I had never booked an “AirBnb Experience” before, but local guide Hicham’s Marrakech Behind the City Walls tour sounded great.
We started the tour at Koutoubia Mosque, which is the tallest building in Marrakech, and has been an important place of worship for Muslims since the 1100s. Non-Muslims are not allowed inside, but we can admire it from the outside. While here, Hicham told us about France’s Protectorat in 1912 and how they built a lot of Marrakech’s roads and buildings and how there is still a great relationship between France and Morocco today.
Next, we walked along the King’s palace walls. The walls are heavily guarded by about seven different military branches. Each post has a member from each faction of the military so as to prevent any funny business from happening — coups, bribery, etc. No pictures are allowed, but if you ever get a chance to see this, it is very interesting to see all the different uniforms.
We went to the Bab Agnaou Gate, which is the only stone-built gate into the medina. The 12th century keyhole archway leads into the kasbah neighborhood of Marrakech. Notably, on top of the gate are two giant stork’s nests. Moroccan’s believe storks to be sacred.
I was particularly fond of the part of the guided tour where we got to visit the Kasbah Neighborhood. We got to see the community kitchen where the bread for the neighborhood is made, the local hammam, and a community oven where people can bring their tajine pots [clay pots filled with meats, vegetables, and spices] to cook for hours.
After a brief visit to the Tinsmith Square in the Jewish Quarter, we visited Bahia Palace. Built in the 1890s, “Bahia” meaning “impressive” is nothing short of that. It was the palace for a grand vizier and his four wives and was lavishly decorated throughout. The palace is so beautiful that Christian Dior held a fashion show there the week prior to our visit.
We ended our four-hour tour at Le Jardin Secret, which was the perfect place to sit and relax at the end of the day. Other highlights from the tour included visiting a spice market and each getting to take home 100g of any spice and getting to try traditional Moroccan pastries from a bakery in the souks. The tour was well worth our time and money. At €35 per person, Hicham was a wonderful guide and gave us loads of local knowledge and tips. I would highly recommend this tour.
Jemaa el-Fna Square
At the heart of the medina is the massive city square of Jemaa el-Fna [pronounced j’maf na]. Formerly used for parades and as a place to display the heads of the executed, nowadays it’s a huge market that comes to life particularly at night. It is packed with vendors selling anything you can imagine. Beware of the snake charmers and monkey handlers — these animals are not trained and the charmers will chase after you for money if you dare take their picture. If you go at night and would like food, our AirBnb host said to trust only stall #1. She is the only woman who runs a stand in the market.
I recommend taking a tour like Hicham’s of Marrakech. We learned a lot about the city’s history and culture in a comfortable environment. Hicham keeps his groups small, so we got to know him really well, and the other people on our tour too. During the tour, we also got bottled water and tried traditional Moroccan pastries at a couple different places, and different types of olives in the market, which was all included in the price.
Hammam Experience
Ever since Chris and I visited a hammam in Istanbul, we have not stopped thinking about it. It was the best “spa” experience we have ever had. When we heard the Moroccans also have hammams, we booked ourselves in immediately. I did a bit of digging around online to see where we should go and found this article by the Culture Trip: The 6 Best Hammams in Marrakech. When I saw La Mamounia on the list, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see this Instagram famous hotel.
La Mamounia was built in the 19th century as a palace for a Moroccan prince, but was turned into a hotel in 1923 by the French for the Moroccan railways. One of the hotels most famous guests was Winston Churchill, who spent a considerable amount of time there writing his memoirs and painting. Fun fact: some of his paintings are still hanging in the hotel today.
The hotel has now become a hot spot for Instagram influencers and the rich and famous. If you’re like us and don’t have a cool €1,500 to spend per night, then visiting the hotel’s spa is a way to see the premises and feel like a royal for a few hours. We each booked the “Royal Hammam”, which included a one-hour hammam scrub down and a one-hour massage. This cost 4,000 MAD for the two of us, which is way more expensive than our treatment in Istanbul.
