Morocco Intrepid Trip

Morocco Intrepid trip with Designer Travel 24-28TH March 2025



A fabulous start to the trip with a night pre stays at the gorgeous Clayton at Manchester airport, a lovely meal and a super way to start of the week!



Early start with EasyJet bag drops terminal 1 at Manchester airport, printed boarding passes only. kilos baggage so had plenty of allowance for our 4-night trip. A hand luggage to fit under the seat also permitted. I brought a rucksack which contained my laptop and still had plenty of room for duty free treats!



Flight scheduled at 7.30 am - all boarded and ready to go. Two refreshment services, duty free and 3 hours later we land in Marrakech in a barmy 20 plus degree heat! Perfect for March.



No visas are required for entry to Morocco, British citizens require passports to have at least 3 months validity from exit date.



Day 1

On arrival to Marrakesh airport have passports ready be prepared to answer a couple of questions about your job and where you are staying.

A beautiful modern arrivals hall awaits, plenty of toilet opportunities and currency exchanges are available in arrivals. Local currency the Dirham is available and a closed currency so this cannot be purchased in the Uk. Euros are also accepted and is preferred by the locals. Cards to be presented rather than relying on apple pay.



First stop is a restaurant that our tour supplier Intrepid support. The local women in Marrakesh have the amazing opportunity to learn cooking skills and real-life experience working in a team. These women are passionate about bettering their lives in this programme and go on to become entrepreneurs themselves.

Fabulous food cooked by the women is thoroughly enjoyed, my favourite was the Oreo cheesecake!! All beautifully presented and tasted delicious.



Next on the agenda is the medina in Marrakesh. A walk through the many colourful souks and markets, surrounded by little cafes and eateries. A real haven for shoppers !



The gorgeous secret garden in Marrakech was a real treat and a true hidden gem amongst the many busy narrow streets filled with Moroccan goods.

A tranquil garden with beautifully landscaped trees, flowers and lavish views. My favourite was seeing the orange trees in full flourish.

A rooftop terrace with a tea shop was perfect to drink in the breathtaking views of Marrakech.



Our first night is at the riad48and spa a small boutique residence in the heart of the medina.

A huge wooden door awaited our arrival !nothing to look at from the outset but wow what an incredible building inside!

Bright, airy, extremely clean and a taste of luxury was just what we all needed after a very busy day travelling.



Dinner on our first evening was at Madison de Les Arabs, a traditional Moroccan restaurant steeped in history and promoted as the Marrakech ultimate dining experience.

I would 100 percent recommend having a guide in Marrakech to help manage your time and ensure you see as much as possible in this fascinating city.



Day 2

After a fabulous breakfast at our RIAD we made our way to the Intrepid offices in Marrakech to meet the wonderful staff and learn about the amazing work put in to make the tours possible.



We made our way to a Moroccan cooking school around 45 minutes away from Marrakech.

Set in the most remote location with gorgeous views of the Atlas Mountains in the backdrop. The fun learning step by step cooking experience is hosted by a passionate Moroccan chef.



The food created is cooked using natural ingredients and heated in a tagine. This is a traditional Moroccan method of a pot with a funnel over hot coals



You are taken to see how the Moroccans make bread and the traditional tea making.

The food prepared and eaten at the cooking school is organic ,delicious and all grown naturally on the farm. Animals are reared and eaten.



A feast of our own efforts was later thoroughly enjoyed and washed down with Moroccan tea!



A visit to a girl's hostel, funded with the help of intrepid and supported donations. A recent visit from prince Harry and Meghan was displayed in photos throughout the establishment.

The girls are provided with a wonderful opportunity to learn at the school next door. Due to the long distance of homes and the recent earthquake in Morocco the hostel provides a safe accommodation, and the centre is managed by women only.



Many of the girls have aspired in education and life skills all thanks to the hostel and the funding. There are currently six of these in the area.



Our accommodation for night 2 & 3 was the Kasbah Africa hotel set high up in the Atlas Mountains, the most incredible scenery compliments the traditional style buildings - all stone walls and each of the beautiful rooms have a log burner as well as air conditioning.

The hotel boasts an infinity pool, restaurant bar and telescopes as well as star gazing pods.



This was a welcomed retreat, extremely tranquil and relaxing. Peace and quiet is what you will get staying here!



Day 3

We set off on a hike through the village's mountain paths and streams, witnessing local children going to school and taking in the most breathtaking sights!



Lunch was served in a traditional family home that is supported by Intrepid - many families in the area take turns and have the benefit of providing such a unique hospitality.



Day 4

A 2-hour journey through villages and hills, snow-capped mountains and evident buildings devastated by the earthquake in 24.

Shepards herding goats and sheep, donkeys and camel farms in the desert as we climbed to our last stop on the trip.



On arrival to ‘Yes we camp’ we were greeted with traditional mint tea and the warmest day so far. The camp is a premium rated property with Intrepid and immediately we all relaxed in the luxury desert surroundings.

