Morocco

It's been one month since my trip to Morocco and I am finally back to my New York equilibrium. The trip was awesome and I recommend going. Hopefully this blog gives you a flavor for the county and some tips when planning to go.

Why I went: My friend, Zahra, invited me to go on a trip to Morocco that was planned by  Well Diva - Fly Life Travel. If you have read my previous blogs, you know that I take pride in finding cheap flights, planning my own trips and traveling with a small crowd. This trip was completely different, I paid and had no say in the planning. Surprisingly, it felt good not having to think about a thing. I will be honest, I don't think I would have had this level of trust with just any travel company nor do I recommend it. Zahra traveled with the group before and endorsed it, which put me at ease.

Group Travel: Traveling with a group of friends you know and meeting new friends on a group trip makes travel fun. I recommend researching the group and checking out the folks who went on previously planned trips to see if you would fit in with the group. I also recommend upgrading to a single room if you do not have a friend to be your roommate - this avoids being tortured the entire trip. There are some places, like Paris and Thailand, that are best traveled in a small group or with one other person so that you can take in the sights without a schedule or chatter. Be sure to think about your travel goals before booking group travel. 

Pic with Zahra (far left)and my two new friends from the trip. I am in the blue-green dress :)

How we got there: We flew American Airlines to Barcelona and spent one day there before flying to Marrakesh. To get back home we flew Iberia Airlines from Tangier to NY with a short layover in Madrid. I recommend both airlines. The flights were on-time, food was just OK and there is free wine. I really need to start bringing food on these long flights. If you have read my Paris, South Africa and Thailand blogs you will notice I always complain about the airplane food :-/

If you decide to spend a day in Spain before going to Morocco, be sure to pick one site to visit and have a plan when you land so you don't waste time. I recommend going to the Sagrada Família and paying for a skip the line ticket so you can go inside. 

Immigration in Marrakesh takes forever. I think we took over an hour to get through immigration, so be sure to schedule that into your trip. Flying back to NY from Tangier we zoomed through immigration.

sleeping in the airport on the way back - I was so tired!

Trip duration: 10 days -  I had a great time, but I was ready to come home after 7 days. We could have done the trip in 7 days if we flew from city to city vs driving.

Traveling between cities: We drove from city to city, which was beautiful, but a little too long. I recommend inter-country flights.

The Moroccan vibe:

• How to Dress: I recommend modest dress - pants/skirts that cover the knee and shirts that cover the shoulders with minimal cleavage showing. 
• Food: The food is delicious. You will eat lots of salad, vegetables and meat. Get ready to have tangine every day - its sooo good.

This type of salad is usually served before each meal

Chicken tangine

• Words you will hear often
•  In casual conversation you will l hear inshallah, which means "If God wills, it will happen," or "God willing." I love how faith is in grained in conversation without reservation, even with foreigners. 
• If things are moving too slowly, you will hear yalla, which means "get your entire life and lets go." 

Where we went:

• Marrakesh
• Where to stay: The Samira Riads is walking distance to shopping and the Koutoubia Mosque. Definitely try to stay in riads while you are in Morocco. The decor is beautiful and you get the true Moroccan experience. 
• Cars cannot travel through the narrow roads to the Riad so request to be escorted. Its literally a maze to get from the main road to the riad.
• What to do: 
• Shop and haggle: Everything is a negotiation - have no shame to get the best price. If you are with a tour guide and he/she brings you anywhere don't buy anything - the tour guide gets commission and the prices are jacked up. Go on your own and negotiate. Like Dubai, locals may refer to you as Obama or ask where you are from while walking around.
• Learn some history by visiting the Koutoubia Mosque 
• Skip the visit to Majorelle Garden. We have the same gardens in the US and the only benefit of going is to take some pretty pictures. The area surrounding the Garden is very pretty and different so be sure to go walk around

  

  My room at the Samira Riad

• Fez
• Where to stay: Palais Amani is a beautiful riad and the food is very good
• What to do:Like Marrakesh, Fez is great for shopping and history. I recommend going to the leather tannery to see how leather items are made and to get some great deals on bags, jackets and any other leather goods. If you go with a tour guide to the tannery, let him give you the tour and then come back on your own so you can haggle.
• Desert



• Where to stay: Luxury Desert Camp. I recommend 1 night with a group. Maybe 2 or 3 of you want to spend time alone meditating or bonding.
• What to do: The Desert camp is one of the few times during the trip where alcohol was available and it was free/unlimited. There is no internet so it is the perfect opportunity to unplug, talk to the friends you came with and enjoy nature. The rooms are very comfortable and well decorated. You also have the option of riding a camel to the site. 
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• Chefchaouen also known as the blue city is a must see while in Morocco. The city is beautiful and there are many interesting shops. I recommend wearing white or yellow to "pop" against the blue walls - you will get great photos in the city.

• Tangier
• Where to stay: Hilton
• What to do: I was only in Tangier for one night before flying back home. The city has a western feel with many US chains and a mall. 
• Cool thing to do: Take a picture and check in at the Strait of Gibraltar while in Tangier. 

I loved my time in Morocco! I hope you have the opportunity to go, inshallah. If you have any questions feel free to email me at shevonne_b@yahoo.com and follow me on Instagram @nutellaeuphoria :) to see more pics from the trip

Cheers!
Shivonne