Travel Diary
This is the first Travel Diary here on the Blog, and we're starting with this wonderful country, Morocco. As the travel diary is long, it's divided into 3 different posts.
- Morocco - From Marrakech to Ouarzazate (East)
- Morocco - From Ouarzazate to the Erg Chebbi Dunes
- Morocco - From the Erg Chebbi Dunes to Marrakech
I also leave here the videos of the trip
- Morocco Desert Tour Episode 1 - Marrakech and Ait Ben Haddou | Lovely Lisbonner
- Morocco Desert Tour Episode 2 - Sahara Desert | Lovely Lisbonner
- Morocco Desert Tour Episode 3 - Ouarzazate and Marrakech | Lovely Lisbonner
I hope you enjoy it!
Getting to know Morocco
Getting to know Morocco was a project I'd had for a long time, but for one reason or another it always ended up being put on the back burner, and other destinations ended up winning out over Morocco. This year I decided to spend my birthday traveling. This was also a dream I'd had for a long time, but it was always put off.
A 7-Day Tour
This was a different trip for me, for several reasons. None of my friends were on vacation at the time, so I decided that this would be my first international trip on my own (last July I traveled alone for the first time to Madeira Island, but this was my first international trip). I joined a Morocco.comI spent seven days with people I'd never seen before in my life. A real adventure.
This was the itinerary for the trip to the Sahara Desert:
- Day 1 - From Lisbon to Marrakech
- Day 2 - Marrakech, Telouet, Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate
- Day 3 - Ouarzazate, Draa Valley, Erg Chebbi Dunes
- Day 4 - Erg Chebbi, Gorges du Toda, Ouarzazate
- Day 5 - Ouarzazate, Fint Oasis, Marrakech
- Day 6 - Marrakech
- Day 7 - From Marrakech to Lisbon
Day 1 - From Lisbon to Marrakech
Before the Trip, Formalities and the Like...
Portuguese nationals do not need a visa, they just need to have a passport with at least 6 months validity.
Tap has daily flights from Lisbon (Humberto Delgado Airport) to Marrakech (Ménara Airport), so you just have to choose the one that suits you best. As the tour starts every Tuesday at 9am (we leave Marrakech for Ouarzazate), I had to arrive a day early. There were two flight options: either a morning flight at 9.25am or a flight at 2pm. I decided to take the morning flight so that I could still enjoy part of the day in Marrakech. The flight lasts 2h15m and the local time in Marrakech is the same as in Lisbon. I arrived at 11h00.
Disembarkation
While you're on the plane, you'll be given a form to fill in with your personal details and the name and address of the place where you'll be staying. This has to be filled in completely, otherwise you won't enter the country. I hadn't filled in the Hotel and Address part and had a few stressful moments with the police, but I phoned Rita Leitão at the travel agency and everything was sorted out. But now that you know, there's no point in making it easy... On arrival I had the transfer waiting for me to take me to my Riad.
The Riad
Do you know what a Riad is? It's typically Moroccan accommodation. It's the equivalent of a small boutique hotel. No windows to the outside of the house. And from the outside it's impossible to imagine what these houses look like from the inside. Some are veritable palaces. Usually the windows look out onto an inner courtyard, which sometimes has a fountain, and where the atmosphere is kept cool while the street temperatures are quite high.
I stayed at the Riad Dar El Masa, in the center of Marrakech's Medina and a 5-minute walk from the famous Jemaa El Fna Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This Riad operates as a Bed & Breakfast, so we have our bed and breakfast included; they don't serve meals. But the Riad's staff gave us plenty of directions and restaurant recommendations, and will help you book a table if you need it.
Jemma El Fna Square
We're in Marrakech, and it's time to start exploring the city before we start our tour the next day. I join up with three other tour participants I've met in the meantime, and we arrange to go and see the Square, have a cold drink and have dinner there.
This is one of the most famous squares in the world. Here you can feel the real atmosphere of Marrakech. And it's unique, because of the smells, the colors and the amalgam of people who mingle here. You'll find a bit of everything. From fruit and food stalls to Henna tattoo artists, snake charmers and trained monkeys, musicians, dancers and storytellers. Lose your fear and mingle with the locals and the countless tourists. Be as careful with your wallets and backpacks as you would anywhere else in the world, but nothing more.
The square is surrounded by a series of restaurants and cafés with terraces offering a privileged view of the square itself, from where you can watch the sunset and the magnificent transformation of the square, literally overnight.
To get a true sense of the essence of Jemaa El Fna, you have to visit it after dark, when the food stalls are set up and the square takes on a whole new life - the show has begun.
We had a cold drink (a coke cost us the equivalent of 3 euros) at the Café de France. The chairs aren't the most comfortable in the world, the staff aren't friendly, but the view.... makes up for all that.
Day 2 - Marrakech, Telouet, Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate
It's 9 a.m. and after breakfast and meeting the rest of the tour participants (there are 4 Portuguese and 10 Brazilians), it's time to meet the guide who will accompany us throughout the trip, Ahmed, and head towards Ouarzazate, the city known for being "at the gates of the desert".
