Typing this is bittersweet but we are on to the final part of my Morocco series. The past few blog posts have been some of my favourite to write as I remember one of my favourite trips. I hope I’ve been able to impart at least some of my love for Morocco onto you and that you might consider Morocco for a future trip! If you do, let me know and I’m happy to talk to you about it, give you even more recommendations and hell, even go with you. Despite all my love for Morocco and the incredible time I had there, the fourth and final part of my week in Morocco is a little different in that I don’t have 100% positive things to say about it. I will preface what I’m about to tell you with the fact that none of that is Morocco’s fault. It comes down to trying to see as much as I could in the limited amount of time that I had and maybe pushing things a little far.

With all that out of the way, and as you can probably tell from the title, I spent my last few days on a trip to the Sahara desert! This was something that Hiba and I had decided on together as it would be something new for her as well. We looked at a couple of places but we were limited by the amount of time I had. When we were planning the trip, I only really had one night to spare for a trip to the Sahara if I was to fit in everything else that I wanted to do. This ruled out a few places such as Merzouga, a town deeper into the desert close to the Algerian border. We considered Ouarzazate, known as the Hollywood of Africa but it’s only really on the edge of the Sahara and we wanted something more immersive (more on Ouarzazate later though).

We had originally booked something through Tripadvisor but when we got to our riad in Marrakesh, Hiba and Rania got chatting to the guy checking us in who was able to get us a similar trip as we had booked but for a bit cheaper. I think we were reassured by being able to talk to someone about it, someone who was really welcoming to us in the riad and had already been super helpful. We were also able to see some pictures of the camp. We decided to go for it because we were getting good vibes from him and I’m all about listening to people in the place, in the hotel or hostel because they’re the ones that know. I’m sure he got something out of it as well but I can’t blame him for seizing the opportunity!

So Thursday rolls around, five days since I arrived in Morocco, and we had an early start – 6am to be exact. We had spoken to the guys in the riad the day before and they had said someone would be up to prepare breakfast for us and then take us out to meet the trip organisers. After a slightly stressful start because our contact in the riad overslept after a late check in the night before, we made it to our tour van and met our driver and the other people on the trip. It was a very German heavy group but there was also a French mother and daughter couple, a Portuguese and French couple, a half-Belgian half-Moroccan guy and an Argentinian plus this Scot and my two Moroccan companions.

We were heading out of Marrakesh by 8am and drove for a few hours until our first stop. By the time we stopped we were in the Atlas mountains, a mountain range that stretches for 2,500km across Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. It was obviously a popular spot because there were a lot of other tour buses there but not much about other than a little cafe and a balcony with a gorgeous view. I took advantage of it because as soon as we were back off in the bus I was incapable of staying awake. I think the last few days were catching up with me and a year of travelling on chicken buses through Central America means that I’m pretty adept at falling asleep in moving vehicles, however uncomfortable. After another couple of hours of driving, we had another brief stop to stretch our legs at Tizi n ‘Tichka, a well known mountain pass that is 2,212m above sea level. Apparently Tizi n ‘Tichka means ‘difficult mountain pasture’ in Berber which is a fair enough designation. It had absolutely spectacular views though.

Around 12.30pm, so four and a half hours into the journey, we reached our first proper stop. Aït Benhaddou has been a filming location for many films and TV series including most recently Game of Thrones but also Lawrence of Arabia, Asterix and Obelix, Gladiator, The Mummy and Indiana Jones. At one point it was also a stop along the caravan route from the Sahara to Marrakesh. Traders would spend a few nights there before going on to traverse the Atlas Mountains via the mountain pass of Tizi n ‘Tichka, where we had passed through earlier. Nowadays the ksar (a fortified village) still has a few families that live there, benefiting from the tourism related to the film industry. The old village lies across the dried up bed of the Ounila river, across from the new town where most people live now. Included in the price of our tour to Zagora was a guide to take us around Aït Benhaddou. He spoke incredible English, French and Spanish as well as Arabic and some Berber, all of which we heard on our tour. We were taken into a traditional Berber house and able to look around and also stopped in at an artisan’s workshop. He was using saffron and tea to paint a barely visible scene onto the paper. This is then heated over a flame, bringing out and fixing the colours onto the paper. The pictures often depict kasbahs or ksars, desert scenery and camels. If you bought one you could also have your name added in Berber.

