One of the great travel stories we’ve heard from a guest on the podcast was just over a year ago now. It was with Rachel Metcalfe, for whom Morocco went from being a remote, distant idea to, a month later, sitting on the airplane on her way to Casablanca.
Destination Morocco took on the challenge of organizing her last-minute trip, and in this episode Rachel explains how that made all the difference in having an enjoyable, complete tour that covered the sights she wanted to see.
This is our last episode of 2023, and many thanks to our listeners for a wonderful year of great episodes and great tours. In 2024, our new documentary, Kingdom of Colors, premiers, which follows Azdean's family’s trip around Morocco with some stunning visuals. You can see the trailer now on our website or the Destination Morocco YouTube channel.
---- Imagine: One day, someone gives you the idea of going to Morocco, and you think, "Yeah, maybe..." But then, a month later, spur of the moment, you buy a return ticket!
But you're not a big fan of planning, and the prospect of filling out the details of your impending trip are a little daunting, to say the least.
What do you do next?
This is Morocco on a Whim, Rachel Metcalfe's story of making the commitment and turning to Destination Morocco to create what became a very special and memorable trip.
Rachel starts off in Casablanca, and like many of our other guests meets Khalil, the blind tour guide of Hassan II Mosque. She tours around the north of Morocco, and falls in love with the picturesque, crossroads city of Tangier. Hear her wax poetic on its old world charm and beautiful setting between ocean and mountains. She is captivated by the blue city of Chefchaouen, leaving her Instagram page bursting with color.
Fès then takes center stage, with Rachel being guided through the labyrinth of streets, visiting the mosaic & tile factory and then dropping in on the famous tanneries, a crucial mint coming in very handy.
Her riad in Fès, so completely unassuming from the outside, turns out to be a veritable palace once you walk through the door. Rachel takes us on a tour and describes it in detail.
A highlight was the hammam, or "sand bath," in the desert at Agafay, just an hour outside of Marrakech. A relaxing and revitalizing experience, complete with herbs and spices for distinct aromas.
Rachel had her own private tour, allowing her free reign to change plans, sleep in, go somewhere different or be spontaneous. With an ind
Do you dream of exploring the enchanting land of Morocco?
Destination Morocco is your ultimate travel experience for those seeking luxury and adventure. We specialize in crafting bespoke itineraries tailored to your unique tastes and desires.
If you're a discerning traveler who values an immersive, curated adventure, visit www.destinationsmorocco.com, and let us bring your dream Moroccan vacation to life.
One of the great travel stories we’ve heard from a guest on the podcast was just over a year ago now. It was with Rachel Metcalfe, for whom Morocco went from being a remote, distant idea to, a month later, sitting on the airplane on her way to Casablanca.
Destination Morocco took on the challenge of organizing her last-minute trip, and in this episode Rachel explains how that made all the difference in having an enjoyable, complete tour that covered the sights she wanted to see.
This is our last episode of 2023, and many thanks to our listeners for a wonderful year of great episodes and great tours. In 2024, our new documentary, Kingdom of Colors, premiers, which follows Azdean's family’s trip around Morocco with some stunning visuals. You can see the trailer now on our website or the Destination Morocco YouTube channel.
---- Imagine: One day, someone gives you the idea of going to Morocco, and you think, "Yeah, maybe..." But then, a month later, spur of the moment, you buy a return ticket!
But you're not a big fan of planning, and the prospect of filling out the details of your impending trip are a little daunting, to say the least.
What do you do next?
This is Morocco on a Whim, Rachel Metcalfe's story of making the commitment and turning to Destination Morocco to create what became a very special and memorable trip.
Rachel starts off in Casablanca, and like many of our other guests meets Khalil, the blind tour guide of Hassan II Mosque. She tours around the north of Morocco, and falls in love with the picturesque, crossroads city of Tangier. Hear her wax poetic on its old world charm and beautiful setting between ocean and mountains. She is captivated by the blue city of Chefchaouen, leaving her Instagram page bursting with color.
Fès then takes center stage, with Rachel being guided through the labyrinth of streets, visiting the mosaic & tile factory and then dropping in on the famous tanneries, a crucial mint coming in very handy.
