March 2024

Thoughts. 

Morocco is complicated, chaotic, wild and wonderful. It is a country at the intersection of religion and culture, so close to neighboring Europe and so far away. I think of our time there as the first real “travel” the kids have done, vs “vacation”. It sometimes felt hard – noisy, smelly, raw. There were long drives and sometimes not much to see. It was also Ramadan when we were there, but for me, that offered even more context to our visit. But for a few days, we were not just on vacation, we were a part of a place that more closely resembles much of the world. That made it feel worth it. 

I tried to put the trip together myself as I usually do, but this one felt intimidating. I couldn’t figure out the order of places / how to move around / the right sights / proper tour guides. So for this one, I gave in and Martha at Strong Travel helped me. She’s an experienced travel agent with great taste and inherently understands family travel. We’ve worked with her several times over the years and her partners at Experience Morocco helped pull it all together. 

We visited Fez, Rabat, Marrakech, and the Agafay Desert. I regret not going to the Sahara but we couldn’t stomach an 8 hour drive each way. Because of the travel agency management, it’s harder to recommend some of the guided experiences, but there are definitely landmarks not to miss. 

In general, Morocco felt very expensive, much more than I expected. I’m not sure if it’s the way we did it or just the tourist experience there. If I did it again I would definitely skip Rabat, and go a little longer to make the Sahara drive less painful.  And I still think I’d work with a travel agency, but perhaps educate myself a little more about the kinds of activities I wanted to do, or places I wanted to see. Most of my recommendations are in Marrakech, in part because some of the things we did in other cities were not as memorable. If you decide to head to Morocco, let’s talk about it live.

Stay.

• Caravan by Habitas Agafay. Hipster cool, fabulous scenery, great food. I loved the tent vibe even despite the two-day windstorm. 
• Dar Rhizlane. We did not stay here, but I dream of this riad. We walked in for dinner and were overwhelmed by its beauty and architecture. 

Eat. 

• Tajine all day. Moroccan food is amazing. The couscous, harira soup, breads, the braised meats, the salad plates and my favorite – the pastilla – were delicious everywhere. My favorite meal was sitting amongst the street vendors in Jemaa el-Fnaa, the main square in Marrakech, where you can try a taste of everything.
• Le Jardin Marrakech. A lovely cafe in a breezy courtyard in the heart of the medina for lunch or dinner. We appreciated the variety of food after extensive (and amazing) tajine. 
• La Terrasse des Epices. Fabulous rooftop restaurant near the edge of the medina. Definitely need reservations but worth the unique French / Moroccan cuisine. 
• Bacha Coffee. Super touristy spot with rumored amazing coffee. It was inside the archeology museum and had a 2 hour (!) wait. But the interior is beautiful, and you can imagine yourself sitting next to Winston Churchill smoking a cigar. 
• Bo Zin. I think I recommend it? It’s a total scene and totally outside of what I expected of Morocco. So maybe go for that.

Play. 

• Atlas Mountains. Experienced the mountain landscape in between two major rainstorms. Hiked up (or in Nola’s case, took a mule 😉 to a mountain hut to prepare a tajine with a local family. By far, my favorite activity. I can recommend a guide if you want one. 
• Camels and ATVs. Oh my. We didn’t do the ATV but heck yes we rode some camels. There were hundreds of places to do both on the road through the Agafay Desert. 
• Les Bains de Marrakech. I knew I wanted to go to a bathhouse for a scrub. When we last went to Istanbul, I missed out and so this was bucket list. It didn’t disappoint for its … thoroughness.  
• Medina Wander. The medinas are mind blowing. It’s what I always dreamed it would be and so much more infinite. You can buy anything as long as you bargain for it! One place we loved was the apothecary near . But in general, I loved the medina in Fez as much as the one in Marrakech. It’s a cultural experience you can’t miss.