I’ve mentioned Berber a few times in the past few blogs, most notably when we visited the Berber museum in the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakesh. Berbers are the indigenous people of the Maghreb region in North Africa, covering what is now Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, They are also known as the Amazigh as is their language. The Berber language is actually a collection of languages that is written using the Tifinagh script. An interesting crossover is that the indigenous people of the Canary Islands (where you’ll find Tenerife, 100 km west of Morocco), the Guanches, are believed to have spoken a now extinct branch of the Berber languages. Morocco has the largest number of Berber speakers with an estimated 24% of the population speaking at least one Berber language. Berber suffered during the post-independence years as Morocco and other North African countries tried to replace the influence of France and the French language with a policy of ‘Arabisation’ during which time all forms of Berber were oppressed. Berber is now an official language of Morocco. To give you an idea of what Berber looks like written down, this means ‘Morocco’ in Standard Moroccan Berber, also known as Standard Moroccan Amazigh or Tamazight – ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ.

After Aït Benhaddou we carried on to Ouarzazate which we would come back to the next day. For now it was only a quick lunch stop. It wasn’t the best food that I had in Morocco, a bit of a tourist trap judging by the high price and lower quality than I expected. I did get to try couscous though and tick that off my Moroccan food list although I’ve eaten it before and it wasn’t my favourite, I have to say. After a quick lunch it was back in the van and a race to our final destination before sunset.

We were running a little behind so we only saw the sunset from the van and arrived at Zagora in the light of twilight. I personally hadn’t realised this but the final stage of our journey was going to be made by camel! We could only take what we could carry so just what we needed overnight. We were able to leave our bigger bags in the van with our driver who wasn’t coming to the camp and would look after them. If you are going to do something like this, I would probably recommend leaving your bigger bags back at your riad or hotel in Marrakesh, especially if you are going back to the same place like we were. Everything was perfectly safe the way we did it but we had been given the option to leave it at our riad and I think that would have been easier in the end.

Here I have to admit that I’m not the biggest animal person. I have slowly come around to cats in the last few years after our wee girl Anna wormed her way into my heart and anyone that knows me or follows me on Instagram knows that I’m OBSESSED with my dog (and all dogs) but aside from them, most animals make me a little nervous. Enter a two metre tall Dromedary camel that was going to carry me to our camp. Getting on them was fine but the lurching movement when they stood up almost had me calling the whole thing off. The movement of the camel once we started moving was actually very jarring, nothing like what I remember riding a horse to be like from my (admittedly limited) experience. Juggling my hastily packed assortment of tote bags also proved difficult and I almost dropped them several times. In the growing darkness, I feel like that would have been the last time I would have seen them. I was so uncomfortable, borderline in pain, and then I heard someone ask how long it would take to get to camp and I genuinely thought it must be a joke when they replied an hour! No joke, but I was finally able to get my bags in a better position. Comfortable might be taking it too far but I was definitely more at ease.

We finally reached the camp after passing several others on the way, my hopes rising each time a collection of lights grew larger and then sinking again as we passed them and continued on. Finally we did approach our camp and we were able to get off the bloody camels. One of my knees had started hurting from just hanging there and my inner thighs were screaming from having to grip on. One of the things going through my head during the journey was that, for me, riding a camel was really a once in a lifetime experience – as in, I was only going to do this once in my life because there was no way I was ever going to get back on a camel ever again!

Our camp was simple but homely, a circle of tents for sleeping, a larger one for eating and a few carpets laid out in the middle where we could gather. The toilets were just outside of the circle. The group from our van were joining up with another tour group in the camp that were already sitting having some tea. We joined them and got to know each other a bit more as well as meeting the hosts of the camp. It was already 8pm by the time we arrived so it wasn’t long before we were all taken into the dining tent for some food. A Moroccan classic, we had soup to start followed by chicken and olive tagine with potatoes, vegetable and of course some bread. I’ll speak for myself, Hiba and Rania but after a 12 hour day, at least 8 of which were driving or riding a camel, we were very tired and getting a bit delirious. I won’t say it wasn’t fun, as we broke down in laughter over the smallest thing, the way only very fatigued minds and very close friends are able to. I was on the verge of going to bed when instead we were ushered outside to a bonfire and our hosts with their musical instruments. We enjoyed the music for a while and danced a bit before we got to have a go on the drums as well! We had a little walk outside of the camp to look at the stars away from the light before calling it a night.

Obviously it gets quite cold at night in the desert, at least compared to during the day, but I wasn’t too bad. I slept just in a t-shirt and shorts but still wrapped up in a big blanket and I was fine! I started to get cold just before we had to get up at 7am but I pulled on some trousers and a jumper and it was all good! Our group had breakfast, a little spread of bread, jam, cheese, boiled eggs, coffee and tea before packing ourselves up. Now the night before I had thought that I would never, ever get on a camel again but sleep had made the pain and discomfort more distant. We had been promised that the ride out of camp would be half the length of the night before, so only half an hour, and when else am I going to get to ride a camel? This time though, there was a camel with panniers where I was able to tuck one of my wee bags so that I could arrange myself more comfortably. I’ve already said that I would recommend leaving any big bags or suitcases in Marrakesh but for the bag you bring with you, make sure it’s a backpack! You need something that doesn’t require any hands to hold on to, unlike a tote bag, so you can focus all your energy on not falling off! Most people had had the same change of heart as me, after feeling the same as me the day before, although there were a couple of people that decided to take the journey on foot.

