Camel ride in the Sahara

Morocco was on my bucket list and in November 2023 I was invited to join a Travel Leaders exclusive education trip to the southern part of Morocco with Intrepid Travel. Our adventure started in Marrakech where we did a walking tour of old Medina, the bustling souks and an enclosed high-walled garden called 'le Jardin Secret'.  From Marrakech we traveled east along mountain roads and over Morocco's highest pass, Tizi n'Tichka (2260 metres above sea level), to Ait Benhaddou on the edges of the Sahara. Perched on a hilltop and almost unchanged since the 11th century, Ait Benhaddou is one of Morocco's most iconic sites and a World Heritage site.  

From Ait Benhaddou we headed south towards the Sahara Desert, stopping in the regularly used film location of Ouarzazate along the way. We continued to travel through the lush Draa Valley to Zagora, a small oasis town on the Sahara fringe for an overnight stop. Next stop was the Sahara camp. Once we arrived we were shown to our luxury tents and changed for our sunset camel ride. We climbed high atop the dunes and it felt like we were the only people on earth. What an incredible experience! That night, after the sun went down, I hiked up the dune by my tent and laid on back to look at the stars. They were the brightest I have ever seen. I was there for two hours taking it all in. 

Next we headed west to the  coastal town of Essaouira with stops in Oulad Berhil and Taroudant where I haggled with local traders for colorful Moroccan ceramics and mosaics. Essaouira is one of the oldest port cities in the country, and fishing here is still quite traditional. We joined a local guide for a walking tour through the old medina, Jewish mellah, port and skala (sea wall). Essaouira is a gorgeous beach town, one of my favorite places on the trip! 

We returned back to Marrakech and had the opportunity to meet the Intrepid Travel team at their office. They served us traditional tea and cookies. The guide we had from Intrepid was incredible, he was so knowledgeable and engaged with the entire group. He really made the trip enjoyable. The Moroccan people were friendly and welcoming. Several times we were talking to locals and they invited us to see their homes. In Ait Zin we did a pre-planned dinner at a woman's house where she cooked and served Tajine. This is a traditional dish named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. After dinner she had us try on her traditional dresses, it was so fun! I loved shopping in the souks because everything was made right there in front of you and so colorful! Morocco was everything I hoped it would be and more.