Her riad in Fès, so completely unassuming from the outside, turns out to be a veritable palace once you walk through the door. Rachel takes us on a tour and describes it in detail.
A highlight was the hammam, or "sand bath," in the desert at Agafay, just an hour outside of Marrakech. A relaxing and revitalizing experience, complete with herbs and spices for distinct aromas.
Rachel had her own private tour, allowing her free reign to change plans, sleep in, go somewhere different or be spontaneous. With an ind
Do you dream of exploring the enchanting land of Morocco?
Destination Morocco is your ultimate travel experience for those seeking luxury and adventure. We specialize in crafting bespoke itineraries tailored to your unique tastes and desires.
If you're a discerning traveler who values an immersive, curated adventure, visit www.destinationsmorocco.com, and let us bring your dream Moroccan vacation to life.
If you're thinking about traveling to Europe. What I've told people I know is go to Morocco before you go to Europe. All of the different landscapes, the architecture you get some of the European feel in parts of Morocco, everywhere you look. It's just amazing.
AZDEAN:
Welcome to the destination Morocco podcast, the show that takes you way to the beautiful country of Morocco. I am your host Azdean Elmoustaquim. In each episode we explore Moroccan culture, history, attractions and activities real and practical information coming from experienced travelers and native Moroccans like myself. And now let's go exploring. Welcome back to another episode of Destination Morocco podcast.
AZDEAN:
One of the great travel stories We've heard from a guest on the podcast, just over a year ago now, was with Rachel Metcalfe, for whom Morocco went from being a remote, distant idea to, a month later, sitting on airplane on her way to Casablanca. The chance to grab a plane ticket, the time, the funds everything was quickly falling into place. But with this gear settling motion, rachel quickly realized that a comprehensive, worthwhile tour of Morocco was a big task to organize by herself. If this was to be a once in a lifetime trip, she wanted to make sure she did it right Now. Granted, we typically encourage our guests to book well ahead of time, many weeks at least, so that they have a better choice of accommodations, activities and prices, but when Rachel got in touch with us, we did our best to include as many of her interests and priorities as possible. Most of all, we made sure she had a good time and particularly like this episode for its attention on Tangier and the north of Morocco. Rachel spent some quality time there and although it's an extra drive further north from Chefchaouen and Fès, she'll go a long way to convince you need to add it to your itinerary. The lighthouse that you see in the cover art of this episode is actually the Cap Spartel lighthouse, which sits on cliff towering thousand feet above the straight of Gibraltar. When you stand there, you can really imagine being at the edge of the world. Rachel's episode had a lot of great detail about her riad in Fès and the colors of Chefchaouen, and she was also One of our guests who met Khalil the guide in Casablanca, who you have just heard on our last episode. This is a great episode to get you inspired for some Morocco travel in 2024, and I think there's a good chance that Rachel, too, will be going back before long.
AZDEAN:
This is the last episode of 2023 and I wanted to thank the listeners for a wonderful year of great episodes and great tours. We covered a lot of ground this year, including getting our podcast studio set up in Marrakesh and the two months of live recording that I did this past summer. There'll be more of those coming up in the new year, as well as a new documentary, Kingdom of Colors, which follows my family's trip around Morocco with some stunning visuals. You can see the trailer now on our website or at Destination Morocco YouTube channel. Speaking of the website, it is now a comprehensive home for the podcast. We have moved everything in house. You will find lots more info about the podcast and the team behind it, individual pages for each episode, complete with all the links and resources, featured episodes, our monthly live Q&A replays and a section where you can request to be a guest yourself. If you have been to Morocco and would love to share your insight and perspective, we would love to have you as a guest on the show.
AZDEAN:
And lastly, we continue to roll out new small group tours for 2024. These tours give you the intimate feel and flexibility of a private tour like Rachel's, at an affordable price. It opens up our tours to even more people to experience the charm and unique character of Morocco. Visit our website DestinationsMorocco. com. That's Destinations with an S, Morocco dot com. Click on the small group tour link at the top right to learn more and see the tour schedule. For now, we have two tours per month, one for the north side and one for the south side. They start in April 2024 and then the rest of the year. And now it's over to Rachel to take us away to Tangier and beyond. Welcome to the Destinations Morocco podcast. In today's episode we have Rachel Metcalf. She visited Morocco late September and she's here today to share her experience with us. Rachel, welcome to our podcast. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
RACHEL:
Well, I am 36 years old, single, live in Dallas and decided that I was going to travel internationally this year, whether it was alone or with others, and hence my Morocco trip solo.
