Morocco Through the Eyes of A Travel Expert

Tales of a Country Specialist Traveling #TheAudleyWay

By Audley Travel

June 2^nd, 2014

ready to be inspired?

After several years working in hospitality at home in Boston, I saw an opening for a North Africa Specialist at Audley Travel. I knew instantly this was where I was supposed to be. Since taking this job, I haven’t looked back. I’ve been able to travel extensively throughout Morocco and help many others explore this unique country. While I still have so much to discover while traveling #TheAudleyWay, here is glimpse inside the beautiful Morocco I’ve come to know so well…

Morocco Through the Eyes of A Travel Expert

i dream about Tagines and pastilla

Moroccan food is absolutely delicious. If I could eat tagines and pastilla every day for the rest of my life, I would.

I took a private cooking course at Café Clock in Fez where I was able to plan my own menu from a list of selections. I chose a traditional Moroccan tomato stew called Harira, chicken pastillas, a roasted red pepper salad and orange blossom macaroons. After deciding on the menu we ventured into the souk to grocery shop. My instructor took me to all of the different stalls - from the baker who created the phyllo dough for the pastillas to the butcher where we were able to meet our chicken before he departed. I even learned what Moroccans look for when choosing produce and spices. Upon returning to the kitchen, I was taught different Moroccan cooking techniques while preparing the meal. To top off the experience, we enjoyed our feast on the café’s rooftop overlooking Fez’s sprawling medina. Learning about the country from a local’s perspective and the stunning views made this day perfect.

Tagines, made from a variety of meats and vegetables, are cooked in unbelievable sauces within an actual tagine (a domed clay pot heated on an open flame). Pastilla are pastries made with nuts and meats - the combination of sweet and savory spices inside Moroccan phyllo dough is something you’ll dream about too.

where do the beautiful colors come from?

When I think of Morocco, I think of the beautiful colors in the markets - the clothing, shoes, scarves and jewelry. The dying process can be witnessed in its entirety at the tanneries.

When you walk inside the tannery in Fez, you first go through a winding store/warehouse with endless walls covered in every color of dyed leather imaginable. If you continue straight through without buying something (which is hard to do), you walk onto an open-air observation deck overlooking the wells that hold the dye. This is where the magic happens. The leathers are dyed using the same techniques that have been handed down for generations upon generations, and it is absolutely fascinating to observe.

There are different pits for every type of dye. The white pits contain natural softening agents to make the leather hides more pliable. The colored pits contain natural dyes to soak into the leather. The rarest color is yellow, which is achieved by using saffron. My favorite was the turquoise-blue.

I still regret not buying a beautiful red suede blazer that would have been perfect for fall. The prices are ridiculously inexpensive, and everything is tailored by hand. Items can even be tailored to your size if you are spending several nights in Fez. If you see something you love, avoid the regret and buy it!

my favorite place

For me, the High Atlas Mountains are the perfect representation of how mountains are supposed to look – picturesque, perfect and majestic.

As the highest mountain range in Africa, the Atlas is also home to the continent’s tallest mountain: Jebel Toubkal, towering in at 13,671 feet. I trekked to Imlil, a remote village situated on top of a hill in the center of these mountains, to take in the 360-degree view I had heard so much about… and, wow, was it spectacular! It was a bit overwhelming, in a good way, to be surrounded like that, especially if you are from a city like me and aren’t used to such vast open spaces. That is a view and a moment I will never forget.

Besides the hiking and exquisite scenery, the best part of the High Atlas is the Berber hospitality. Be ready to drink a lot of mint tea, known as “le whisky berbère”. Prepared with the utmost care and ceremony, the tea is always poured from a great height, and the first glass is always put back into the teapot to create the perfect mix. You’ll drink the tea any time you sit down with a local.

quick, look up!

There are goats in the trees! How extraordinary it was to come across goats sitting on the branches of the Argan trees eating fruit in Essaouira. After one jumped down, I was able to hold him just long enough to snap this picture.

the crown jewel of a morrocan adventure

The Erg Chebbi is like something straight out of a movie. With looming sand dunes reaching 100 feet in height and vast sweeping sandscapes. have your camera ready when the colors and shadows change by the minute at sunset and sunrise.

After arriving to the edge of the desert, I was greeted by people from my camp and led far out into the dunes by camel. As we approached the camp, a magnificent sunset filled the skies with a gorgeous mix of pink and orange. This is by far the best time of day to be in the desert. Dinner was served under the stars while Moroccan musicians played traditional gnaoua tunes. The camp was covered in tightly woven Moroccan carpets, and the tents were as close to home as you could possibly be in the Sahara Desert with elevated beds, furnishings, western bathrooms and even a shower tent. This is the desert in comfort and style. In the morning I awoke with the sunrise and went for a walk to visit a nomad camp nearby. This is definitely one of the crown jewels of any Moroccan adventure.

i've only scratched the surface

You must travel to Morocco to truly comprehend the rich culture, cuisine and landscapes. The opportunities for exploration are absolutely endless. If you are ready to escape the ordinary, I recommend you pay a visit and discover so for yourself.

- Carla

about Carla

I have always loved traveling and taking care of people, but combining these passions into a career wasn’t always obvious. I went to college determined to study medicine. After a month studying abroad in Egypt, I knew I had to switch majors and chose a political science degree with a focus on the Middle East. Upon graduating, I decided to run away to India and took a job in Delhi as a magazine editor. Unfortunately, my travel visa expired, and I returned to home to Boston.