We rode back out to meet our driver and the van, ready to start the 8 hours of driving back to Marrakesh. We left around 8am again and were going for several hours with just a few short bathroom breaks before arriving back in Ouarzazate around 12.30. This time we got to see a little bit more during a short walking tour with a guide. Ouarzazate is known as the ‘Hollywood of Morocco’ because it is home to a number of film studios. It acts as a base for productions filming in Aït Ben Haddou for example. It also has the nickname of the Door of the Desert because of its position at the far edges of the Sahara and 70% of the population speaks Berber. It is a popular tourist destination, is known for the Ouazgita carpets made by Berber women and plays host to the ‘marathon des sables’, a gruelling 6 day, 250km race across the desert.

We wandered through the medina where the guide talked to us about the castle and the old town. We stopped in a women’s artisan association as well and had some tea. After our tea and being entertained by an absolutely adorable cat, we went down into the shop and got to see some of the carpet designs. Carpet weaving is a traditional Berber art made by the women. It takes hours and hours especially because they only do a couple of hours at a time because it’s bad for their eyes. I did think it was interesting that even in an association of and for women, the only woman we saw was the one that brought us tea. It was men that showed us the carpets and explained them to us. We had a look around the shop and the carpets were gorgeous and they had some really nice earrings as well but it was all pretty expensive.

It was back in the car and another hour or two before we arrived at our lunch spot. It was the same kind of place as the day before, definitely made to serve these bus trips with a set menu price. However it was a little better in terms of quality than the other place. Between the three of us we split a mixed kebab plate and a kefta plate. The kebab plate had two chicken skewers and some keftas which are basically little beef meatballs with chips and salad. Not the best and not the worst thing I ate during my trip. We were back in the bus with a few more toilet stops before getting back to Marrakesh around 7.30pm, about 36 hours after we left. We got dropped off first and hobbled our way back to Riad Chennaoui. After hours and hours in the van and with aching muscles from the camel riding, all we wanted was to lie down. It was our last night in Marrakesh and my last night in Morocco so we felt like we needed to make the most of it but once we got back, there was no way we were leaving again. Instead we ordered a pizza and called it a night.

In all honesty, I’m torn about whether this trip to Zagora was worth it. The experience of being in the camp in the desert and the stops we had in Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate were a lot of fun and very interesting. On the other hand, the journey on either side was SO. LONG. We left Marrakesh at 8am and arrived at camp at 8pm. We had stops but at least 8 of those hours were driving or on camel. And then the same to get back to Marrakesh. It was a lot. I think if we had stayed a day in the camp before going back it would have been better. There was also the option of going to Merzouga which is 300km or 4 hours further into the Sahara but that was a multi-day trip which I didn’t have time for. I already know that I’ll be back to Morocco and maybe then I can do a longer trip at a slower pace but I don’t think that trying to fit it into one night away really did it justice.

After one more night in Marrakesh, it was time to go home. I had a slightly rushed final morning as I wanted to nip out and get a few souvenirs before my taxi to the airport that the riad had helped me organise. It was sad to say goodbye to Hiba and Rania because we’d had such an amazing week. It was so nice that me and Hiba were able to pick up where we left off and then me and Rania have formed such a good friendship in such a short amount of time.

My return journey was via London with a pretty long layover but it was surprisingly nice to be back in an English speaking country, however briefly. I arrived back in Paris around 10.30pm so it wasn’t possible for me to get back to Mulhouse on the same day but luckily I have a very lovely friend, Lizzie, who has a very lovely couch that I was able to crash on. It was nice to catch up with someone else, even if I was barely there for 12 hours, before finally arriving back in Mulhouse the Sunday after I left.

I can’t believe that everything included in the last four blogs all happened within a week. Despite how much I’ve enjoyed writing them, I worry that I haven’t and won’t ever be able to fully convey how incredible and special this week was. It wasn’t just that the food was delicious (maybe more so than I expected) or that the history was fascinating, the culture was rich and vibrant, the people were some of the most welcoming that I’ve ever met. It was so much more than that. I had been thinking about this trip for three years since I met my friends in China in 2019. A lot has changed in the world since then but I’m so glad to have met them and be able to pick up where we left off as well as have them show me around their home. Reconnecting with Cheima, Aymen and particularly Hiba, my beautiful, kind, generous and funny tour guide for the week, as well as becoming fast friends with Rania was the heart and soul of this trip and to me is really what drives me to travel as much as I do. It’s all about making, and then sustaining, these connections. As I look forward to the travelling that is to come in 2023, a lot more of what I have planned is built around people rather than places and I’m thrilled about that.