AZDEAN:
And how did you decide about Morocco and why Morocco specifically?
RACHEL:
Morocco was kind of random. It came about when I was on a trip to see a friend in LA earlier this year and I was just talking about how much and how important it was to me to get out and travel this year. I was talking about Morocco in reference to a couple tile vendors that I work with and he was like just go to Morocco. I was like yeah, yeah. And then maybe a month later I spoke to the ticket. I had nothing planned. I called him like guess what I did today?
RACHEL:
And he was like no way, so that's how it started.
AZDEAN:
You're very brave. Did you do any homework prior to deciding and getting the ticket? You just bought the ticket and say you know what? It's time for me now to gather some information and see what I'm going to go, what I'm going to stay, what I'm going to do and all that type of stuff. How was that process for you, rachel?
RACHEL:
There was no preparation. I bought the ticket and then kind of started freaking out about how I was going to make the trip happen and what I was going to be doing while I was there. I don't really enjoy planning either, so there was just a couple months of minor freakouts where I was like oh my goodness. I'm booked and I really want this to happen and I don't know how it's going to.
AZDEAN:
Oh, my god. Ok, you know, just to give you an idea, for me and my family when we plan to go to Morocco just as a family, not a vacation trip well, it is vacation, but we take at least between nine months to a year to prepare. So in your case, you just, my goodness.
RACHEL:
Well, luckily I did book the ticket at least. I think it was probably four to five months ahead of time.
AZDEAN:
Oh, I see.
RACHEL:
So after I booked the ticket and kind of realized like I don't know anything about Morocco and I don't enjoy researching and planning, I thought, ok, well, my research will be a podcast, and I listened to a lot of podcasts, so it was not a big deal. Searched, it, came across yours, started listening to it, and then, as the trip was getting closer, I thought I've got to find somebody to do this for me. I don't know how to do it, I don't want to do it. I have to find somebody to do this for me. And so that's when I reached out to you.
AZDEAN:
Well, I'm very glad you have reached out to us and it's really have been a pleasure and a delight to work with you. We enjoyed creating your itinerary. It was a lot of fun for me and Sam when we created it. Every time when we do an itinerary it really feels for me personal because I put the last touches into it and I hope you were happy with the itinerary.
RACHEL:
Yes, I love the itinerary. I love all the places that we went. We really covered a lot in the seven days that I was there, so that was nice, even with the itinerary, I'm a little more laid back, so when you send it to me. I was like this looks good, Okay, here we go. But luckily it turned out perfect, Like I could not have asked for a better trip. So I'm thoroughly pleased and have recommended you all to anybody who asked.
AZDEAN:
Thank you, thank you. We really appreciate that, rachel. We absolutely appreciate it, and I know that you had some concerns before you traveled to Morocco, and I know your parents as well, so that's why I said, hey, you know they, you give them myself. I mean, I'll talk to them, I'll stay in touch with them, just in case For me. I'd like to stay right there, but I'm also invisible, so just behind the scene. I check on you every day and you know we have that little group, so in terms of communication, I think that really adds quite a bit of value, just for us to be on the same page, just in case something happened or something. We're aware of it right away. Your perception of Morocco before you got to Morocco, when you got to Morocco and throughout your trip how was it?
RACHEL:
Prior to going to Morocco, as I've probably made pretty clear, I didn't have a huge perception or even really frame of reference. I work with a couple of tile companies there, so I had some idea of like aesthetic lease, what it might be like, but honestly, when I got there, it was so much more and just blew my mind. Everywhere you look there's something beautiful and handcrafted and just so intricate. The entire trip was aesthetically pleasing and amazing, and then ahead of time too, I think, with like going back to what you were saying about staying in contact and making yourself available. For me, that was really invaluable, especially for a female solo traveler who is going to a place that they know relatively nothing about.