The spa itself was very high-end and private. Men and women are separated and during the entire experience. I never crossed paths with another guest. The hammam was great and included fifteen minutes in the steam room, exfoliation, a lathering of Moroccan black soap, a full body Atlas Mountains clay mask, another fifteen minutes in the steam room, a full rinse and shampoo, and then ten minutes in a relaxation room with fresh mint tea, followed by the one-hour massage with argan oil.
The treatment itself was good. It felt much more Westernized, likely because of where we went. Our experience in Istanbul just seemed so much more authentic. It was such an intimate hour with my burly Turkish woman, who lovingly scrubbed the crap out of me. Whereas this felt impersonal and high-end just for the sake of being high-end. I loved the Moroccan black soap and clay mask. That was a nice local touch, but the rest of it was just meh. What really ruined it for me was the way we were treated by hotel staff. When we got to the hotel, we had to ask several times where the spa was because we couldn’t find it. We were always asked if we were staying at the hotel or if we bought day passes or if we just had an appointment at the spa. They made us feel less than welcome because we merely had a spa appointment and no one offered to actually walk us down to the spa. Then, when we arrived at the spa, we were waiting behind a couple looking through the spa menu and when we got to check in, the first words out of the attendant’s mouth was, “you’re late.” Well, no, we weren’t, we were waiting, and who says that? Especially at a five-star, luxury hotel? It rubbed me in all the wrong ways. I would never recommend visiting this spa for the fact that the staff is rude, it is way overpriced, and the treatments were just okay.
WHERE TO EAT
Unless you have been to Morocco, you probably don’t have a picture that comes to mind when you think of traditional Moroccan food. Well I am here to tell you — tajine and cous cous. I am fairly positive we ate one or the other every single day. In fact, I know we did. Marrakech is full of good food options. There are excellent restaurants and loads of food stalls, so you will not be left wanting. Here is a list of places we ate.
Le Jardin Secret Rooftop Café - Lunch
There are two cafés in Le Jardin Secret and the one up on the rooftop was great. You get great views of the gardens below and can watch all the Instagrammer photoshoots. We literally ate here three times because they made a fresh salad with fusili, bib lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and tuna with a drizzle of oil that was so tasty. It is hot in Morocco and as much as I enjoyed the warm tajines and cous cous, having a light, fresh salad for lunch was a nice break from the heartier meals.
The Fox - Lunch
On the day of our walking tour, we had failed to get into Le Jardin Majorelle, toured the Musée de Marrakech, and had limited time to grab some lunch before the four-hour walking tour. We had our Marrakech book with us and found a restaurant that looked great called La Familie; however, when we got there, it was completely booked up. From our brief stop, the restaurant was an Instagrammers paradise — garden terrace filled with market lights and plants. Looked super cute and very Westernized. After there, we tried another place, but it was completely booked up as well. In the heated, crowded streets, and in a stressed state, we found a restaurant called The Fox. It is a teeny café covered in colored napkins made by customers from all over the world.
We tried an avocado shake, which is… interesting. More savory than sweet. I got a salad with apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, and fried chicken that was so, so good, and Chris got a chicken sandwich that was very good. We absolutely loved this place and highly recommend it.
Nomad - Dinner
If you follow any travel accounts on the socials, you will have seen a picture of Nomad. Are you even an Instagram influencer if you haven’t eaten at Nomad? Idk, but I thought we’d check it out. I booked a reservation a week ahead of time and asked for a rooftop table. They told me it depends upon availability that day, but when we got there, we got a great table outside on the roof. They definitely cram in as many tables as they can, and their branding is on point with straw hats that say Nomad everywhere for customers to wear. We booked in about an hour before sunset so we could watch the colors in the sky change and it was really beautiful to see from a rooftop. The food was fine, nothing to write home about. Chris had a tajine and I had cous cous. Would I recommend this place? Not necessarily. There are better restaurants in Marrakech. Are the views fun and did we get some nice pictures? Yes.
If you find yourself with a reservation at Nomad, it is tucked away from a busy market square. Be aware of the henna ladies. They are persistent and very sneaky. You might have a henna tattoo on your hand without even noticing and before you know it, you owe money. We did one lap around the square before dinner and by the end of it, I had made three false promises to three different women that I was going to be back for a tattoo.