I have this philosophy when it comes to saying goodbye. I used to get really upset or emotional when saying goodbye to something, somewhere or someone that means a lot to me. The first time I remember this was at the end of a month-long trip to Costa Rica when I was 17, a trip that was a catalyst for pretty much everything that has happened since. I was distraught at the thought of leaving when so much had changed since I had been there, when I had changed so much since I had been there. Now, that is a rare thing to happen. I usually don’t get upset or even vaguely teary eyed because I’m at the stage where if somewhere or someone is important enough to me that I might get upset at the thought of leaving them, then I know I will see them again. I know that I will be back to Morocco. There’s so much more to see! And whether they like it or not, these people are stuck with me for life.

Is everyone sitting comfortably? Have you got a cup of tea? (Preferably mint with lots of sugar?) Settle in because this is going to be a long one but a good one. I’m onto the two days that I spent in Marrakesh, the most touristy of the cities I visited in Morocco but also potentially my favourite. There was so much to see and do, so many sides and personalities and it felt welcoming to tourists while at the same time having held onto space for its own people. It can be a hard balance to strike in a place as popular as Marrakesh.

Despite the fantastic time I had here, we didn’t get off to the best start. Hiba was joining me for a few days in Marrakesh as well as Rania, Hiba’s friend who had come to Rabat with us the day before. We were getting the train from Casablanca to Marrakesh, the reverse of the journey that I had made a few days earlier. Unfortunately our train was delayed by an hour which we only found out once we had arrived at the station. We did eventually make it to Marrakesh with no further problems and found our riad, tucked away in the pedestrianised streets of the medina near Place des Ferblantiers and Bahia Palace. Once again, I have nothing but good things to say about Riad Chennaoui. We were given a lovely room with a grand double bed and three single beds (one extra) plus a small ensuite bathroom. Our room was right off the main courtyard but we never had any problems with noise or disruption. It came with breakfast included which was a piece of m’semen, beghrir (a semolina pancake with a honeycomb pattern) and a little pastry or muffin with honey, jam and butter plus coffee and orange juice on the side. The staff were also lovely and really helpful!

After we got settled in and refreshed a little, we headed out to explore the city. Just a few minutes away, outside the walls of the pedestrianised medina, is the Bahia Palace. Construction started in 1866 by Si Musa, a grand vizier of sultan Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman, and it was added to the collection of royal palaces in 1900 after the death of his son, Ba Ahmed. Nowadays the palace is one of Morocco’s most popular tourist attractions but is also still occasionally used by the king to host foreign dignitaries and hold events. The palace covers 37100m² and has 5 hectares of green spaces. The palace is loosely a series of courtyards with a number of rooms off to the sides. The final one is the Grand Riad, a garden within the walls of the palace and the oldest part of the palace, accessed through the Grand Courtyard. There isn’t a clear path through the palace because of the way that it was added to over the years, which can be a but confusing but also means that there are rooms to discover tucked around each corner. The tile work, the ceilings, the stonework, the paintings, the building were just beautiful. We actually saw some of the intricate patterns on the doors being repainted. It was in the Bahia Palace that I decided that one day I’ll come back to Morocco with my mum because I think it’s the kind of place that she would love, for the people, the energy and the beautiful buildings.

Just outside of the Bahia Palace compound but before Place des Ferblantiers is the Mellah market. The Mellah was the Jewish neighbourhood of Marrakesh (as well as in other Moroccan cities) although there is not now a large Jewish population there. At the entrance of the Mellah market is the spice souk with great towers of spices. You can also find tea merchants, fabric shops and even see argan oil being made.

From the Mellah market we walked further into the streets of Marrakesh, passing through Jemaa el-Fnaa which is one of the main squares of Marrakesh that comes alive in the evening with food sellers and other things. It was only mid-afternoon so things were still being set up but we had plans to come back later. Instead we were heading to one of Hiba’s favourite spots, Café des Épices. The food there is a little less traditional although there are still some Moroccan dishes and influences on the menu. I tried harira, a soup with tomato broth, rice, fava beans, lentils and chickpeas but the stand-out was the fresh strawberry juice. If none of that appeals to you, Café des Épices has a stunning rooftop where you can sit enjoying your food or drinks. After we had eaten, we relaxed there for a while because our morning of travel had caught up with us a bit. We were there around sunset which was the perfect time, watching the golden light spread over the rooftops of Marrakesh.