AZDEAN:
Yeah, absolutely.
RACHEL:
I was nervous about what that would be like, how safe it would be or whatnot, and when I got there it was totally fine. Everybody was minding their business, doing their own thing and relaxed and it wasn't an issue. So I think I thought it was gonna be more like when you're on the beaches in Cancun and people are approaching you and won't leave you alone. And when I didn't experience any of that and I felt safe.
AZDEAN:
Oh that's. I'm so glad to hear that. So the way that you have traveled, rachel, when you said you wanted to travel by yourself, we have never had a solo person travel by themselves. So this is a very unique experience, the one that you have done with us, because you're a solo female traveler, but you did not do it in a group like in previous episodes. You did not do it with other friends, it was just you, and I think the way that you have done it, in my personal opinion, is the best way to do it in many different ways, because we do save you a lot of time and we do save you a lot of money.
AZDEAN:
You know a lot of money in terms. Nobody's gonna take advantage of you. You're not gonna overpay for any of the things that you see or buy your shop. When you look at your itinerary, get to do a lot of things that you would not be able to do on your own. If yours was seven days, somebody could have gone with the same itinerary. It'll take maybe three weeks, maybe four weeks to get that.
AZDEAN:
So we understand you're very busy and you have a lot of things to do and take care of and you also have limited time to be in Morocco, so we try to maximize on everything in terms of the activities, in terms of things to do. Even when you have a half day, there's nothing to do. We filled it for you because we want you to experience even more of Morocco. That's what I would recommend for female travel to do it with a tour guide, with a tour leader, with the whole package, everything it's fully loaded.
AZDEAN:
In each city, you get your local guides in, you have your tour leader with you throughout, when they pick you up from the airport, all the way until they drop you off at the airport. You have your car, you have your driver with you 24 seven, all the entrances, anybody wanna go. It's already prepaid, so you don't have to get in line. You don't have to. Nothing comes out of your pocket, except if you wanna buy some stuff for yourself, family or gifts, your lunch that's the only thing that it's not included and also what we try to do in terms of experience, since your breakfast and dinner is included, we don't like to have you have dinner at riyals or hotels most of the time, unless we don't have a choice for the desert, for example, aitbin, haddoor, some other places. So how was that for you, rachel, in terms of the places that we have picked for you to stay and also the food and the variety of it?
RACHEL:
Well, first I would say that I do agree that if you're traveling solo I even personally feel like in a group doing it with a travel guide is a hundred and ten percent worth it in terms of not wasting time. You can cover so much more and there's just a more laid back feel when it's been worked out ahead of time. You can enjoy yourself. You're not trying to figure out where you are, what to do, working through like language barriers and all that kind of stuff.
RACHEL:
So it was worth every penny spent to have that service and ability to relax and really let somebody take care of the logistics and if there was an issue, work it out. I would never travel without that again, especially to somewhere where isn't maybe as westernized as other European countries. As far as the places that I stayed, I kind of understood what a Riyadh was and when we first started I had ideas of these fancy hotels and whatever. And I am so happy that you chose what I was doing. You knew what you were doing and now, talking to other people, I'm like no, you want to stay at a Riyadh. Like they're amazing, they're beautiful, they're all different. It's the experience. If you don't do it that way, then you're not even doing it right.
AZDEAN:
I agree, 100% yeah.
RACHEL:
And then in terms of the food, it was amazing. Some places, especially like Tanti, or had a very Mediterranean style food, which is my preference anyways, and so that was even better, and I love the different flavors that they use that they don't do here in the States. I mean, you know, the sweet and the savory kind of in one. And then one of my favorite things is all the small tapas, or like little salads, that they bring out ahead of time. That could have just been my meal. All 12 of these little plates are mine, so I love the places that you chose for me.
AZDEAN:
Thank you.
RACHEL:
I don't recall eating really often in the Riyadh, except for breakfast.
