Jul 25, 20174 min read

Ramadan is over – time to eat and drink!

The fast paced journey through Morocco continued in the last few days of our tour, and we hardly had time to process the buzz of the desert and mountains before we ventured into a new stage of the journey.

Before the highly-anticipated Marrakech, we had one last spot in the mountain region to enjoy. We witnessed a desert dustnado as we entered our quirky hotel in Ait Benhaddou and had a quick swim in the pool while waiting for the temperature to drop again for our evening walk.

Ait Benhaddou is an 11th century Kasbah and UNESCO World Heritage sight, beautifully preserved in time and with only 4 or 5 families still full time residents. This Kasbah has been a living movie set to many famous films and tv shows, including Game of Thrones, Black Hawk Down and Gladiator. The patch of dirt where the Gladiator Arena was filmed leaves a lot to the imagination, but nonetheless the Kasbah was great to explore and lead to a beautiful sunset spot over the plains.

The drive from Ait Benhaddou to Marrakech was stunning, with varied landscapes and high cliff drops. So far, my motion sickness hadn’t been a problem here, but these twisted roads gave me a chance to sit in the front seat and keep my eye on the road ahead. I was very keen to avoid a repeat of my bus ride in Guatemala last year which resulted in a mess all over the poor bus drivers windscreen, and fortunately I succeeded this time! Looking back on photos and remembering how beautiful the drive was is the only enjoyment I have from this long day, but it was worth it.

We arrived early afternoon into Marrakech, a city much looked forward to by many visitors to Morocco. It is a beautiful city, well appointed between the mountains and the sea and known as a central meeting point for Moroccans from through the regions.

My personal experience does not reflect on every travelers impression of the city and I think every person visiting Morocco should include at least one or two nights here. That being said, as a common theme of the blog, I don’t handle extreme heat too well. While I had been enjoying the dry heat and staying hydrated with zero humidity, the heat wave that hit Marrakech during our visit was too much to handle. 46 degrees Celsius is just too extreme to be outside!

We took a walking tour in the searing heat of the afternoon with a very knowledgeable and passionate guide and aimed for as much shade as possible while exploring the medina, mosque, Saadian Tombs and Bahia Palace. There was a lot of interesting history that I wish I could share, but my memory was shot during this day of the trip and we will have to rely on Wikipedia to know what really went down here.

After a power nap in our AC hotel, the sun set and temperatures cooled and we wandered down to the Marrakech markets for our last shared group dinner in the main square. Surrounded by snake chambers, entertainers, dodgy juice stalls and market shops, we had a great time sharing food like the locals before trying out our bargaining skills. There were wins and losses, and if I had space in my pack I’m sure I would’ve been talked into buying at least one beautiful Moroccan lamp! With the end of Ramadan upon us, we were able to find a rooftop bar at the highest point of Marrakech for a cheeky cocktail to finish the evening and tour for the majority of the group.

The following day was a chilled one in Marrakech, and Christel, Tim & Amanda joined me for a visit to the Majorelle Gardens, a cute escape from the busy city medina life, but not a local spot at all. There was a line of tourists to get in, and while we enjoyed wandering around the lush garden complex, it felt a little like a tourist trap, especially when the taxi drivers tried to charge outrageous prices to get home.

One other unique experience I had in Marrakech was shared with Christel & Amanda, as we participated in the weekly routine of a Hamman. Most Moroccans visit a Hamman once a week for a a deep cleanse, but once in my life might be just enough for me! We went for a public Hamman experience rather than the more expensive private option, and felt like we were doing it like the locals. It was intimate, strange and cleansing, as a local Moroccan woman roughly exfoliated dead skin from our entire bodies, washed our hair and rinsed us on the concrete tiled floor. Definitely a recommended local experience and ones that words could never explain.

Myself, Tim & Amanda were on the extended tour ( Christel & Marcus tagged along) which included a couple of nights in the ‘relaxed’ coastal town of Essouria, an accessible 3 hours from Marrakech by bus.

Usually, this seaside town is a chilled way to end a fast-paced holiday in Morocco, however we arrived just one day before the annual Gnaoua Festival. Gnaoua is an African jazz music festival now in its 20th year, and it was great to have the extra buzz to the town during our stay, even if it was a little hard to navigate the crowded alleyways at night.

