Sophia's Moroccan Adventure: From Souks to Sunsets

I travelled to Manchester airport and was greeted by two lovely ladies on the same trip, Ella and Wendy. The check-in process at Manchester with EasyJet was easy and smooth, and the staff were very helpful. We boarded the flight on time; the flight was easygoing and even got us to Marrakech airport half an hour before our expected landing time.

Morocco airport was an experience. It took us 2.5 hours, and the security was intense. We finally got through and were met by Anthony, our exodus rep, and Mohammed, our Moroccan exodus rep. We boarded the coach, which took us to the Red Hotel; we arrived just after 11 pm and had a drink in the lobby together before going to our assigned rooms with our assigned partner.

I would recommend the Red Hotel! The rooms were very modern, the staff was helpful and good with English, and we were situated just outside the madness of Marrakech. However, it was approaching midnight, so we needed to sleep before an activity-filled day the next day.

We had breakfast by the pool and met the Americans, Canadians, and Austrians who had arrived before us. We then sat down in the lobby with Mohammed, who gave us our welcome meeting and a brief rundown of the coming week.

After this, we took a three-hour coach to our next hotel, which was like a guesthouse.

We quickly freshened up before Mohammed took the whole group to the village, where we met another rep, who took us to the famous Ait Benhaddou. This Unesco heritage site has stood for hundreds of years, and it is the same Kasbah that Mohammed, our tour guide, was born and grew up in!

We saw how the locals made souvenirs for tourists by making pictures and cards using saffron to create other colours. Mohammed told us that filmmakers shot movies like Gladiator and the Netflix show Outer Banks within the Kasbah. This tour lasted around 2 hours before heading back for a quick shower and change for the welcome dinner. We had the traditional Moroccan dish Tagine, turkey meatballs, rice, and cauliflower for dinner.

After dinner, I was exhausted from all the travelling, so I headed straight to bed. The guesthouse lobby area was very Moroccan; the rooms, however, were very dated but spacious. The pool area was also clean but small.

We had breakfast at 8 am, and whilst there wasn't much choice, I had a banana and some nice cake. From there, we boarded the coach for another 5-hour drive, where we stopped for coffee to break up the journey. Mohammed kept us hydrated by constantly filling our bottles with safe water. We journey through Ouarzazate, continuing south, driving along the Draa Valley, home to over 4 million palm trees.

From here, we arrived at Camp Chez Le Pacha and had time to relax with a cocktail. We said goodbye to our cases, and with only our backpacks, we waited for our transport to take us into the Sahara to stay in a desert camp. Here come the camels! We all got onto Camels to trek through the Sahara, and this was my favourite part! The trek was around an hour and a half long.

We arrived at the camp in the late afternoon, where we found small huts equipped with just a bed and a lamp. We were taken to the large tent for dinner, soup for starters and MORE Tagine for dinner. After this, we all gathered around the fire, where the locals played drums for us and had us all up dancing around the campfire.

We all woke up at around 5:30 am to head to the top of the sand dunes to watch the sunrise; although I was exhausted, it was beautiful to see. After half an hour, we returned to the gate for breakfast, where we had pancakes with honey.

From here, we boarded the coach for a short drive to Zagora. We arrived at our hotel, Auberge Chez Ali; the pool area was stunning, the rooms were very dark, and the lobby was immaculate. After some time, we were finally reunited with our cases and got some free time around the pool to catch some rays; over 26 degrees in November was a bonus.

After this, it was time to get ready to walk through the valley, showing us how locals make their fires and how they take natural resources from the ground to make food and supplies.

We then decided to eat at the hotel as it was easier; most ordered Tagine again, and I opted for chips and chicken skewers. (A village cat got most of my chicken.) After a few glasses of wine and talks amongst the group, it was time again to wind down and go to bed for another busy day the next day.

We woke up bright and early, packed our cases to board the coach again to take us to Tighza, the village funded by Exodus. After a 4-hour drive, we journeyed back through the Draa Valley and the Atlas Mountains. We stopped at the bottom of the mountains, where locals with donkeys took our bags to the village. Our luggage stayed on the bus, and we had to live out of our backpacks. We trekked up the mountains for around an hour and a half before reaching our hotel, the Riad Bouchahoud.