AZDEAN:
That's the whole point, because we wanted to experience that local cuisine. Because when you travel you stay at hotels all the time, so you know you get used to the same food at the hotel anywhere you go. It's almost predictable. But then when we do it outside, just like you said, fast is different. I felt the same way when I went to Fast and they gave me these 12. I counted them, they would. In my case they were 11. And I was like how am I going to eat my Tajin if I go through all of this? I mean, it's just a lot of food, but it was an amazing experience. So that is the goal is for you and the guests to experience the local cuisine, the local culture, because every city is different. I know you'll love Tanjiri was one of your favorite cities to stay and I totally agree. Tanjiri has developed in the last two decades the most, in my opinion, in Morocco.
RACHEL:
It was just perfect, picturesque. I loved it. It had some European influences for sure, architecturally and it was clean. That had the old world feel. And then, being on the ocean, it just in my mind. I can just see myself there. It was everything that I want in life. So that's how I feel about Tanjiri. And then the food took it to a whole other level. Yeah, so it's just really beautiful. And then you know, obviously, having the breeze and then the mountains in the background, I mean there's not much more you could ask for, in my opinion.
AZDEAN:
And also you went in September. September is the weather is not really that hot, but it can be still. But how was it for you? I know it varies from the mountains, from city to city. How was the weather for you throughout your tour?
RACHEL:
It was really nice. Pretty much the whole time there was no rain, so that was never an issue. It was sunny and it wasn't hot. It was, I think, maybe 65 degrees, probably on average most of the time.
AZDEAN:
So oh nice.
RACHEL:
You bring a jacket, you have it on part of the day or not, so I don't know if it's like that all the time, but it was pretty perfect.
AZDEAN:
Excellent. So how was the Moroccan culture for you and the Moroccan hospitality? As an American, how did you feel as a tourist? How did you feel as a guest in a foreigner country?
RACHEL:
The culture was again like I didn't really have any perceptions or expectations really, but it was definitely more conservative in general speaking, which and I'm just talking about from the way people dress and act outside in public and you know, it's not maybe like America, where it's a little louder and rowdier and in your face. So that was really nice Everybody, you know, relaxing and being polite and in some of the busier places it was crazy how there are people everywhere and it almost had like a New York feel. But again, I had my guide. I didn't really feel overwhelmed because he knew where he was going and so I just followed the whole time. I felt pretty safe. I think had I been there by myself I would have been just as safe. Without a guide I would have been just as safe. I just probably would have gotten lost. And then I then I don't know how safe I would have been, but I didn't ever feel like in danger at all.
AZDEAN:
Okay, that's glad to hear. Yeah, what type of advice would you give somebody who's trying to go to Morocco and they're in the process right now of gathering the information, doing everything online, then listening to podcasts? What would you tell them?
RACHEL:
I would tell them to call you and just let you handle it and then go and relax and enjoy. I mean if there's certain spots they want to see that can be worked in. Each place is so different and some are very robust, and going on and like Fez, there's no way you can navigate Fez in a timely manner without a guide. It would be impossible.
AZDEAN:
I agree, absolutely yeah.
RACHEL:
If you're not going to use a travel agency and a tour guide and local guides, I think you're going to end up not getting the most out of your money and you're not going to really be able to enjoy yourself as much. So I would say research the places that you want to go, because unless you have unlimited time, you probably can't do everything. But then, beyond that, let somebody else take care of the logistics and you have more time to really take in each of the places and pay attention to the details and enjoy all the nuances and things that make each place special.
AZDEAN:
Absolutely. What was your best moment or your biggest surprise when it came to Morocco?
RACHEL:
My biggest surprise was the desert Marrakesh.
AZDEAN:
Oh, agafa, yes, oh my god, yes, I've seen the pictures, I've seen the videos when you put on a Moroccan outfit.
RACHEL:
Yes, that was fun.
AZDEAN:
You look completely different, you completely transform and it was a lot of fun. So everybody was caring to you and I love the experience. And the thing is, agafa is not really that far from Marrakesh. You know you can go, you know it's about an hour away. You can go have a really good dinner, romantic, nice. Then come back to your yard in Marrakesh.
RACHEL:
Yeah, it was amazing and beautiful to see and then where we went, how the restaurant was Right there on the edge and the stars and nice.