Feeling recharged, we headed back to Jemaa el-Fnaa for the night market which was in full swing by this point. Having already eaten, we weren’t looking at the food stalls too much but Hiba did spot one dish that she wanted me to try – the Moroccan version of escargot, snail soup. Now, the only bit I really like in escargot is the fact that it’s slathered in garlic butter. Not the case for babbouche. There are spices such as thyme, aniseed and mint involved but they don’t overpower the snails in the same way. Suffice to say I wasn’t a massive fan. Hiba also told me that she had a couple of other surprises for me but wouldn’t tell me what they were while we were walking around. There is so much energy in that square, so much hustle and bustle with sellers, henna artists, musicians, dancers and storytellers. All of a sudden, out of the incredible chaos, what appeared at my shoulder but a little monkey! Technically it was actually a Barbary ape and it wasn’t alone. You’ll find them and their handlers dotted around the square as well as snake charmers.

While doing some research I found out that Jemaa el-Fnaa is the reason for the creation of the UNESCO project ‘Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’. The presence of the musicians and storytellers was being threatened by development encroaching on the square. The project was created to preserve their legacy and acknowledge the importance of this kind of cultural space. Just walking around, even without knowing this, you can feel the energy permeating throughout the square. The name of the square could have many translations ranging from ‘the gathering or congregation area’, ‘the assembly of death’ (possibly referring to the fact that executions used to take place there) or ‘the mosque at the end of the world’ (referring to a destroyed mosque nearby).

At Hiba’s suggestion we decided to do one of the carriage rides that leave from next Jemaa el-Fnaa as a way to see more of the city in a short period of time considering we only had a few days there. It took us into the area of Gueliz, the old French district whose name comes from the French word for church, église. It has a lot of upscale restaurants and bars, including some where you can drink alcohol, as well as a large casino and some famous hotels including La Mamounia where a lot of celebrities and dignitaries stay when visiting Marrakesh.

After we finished our tour we ended our night by going back to Gueliz to a place called Sky Bar, next to the famous Cafe Atlas, one of the oldest cafes in Marrakesh which has been open since 1940. Sky Bar is one of the limited places in Marrakesh and Morocco in general where you can drink alcohol. Alcohol is only allowed in certain licensed bars and drinking in public is illegal. We enjoyed a couple of drinks there, looking out over the lights of Marrakesh with some good music playing in the background. It was a nice chilled end to a busy day. It was lovely to get to know Hiba’s friend Rania more during the day but especially while we were at Sky Bar. After one day together it already felt like I’d known her for much longer. I knew that I would get along with Rania just by virtue of her being best friends with Hiba. Hiba is someone who attracts good people and keeps the best around her. I’m honoured and flattered to be one of them.

I was excited for day two in Morocco because we had the full day to explore the city and, as you’ll see, we made the most out of it. Our first stop was another of Marrakesh’s most popular attractions that also happened to be just a few minutes away from our riad – El Badi Palace. The name means the ‘Palace of Wonder or Brilliance’. The palace was where many celebrations and official events were held and was meant to show off the wealth of the sultan. It was built in the 16th century but fell into ruin just after the start of the 17th century after the death of sultan Ahmad al-Mansur, its creator. The palace is built around a large central courtyard containing four sunken pools that now contain orange orchards that you can smell while walking around which adds something a little special to the experience. The design of the palace was inspired by the Alambra in Granada, Spain. It was very different from the Bahia Palace that we visited the day before but really interesting. The space is often an exhibition space and notably has the Minbar of Kutubiyya Mosque, a piece of furniture similar to a pulpit, on display. It was very impressive! As you walk through various parts of the palace, you might notice that some of the walls have a system of square holes over them. Like many older buildings in Morocco, they are built with rammed earth, also known as pisé, which need scaffolding to support the building process. The holes are leftovers from the construction and used for renovation as well.

At this point I’m going to interrupt with a note about clothing. You might notice a bit of a difference between the outfits I wore in Casablanca and Rabat versus what I wore in Marrakesh. One thing in common is that all my clothes were light. Even though it was the start of November, temperatures were in the high 20s or low 30s. Saying that, it is better to go for bit more coverage even in the heat. Moroccans are genuinely more conservative in the way they dress, particularly in less touristy areas like Casablanca and Rabat. I wore long trousers both days and when I was wearing a sleeveless top, I also had a light linen shirt to put on top. In Marrakesh, it’s a bit of a different story. Because of the amount of tourists, it’s more common and accepted to see people, particularly women, in shorts, crop tops, lower necklines and with their arms and legs uncovered. Even Hiba and Rania, Moroccans themselves, dress differently when visiting Marrakesh than at home in Casablanca so it’s not just for tourists.