Essouria is also well known as a popular wind surfing spot .. due to the extreme winds which howled through the streets and brought a cool sea breeze to the air. Especially after Marrakech, I didn’t think it was possible to be cold in Morocco, however that misconception was soon changed, as 20 degrees felt like 5 after our time in the desert and we pulled out our warmest clothes.

The days in Essouria were relaxed, with the highlight being our daily lunches. We went to the local fish market to select a variety of seafood, visited the local markets for our vegetables and salad and delivered all ingredients to a local restaurant, who for a small fee create a meal out of our food.

The following two days followed a similar pattern, except instead of the fish markets we visited the butchers for some goat and beef, to finish our food journey though Morocco with a couple of delicious tagines and of course Moroccan tea.

Even with Ramadan over, with the Muslim culture, Moroccans still aren’t really supposed to drink alcohol or smoke .. so of course they do both of these things in one place. Said took us to a very local bar which lead to a very interesting night with very cheap beer. We ended up down by the beach, soaking up the vibes of the Gnaoua music festival and taking in the positive atmosphere. The nights ended with classic Nutella banana crepes and before we knew it, we were parting ways and my time in Morocco was over.

And finally, here are some of my learnings observations along the way that haven’t quite been weaved into the last few posts:

– Geckos Adventures was an awesome tour group to travel with! 10 was a perfect small group size, with like-minded travelers and a fantastic guide. I would definitely travel with them the next time I feel like a bit of adventure travel (it’s bound to happen). Geckos tours are specifically designed for 18-29 year olds, but are part of the larger parent company of Peregrine Adventures, which along with Intrepid Travel have some amazing tours with a local twist both on and off the beaten track throughout the world.

– Our hotels were all quirky and unique in their own way, of a 3 star standard – basic but with the essentials. Most had wifi at least in the lobby with the exception of course of the desert camp. Staying in local hotels enhanced our experience with quirky characters along the way, especially in the homestays! Also, the standard of accommodation was much higher than what I would have booked on my own (i.e. not backpackers) and that was a refreshing change.

– Although Morocco is increasing its presence as a popular tourism destination, helped by its proximity to Europe and the demise of tourism in Egypt and Turkey, it didn’t feel crowded or tainted by tourists.

– There there have been no plastic bags in Morocco for the past 3 months, even in the most remote of areas, and that is a really cool thing. It really made me think about NZ’s weak approach to this issue and encouraged me to be more actively aware about the use of plastic bags on my return home.

– Always look up, especially when in historic buildings. Sometimes the most intricate tile designs and exotic materials can be found on the celiling or roof.

– At times, I did feel we were dangerously close to Algeria, but at the same time protected by the giant sand dunes of the Sahara Desert. Grateful for the presence of the Moroccan military protecting the dangerous borders surrounding this country.

– Driving through Morocco we were treated to multitudes of Kasbahs, fortified villages often made of clay and rock blending into the brown surroundings. The oasis of green throughout the very dry desert was a direct contrast and unlike anything I have seen before.

– It was a different kind of heat – often 40 degrees, but manageable due to the lack of humidity.

– Although I was initially nervous about the ‘dress code’, covering my knees and shoulders in such an aggressive climate, this became a lot easier as the journey went on.

– Tour guides in Morocco have an intense registration process including 1 year of training and the physical test of completing a 40km hike in the High Atlas mountain range. It definitely shows, and not only our tour guide Said but the local guides in cities along the way were extremely knowledgeable and helpful to our experience.

– The importance of keeping hydrated – it felt like every day I was buying a new 5L bottle to top up my water bottle.

– A high percentage of Moroccans speak French, but there is not so much English.

– The impact of traveling during Ramadan was different than I had expected. There were fewer tourists, we had a lot of picnic lunches instead of eating at restaurants due to limited eating options, there was no alcohol available, locals laying around in the heat and sun waiting for sunset every day, less people in the medinas and some shops closed.

– It is so important to come to a country like this with and open mind and no preset expectations. This goes for any country!

I have never been anywhere remotely like Morocco, and no pun intended by it rocks!! I am so grateful have been here, learning and experiencing the most amazing things daily and would highly recommend adding this amazingly diverse destination to your bucket list!

There is no current update from the Cali for this post… I’m 3 countries behind in this blog (too busy having fun!) and hoping to catch up on the rest of Europe before we meet up in New York .. we’re down to the 10 day countdown now! Here’s a few photos to keep you excited from their trip though, it is equally as adventurous as mine!