Le Tanjia
Want some of the best food of your life? Go to Le Tanjia. It offers a fine dining experience in a gorgeous space with traditional belly dancers. They also serve alcohol, which is a rarity in town. We ordered the three-course set meal for two people, so that we could try as much food as possible. We started our meal with about ten or eleven small Moroccan salads, including carrots in cinnamon, cucumber in rose water, beetroot, and lentils to name a few. Our mains included a chicken, lamb, and beef tajine, and a cous cous. Then, for dessert, we had orange slices with cinnamon and a spongey bread covered in butter and honey. #drool
A quick note on breakfast — we never had a proper one at a café or restaurant. We actually struggled a bit with finding food. One morning, Chris and I found a guy and two ladies in a garage stall making sausage, egg, and cheese crepes for 60 cents a piece. The next morning, they weren’t open, so Chris found pitas with bread and honey for even less. It was all a bit of a crap shoot, so we definitely relied on some protein bars we packed.
Favorite Memory from Marrakech
What is a vacation without an adventure?
One of the nights when we were walking to dinner, Chris and I got caught in an intense hailstorm. It was loud; it was scary; it was also a ton of fun. It all started with a little rain. We were walking through the souks, which are mostly covered, so it wasn’t too bad. Then, it started downpouring and thunderstorming. The rain started to seep through the makeshift tin roofs in the souks’ alleyways, which meant the ground started flooding, shop owners were covering their goods, and everyone had to stop and take cover.
Since we had a dinner reservation to make, as much as we wanted to wait out the hailstorm, we had to get moving. We found some cardboard, put it over our heads, and made our way out into the open streets. That lasted all but 30 seconds because the hail freaking hurt when it hit us. We popped into a shop. The owner was very nice to let us take cover. Everyone was taking cover. Then, we saw a guy selling umbrellas, so we snagged one and kept on our way.
Soon the rain and hail stopped, but the streets were flooded and mounds of hail lined the sidewalks, or snow as the Moroccans called it. :) During our journey to the restaurant, we watched a shop owner unplug the drain that was clogged and had ultimately flooded where two streets came together; got caught in scooter traffic; saw kids throwing hail balls at each other; got lost; and saw a father and neighborhood kids setting up a stand to sell fresh hail.
This is one of my favorite memories because it evened the playing field while we were all stuck in the souks. All of a sudden, shop owners no longer were hassling, mopeds weren’t buzzing, everyone was just trying to find cover. We were all in the same situation. Then, when we got out into the streets, everyone was having so much fun. No one could believe the storm because it is uncommon for the month of May. Because we were winding through quieter streets, we got to laugh with the Moroccans, and feel like part of the community. Here is a little montage of our hailstorm fun.
Overall Impressions of Marrakech
I particularly enjoyed Marrakech. As I described it above, it is beautiful chaos. There are so many people, donkeys, and mopeds everywhere. I loved all the kitties, the old men sleeping in wheelbarrows, and all the colors of the city. What I enjoyed most was seeing how tight the communities are and how people laughed hard and smiled big. Chris did not enjoy Marrakech as much as I did. He felt like he was on edge the entire time making sure we were safe, which is fair. There are a lot of people trying to scam you, so you have to be on guard a bit.
If I were to do it again, I would skip the hammam at the fancy hotel and opt for a place where the locals go.
Things We Missed Out On:
Le Jardin Majorelle — the most famous gardens in Marrakech made beautiful by French painter Jacques Majorelle, but made famous after Yves Saint Laurent bought them. Next to the gardens is a museum dedicated to Laurent’s best-designed looks. We walked all the way there one morning and the queue to get tickets was outrageously long, so we left. I’m not sure if you can get tickets online, but if you can, do.
Medersa Ben Youseff — one of Marrakech’s most stunning pieces of architecture that is closed for renovations until some time in 2020. It used to be a 16th century theological college and has some of the city’s best tiling, plaster, and wood work.
Saadien’s Tombs — royal tombs from the 16th and 17th centuries that are decorated in the Alhambran style.
Even though I think you would need a full week to cover everything, I think three days in Marrakech was enough. It did take a lot of energy just to navigate through the souks to get anywhere, so we were very happy to get out into the quiet of the desert after day three.