RACHEL:
I was surprised for a couple reasons. I was not planning to get on a camel and it worked out like when there was a camel there, it's like, okay, I guess we're doing that and it was awesome, and so many people, so many of my friends and family, just couldn't believe it and we're so excited and they're like, oh my gosh, I want to do that and what do you even? I feel more surprising is when I come back to Morocco, I actually now do have this interest of staying in the desert and Doing that tour experience, which, for me, I just didn't really think was in my interest After being there it is. The other thing that I really liked was the hemorrhage.
AZDEAN:
Oh my god, yes, yes, tell us about that, please.
RACHEL:
I could do that every day. It's so amazing.
AZDEAN:
The herbs, the smell, the aroma. Oh you know the pampering, wow, yes.
RACHEL:
Even I mean we couldn't really understand each other, but I didn't care. I was like, just do whatever you want to me. This is amazing. It felt great, it was very relaxing. If I lived there, I would do this at least twice a week. I mean it's really relaxing and just a different experience. It's crazy being in those marble rooms with the big tub of water running and just washing the hair and everything it was it's incredible, great experience.
AZDEAN:
You know, and also, when you're traveling, a lot of people don't pay attention that you actually do a lot of Driving. And when you do a lot of driving, you sit in on the car for hours and hours and you know, with time it gets to you, you really do get tired. So you do need that half a day just to unwind, just to relax. I always recommend at least one time to do a spa.
RACHEL:
And that's another thing, something that, as a solo traveler, it was nice to be able to rearrange or move things around with the schedule, because I wasn't with a Group or especially a big group. So if I wanted to get started at 11 instead of 9, I could do that, and when we were at a place that may be like, okay, I saw, I'm interested, I'm ready to go, I didn't have to wait for 10 people to ask questions and whatever, because I was traveling alone. I could say you know, skip that, I can Google that and.
RACHEL:
I want to say it's a challenge.
AZDEAN:
That's the advantage that you have. It is your itinerary and you control it 100%. Whatever you say goes. If a city doesn't make a sense, if a sightseeing or an area does not make sense, you can always change it. Even though everything is already confirmed, you don't need to get in touch with me, you can do it on the spot. The tour leaders we have that incredibly, do an amazing job, and you had Elias is one of the best ones that we have. We're very grateful for him. Everybody has ownership to do the right thing. There's no, oh, let me check, let me call Sam, let me call this and time difference, and all know we make the changes on the spot. We want you to experience exactly Morocco the way that he want to experience it.
RACHEL:
Yes, he was an amazing tour leader. He was very knowledgeable about everything, but also very friendly and outgoing and making fun, and anything that I needed he was very efficient at making happen. It wasn't really ever an issue. I told him what I wanted and it happened, which is also invaluable.
AZDEAN:
Oh, I totally agree. So when you went to Morocco I know you did your itinerary, I can see it you did Casa Blanca, robot asela, which is a small city. It's a Portuguese small coastal city. Then you went to Tangier and then you did shift showing, then fast. Then you went through the back roads through the name of the Marrakech and you stayed a couple of days in Marrakech. Can you tell us about your experience in this route? I know in Casa Blanca you had a very special tour guide that did the mask visit for you. His name is Khalil and I've spoken about him earlier in previous episodes and I talked to him from time to time. He's an amazing, amazing gentleman. Can you tell us what was your experience with him in Casa Blanca, please, rachel?
RACHEL:
He's just a special person in general, I think. I mean, I don't know. I'm sure you've mentioned that he's blind.
RACHEL:
Yes so he knows this place by heart and Was very knowledgeable. And again, it was just me and him, so I got to ask the questions and while we're walking around, getting in and out of places as we want to, there was another group of like 20 people, you know, having to walk around together, and so he was very knowledgeable. I mean it was impressive that you know he was blind and could still feel his way around and know what he was showing you and Speaking to it, and I mean that must was amazing. The craftsmanship you can't even really describe it like you have to see it because it's truly unbelievable the ceilings everywhere, the doors, the ceilings, the arches Architecturally it's an amazing. Morocco is an amazing place.
AZDEAN:
Thank you, thank you.
