Ah Morocco, where do I even start? This country surprised me in so many ways, especially since I didn’t know much about all the gems it had to offer before my visit on the Highlights of Morocco tour with G Adventures. I decided to do Morocco on a tour because I was traveling alone, and Morocco isn’t known to be the best solo female travel destination. I also wanted to have something that felt somewhat like a “vacation” where I could leave the planning and coordination to someone else.
The trip ended up being amazing and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it any other way. There were so many fantastic things we did, saw and experienced and these are just a few of my favourite parts of my 15 days in this whimsical North African country.
The Sahara desert
Okay, this is a no brainer. The Sahara is the largest hot desert and the third largest desert in the world. However, although my visit was anything but hot, it was still one of those amazing travel moments where you’re like: “OMG I’m standing in the sand of the Sahara!”. My whole experience in the desert was memorable. From watching the sunset over our camp, to the camel ride which left me with bruises in places you didn’t think you could get bruises, to exploring the sand dunes.
Overnight in the (cold) mountains
This may seem like a shocker that it falls on my highlight list because it was FREEZING. Yes, I underestimated Moroccan winter weather and did not think when I was packing (don’t worry, I’ve since updated my packing list). What I loved about this part of my trip was how much of a bonding experience it was for my group. We were all so cold, wearing all the clothes in our suitcases to bed, and it was just one of those fun experiences that travel brings unexpectedly. I loved sitting around the fire in the house which was just about as cold as the temperature outside, and chatting with one another as we were wrapped in any blanket we could find!
The magical Blue City
I must admit, this was one of the main reasons I wanted to go to Morocco. The Blue City, Blue Pearl or its actual name, Chefchaouen, was by far one of my biggest highlights from my trip and it should not be skipped. The whole town is painted in different shades of blue and just wandering through the many streets and alleyways you’ll never know what you’ll find. It’s definitely a photographers dream and has got to be one of the most Instagrammable places I’ve been.
Bathing in a hammam
A hammam is a local bathing house which you can visit while in Morocco. There are several different types available, such as ones in a spa that are more private, but if I was going to do it, I had to do it the local way. So I headed down with five girls to the local bathing house in Chefchaouen, where we stripped down to our undies and had naked ladies one-by-one scrub us with black soap and an exfoliating glove that felt like sandpaper. But hey, it was an experience that had us giggling for days, and also, our skin was as soft as a baby!
Getting lost in the Fes medina
The medina in Fes has over 9,000 narrow alleyways you can wander through, each section offering different goods (for example, a fashion section, a produce section, etc.). It’s recommended that you visit with a guide because you likely a) won’t be able to see the main parts on your own and b) will never make it out alone! There was so much to see in this medina and it truly was exactly what I imagined when I thought of Morocco.
The laid back vibes of Essaouira
A port city on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, Essaouira was easy to fall in love with. It had a laid back, hippy vibe to it that made it less stressful than the busy cities like Marrakech, but still was loaded with so much to do. I loved walking the streets and exploring the shops, tasting the yummy street food, going to the port to pick out the catch of the day and having it grilled up for me, and just walking on the beach. This city was a dream.
The chaotic Marrakech medina
This medina is what most people envision when they think of Morocco and seriously awakens every sense you have (and even some you may have not known you had). The medina is HUGE and you can wander through the many streets and shops for days. As the afternoon and evening approaches, the square of Jemaa el-Fnaa starts to vibrate with life. Street vendors galore yelling at you to buy from their juice shop, versus the other 10 lined up next to them. Snake charmers, magicians, henna artists, you name it, you’ll find it!
My two weeks in Morocco was absolutely incredible and I can’t wait to share with you more tips, photos and content from my adventures. If you have any questions or things you specifically want to know about, feel free to leave me a comment and I’m happy to help 🙂
Happy travels!
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