Desert Luxury Camp
When we were thinking about going to Morocco, I knew that I wanted a mix of city and desert. I had never been to a desert, but had seen incredible photos of the sand dunes in the Sahara. And I mean who would pass up an opportunity to go to the Sahara? One of the travel bloggers I follow is The Blonde Abroad and she had visited the Desert Luxury Camp on her visit to Morocco. It looked amazing, but I wasn’t sure if it was the falsities of Instagram or if it was actually a cool experience. Then, I saw that my friend from college, Amanda, had recently been to Morocco and had done the camp. She said it was absolutely the best part of their trip, so that was enough for me to go ahead and book.
We booked a package deal and chose the 4-day / 3-night option based on Amanda’s recommendations. It takes 9 hours to get from Marrakech to this desert camp, which is just outside of Merzouga. You basically go from one side of the country to the other as it lies right West of the Algerian border. It was definitely the right call to book the 4-day trip versus the 3-day because it was a lot of car time.
With the 4-day package, we got a personal driver, one-night accommodations in a 4-star hotel in Ouarzazate, two-nights in the Desert Luxury Camp, breakfasts and dinners, and access to all the activities at the camp. I am going to lay out our experience in a day-to-day itinerary, so you can get an idea of what your days would look like if you ever choose to go on this adventure!
Day 1: Marrakech — Atlas Mountains — Aït Benhaddou — Ouarzazate
Our driver picked us up at our AirBnb in Marrakech at 9:30 in the morning and we hit the road towards the Atlas Mountains. If you haven’t heard of the Atlas Mountains, that’s cool because I hadn’t either before this trip. The range spans 2500 kilometres across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
We made a stop about an hour and a half into the ride at a restaurant / view point in the Tizi & Tichka Pass in the mountains. Pro tip: bring your own toilet paper if you are going outside of any of the major cities. This rest stop charged for toilet paper. Luckily, we prepared and had our own roll with us.
When we got to the top of the mountain pass, we stopped to take in the scenery as well. It’s crazy to see just how curvy that road was.
As we drove through the mountains, we went through a lot of tiny villages, many of which were having their weekly market day. In the bigger cities like Marrakech, the souks are open for business daily, but in the smaller villages, the souk is only one day per week and it’s when everyone does their shopping for the week.
Once we got through the Atlas Mountains, it was a two-lane highway the rest of the way, the mountains never leaving sight. Our next stop along the way was a lunch spot where we had unexpected views of Aït Benhaddou, an ancient kasbah along the trade route between the Sahara and Marrakech. For lunch, we were served Moroccan salads, tajine, and fruit for dessert. It was a great spot with even better views.
After lunch, we got to explore Aït Benhaddou for as long as we wanted. I was pretty excited to see it up close. It has been used in a lot of filming, including The Mummy, Gladiator, and Game of Thrones where it was used to portray the slaving city of Yunkai.
Because it was so hot and we still had a couple hours of travel left in the day, we chose not to walk to the top, but we had fun walking through the maze-like passageways of the kasbah. The gate you can see is the original entrance, so we definitely went down there to check that out and then had fun walking through the river to make it back to the car. Scroll through to check out some of our favorite pictures from the best preserved fortified kasbah in Morocco.
Our last stop for the day was in the city of Ouarzazate, otherwise known as Morocco’s Little Hollywood. We drove past they city’s film studios, which produces Arabian movies, but also helped in the filming of Lawrence of Arabia. In town, we made a stop to see another kasbah. We had the option of visiting the museum dedicated to the films of Morocco, but we passed on that so we could get to our accommodations sooner.
It took about an hour to get from Ouarzazete to our hotel via the second-most interesting route on our trip. Once we got off of the highway, we were on gravel, pothole-ridden back roads following orange painted rocks to find our destination. Chris and I were looking at each other like, “oh boy, what have we gotten ourselves into?” But then we arrived to our hotel, Les Jardins de Skoura, and it was a true oasis in the middle of nowhere. The grounds were full of gardens, sitting areas filled with poufs and couches, there was a pool, and our room was beautiful. The French couple who owned and ran it were also incredibly lovely. This was all part of the package we purchased with Desert Luxury Camp and so all the arrangements were made by them.