RACHEL:
I was telling somebody recently about the backdrop between all of the cities. It's just as amazing. So I mean, yeah, you might be sitting in the car for three, four, five hours, but it's truly visually Always changing and always beautiful to see. There was never a time where I wasn't impressed by what I was seeing.
AZDEAN:
Wow, that's incredible. Tell us about your experience in fast and also the real that you have stayed in fast.
RACHEL:
The riyads are. You just have to see them in person. It's like a three-story courtyard, almost with open air at the top, and all are in it. The woodwork on everything, the tile, every single inch of these places is handmade, artisanal.
AZDEAN:
Yeah, the craftsmanship is just, it's amazing. Now I've been to first and it's very tricky. So when you look at, when you see the riyad from outside, do you expect it to be the same from the inside?
RACHEL:
No, no, it looks like a door on a length echo wall and then you go in and it's like a little bit of a maze and then it opens up to this amazing three-story area.
AZDEAN:
It was a shock for me, to be honest with you, because at that time, when those riyads were built, the people did not want to show off what they have. So, yeah, you look at, it's just a wall, maybe, with no windows or nothing. But then when you go inside the house, it's just like wow, mind-blowing the mosaic, like you said, the Jaliz, the Moroccan Jaliz, the water fountain inside the palm trees or the banana trees. It's so soothing, it's an incredible experience.
RACHEL:
That was the most beautiful riyad, I will say. I agree with that. You just kind of forget that because they're all special in their own ways. Even some that are not as decorative still got the very like old world vibe that they've been there forever and maybe it was somebody who was maybe a little more humble or didn't have as much. They each have a special uniqueness and you can appreciate each one for what they are. The one in Fez was really impressive and you're right, it's totally different. When you walk in, you forget where you just were outside the door.
AZDEAN:
Yes, for sure, it is one of the best riyads. We're very fortunate to be a part of their network and actually I did not know. I was talking to Sam earlier today and he was like that riyad was built back in the 17th century, so you can just you cannot really tell that it's that old. Everything inside of it is just like wow. I'm so glad that you got a chance to experience it.
RACHEL:
In Fez, we went to a restaurant, to. I believe it used to be a house for a family, and that one was amazing as well, and it was built in the 14th century, and the local guide was pointing out to me that it had the date inscribed and I could see it.
AZDEAN:
Oh, wow.
RACHEL:
And I'm seeing how seriously that's regulated.
AZDEAN:
Yes.
RACHEL:
And it's crazy that these places have withstood all this time.
AZDEAN:
Yeah, that's why I always say, if you have one day to spend and visit Morocco, fez is definitely the city to visit. Because of that history, because of so many landmarks, it's just incredible. What did you get to see when you visited Fez in terms of? Did you get to see the King's Palace, the Jewish Quarter, the Mosaic in the making, the tenories?
RACHEL:
We did visit the Mosaic factory, which I was kind of familiar with anyways because, like I said, I work with that. But it's still impressive, especially if you've ever tried to make one of those pots on the wheels. It's not easy. I took a class and ended up making two ashtrays.
AZDEAN:
Oh, my God.
RACHEL:
To see what they're making. It's incredible. That was impressive, for sure. And then we went to the tannery which was also incredible, to see how they were doing the process. It looks like how they probably were doing it hundreds of years ago.
AZDEAN:
Yes, it did not change. You're absolutely right. Yes.
RACHEL:
Like the guy in there stomping on the hide.
AZDEAN:
Yeah, and the colors, the different colors. They represent different part of the process, where they are at at that moment, so they move the hide from place to place. It's very intriguing and very nice. Was it smelly for you, rachel? Because a lot of people say yes, it was smelly and some say no. In my opinion, it was smelly for me, but how was it for you? Extremely.
RACHEL:
Extremely smelly, you know whatever. You get through it. But you don't get used to it, you just have to get through it and you use the mint and I'm usually feel like I can handle stuff like that or get used to it or get over it, but no, not there.
AZDEAN:
Yeah, it was. In my case it was kind of strong. Yes, I took a lot of pictures, I took a lot of videos, so it was absolutely worth it.