The camp comprised of several Large tents with comfortable seating to escape from the hot sun to read a book or just relax.

The camp boasts comfortable sunbeds and an inviting freshwater pool to relax in. Pool towels were provided.

Several toilets and a changing area, all wonderfully clean.

Drinks from the pool bar could be settled on check out at the small reception located at the entrance to we camp.



A homely bar area and staff who take real pride in making drinks. Gin and tonic approx £12 a glass of wine £10.



The tents were gorgeous. Extremely clean and comfortable. There are around 80 tents including a magnificent royal tent for a super special upgrade.

A huge super king bed as-well as 2 other extra-large single beds. All tents are beautifully designed and perfect for a restful sleep.

The bathrooms are well equipped with a shower, toilet, plenty of towels and toiletries.

Several Power points and a decent sized fridge.



Windows opened with mosquito mesh as-well as a modern air conditioning unit.

An adequate outside padded seating area for watching the sunrise/sunset at every tent.



We enjoyed lunch, dinner and breakfast with the hotel and all food arrived with super presentation as well as being extremely tasteful.



My first ever camel ride started at 5 pm, this was a 45-minute activity from we camp. The well looked after camels greeted us and one be by one sat down like a row of dominos.

The camels only do one camel ride each day.



We boarded the camels; I’d already named mine Camilla! It took me back to riding a donkey at the seaside during my childhood.

A viewing point sat high above ‘we camp’ was our exit point from the camel ride, I certainly gave my colleagues a giggle disembarking Camilla!!

I would advise wearing long trousers and I wrapped a scarf around me as it got very windy.

The viewing point was a lovely spot to watch the sunset with inviting chairs.



Other activities such as bikes and quads were available, the camp had a spa, but I would advise booking in advance of your stay to avoid disappointment.



Dinner was in the main restaurant, we enjoyed several courses of salads, meats and fruit. Washed down with red and white wine.

During each course Moroccan dancers entertained us with their moves and colourful costumes.

We finished our Moroccan adventure off enjoying a fire show finale and fireworks.



Day 5

An early start to Marrakesh airport for our 1210 flight home to Manchester. It was around an hour's journey from We camp.



Marrakesh airport was busy, we went through three checkpoints so allow at least 3 hours.



Plenty of restaurants, eateries, local shops and a duty free were available in the departure lounge. I had remaining currency left, the Dirhams cannot be exchanged in the UK.

The duty-free stores would only accept euros and cards. Not Dirhams.



Flights were announced and screens showing gates were visible throughout the airport.

The airport has 40 gates.



Our EasyJet flight home to Manchester was excellent. Super service, comfortable seating and a great choice of food, snacks and beverages. Not to mention the great value duty free on board.



Intrepid tours:

I would personally recommend Intrepid tours in Marrakech for solo travellers, couples, and families with older children. The tours consist of small groups (a maximum of around 15 people)

Flexibility is key with Intrepid. Anything is possible and the staff at Intrepid Morocco provide the most amazing itineraries to suit!

I loved how the company support the local community and provide opportunities to develop their people. It was so wonderful how these fascinating projects were part of the tour. I learned so much from our guide Ibraham who spoke several languages and explained so much about the culture at every stage of the trip.

Even during our trek in the mountains , Ibraham educated us about the irrigation systems in place for the farmers and told us about the importance of the herbs grown in the fields, we came across juniper, mint and oleander.



Tipping: is welcomed and appreciated. A customary tip of around 450 dirhams per person was gestured.



Alcohol: in Marrakesh is available, however some riads don’t sell it. The riad48 and spa accommodated us with red and white wine and beer on an evening . A large selection of alcoholic beverages and soft drinks as well as the opportunity to purchase local honey at the Kasbah Africa. Plenty of choice of alcoholic drinks were also at we camp.



Ramadan:

The Moroccans fast from sunrise to sunset for a period throughout March.

No food or water is to be consumed. Many Moroccans wake up at 4 am to eat and then continue to sleep.



A traditional meal during Ramadan is dates bread and soup. Moroccan tea.

Tagines with beef /lamb/ chicken

Fish tagines are served on the coast.



Religion:

Muslim is the prominent religion in Morocco. Women should consider wearing scarfs or clothes to cover their modesty. This is a respectable practice for tourists. During our time in the Atlas Mountains and the desert the clothing seemed more relaxed.



Prayer is done 5 times a day and locals will pray in the direction of Mecca. Mosques and synagogues do not allow public access.



Arranged marriages are still the norm in Morocco. The finding of a single woman is generally found in a ham-an. Once the meeting is arranged between the families, tea will be drunk and if sugar is used it is a yes that the bride is to be accepted if no sugar it is a no and the family will gracefully depart.



Hamans is heated underground and public Hamans provide washing with water and a black soap scrub to the locals in Marrakech.

A seperate ham-an for men and one for women these are never mixed. It is Comman for Moroccan houses to have a haman.