Wanderlust Wednesday #16

7 greetings to you,

Yes, it sounds like something from Game of Thrones. Just…go with it.

Morocco is the subject of today’s Wanderlust Wednesday! *Cue imaginary streamers*

As part of their week-long vacation in this northern African country, a group of six friends traveled from Marrakesh to Agadir and made some exciting stops in between in an attempt to experience the best Morocco has to offer.

Marrakesh

Marrakesh or Marrakech [French] is one of the largest cities in Morocco; ranking 4th after Casablanca, Fez, and Tangier. The city is brimming with rich history, culture and a blissful aesthetic characterized mostly by the medina, buildings and the atlas mountains.

“Medina” – sectioned off city usually filled with vendor’s stalls and maze-like streets. 

Majorelle Garden 

The crew visited the home of the late Yves–Saint Laurent who bought this place off of the original owner, a painter named Jacques Majorelle.

City Tour 

Staying within the medina, but this time traveling by horse-drawn carriage, they stopped to see the Koutoubia Mosque, Royal Theatre & Royal Palace.

Leaving the medina far behind them, the group embarked on a 12-hour journey into the desert to see the dramatic Merzouga Dunes. Typically this entire trip (Marrakesh – Merzouga – Marrakesh) is completed in 3 days, but they requested for it to be done in two. Shoutout to the driver who was willing and able to accomplish that feat!

On the way, they were able to see the Valley of Roses & CLA Studios in Ouarzazate, as well as the Atlas Mountains. Aside from being a popular filming destination, Ouarzazate is home to the Berber people who make the city’s buildings and produce intricately designed carpets and rugs! You know…in case you’re looking for that sort of thing.

On arrival in Merzouga, each person got their own camel which they rode 1hr 30 minutes to the solar-powered desert camp. Talk about working your glutes. Safe to say you don’t want to be wearing denim, a dress or flip flops on Mr/Miss camel. There was a desert guide here who didn’t just help with the camels but with pictures, proper scarf tying technique (sand…amirite?), and tips for the best photo ops. He was [unsurprisingly] a master in desert affairs.

Nightfall brought cold temperatures, tagine (a typical Moroccan dish served with chicken or beef, and eaten from a shared pot), a bonfire and music!Sunrise over the dunes

Agadir

A 3hr bus ride brought the crew to Agadir, on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Did I hear you say beaches? Yes, it has some great beaches. However, these six opted to head to Paradise Valley for great views and daring cliff jumps.

Tips . The rocks leading up to the cliff are incredibly slippery, so pack a pair of shoes that have an adequate grip!

Paradise Valley

Hammam Bath @ Argan Palace

Full body scrubs and massages seemed to be the order of the day when everyone decided to go for a hammam bath.

This is also called a Turkish bath and involves -in addition to the scrub and massage- alternating between steam rooms and cold baths. I tried this out recently in Montreal, without the massage (sadly), and felt excellent after!  I’d not only recommend it but try it again if I get the chance.

Where they stayed 

Marrakesh: Skip the fancy hotels here (your pocket will thank you) and opt for an apartment that overlooks the marketplace in the medina. Airbnb is your friend. 

Agadir: Sofitel Beach Resort 

Merzouga Desert: Proper beds were provided in the desert inside small rooms built on the sand.

Who handled the tours? Tours Morocco Safari Travel Agency & Surf ‘n’ Stay received high praise for the quality of their tours!

Thank you to the entire crew for allowing me to use your content in this post & to Cindy for taking time out to talk with me about the trip!

If you’ve traveled anywhere and want to share your photos and experiences as part of #wanderlustwednesday, you can email me at hello@samefootprints.com.

As always, 

Keep dreaming & thank you for reading!

“Take only memories, leave only footprints.” – Chief Seattle

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same footprints, different sands