Morocco
It’s late January and we just had the first big snowstorm of the year- in the DC area we got around 10 inches overnight, and now it’s sleeting. Super fun. Especially when you have three dogs that do their business outside. Luckily, the one year-old corgi (EVP of Toys) thinks snow is the most fun ever. The EVPs of Treats and Cuddles, however, flat out refuse to spend more than 20 seconds in inclement weather. But you didn’t come here to read about dog potty dilemmas.
Despite the arctic vibe outside, many are already planning for spring break trips. As a mental escape, I’m going to share one of my favorite vacations with you guys! (Ok- all the trips I’ve gone on have been pretty iconic).
In 2019 I came across Flashpack- the brilliant travel agency that creates trips all over the world for single travelers in their 30s-40s. I immediately clocked one of their trips, which was almost two weeks in Morocco. One of my closest friends since college has always wanted to go there- so it didn’t take much for me to convince her to join in.
We flew from DC to Casablanca- which even typing now still feels crazy. After a quick layover in Paris (not so quick we didn’t squeeze in enough time to grab a coffee and macarons), we landed in another world. I could write 30 pages about this trip, but I’ll just focus on the highlights and stops.
We were picked up at the airport and taken to our hotel in Casablanca. Here we met the rest of our group, and headed out for a welcome dinner. On the way, we made a photo op stop at the Hassan II Mosque.
Hassan II Mosque
Dinner was at Umayya- which boasted not only incredible food, but also the most gorgeous ocean views and interior design.
Interior photos of Umayya restaurant
Bright and early the next morning we headed to Chefchaouen- the iconic “blue city”. Here we stayed for two days at Riad Hicham. It was a beautiful and comfortable place, with a traditional courtyard and views of the Rif mountains from the rooftop terrace. We spent our time there wandering the tiny streets, and taking it all in. Way too many pictures to share in a blog post, but here are some favorites.
One thing I’d highly recommend is hiring a private photographer- this place just has way too many ‘grammable spots to not get some epic photos of yourself! We used TheChaouenInsider who I think we found on Airbnb, but there are a lot of options!
After Chefchaouen (or Chef, as we obnoxiously now call it) was a travel day, but we did see some amazing scenery along the way to Fez, like Lake Sidi Chahed.
Lake Sidi Chahed
We checked into the Hotel Sahrai in Fez on September 9th- after a long day on the bus, we were thrilled to see this luxe hotel. We took advantage of the pool as well as the hammam, where I had one of the best spa treatments OF MY LIFE. (And I’m a seasoned spa girlie, so that says a lot).
Our time in Fez was complete with wandering through the souk, visiting the Chouara Tannery (and securing some gorgeous leather goodies), admiring the Al-Attarine Madrasa, and enjoying some “nous nous”, which is a half milk/half espresso staple in Morocco- we had it nearly daily.
From there, it was off to the Sahara. We glamped for two nights under the stars, watching the sunset on the backs of camels, and enjoying traditional Berber cuisine.
Stops en route to our final destination included the Todra Gorge, The Kasbah Amridil, and a relaxing day/evening at the Hôtel Tomboctou in Tinerhir.
Our trip came to an end in Marrakech- a visit to Le Jardin Secret, an evening trip to the medina, and a dinner at the family home of our incredible tour guide rounded out one of the most epic vacations of my life.
Hopefully you have a place like this, with warm memories to keep you comfy, even when there’s a snowpocalypse. Or even better, are planning your next warm weather escape! Don’t forget to secure your hair tool rental- my hair would have looked WAY better in all of these photos if I had had that option!!