At the beginning of this semester abroad when my friends and I were brainstorming our trips, Morocco came up in our search. Having never been to 
Africa I was immediately attracted to this trip and what it could be. We asked around and gathered about 12 of our friends to join us. Using past friends’ recommendations we were able to find a tour that would take us to the desert for two days for only 80 euros! This included transportation to/from the airport, travel to the desert, walking tours of Moroccan villages, camel riding, nice glamping stay in the desert, breakfast/dinner, and an option to ATV! It was perfect for a quick weekend trip. We found a cheap hotel to stay at for the other two nights that had a pool, hot tub, and enough rooms for all of us for only $41 total! Overall, Morocco had some very great options for tourists visiting for such great prices. The flights were a tad expensive and not all were direct, so I would definitely recommend booking as soon as you decide to go. Once the stays, flights, and itineraries were all set we were off to Morocco!
Preparation
Now Morocco was one of the few countries that required not just an antigen test but a PCR. So make sure that if you travel there to check the current covid travel requirements and get the necessary tests. Additionally, we had heard of some stricter dress codes but looked into it to further be prepared. Tra
ditionally, women are expected to dress modestly meaning not showing shoulders, anything above the knees, and even sometimes must cover their heads. Wanting to be respectful of their culture, we took this into account while packing for our trip. Lastly, many places within the desert take cash only. While with many other countries you can survive without taking cash out, I would highly recommend getting it right at the airport for there were no large fees. There were times many of us were short of cash, but luckily others had some to compensate. Even if you think you might not need cash, just get some to be safe because you will most likely need it whether it is for food, souvenirs, or tips!
Day #1
We all arrived on Thursday, March 24th for our African experience. Immediately, we were greeted with kindness by the airport driver and the hotel owners. The airport driver gave us some fun facts about Marrakech (the city we flew into) along with ensuring our safety at all times. He waited for us while the hotel owners came out and walked us to our hotel. The streets were lively, full of children playing, donkeys, motorcycles buzzing by, and more. Once we reached the hotel, we were given an assortment of delicious food including pastries, fruit, and nuts. It was a great welcome after a long day of travel. The rooms were so clean and designed beautifully. They even had flower petals on the beds! After a quick hot tub and pool time, we then went to bed since we had to get up early the next morning for a full day of travel and activities!
Day #2
We woke up at 7:30 the next morning to prepare for our day. Since we were staying in a camp that night we had to pack and bring all of our stuff. At 8 the hotel chefs had made us the most amazing dinner! It had tons of pastries, Marrakech pancakes, fruits, eggs, and more. They also provided us with freshly squeezed orange juice, tea, and coffee. It was a great way to start the day. After breakfast, the tour guides picked us up in their van able to fit all 12 of us and we were off to the desert! It was a 5 hr journey to the desert spot but with all the stops we made for scenic views and lunch/bathroom breaks it ended up being a total of 9. The roads were quite windy as we were going through the mountain range so I would definitely
recommend bringing some medicine if you get car sick easily. However, each viewpoint was beyond worth it. We saw beautiful mountain ranges, some of which even had some snow! After a couple of hours, we stopped for lunch, which had a beautiful outdoor patio where we were able to eat some delicious Moroccan dishes. From there we continued on to the desert making some more scenic/bathroom stops along the way until we reached our destination at 6 pm. As we are pulling 
up to our campsite area, we see 12 camels waiting for us. It turns out the camels would be taking us directly to our campsite in the middle of the desert. It was such a cool experience. The tour guides timed it correctly so that we would be able to watch the sunset while still on the camels' backs. The camels were great and were very calm (well most of them). It was such a calming hour-long ride and a truly unforgettable experience. Once we had reached the campsite we were in awe yet again! While I was expecting a few tents and sleeping bags, the tents each came with 3 twin beds
and electrical lights. We had the entire campsite to ourselves and it came with a fire pit, outdoor couch chairs, and a large indoor dining tent. This is where we all sat together to eat the dinner they prepared for us. It was delicious turkey kebabs, vegetables, and soup, with a fruit platter for dessert. After dinner, we all went out to the sand dunes to stargaze, for the stars were clearer than ever. We saw so many constellations including the big dipper. We even saw 2 shooting stars! It was the perfect end to the perfect day. After a drumming circle led by the tour guides, we all crashed into our very comfortable tents.
Day #3
On the last day we all got up around 7 am to watch the sunrise from the sand 
dunes over the mountain ranges. It was so beautiful and bright. Another perfect way to start our day. We then quickly packed up our things and ate breakfast in the big tent again before riding the camels back out of the campsite. Another great experience! We were on the road by 10 am off to another village, Ait-Ben-Haddou, where scenes from Game of Thrones, Gladiator, and more were filmed! As a huge Game of Thrones enthusiast, I was starstruck
seeing the places where they filmed some of the most amazing scenes. In this area, we also rented ATVs and even drove up close to one of the large Game of Thrones fortresses. I have never been on an ATV before but it was such a great time! It was guided so thankfully we did not get lost in the desert. After that, we got lunch at a very nice hotel where we had some more Moroccan cuisine. Before driving another 3 hrs back to Marrakech city we took a walking tour of the famous village. A very sweet man kindly offered 
to take us through his village where we were able to see fantastic views, buy some souvenirs and even hold a snake! It was a great way to end our day before heading back to the hotel. Once at the hotel, we all showered up and played games in the common room. Again we were greeted with such kind hospitality and we all got the perfect rest before heading back to our original study abroad locations the next day.
Overall, this was one of the best trips I had ever been on and will definitely be one I will never forget. If given the chance, I would love to go back for some more time, for there is much more to explore there. I highly recommend going and doing a similar tour to ours! Until next time, Au Revoir!