After the Bahia Palace we were going to go to the Saadian Tomb, a royal necropolis, but there was a fairly long line so we decided to skip it. I have to leave some things to come back for right? Instead we headed to the Menara gardens. It’s a big park on the edge of Marrakesh filled with olive trees and a pool with a small pavilion next to it that is considered an iconic image of the city. The Colombian singer Maluma and French rapper Gims actually filmed the video for their song ‘Hola Señorita’ here with a few jet skis in the pool!

We made a slightly unorthodox detour after the Menara Gardens to visit the Four Seasons hotel that is just a couple of hundred metres down the road. While we were in El Badi Palace, Hiba got a phone call from them inviting her for a job interview that afternoon. It just so happened that she was in Marrakesh and could do it in person! Rania and I were perfectly happy to relax in the shade on the cafe terrace, looking out on the most aesthetic pool I’ve ever seen. It was a great chance to get to know each other better while pretending to fit in at the fanciest hotel I’ve ever been to. Even better, the interview went well!

It was finally time for lunch and we went to a place that Hiba knows to eat tangia, one of the last dishes I had to check off my Moroccan cuisine checklist. Tangia is a dish that is closely associated with Marrakesh. Like ‘tagine‘, the word refers to the terracotta cooking pot and the dish itself. It’s made of lamb shank, candied lemon, spices, garlic and water, left to cook for hours in the embers of a wood fire. They brought it out and poured it from the dish in front of us with a bit of a fanfare. It was some of the most tender meat I’ve ever eaten and really did melt in your mouth! We also had some wee salads and chips, bread of course and these amazing curried lentils. It was really good but a bit heavy, oily and greasy but in the best way. Having a smaller portion of the tangia with the sides to lighten things up is the way to go I think.

Last but not least, one of Marrakesh’s most well known attractions and one of the ones I was looking forward to the most. Even if you don’t recognise the name Jardin Majorelle, the Yves Saint-Laurent museum or some of the photos might ring a bell. The Jardin Majorelle is a small botanical garden created by Jacques Majorelle in 1923. It took 40 years to complete and also has the cubist villa in the iconic majorelle blue designed by Paul Sinoir. In the 1980’s the garden was bought by fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé. They lived in the villa for many years until Yves Saint-Laurent’s death in 2008. His ashes were scattered in the gardens and there is a memorial there as well. There are a couple of museums on site, one in the old painting studio and villa dedicated to the culture of the Berber ethnic group and then the actual Yves Saint Laurent museum. Unfortunately it is closed on Wednesdays (when we were there) so something else to come back for. I would definitely recommend getting the combined ticket to visit the garden and the Berber museum, it was so interesting to learn about a different side of Moroccan culture. In general, it was absolutely stunning, definitely a must see in Marrakesh and Morocco at large. It was so peaceful just walking around the garden, enjoying the peace and quiet that permeates despite the large number of people visiting. Watch out for some little turtles swimming about the pool and sometimes wandering down the paths!

At this point, the three of us were flagging a bit. We had evening plans so we decided to head back to our riad for a little pit stop. Hiba had booked us a table at a pretty fancy bar for the evening to watch a live band. It also just so happened that a friend of mine that I met while volunteering in a hostel in Tenerife during the summer was also in Morocco! Syahira had been doing the same thing in hostels around Morocco but was on her last few days there and decided to spend one of her last evenings with us.

Épicurean is a bar and restaurant in Marrakesh’s casino. To reserve a table you have to be eating but it’s also a bit expensive so our plan involved a pre-reservation burger at McDonalds and then to share some starters and sides while watching the band. However, when we got there at 10pm we found out that the band wouldn’t be on for another two hours! Hiba, Rania and I had to be up early the next morning for the next and final part of our trip so after enjoying a drink at Épicurean we decided to head back to Sky Bar, where we had been the night before. Even if it wasn’t what we had originally planned, I had a great night catching up with Syahira who also immediately got along with Hiba and Rania. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, one of the best feelings is when your friends get along with each other.

And with that, part three of the Morocco series comes to an end. I’ll keep saying but I had such an incredible time. As much as I enjoyed seeing Casablanca and Rabat, the less touristy sides of Morocco, I understand Marrakesh’s appeal and charm. It definitely is touristy, full of people visiting from all over the world, which can be a bit overwhelming, but maybe part of the reason I liked it was seeing the contrast with where I’d already been. Even better, the next stop on the trip is somewhere else completely different as well!

After a fantastic first day in Morocco exploring my friend Hiba’s home city of Casablanca, day two brought a different city. The plan was to head to the nearby capital of Rabat, partly just to see it because why not and partly to visit another friend from China who lives there. While I was in Casablanca I was staying in her family home which was a really lovely experience. I already felt very welcomed in Morocco just by virtue of how warm and friendly the people are but there’s something about being in a family environment that adds an extra element to that. This is where I was really glad to be able to speak French as her parents don’t speak English and I obviously don’t speak Arabic (although I made an effort during the week to learn a few words). Hiba and her mum prepared us a lovely breakfast of bread, m’semen (the Moroccan pancakes), mini pastries and madeleines, eggs, coffee and orange juice.

