Morocco is an Arab country in North Africa where contrasting landscapes will enchant you. From the Atlantic coast, the mountains, its cities, and the desert, with its many natural parks, the flavours of its cuisine, the smell of its spices, traditional music, and the touch of typical handicrafts.
A trip to Morocco is a truly sensory experience.
I made this trip in late April for four days during the Ramadan season. Throughout this post, I will tell you what I visited each day!
Day 1: Paradise Valley🌴
The first day in Morocco was a tour of the Paradise Valley.
Considered an oasis with cool natural pools surrounded by palm trees and breathtaking mountains, perfect for relaxing, sunbathing, and cliff jumping.
➡ Story Time: This tour was done during the afternoon, where we were entitled to lunch with traditional Moroccan food, the famous tajine with tea. We also had the opportunity to visit a botanical garden and have a honey tasting before embarking on our Paradise Valley adventure.
I enjoyed the experience as we hiked through the middle of the mountains until we reached the pools. However, don’t be fooled… This is a demanding hike and should be done with the help of a guide. The pictures are misleading, as the colour of the water and the number of natural pools did not correspond to what was expected!
Day 2: Marrakech
My experience in Marrakesh was not the best, and I’ll tell you why! 🌍
On this trip, I only had the opportunity to visit Marrakech for one day. The tour guide picked us up from our hotel in Agadir, and we arrived in Marrakech around 11 am, where, supposedly, another guide would join us on a city tour until 7:30 pm. However, that guide never showed up, and we had to return to Agadir at 4:30. Adding to this adventure, we had another bad luck as we went to a restaurant for lunch, where we had to wait for two hours for a meal. 🐫 (This was just my experience, it doesn’t mean it will happen to you! Even at the end of this post, I will address the best way for you to visit this country with so much to offer).
Considering these factors, we could only visit the market and dazzle outside the Koutoubia Mosque, the largest mosque in the city. We also intended to visit the Bahia Palace, but it was closed because it was the month of Ramadan.
📌 Following other people’s advice, I would advise you to stay in Marrakech for 2 or 3 days.
Marrakech Souks
If you go to the Marrakech market, be prepared because you will enter an endless maze.
People haggling, wanting to talk to us, various noises, cars and motorcycles were passing on the left side, bicycles coming from the right side, people following us because they wanted to sell us products, and various colours and smells. Add to this experience a bit of heat and the typical dry air characteristic of the city. 🌇🐫
Tips 🧭
- Practice your negotiation skills – prices are always inflated two, three or even four times more. So try to lower the cost as much as you can. You’ll find that a certain amount of drama is part of the staging.
- Keep an eye on your backpack. As in all countries, I advise you to use a bag to put in front of you, with your cell phone and the documents you need – Marrakech’s Medina has cameras all over the streets and plainclothes police officers on the streets.
- Avoid eye contact and stay as far away from people as possible, especially in the Djemaa El Fna area, as you may have the unfortunate opportunity to have a snake or monkey put on your shoulder without warning and want you to pay for it.
Day 3: Motor4 through the Desert 🏍️
I like adventures. However, I don’t consider myself an adventurous person. I hope this makes sense to you! If not, you’ll understand why in a minute!🧭
On the last day, we decided to take a Moto4 tour through the desert 🐪
I was super excited about this part of the trip. Until I got on the bike and was afraid of falling off. However, after some motivational talks between my friends and me, one of the guys getting the bikes ready told me he was coming with me!
⏩ Conclusion: He drove the bike in the beginning, I drove the rest of the way, and I loved it (my adventurous side came out, and I realised that it was unnecessary to be afraid!)
It was a super liberating feeling, and even though it’s not in the pure desert, I highly recommend you have this experience and overcome your fears, no matter how silly they may seem to you afterwards!
On this tour, we also had the opportunity to drink traditional Moroccan tea in a hut with live music and entertainment!
Day 4: Visit the market and beach of Agadir and Story Time 🛍️
All destinations are beautiful. We can see their exterior. However, we don’t always have the opportunity to see their reality. At McDonald’s in Agadir, two children came to ask us for food. We gave them what we had at the moment and watched them leave. They hid in the corner of the garden so that the security guard wouldn’t chase them out of place.