We checked in and separated males and females as it was time for the traditional Hammam. We walked for about five minutes to reach the baths. All of us women gathered in a room before being taken in groups of four for the experience. The experience consisted of sitting on a little plastic stool, either in a swimsuit or naked, where they threw warm water over me continuously before scrubbing me with soap and a scrubber. The experience lasted around 10 minutes before we were all taken to the shower to get changed; we were there for around an hour before heading back to the hotel for dinner.

Again, dinner was chicken Tagine (at this point, I was all Tagined out). Mohammed briefed us on an overview of the following day before heading to bed.

After breakfast — porridge, pancakes, and even omelettes — we visited the school Exodus helped fund. We met the children and gave a group donation to support supplies. It was a very emotional experience; despite having so little, the children were happy, well-dressed, and full of warmth, which was truly humbling.

We then left the site and trekked back down the mountains to catch the bus. On our way back to Marrakech, we stopped at the film studios where movies like Cleopatra, Gladiator, Indiana Jones, and The Mummy were filmed. A movie was filmed during our visit, although we couldn't take photos.

After lunch (I had pizza, not very Moroccan, but I was craving something different), we started our 2.5-hour journey back to Marrakech. When we arrived, the city was loud, busy, and vibrant. After checking in, we had a quick refresh before heading out for food. I had a Moroccan salad with rice, which was delicious.

Afterwards, we had free time to explore the Djemma el Fna square, which was overwhelming with stands selling everything from fruit and juices to hair braids, sunglasses, and even monkeys and snakes! We also wandered through the Souks, a maze of narrow alleys that were easy to get lost in.

We returned to the hotel before heading for dinner at the Amornakoch Café. The staff greeted us warmly and were very helpful. I ordered the Chicken Satay, which I would rate 8 out of 10. The meal, including a drink, cost around £7.00. After dinner, we had some free time and visited the Sky Bar for a well-deserved Aperol, which cost about £11.00. Around 10:30 pm, we returned to the hotel — although we got lost again. The streets were like a maze, and even Google Maps couldn't help, so we paid a local to guide us.

We woke up in the beautiful Riad Arabkech, which was modern, clean, and full of traditional Moroccan charm. After a lovely breakfast on the terrace, we met our tour guide in the main square to visit Marrakech's iconic sites.

First, we toured the Bahia Palace, once the president's residence and now a popular site for locals. Then, we visited the Saadian Tombs, a stunning example of Morocco's rich history showcasing intricate 16th-century architecture. Next, we stood outside the Koutoubia Mosque for the call to prayer, where our guide explained why only Jews in Morocco have balconies—for business exchanges.

Afterwards, we had free time, so I returned to the Sky Bar for a drink and tapas. Later, we explored the souks, where I bought Moroccan coffee mats and a small toy camel. We returned to the hotel to freshen up and prepare for the gala meal. Before heading out, we gathered on the rooftop terrace for a drink. The gala location, just outside central Marrakech, was impressive — a massive hotel attached to a nightclub and casino.

We met in the garden area for prosecco and nibbles before heading to our seats for the 3-course meal. A member of the Exodus team gave a speech, and the photo competition winners were announced (unfortunately, I didn't win). We watched a video with photos from the trip before enjoying dinner: bread with dips, chicken tagine, and waffles for dessert. By this time, everyone was four proseccos deep and ready to dance. Around 11 pm, I was ready to head home.

All good things must come to an end. We were ready for our flight, with checkout at noon and a pickup scheduled for 4 pm, as our flight wasn't until 9:15 pm. I was so thankful for the early pickup because it took around three and a half hours to get through security and passport control. Fortunately, after that, there wasn't long to wait before our flight home. We boarded smoothly; before I knew it, we had touched down in Manchester. I had the best time with the Exodus group — everyone was so lovely and welcoming. The trip was outside my comfort zone, but I'm happy I did it; it was truly an eye-opening experience.

WHO WOULD THIS TYPE OF TRIP BE SUITED TO?

Adventure travellers.

FAVOURITE HOTEL VISITED?

Riad Arabkech is very modern and clean. The breakfast was superb, and the location was fantastic.

BEST EXPERIENCE FROM THE TRIP?

Without a doubt, the camel ride through the Sahara was the part I was most nervous about, but it was very surreal, and although painful, the pain was worth it.

Favourite Restaurant Visited:

Amornakoch cafe.

General Comments and Tips:

Make sure you take plenty of time for your flight home, as security is intense, and make sure your Boarding passes are printed, as they will not accept mobile phone copies. I would budget around £100.00 in tips for 7-night stays, and for the whole trip, I spent around £400.00.