We head back to the van and a long day awaits us, with around 200 kms to go. We start climbing the Atlas mountain range and the first stop is Telouet.
Telouet
We stopped in the small village of Telout to visit the Kasbah of Telout. We only visited it from the outside. It was built by Thami El Glaoui, Pasha of Marrakech between 1912 and 1956. A Kasbah or Casbah is a kind of palace, built to protect the population both from the weather and from attacks. In addition to the Kasbahs, there are also the Ksar or Ksours (plural), which are fortified villages that usually have one or more Kasbahs inside.
Ait Benhaddou
We arrived at Ait Benhaddou, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is one of the best preserved Ksar today. And one of the places I was most curious to see. The aim was to watch the sunset at Ait Benhaddou, and we succeeded.
Several films and series have been filmed here, including some episodes of "Game of Thrones". The light is fabulous for photography and therefore also fabulous for filming.
Ouarzazate
We hit the road and with night falling in about 40 minutes we arrive in Ouarzazate and our next Riad, the Dar Rita, where we will stay for the night before setting off into the Desert.
In addition to accommodation, Dar Rita offers breakfast and dinner with typical Moroccan dishes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcTYHGXA0d2/?taken-by=lovelylisbonnertravelblog
After dinner it's time to rest, tomorrow we leave for the desert, where we'll spend the night in a tent. To get there, we'll have to cross the Erg Chebbi Dunes in a camel caravan for 1.5 hours...
But that's for the next post...
Curious? Here's one of the magnificent photos... I'm the one in the blue coat 🙂
Did you enjoy the first two days? Then don't miss the rest of the trip and my adventure in Morocco.
See you in Ouarzazate!
Don't forget that the tour doesn't include Stravel insuranceI always travel with travel insurance and this is one of the ways you can feel safe and confident during your trip. I always travel with travel insurance and this is one of the ways to feel safe and confident during your trips. If you usually travel without insurance or if you have any doubts about whether or not it's worth taking out travel insurance, be sure to read on this article on the importance of traveling with travel insurance. The Blog has a partnership with Heymondo Seguros, and it is with them that I always take out my travel insurance. And if you take out insurance with Heymondo Insurance through my Blog you get 5% discountJust click on the image.
Videos
Here are the videos of the trip
Other articles about Morocco
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Morocco is an amazing country because of its history, geography and culture. The scenery through the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara was impressive. Riding through the dunes in a camel caravan, spending the night in a camp with dinner, campfire, music and sleeping in a cozy tent was an unforgettable experience! The handicrafts in wood, leather, metal and ceramics are unique and tasteful. Thank you to our guide ismail and Thank you Moroccodeserttour4x4.com
Hi Annamaria, Morocco really is an amazing country. I fell completely in love with the country. It's a fantastic trip.
I really like your blog it has a lot of information and tips about traveling to Morocco and here I leave the links to my blog for more tips http://www.viagens-em-marrocos.com
Thanks Omar, I'm going to visit your blog too.
I really like your blog it has a lot of information and tips about Morocco congratulations , here I leave my web site for more information http://www.viagens-em-marrocos.com
Wow, I'd throw myself into this itinerary right now! I love it!
Hi Eloah, yes go for it 🙂 Thanks
Wow... what an incredible trip! Morocco must be very different and beautiful. I loved the post, the tips and the beautiful photos.
Thanks Viviane.
Happy travels
i loved that sweet stall, so many delicious things!!! i thought this itinerary was amazing!
Thank you Angela,
The sweets are great 🙂
Kisses and happy travels
I'm like you: Morocco is a destination that has long been on my bucket list, but is always overtaken by others. I've always imagined doing this trip with two or three other people in my own car (and in fact I still have that dream), but it's been difficult to reconcile availability. Maybe I'll end up doing it like you, on a tour! How was the overall experience (of the tour)?
I really enjoyed reading your report, which has made me want to visit Morocco even more. Everything must be extraordinary, from the places to the food (I love tajines!).
I really enjoyed the tour, and of course it also depends on the group and whether there are synergies between people. In this case, the group was fantastic and the organization of the tour allowed us to get to know a lot about Morocco
What an incredible experience! I was delighted with your photos. They're amazing! Congratulations on the post. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you
Your trip must have been wonderful. I really want to visit Morocco one day soon! The photos are just wonderful! Congratulations on the great content
Thanks for visiting, it's a wonderful trip
I love this kind of post, a travel diary. You can do it more often, it's definitely approved. I liked that you linked the posts from insta, haha. Bjssss
I'm definitely going to do it
Very interesting post about Morocco! Did you feel safe there? I'm a bit afraid of that. I loved seeing your photos! I think a group is the best way to get to know everything, right? 🙂
Hi Diana, I felt very safe, and I thought a tour was a good option as I was going alone.
Hi, Sonia! The tour sounds incredible and so does the group you were in. I can't wait to see and read the next chapters!
Yes, the group was fantastic
I'm super suspicious to comment, because I love all the photos and your posts Sonia. 🙂 Much success and thanks for the tips and shared experience.
Thank you