Guest Post by Silvia Latour
Morocco is on my bucket list. When I think of Morocco I envision bright colors, flavorful food and more culture than you can cram into one trip. I have never been, but my friend Silvia went and is sharing the tales of her adventure. There is so much to see and do it can’t all fit into one blog story, so keep checking back for updates on her multi-story adventure.
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I have a confession. I didn’t know much about Morocco before going. Yet, all I had to hear was “camel ride in the desert” and I was in!
Off I set on a 10-day Moroccan adventure. Our trip was an organized private group for 10 people, with our own guide and driver. Talk about traveling in luxury! Looking back, I it was the BEST way to see Morocco. Also, I must give major kudos to the travel company for arranging an amazing itinerary, line of up activities and selecting top notch accommodations! Protip: take time to research you travel provider and look into more than one option to find the one you feel comfortable with.
So…Morocco. Um? First thing where is it on a map? Middle East right? Well, my travel agent (Ann from Voyages Great Escapades) informed me that they prefer to be known as Europeans, even if it is geographically in Africa. WAIT. What? I’m going to Africa? Do I need shots? Nope. Nothing other than your routine vaccines. Will there be elephants and tigers roaming? I told you I really didn’t know much about Morocco before this trip.
And We’re Off
The trip started with a nice long direct plane ride on Royal Air Maroc, where I attempted to sleep but was too excited. After landing safe and sound, but tired, we meet our guide and driver. This is when I discovered that Moroccans second language is French. Although their primary language is Arabic, it was nice to know my Quebec roots would allow me to converse with the locals.
The currency of choice in Morocco is the Dirham. If you want Dirhams in hand before leaving, plan ahead as they can be tricky to get. A good tip? If you are arriving during business hours, you can get currency at the airport and an added bonus: the rates are better!
We landed in Casablanca and a fellow traveler had no problem getting currency at the airport. I also had the opportunity to use an ATM a couple of times in country and it was easy. Major tip…get small bills! We had several situations where “larger” bills were refused as they do not want to give up the small bills. A good rule of thumb in figuring out pricing…if something is 100 MAD (Moroccon Dirham), drop the last digit and then think of it in US. So, 100 MAD is 10 US. Took a few days before we figured that out, and I’m sure we were off value of some things.
The 10-day trek would take us from modern cities like Casablanca and Marrakesh to ancient locations like Fez and Volubilis. We saw rolling landscapes, snow caped mountains, desert and forests. Honestly, the natural diversity was more than I was expecting when I started my Moroccan-middle eastern-European-African visit.
From the people, to the scenery – I was surprised. Pleasantly so. I also experienced culture shock…a few times.
Stay tuned for more adventures as I walk you through all Morocco has to offer. From food to markets, Riads and Kasbahs, people, colors, sights, and sounds. You will be inspired to plan your own camel ride.
Silvia Latour lives in Montreal, Quebec. She currently works as a Sales Specialist and Business Intelligence Analyst for a major Pharmaceutical Company. She enjoys spending time with friends & family, travel, photography, volunteering and baking. Her life philosophies include: So many places to go and so many things to bake! Shoot with a camera and be kind. Follow her sweet creations on Facebook.
Part Two: Small is Beautiful: The Benefits of Small Group Tours
Part Three: Moroccan Riads… More Please