With only a few hours of sunlight left and after having been in the Moroccan heat for four days, we changed into our swimsuits as fast as we could, and hit the swimming pool for some fun and refreshment!
That night we enjoyed dinner under the stars in the hotel’s beautiful gardens. Dinner consisted of traditional Moroccan food — bread, soup, tajine, and fruit. They did serve alcohol, but it was not included. The hotel is small, so I think there were only about five other couples at dinner, which made for a nice, quiet night. After dinner, we went up to the rooftop terrace to stargaze and WOW. I had never seen so many stars in my life. I felt like I was in a planetarium. It was peaceful, there were no mosquitos, and it was just my love and I watching the night sky. It was the perfect night after a long day of travel.
Day 2: Les Jardins de Skoura — Todra Gorge — Desert Luxury Camp
After a great night’s sleep, we woke up to breakfast on the rooftop terrace where we had stargazed the night before. It was a beautiful sunny morning and it felt so relaxing to be at this hotel and not having to worry about breakfast. The spread was big — yogurt, eggs, fruit, breads, orange juice, and coffee. The view wasn’t so bad either!
We absolutely loved our stay at Les Jardins de Skoura. It was such a luxury stay in the middle of nowhere. Whether you book with Desert Luxury Camp, or are road tripping through Morocco, definitely find yourself here. You will not be disappointed by the accommodations, amenities, and service. Here’s a fun video so you can see how amazing this place was.
We hit the road with our driver around 9:00 in the morning. We had another long day ahead of us with stops and about five hours of total drive time. And honestly, our driver played Phil Colins for hours the day before, so we weren’t all that excited to hop in the car with him again.
Our first couple stops were right outside of Ouarzazate. We drove through a city of kasbahs and saw an oasis of palm trees, which is pretty incredible to see when it is literally surrounded by desert. It’s funny when we would make these stops because there had to have been at least 5-10 other private tours doing the exact same thing. And every stop had your run of the mill souvenir sellers. The stop at the palm tree oasis was particularly special because you could put on a head scarf and have your picture taken. Now, I’m not a very big germaphobe, but how many people have put those on their heads and how many times have they been washed? Something to think about. [insert hands up emoji here] The views, nevertheless, were great!
Rug Shopping
The next stop for the day was the start of what we considered to be several ambushes, and what I mean by that, is we made several stops along the way that were not included on the itinerary where we felt immense pressure to buy what was being sold. Now, we did not have to buy anything and I do not regret buying anything that we did, however, it was the fact that we were not told these stops were being made and it was uncomfortable to be put in those situations.
First up, we stopped in a small village and were welcomed into a family’s kasbah. This particular family was in the rug-making business. The head of the household showed us around their home. These kasbahs are truly incredible structures with so many different rooms and levels. They are built out of mud, so they keep cool in the summer, and warm during winter.
Then, we were taken to their “show room,” if you will. We met two of the lovely women who work the wool to make it into yarn to be woven into the rugs. I even got to work the brushes a bit! Except apparently not well because the women giggled at me. Lol oh well, I have other fine qualities.
It was a similar experience to the one we had in Istanbul. We were served tea and educated on the different types of wools, rugs, and stories the women tell in their weaving. Goat wool is much rougher and makes for a flatter rug, which is used during the warmer months. Camel wool is much thicker and softer and is typically used in the winter time. If a woman has children, she will also lay the camel wool rugs down because it is softer for children to sleep on.
And just like in Istanbul, as soon as our rug lesson came to an end, the parade of rugs began. They brought in rug after rug after rug for us to ooh and ahh at, and guys, they were all stunning. If you know me, you know that we were not going to leave that kasbah with not only one rug, but two.