Rabat is two hours from Casablanca by train (40-50 dirhams or about £4, 1 hour if you get the express train) so we went for a day trip from Casablanca. Rabat is the capital of Morocco (not Marrakesh like many people think, myself included). From 1912, Rabat was the administrative centre of the French protectorate and has been the capital since the country achieved its independence in 1955. It is further north along the coast from Casablanca but isn’t a particularly important port, relying more on tourism and the fact that all of Morocco’s embassies are situated there for its importance. It is also one of the four imperial cities in Morocco, the historical capitals of the country, along with Marrakesh, Fez and Meknes.

Our first stop was the Kasbah des Oudayas which is an old military fortress and the oldest part of the city built in the 12th century. It is now a residential district that overlooks the mouth of the Bou Regreg river which also acts as the division between Rabat and the neighbouring city of Salé. There are houses, shops, a gallery, food spots and a popular cafe within the walls and all the buildings are painted white and blue. Like elsewhere in Morocco, there are also cats roaming everywhere you look! We wandered through the streets, admiring the cute nooks and crannies and beautifully painted doors. Our aim was to find Cafe Maure, a well known spot where you can enjoy the panoramic views across the river. It is decorated in an Andalusian style and was renovated in 2021. The cafe is a little difficult to find, being tucked away in a corner of the Kasbah but it is well worth it. Just ask someone as you make your way through the streets or follow anyone who you think looks like a tourist and has a better sense of direction than you! Hiba and I were joined for our cup of very sweet mint tea by an equally sweet black cat that reminded me of my own. We had some biscuits with our tea, a selection of traditional Moroccan styles including cornes de gazelles or gazelle horns. These are crescent shaped parcels filled with cinnamon, almonds and orange blossom water and Hiba’s personal favourite. I don’t know what they were called but my favourites were some more lemony ones covered in icing sugar. After a while enjoying the view from Cafe Maure, we walked back out of the Kasbah via Bab er-Rouah, a gorgeous decorative gate whose name translates to ‘Gate of the Winds’ after the Atlantic winds that sweep through Rabat.

The Kasbah des Oudayas is right next to the medina where we headed next. The medina in Rabat is actually a UNESCO World Heritage site. A friend from Rabat had been to a really interesting art exhibition the day before that we were trying to find. One of the streets at the edge of the medina had been transformed into Gal•Rue, a play on the French words ‘galerie‘ and ‘rue‘ which means street. There had been beautiful carpets laid down and the sides of the street were lined with a range of artwork displayed on easels. We walked from there, down through a market that was quieter than the one I had seen in Casablanca, and arrived at the marché central.

We wanted to go to Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, both contained within the same courtyard at the top of Rabat with guards on horses at the entrances and lots of flags lining the walls. Hassan Tower is the minaret of an incomplete mosque started near the end of the 12th century. The tower was intended to be the tallest minaret in the world and the mosque would have been the largest in the western Muslim world at the time. Instead the tower stands at 44m and only a few walls and 348 columns were constructed for the mosque. Apparently the beginnings of the mosque used to be a little more visible until the courtyard around them was built. On the other side of the courtyard from Hassan Tower is the Mausoleum of Mohammed V containing the tomb of King Mohammed V (1909-1961) and his two sons, including the previous king, Hassan II (1929-1999). It was designed by Vietnamese architect Cong Vo Toan and pays tribute to traditional Moroccan styles and techniques as well as Mohammed V’s efforts to promote this craftsmanship as part of Morocco’s sense of identity. We took some silly pictures with the tower and had a little peek into the mosque and then went in search of a taxi.

We had a quick stop at St Peter’s Cathedral, an art deco cathedral from the start of the 20th century in the centre of Rabat. We did a lap around the inside where we could hear a choir practising which was kind of surreal. The cathedral is right next to one of Rabat’s tram lines so we hopped on there to head to lunch in the Agdal neighbourhood. We were meeting another friend that Hiba and I know from our time in China, Cheima. She had suggested Dar Naji, a restaurant with traditional Moroccan food. One of Hiba’s friends, Rania, joined us from Casablanca for lunch and the rest of the afternoon as well. She would also be coming with us for the rest of the week’s adventures in Marrakesh and to the desert. It was great to see Cheima and catch up after a few years. On top of that, as soon as I met Rania I knew that we were going to get along and have a lot of fun over the next few days. I decided to order another Moroccan dish that I hadn’t tried yet, rfissa prestige. This was possibly my favourite dish that I tried in the whole week! It was chicken on shredded m’semen (the Moroccan pancake) with onions, boiled eggs, figs, prunes and a broth of ginger, coriander, saffron and ras el hanout, a common spice blend in North Africa. It was far too big a portion for me but I powered through as much as I could because it was so delicious!