I had never seen anything like it, happiness that masked the wounds those children must have already had from eating. I watched them, and in the end, they started to play “rock, paper, scissors” to see who would get the last piece. They laughed; they laughed a lot.
They passed by us, and with the purest feeling I have ever felt, they thanked us and went to put the package in the trash. Moments like these make me realise how hypocritical we sometimes are when we complain about situations in our daily lives. I thought it was good to have this off my chest because the world of travel is beautiful, but the reality behind it can be devastating.
What was it like going to Morocco at the time of Ramadan? 🐫
About Ramadan, the truth is that I was a bit apprehensive about this situation. However, there is no reason for that!
Morocco is one of the least conservative Muslim countries; however, just like any time of the year, we must know how to respect the different cultures.
Important information:
- Muslims do not eat and drink between sunrise and sunset. But they do it with satisfaction.
- Ramadan is a very important period for any Muslim.
- It is the time of the year when they are closest to Allah. They pray more assiduously, and Moroccan women prepare many delicacies daily for when the fast is broken.
- The first meal to break the fast is called Iftar and consists of half a dozen dates, soup, and sweets typical of the country.
- That is why the opening hours of all stores and museums have changed.
- During Ramadan, most Moroccans leave home at night after eating. They visit relatives, meet up with friends, or take walks to the souks (markets) open until late.
Generally speaking:
- If the purpose of the trip is to have a dining experience, you have to be aware that some stores or restaurants may not be open.
- Monuments may not be open or close early.
- Most stores close for an hour or two at sunset.
- You can eat and drink non-alcoholic beverages. No one will tell you anything for doing so.
- At any time of the year, you should be careful with your clothing and pay attention to covering your shoulders or wearing compressed dresses. Do not wear anything excessively short or low-cut.
- The tours may have a reduced schedule, so the guides will be home before dark.
What did I think of the overall experience?
If I had to describe my experience in Morocco, it would be “A discovery of a new culture.” Yes, it was a culture shock, but if there is one thing I love about every trip I take, it is discovering new realities and new types of thinking, and being that it was my first time out of Europe, I was fascinated by the differences that exist.
But the next time I visit the country I want to go with a guide that I know and trust!
Do you want to visit Morocco? Please don’t make the same mistake as me! Explore Morocco like a local!
Morocco is a country to which I want to return because, as you can see, four days was not enough to emerge in the culture of this country and know all its curiosities.
I have already decided that the next time I visit Morocco, I will go with Is @marhabavamosamarrocos!
Isa has already fallen in love with Morocco for over nine years! In 2019 she moved to Marrakech but had been organizing custom trips and tours since 2016. Nowadays, although she no longer lives in Morocco, she is still the city’s leading tour leader, making dreams come true for many people! On Isa’s tours, you can have the unique opportunity to sleep in the Desert, visit the Blue City or have an authentic experience in the Atlas Mountains. The tours are done in a responsible, professional and authentic way!
The next tour will be from September 5 to 11!
On this tour, you will have the privilege of visiting the souks of Marrakech, the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou and the city of Ouarzazate (considered the door to the Desert where films such as Babel, Ben-Hur or War of Thrones have been recorded). You will visit some Berber villages, a village that lives mostly from pottery (Tamegroute). In addition, you will have the opportunity to spend a night in the Desert (Zagora). There will be a few more stops, but they are not yet certain. In Marrakech, apart from Isa, you will have a certified Portuguese-speaking guide and Aitbenhaddou, an English-speaking local guide.
A trip of cultural immersion, lots of learning and discovery… And with lots of surprises too at a very affordable price!
What’s included:
📌 Hotel with breakfast + transfer in Marrakech
📌 Two nights in Marrakech
📌 One night in Ouarzazate with a visit to Aitbenhaddou with a guide
📌 One night in the Desert in luxury tents + dinner + camel or jeep ride
📌 One night in Agdz + dinner and breakfast
Here are some comments from those who have travelled with this dear Tour Leader!
“Entertainment is not to be missed. Isa is something fantastic.”
“I had Isa’s help organizing and planning my trip to Marrakech, and her tips and guidance were instrumental in making the most of the experience!”
“Isa is super helpful and knowledgeable about the country. Without her, the experience would not have been as good.”
What are you still waiting for?
photobookbysofia.com 