Fortunately for us, these rugs were way more affordable than in Istanbul. This could be because we were in a small, rural village, and not in a big city like Marrakech. They did say that rug sellers in Marrakech really mark up their rugs because they can, and maybe we ran into that in Istanbul. Who knows? Water under the bridge. We did feel pressured to buy while we were welcomed into this kasbah, not by the man or by the women, but because it felt rude not to? I know that might sound silly because yes, we had the option to say no thank you, but we’re from Minnesota, we people please, what can I say? Either way, I was happy to have a couple more rugs for our home. We walked away with two beautiful pieces that we will have forever. [Bonus: they wrap those babies up so small and tight that they are easy to transport!]
Also, I am very grateful because our host / rug seller taught us how to say “thank you” in Arabic — shukraan — and that became useful in the days to come.
Todgha Gorge
Our favorite stop of the day was our visit to the Todgha, or Todra Gorge. It is a series of limestone canyons cut down the middle by two rivers. Some of the cliffs are 400 metres high and are a rock climbers haven. The gorge is absolutely gorgeous. #punintended It’s peaceful, larger than life, and definitely a place to spend more time if you have the chance. It looked what I imagine the Southwest United States to look like. I’m pretty sure you can stay overnight and I bet the stars would be pretty spectacular to watch through the tops of the canyon walls. And if you’re lucky, a local kid will make you a camel out of a palm leaf.
After another lunch of cous cous and tajine, we were hit with ambush #2. This time, it was at a shop run by some Berber women, who make traditional Berber clothing and headscarves. The second we walked in, they dressed us up like Berber royalty and took our picture. It was pretty cool to see how we would look dressed like the local tribe, however, then it was time to awkwardly take off the clothing and tell them it was beautiful, but no thank you. I was sure that the Desert Luxury Camp was going to provide us with headscarves for our camel ride, but our driver informed me they did not, which meant we needed scarves. Why did we need scarves? Well, to fit the part, but the sun is also crazy strong in the desert and it provides good protection against the sun and sand. With the help of our driver’s negotiation skills, we bought two scarves, two leather bracelets as gifts, and were happy to get on our way.
As we were closing in on Merzouga, our driver hit us with the last stop before the camp, a visit to a fossil museum. This one didn’t outwardly present itself as an ambush because we actually got a full tour by a guide of the museum, which was really more of a workshop. He told us that they have found 440 million year old fossils in the mountains, like probably hundreds of thousands of fossils. He showed us a bunch of different slabs with all the fossils in them, which was actually super cool. They take these slabs filled with fossils and make them into anything you can imagine — coffee tables, chess boards, bird baths, sculptures, etc. Our guide was pretty easy going and let us each try some of the machinery. I got to use the cleaning machine and Chris got to buff a slab. It was fun! Then, we were taken into their beautiful showrooms and given time to look around. It was very impressive to see what they all make, but you can only look at so many trilobites before it all starts to look the same. We left after buying two small agate figurines in the shape of a camel and a duck.
As much as we actually really liked our guide at the fossil shop, Chris and I were pretty annoyed when we got back into the car. We had made three stops that day that were not on the itinerary and felt pressured to buy things at each stop. What Desert Luxury Camp could do better is include these stops in the itinerary, advise customers to have cash, and be up front about what is provided at the camp. We felt blindsided and you know our driver was getting a cut of everything we bought.
What then transpired made things worse. We had finally gotten to Merzouga, but our driver pulled up into the driveway of this house where two guys were sitting in their lawn chairs. Umm, this didn’t look like the Desert Luxury Camp? Our driver told us that we needed to hop in the truck and these guys would take us the rest of the way, about a twenty minute drive. Um, ok? We weren’t introduced to these guys, they didn’t introduce themselves, or say literally anything. We just hopped into the back of this Toyota and drove into the sand dunes. Guys, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking the worst thoughts along this drive. Obviously, we were okay, but clearer instructions from our driver and an exchange of pleasantries with the new guys would have been an easy way to execute our drop off and a lot less stressful.
The last two days of long days in the car became instantly worth it when we pulled up to the Desert Luxury Camp. The sky was every color of the rainbow with the sun setting over the Saharan; the camp was a dream; and we were welcomed with fresh tea to enjoy while our luggage was taken to our tent. We were so thankful to be out of the car and in the middle of the desert enjoying the beautiful views.
