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Morocco: Travel Journal

Morocco: Travel Journal

Date: April 2024

Friendliness of people: 👍👍👍👍/5

Food: 👍👍👍👍👍/5

Recommended: 👍👍👍👍👍/5

Marrakesh

We spent most of our time in Morocco in Marrakesh, where we stayed in a riad that accommodated all six of us. It was nestled between a bustling market filled with incense and spices. The narrow pathways often meant squeezing against the walls to let tourists and TukTuks pass.

Marrakesh had so much to offer, from boojee eateries and coffee shops to a variety of spices and random teas.

On the subject of markets, I was often offered several camels in exchange for my fiancé, though I’m not sure how serious these offers were - In hindsight, I should have enquired for more details ;)

I liked Marrakesh, but I’d advise solo travelers, especially women, to exercise some caution. One day, we witnessed a man spit in a woman’s face, which was shocking. There’s also an expectation for women to cover up as much as possible (Which makes sense as a predominately muslim country). Additionally, be aware of “friendly” locals who might offer to show you around, only to later ask for money or lead you to a shop run by a friend.

Recommendations include:

Not recommended:

  • Nobu rooftop - Terrible rip off artist staff, and full of people who think they’re better than everyone else (A Joke, and food tastes pretty horrid)

Off grid

We spent 3 days off grid in what for me was one of the coolest places I had ever been to. When you book a tent in a desert, it’s hard to envisage what it would be like, and even when we arrived was I somewhat skeptical - but sitting out in the sun, sipping fresh Moroccan mint tea in the peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of normal life soon enough made me realise I was in paradise.

Everything about this place amazed me, from the fresh linen on the bed to the random fire pits scattered around the resort.

So what did we do in our three days here?

Day 1:

We checked in, enjoyed a spot of lunch and a cup of eat, and we checked into our tent and then we made our way to one of the many pools across the resort for a swim and a couple beers around the sunbed where our flamingo friend joined us. After a couple hours of sun exposure, I found myself out of sunscreen and cigarettes so retired back to the tent for a nap and a shower. Before sunset, the group got together outside our tents for a couple glasses of wine and we then made our way in the dark up to the main area where we enjoyed more alcohol and cop-less amounts of food.

Day 2:

I woke up feeling a bit sluggish and struggled to get out of bed, but eventually managed to drag myself out of the tent to join everyone for breakfast and more tea. The morning was spent exploring the resort and trying out some of the activities on offer. We had a go at bread making, attended a cocktail-making class, and participated in a traditional tea ceremony.

By the afternoon, we were ready to relax. We spent a few hours sunbathing with a couple of beers before I retreated to the tent for a quick nap. As the sun began to set, we gathered for some pre-dinner drinks in the desert atmosphere.

That evening, I consumed a couple bowls of bread and enjoyed a delicious tagine for dinner and sampled the two different beers Morocco had to offer. After dinner, we spent some time sitting around the fire pit, chatting rubbish and enjoying the scene.

Later, we made our way to the library for a game of Jenga. Since it was also movie night, we waited patiently while two TikTok influencers spent what felt like half an hour taking endless pictures of each other pretending to watch Aladdin. Once they left, in typical Jake fashion, I hijacked the projector.

Day 3:

I can‘t quite recall what we did on this day. I remember seeing the donkey at breakfast and sitting on the sun bed with my flipper zero trying to get my friends to connect to my fake Bluetooth speaker in attempt to instruct their phones to call the reception number.

It was relaxed.

Oh yes, and I do also remember spending 20 odd minutes trying to order fries at the bar to the sun bed, but Mr barman comedian kept pretending he couldn’t speak English and kept asking me how many kg’s of potatoes I wanted.

Later that afternoon, I napped. Considering that it was our last day, we spent Sunset drinking the remainder of alcohol I purchased from duty free and blaring out music on our Bluetooth speaker - fun.

Anyway, here are some photos:

If you’re tempted to check this place out for yourself, I’d recommend it - https://www.ourhabitas.com/caravan-agafay

Travel Tips:

Internet Access

For those thinking of travelling to Morocco soon - I’d highly recommend signing up to Roamless and downloading their app, and installing the eSIM to your phone - use my referral link here: https://roamless.com

  1. Use my code: KFROH
  2. Add funds to your wallet
  3. You get $3.00 bonus; I get $3.00 bonus.

The neat thing here is that any credit you add to the account does not expire.

It’s also worth noting that if your phone has an additional SIM card slot, there are many network stands selling SIM cards in the exit hall - Much cheaper than Roamless or any eSIM.

Street Vendors

Buy on your own terms and do not let any street vendor guide you into their shop - they will try to sell you some crap you don’t need, and if you refuse it, you’ll find they become quite aggressive. Walk past, and if approached, say “sprechen sie deutsch”, smile and walk on.

Imodium

Avoid drinking water from taps and drinking anything that hasn’t come out of a bottle - your gut will thank you for it. Don’t make the same mistake I made and suffer for several months following your trip.

Don’t be an idiot

Respect that Morocco is a majority Islamic country, meaning that Alcohol is frowned upon - don’t get too drunk and do silly things in public places. Respect the people and the culture and you’ll be treated well.