What can I say about Morocco, except wow, what a reality check. When we got to the airport we straight away decided to take a taxi to the hostel where we were staying as the transit from Montenegro was an nothing short of an exhausting one. After travelling all the way back up to Dubrovnik – Croatia, wait around until our 9 pm flight, we even had to sleep at the airport in Geneva over night (SIGH!) #backpackerlife. As we were driving to the hostel it was immediately apparent that this was a place that was so strange and different to any place we had ever been to before. It was quite eye opening at first to a point where we didn’t know how to process what it was we were experiencing. However just like all the other destinations we had been to so far it was the right place to be and the perfect time in my life to take in this beautiful country. We arrived at our hostel after a very short drive (which cost us a ton surprisingly), it was only once we had exited the apparent comfort and safety of the taxi that the full brunt of the culture shock hit home, leaving us with a tidal wave of confusion and anxious emotions. Hostel Itry was buried deep within the alley ways of the old town Marrakech and it seemed to be in the less privileged part of town. The second we left the cab we were immediately approached by locals and hagglers trying to convince us to choose buy their wares. The short journey by foot from where we had been dropped off to the door of our hostel was surreal. At this point, roughly 8 am in the morning, we could already feel the burning of our skin in the 40 degree heat. As we did not listen to those who said pack lightly, even the 2 minute walk to the Hostel felt like death with our 16kg backpacks. Its hard to explain the uncertainty we were feeling at this point, having constant awareness of your backpack, your pockets and trying to figure out where our Hostel could possibly be left us all quite confused and uncertain. However, once we calmed down and saw the obvious sign that marked the entrance to our humble abode we finally calmed our anxious nerves. Immediately once we passed through the doorway and had been introduced to the hosts of our hostel that we were quickly put at ease by their friendly and welcoming attitudes. We quickly got settled, had a shower and a 4 hour nap before braving the streets of Marrakech. As we only had a day in Marrakech before we embarked on our three day camel safari in the Sahara desert, we mainly spent our time in old town and the famous square Jemaa El Fnaa. Jemaa El Fnaa was insane! It bustling and chaotic with a mix of locals and tourists. We loved it, but it was immediately clear that this city has become very touristy over the past couple of years.
As we arrived during the middle of Ramadan (Muslims month of fasting), we had to walk quite a while before finding somewhere to eat. We enjoyed our first but definitely not out last Pastilla and Tagine. Close by we found the main square packed with vendors and markets selling all things from famous Moroccan spices to ‘Ray Ban’ sunglasses and ‘Armani’ Watches :P. The main square was unbelievable! Every stall you would pass, the merchants would try so very hard to get your attention and explain that their products are way better than the ones next door. As the square was rather large and spacious you could get away with not getting the attention from all the vendors, however once you pass through the backstreets thats when it gets slightly claustrophobic. The alleys were extremely tight and all you see for ages extending in from of you was literally just shop after shop making it very easy to get lost (which is part of what made it amazing). It must have been obvious that we did not know what we were doing by the looks on our faces as some one instantly took advantage of the situation and wanted to come to our rescue. At first this person was saying that he did not want any money he was just happy that he got to talk to foreign people to practice his english and he would happily escort us back to where we needed to go. Of course this was not the case, and we soon found ourselves outside his shop, far away from the square and him asking for 3 euros.
Our time spent in Marrakech was definitely intense, however even with the constant haggling and strangers approaching your for money, we only have good things to say about this place. The culture Marrakech had to offer was beautiful and the sense of unity as they all come together at the end of a day of fasting was unbelievable. We definitely recommend seeing Marrakech, however our only advice is – dont look lost 😛 and dont be afraid to haggle.
The next morning we were picked up by our tour guide for the next three days who was going to be driving us from Marrakech to Merzouga where we will be enjoying our night in the Sahara desert. The drive was broken up into 2 days, 6 hours to our Hotel in Boumalne Dades, and 6 hours the next day to Merzouga. As the three of us dont ever plan ahead, we did not think to take out cash prior to leaving Marrakech. So our first travel day was spent hungry yet again until we got a proper feed late afternoon early evening. This along with the lack of air conditioning in the bus + 40 degree heat outside was not the best combination and Jahna soon felt herself close to fainting when we tried to climb to the top of Alt Ben Haddou in Ouarzazate. We were troopers however and had an amazing feed not long after 😛
We spent the night in a beautiful hotel with a pool – which truly was the perfect way to end the day. We had a great swim a good meal and a great sleep. The next morning we woke to a beautiful breakfast at the Hotel with an amazing view on the terrace tops. We drove to a Canyon about an hour away which was absolutely unbelievable. We got escorted by a local Berber who showed us the agriculture and the nearby village as we walked through the Canyon. It was amazing! He took us into a Berber families home, where they proceeded to show us the handmade rugs they create every day. We were welcomed with a warm cup of tea and got to see their daily process of creating these magnificent rugs. It was a truly unbelievable experience seeing how these families lived and spent their days.
A couple of hours later, we found ourselves in Merzouga where we would start our Sahara desert Safari on camel back. This experience was amazing and never have we seen or experienced anything like it before. We rode the camels through the picturesque sand dunes for about an hour (which by the way is more than enough– your butt cannot handle any longer we promise you). We arrived at our camp for the evening just after dark, where we saw a huge square of rugs encircled by tents. We all got out private tents which was super special. Ed however could not handle the heat, and spent the night sleeping outside on the rugs along with 90% of the camp :P. We received a beautiful plate of food and bread prior to listening to the local Berbers playing drums. It was a truly magical experience. Unfortunately it was an overcast day so we were unable to see the sky full of stars, however there is always next time.
In an attempt to see the sunrise, everyone woke up about 3:30 in the morning to set off back to Merzouga.
This 3 day Safari was truly magical and well worth the drama and money on the way. We highly recommend it to everyone.
All in all Marrakech and the Safari was amazing and the experience was unbelievable. We loved every second of it ❤
Keeping us Crazy 