With only 16 tents, there is an exclusive feel to this camp. We got our own tent with a king-size bed, sitting area, and en suite bathroom complete with a shower and a sink made out of the fossils we had seen earlier. The only thing that would have been nice for the room is a fan for some air flow. It was important to keep the door flaps closed to keep the flies out. I know, #firstworldproblems. We were far from roughing it and it was a lovely spot to glamp, I mean camp.
Dinner was served in the main tent, air conditioning included. Any guesses what we ate for dinner? If you said tajine, you win! Here is a picture of the inside of the main tent and us with all our friends.
After dinner, the night sky had settled in and we waited around the campfire area for the entertainment to start. The moon was the teeniest sliver, signaling we were in the first few days of Ramadan. The camp workers did such a nice job lighting the camp and making it feel as magical as it looks.
To our surprise, we were treated with traditional Berber music around the campfire. They played the drums and metal clangers, danced, and sang. Before we knew it, we had a full-blown dance party going on under the stars. We danced so hard I closed all my exercise rings on my Apple Watch.
After an hour of listening and dancing to the tribesmen, Chris and I bowed out to go outside the camp and lay in the sand to watch the stars. Until that night, I had literally never seen the Little Dipper, but it was crystal clear out in the Sahara. I downloaded the SkyView Lite app, so we could find all sorts of constellations in the night sky. It was really fun! After all the driving and ambushes, our day had turned out pretty great.
Day 3: Desert Luxury Camp
We woke up at 4:45 a.m. for the sunrise. That was not an easy alarm to get up to, but we were not going to miss seeing the sun come up in the Sahara. Lucky for us, there were a couple National Geographic photographers who were leading a photography excursion group that were all staying at the camp and they had arranged for one of the Berber tribesmen to lead a group of camels along the sand dunes for a photoshoot. It was such a cool visual and I felt very lucky to be able to take advantage of their set up.
After we got a few shots of the camels, Chris and I walked further out into the dunes to get some privacy to watch the sun come over the horizon and take our own photos. It was so peaceful and beautiful. The lighting was unreal and I can now say I enjoy a sunrise more than a sunset.
We captured a pretty cool timelapse with our GoPro Hero 7 Black and got some pretty awesome photos, so enjoy!
Post sunrise, we grabbed some coffee and relaxed in one of the outdoor lounges until breakfast was served.
During breakfast, we met the loveliest couple from Oklahoma City, Chris and Blakely — shout out to you guys for being so fun. We hope to see you again sometime!
At 9:00 a.m., we were ready to go for our camel ride through the desert. We had one of the Berber tribesmen help with tying the scarves for our heads, loaded up on sunscreen, and we were ready to go. That morning, everyone else in the camp departed, so we got to go on the camels just ourselves, which was great. Our guide, Mohammad, was the sweetest guy, who barely spoke any English, was fasting for Ramadan, and yet walked us through the hot desert for an hour. Not only that, he made a fire out of desert bush, lit it hiding under one of the camel blankets, and made us tea for a mid-ride refreshment. It was a super special experience having Mohammad be our guide and watch him with the camels and see how resourceful the Berber tribesmen are in the desert.
Pro Tip: Make sure to put sunscreen on your feet! Both Chris and I forgot and the tops of our feet were burnt in that short time we were exposed to the sun. Also, our headscarves really helped. Our heads stayed cool and blocked any sand that blew our way from the wind.
After our camel ride, we had the rest of the day to enjoy the camp to ourselves. It felt kind of weird at first since the whole staff was there, but turned out to be so peaceful and nice to do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted.
Since the sun was high, there were zero clouds, and it’s the desert… the day was hot. Like 36℃ / 98℉ hot. Our tent was far too hot to be in, so we spent most of our day in the cabana, swinging in the hammocks, and reading. Chris and I never have this kind of down time on holidays, it was so nice just to relax. This was definitely the best spot to hang at the camp since it was shaded and would get a nice breeze.
Pro tip: if you put vaseline on your lips while laying in the hammock, at some point in the day, the wind will pick up and blow sand in your face. That sand will get stuck to your lips, and voila, you have a DIY lip scrub. Lolz. @jvn would be so proud.
