Morocco Adventure

Morocco | Jul 16 - Jul 29, 2022

A huge thank you to all the people involved in our amazing trip to Morocco 🇲🇦!
First let’s start with Yassine who planned the whole trip! Thank you ! You listened to everything we said and made our adventure perfect for us!
Arrive in Casablanca and Amine our driver is there and waiting for us with a big smile on his face which is how he greeted us every day or night! We can not say enough about Amine! He was always available and sssooo very helpful and sweet and kind! His driving was exceptional! We always felt save even in the mountains and the narrow streets in the medinas! He became a part of the family!
We asked Yassine to book us into the Four Seasons in Casablanca and next time I would have let him pick the hotel. It was fine but not up to the Four Seasons standard.
Amine suggested La Sqala for an authentic Moroccan dinner and it was perfect! We had tagines and the food and entertainment were a perfect start to our Moroccan journey!
Amine picked us up the next morning and we were on our way out of Casablanca! Yassine you were right to see the Hassan Mosque but then get out Casablanca! Amine drove us to Rabat with a few highlight stops and then we were on our way to Meknes and we stopped there but our first highlight of the trip was at the Roman ruins in Volubilis!!! Our guide Rashid was incredible!!! He was so knowledgeable and patient with me and how very slow I am at walking! He spent hours with us and we basically closed the place!❤️❤️❤️
Onwards to Fes and our spectacular Riad Fes! Yassine this was a perfect choice! You arrive at a nondescript door in an alley and then you walk into this stunning palace! Loved this Riad so much we canceled our tour of Sefrou so we could just relax by the pool at our Riad! The next day Amine picked us up and introduced us to our guide Hassan! Hassan was amazing! Again he was knowledgeable and took us to the tannery which was an eye opening experience! It was like going back in time 1,000 years! Thank you Hassan!
Our three nights in Fes was the perfect length of time. We explored the Medina with Hassan and then on our own! I can’t say this enough, the people in Morocco are so warm and helpful and kind! Going through the Medina without a guide was not scary and when we got lost anyone we asked was helpful in helping us find our way home! There are miles and miles of alleyways in the Fes medina!
The next day was our long long drive to the Sahara desert 🐪! There’s no way around this but I will say it’s totally worth the drive! This was my favourite part of the entire trip! Because of my hips I was not able to go into the desert on camel but Rob did and he loved it!❤️❤️❤️ I went to our campsite in a 4x4 vehicle and our driver made it so much fun riding over the sand dunes!!! 🤪 The campsite was amazing and the staff were great!!! I climbed up the sand dune and watched the sun set in the Sahara desert!!! The most memorable part of the trip !!
Onto Ouarzazate the Moroccan Hollywood! Poor Amine this was tough and long driving for him but he was always smiling and focused on the road! He is the best!! We enjoyed touring the movie set!
Our Riad was quiet and in the middle of nowhere but the person there was sweet and kind and helpful. The next day we visited Ait Ben Haddou and I think this was the highlight of the trip for Rob! Our guide was a character and as there was a lot of climbing and I had only brought sandals - Amine lent me his running shoes!!! 🥰 God bless him!
We had tea with a Berber family and climbed to the top of the site! It was breathtaking and Rob just wanted to stay at the top all night! ❤️❤️❤️
Now onto Marrakech and the long and winding road!!! Amine is an exceptional driver and he did an amazing job driving through the high Atlas Mountains on those narrow and winding roads!!! 👏🥰
Marrakech is a city like no other in the world! Rob loved the pulse! I loved our Riad Jardines de la Medina! Again a nondescript front door in a very narrow alleyway (poor Amine trying to get this big van down this alleyway!)You walk through this door into an oasis!!! This was my favourite Riad!!! Our room was incredible with two private terraces on two floors!!! Thank you Yassine for booking this treasure!!! I didn’t want to leave!! Our tour of the Medina the next day with Siad was good. It was too long for me but that’s not Siad’s fault! We walked for four hours through the Medina! I took the afternoon and the next day off and sat by the beautiful pool! It felt like a resort at Jardines de la Medina! We did go to La Tanjia for dinner and loved it!!! There was great Moroccan food and entertainment (belly dancers) and we were on the third floor overlooking a busy square! We had Tanjia which is different from Tajines. It was delicious! The hotel recommended this restaurant and I would highly recommend you add it to your list of restaurants in Marrakech!
The next day I had my Moroccan cooking class and this was another highlight for me!!! I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️
That night Amine took us to the big market with snake charmers and dancing and singing and stall after stall of everything imaginable. Rob loved it but I was overwhelmed!!! I definitely wanted to see it but it was too much and too crowded for me!
The next day we were back on the road again and headed for Essaouira! Our Riad Chbanate was very rustic and the staff was so sweet and warm and welcoming! I however, was done with markets and alleyways and medinas so I personally would have preferred a large hotel with a pool on the beach! Sorry this is nothing against the Riad Chbanate! I just wanted to go back to Jardines de la Medina! Rob went out exploring and came back for me in the afternoon and we walked for miles on the beach! It is a spectacular beach and the highlight of Essaouira!!! If we had started our journey in Essaouira I would have enjoyed our Riad but at this point I was tired of the markets and alleyways and medinas - sorry 😞. We ate at Il Mare and enjoyed the views of the rugged side of the Atlantic and enjoyed a fresh fish dinner! The beach and boardwalk along the beach was spectacular!
On the road back to Casablanca Amine took us along the coast and it was breathtaking but then we went inland and caught the highway to Safi which is nothing to see unless you need to stop for a bathroom break otherwise I would continue on to El Jadida! Beautiful fortified city and great stop to walk along the ramparts! Our next stop was not necessary and would eliminate it from the itinerary.
Continuing on to Casablanca where we arrived during rush hour and Amine tried to find us a restaurant to eat dinner but it was so busy and traffic was a nightmare and he could not find a place to stop so we simply went to our hotel by the airport and we ate there.
We had to be at the airport for 6:00am so staying at the airport made sense.
Thank you to everyone involved in the making of this once in a lifetime adventure to Morocco 🇲🇦!!! Special thanks to Yassine for all the planning and changes !!!
And the biggest hug and thanks goes to our incredible driver and friend -Amine!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
You are a special person and we miss you already!!! Follow your heart and let it guide you!!! You have friends in Canada now!!!🇨🇦🥰❤️