After a lovely lunch and a good catch up with Cheima, Hiba, Rania and I headed to our final stop of the day, the Chellah. A medieval, fortified, Muslim necropolis on the edge of the city, the Chellah was built in the first century BC by the Phoenicians of modern day Lebanon to serve as a trading post. It was later the Roman colony Sala Colonia and finally occupied by the Marinid Sultanate from the 13th century until it was abandoned in the 15th century. It was damaged by an earthquake in the 18th century and was left untouched until archaeological excavations uncovered the town in the 20th century. Today you can see the forum, the mosque, Roman baths and a cemetery.

It turns out that the Chellah has been closed since before covid so it’s no longer possible to enter the walls and have a look around. Hiba and Rania found this out by talking to one of the security guards and he told us that even if we couldn’t go into the compound, he could show us a spot around the back where we would be able to at least see within the walls. Once again, it’s one of those situations that’s not nearly as dodgy as it sounds. Hussein, the security guard, was actually lovely and as well as taking us around to the viewpoint and telling us some bits of history, he also insisted on being our photographer! He was directing, stopping us at all the best spots and taking multiple pictures. The walk up the hill was a little steep but not too long and definitely worthwhile seeing as you can’t see the Chellah properly. Hussein also pointed out quite a few stork nests around the site which I thought was a funny Alsace-Morocco crossover as storks are also a symbol of the region I live in in France!

At this point, we had been out all day and done lots of walking in the heat. The temperature was high 20s, low 30s most of the time I was in Morocco, slightly cooler in Casablanca and Rabat on the coast but at least Marrakesh wasn’t so humid if a bit hotter! Still, it all built up to the point that we were very tired. We got the train back to Casablanca and had dinner at Hiba’s, some soup and sausages, before buying our train tickets to Marrakesh the next day and crashing out to sleep!

This is a slightly shorter blog post by my standards although I’m still glad that I split it from the Casablanca post or that would have been an almost 5000 word behemoth! As a result I want to take this chance to talk a little bit about the language. I’ve already said that I don’t speak Arabic (I haven’t quite gotten around to it on my list of languages to learn!) but I obviously speak French pretty well at this point. Saying that, I didn’t have to use it that much. Seeing as I spent almost all my time with Hiba, other than getting myself from the airport into Marrakesh and Marrakesh to Casablanca, I relied on her Arabic to get me around which was actually a nice change from being the one in charge of the organisation and leading the trip. At the same time, I don’t like to go anywhere without being able to say a few words in the local language because I think not making the effort shows a lack of respect for where you are.

Now, if you know anything about Arabic you’ll know that as widely spoken as Arabic is, there is a lot of variation among its many speakers. Moroccan Arabic, more commonly known by Moroccans as Darija, is a particularly distinct form of Arabic. Because it is so different from standard Arabic, speakers from other countries tend to have more difficulty understanding Darija than most other versions of Arabic, although Moroccans don’t have the same problem understanding others. Much of Darija’s vocabulary is influenced by classical Arabic, Berber or Amazigh languages as well as some French and Spanish.

Now here’s a few words for you in Darija so that you are ready for when (not if) you go to Morocco!

Salam – hi/hello (سلام)

Besslama – goodbye (بسلامة)

3afak – please (عفاك)

• The three is used to represent the letter ع which doesn’t have an equivalent in English. The sound it makes is similar to a nasal A or E. Other numbers are used for other letters that don’t have an English equivalent.

Chokran – thank you (شكرا)

Bezzaf – a lot (بزاف)

• Chokran bezzaf – thank you very much

Ahh – yes (اه)

La – no (لا)

Bghit – I want (breet) (بغيت)

Atay – Moroccan tea (very important word in Morocco!) (اتاي)

Bghiti atay? – Do you want tea? (breeti) (بغيت اتاي)

I couldn’t believe how much we packed into each day when I was there but looking back and writing these blogs, I don’t know how my feet didn’t fall off! To be fair, I did finish these first two days pretty exhausted but so very, very happy. I felt a real attachment to Morocco from the moment I arrived. I have no doubt that much of that was to do with the people I met, those I knew as well as those I didn’t, but it also has this incredible energy that I loved! It’s a little chaotic, it’s not pristine, but it’s interesting and exciting! Hopefully that’s coming across in what I’ve written and what I’ve still got to share. Next up – Marrakesh!