When we needed to beat the heat, Chris and I would take a dip in the POOL that had its own tent. There was a pool in the middle of the Sahara. It was such a cool tent. I literally could not believe where in the world we were. The only downside to the pool was the water was freezing. Again, I know, #firstworldproblems, but like Baltic Sea freezing. It took a very long time for me to wade in, but once you were in, it felt great.
Later in the day, when the sun felt less powerful and the temperature had dropped a couple degrees, we tested our agility on the camp’s sand dune boards. If you are unfamiliar, it’s basically like snowboarding, but on sand. Now, I have never snowboarded, except that one time I stole my sister’s board to give it a go in my parents’ backyard, made one run, fell and nearly twisted my ankle. [#sorryKatie] We stayed on a baby-sized sand dune and let her rip! It was actually a ton of fun! We probably each went down 8-10 times because anyone who has been sledding knows that the worst part is carrying your sled back up the hill, and this was no different. By the time I trudged up the sand with my board, I was out of breath, so I think it’s safe to say I haven’t earned the badge “extreme” yet. Nevertheless, we had a great time and I would definitely try it again.
That evening, Chris and I took advantage of watching the sunset while dinner was being prepared. Lucky for us, only one other family arrived at the camp that night meaning it was going to be a nice, quiet night.
That night, we took it easy, star gazed, and got a good night’s sleep so we could wake up to see the Saharan sunrise one more time.
Day 4: Desert Luxury Camp — Drive Back to Marrakech
We woke up again at 4:45 a.m. for the sunrise. This time the photography group was gone and the one other family at the camp opted for sleep, so we got to enjoy it all to ourselves. We walked back out into the dunes a bit further than the camp to feel as remote as possible. On our way back, the camels were getting up for the day and making their way to their water basin for their morning drink, which was pretty neat to see.
We had an early breakfast, packed up bags, and hopped back into that Toyota truck to get to our driver, who was waiting for us at that house in Merzouga. We had an extremely long day ahead of us. The drive from Merzouga takes nine hours. NINE HOURS. Chris and I were dreading the possibility of listening to Phil Collins for the entirety of the drive.
We made a couple stops along the way — another palm tree oasis and another mountain gorge. Our favorite stop ended up being lunch because we were serenaded by the sweetest man playing an instrument called a rebab, which is a one-stringed, bowed instrument dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries. His voice was lovely and he sang many blessings to us. That was definitely the highlight of the trip back to Marrakech.
As soon as we made it back to the hustle and bustle of Marrakech, we were so happy the hotel we booked was beautiful and had air conditioning. That night, we watched the sunset from the roof of the hotel, listened to the call or prayer letting everyone know they could eat, and relaxed in our room in the air con. It had been an incredible week in Morocco and we were spent. We had an early flight back to Dublin and couldn’t wait to see our pups!
Morocco is an incredible place. The first morning back in Dublin, I actually woke up surprisingly sad. Normally after a holiday, I’m happy to wake up in my own bed, but not this time. Something was missing. There is a passion for life that exudes from the people who live there. Every day brings them something different and they bring an energy of love and happiness no matter what it is. If you have ever thought of going to Morocco, or it never even crossed your radar, definitely go. Go and experience its magic.
Overall Impressions:
Have cash, lots of cash. Besides the rugs we bought, we had to pay for most things in cash. Plus it’s best to tip in cash.
Do what feels comfortable for you, whether its hiring guides or going out on your own. Either is okay and you should do whatever will be the most rewarding for your trip.
We wish that our driver would have been more of a guide, so we could have learned more while being in the car for so long. He could have also done a better job setting expectations for the day and giving clear details of what was going to happen.
Our friends from OKC flew out of Merzouga, and we would have definitely done that had we known it was an option, instead of driving the nine hours back to Marrakech. Chris and I both agree that we enjoyed seeing the Moroccan countryside on the way down, but did not need to do that drive back.
Had we had more time, we would have loved to see Fez and Chefchaouen. I would definitely go back to see more.
There you have it — our complete trip to magical Morocco! I hope you enjoyed reading about our adventures and didn’t get too sick of seeing pictures of me walking in the sand. :)
Until next time…
Cheers! xo,