RACHEL:
The other place we visited no, maybe this is in Marrakesh was the Bahia Palace.
AZDEAN:
Oh, the Bahia Palace, yes, in Marrakesh. Yeah, that was actually your next stop after a couple of days. So how was Marrakesh for you, places you stayed in and the overall experience.
RACHEL:
The Medina was like wild Again, that feel of just like people everywhere, and this is one thing that I didn't realize, like how late people, including children, stay up in Morocco, and so it was like wild to see a four year old out on the street with their parents, but like at 11 or midnight, yeah. And so that area the square.
AZDEAN:
A lot of people call it the square or Jamal Fina square.
RACHEL:
Okay, it was super interesting to see because it was a good chaos, but there was stuff and people everywhere and I mean the driving was a little crazy.
AZDEAN:
I don't know that people use lanes in that area, no, and then you know all the motorcycles and you know a two lane in Marrakesh, it's really five lane, and you add a little bit of bicycles, motorcycles, a little bit of horses, a little bit of donkeys, and that's the regular traffic in Marrakesh.
RACHEL:
It's frightening for not me because I was in a vehicle, but like the other people I'm like are you not concerned you might get hit by a bus? You know that's different than here in the US.
AZDEAN:
Oh, absolutely, yes, no comparison, definitely. Now, one of the questions that I have, rachel, please, do you have any tips or hacks that you would tell a solo traveler or a female traveler go into Morocco, in terms of the best way to explore Morocco? Your experience is unique in this regard and I would like for you, if you would please share it with the audience.
RACHEL:
I would say plan ahead, spend the money. It's well worth it. You're going to get a better experience. This could be a once in a lifetime thing for somebody.
AZDEAN:
Absolutely.
RACHEL:
So do it right, plan ahead, be prepared to maybe spend a little more and have the opportunity to experience these things while being relaxed. And for females, that would be my advice for a solo traveler or a group of travelers. You're going to waste so much time trying to figure things out for yourself, and Yelp reviews are not trustworthy. I mean, they might be, they might not be, but do you really want to spend the day figuring that out when you're in this beautiful country?
AZDEAN:
Yeah, perfect, perfect. Now, is there anything that I should have asked you and I didn't, or if there's anything that you would like to share with the audience, please.
RACHEL:
I would say for the audience if you're thinking about traveling, say you're in the US and you're thinking about going to Europe. What I've told my friends is people I know go to Morocco before you go to Europe. I really I really think so.
RACHEL:
I mean just all of the different landscapes, the architecture you get some of the European feel in parts of Morocco and you're just never going to see these things in Europe. Everywhere you look, it's just amazing, and for different reasons. You know, desert city, old city, seaside, tanger that would be. My advice to people is go to Morocco before you go to Europe.
AZDEAN:
I love it. I love it. So the tour that you have done, or the itinerary, is the north side of Morocco. The south side of Morocco is a little bit different. It's a little bit more going back in time and it's completely different experience. So if you have a chance to come back to Morocco, that's what I would advise doing the south side of Morocco, because the north side you have done it, and also in terms of price. So a lot of people that way they know the reals are expensive. They are more expensive than the hotels. When you do a south side tour is not as expensive as the north side because of the accommodations. In fast it could be easily over a hundred dollars a day.
AZDEAN:
In the south side it's probably half of it, or just a little bit over half of it, and you get to experience quite a bit of things as well. It includes the desert, they include what is that? Where the Atlas Studios are called Hollywood of Morocco. And then you have you go to Ibn Hattu, which is what a lot of movies and series have been filmed. As of today. They are talking there's a British producer, I think he's in Ibn Hattu. They are talking about making Gladiator number two, so they are in the process of it, and also the other series, the Witcher with Superman I forgot his name is filming in Morocco as well. I think they wrapped up that. So there's always something happening in the southern part of Morocco in terms of movies and series as well.
AZDEAN:
So if you get a chance to come back to Morocco, we would love to host you again and we do appreciate you trusting us and giving us a chance to serve you. And it's kind of weird because when people tell me what you do and I tell them hey, I'm a servant, this is what I do, this is who I am and my team are the same we serve. We feel so good and we feel so proud when we serve, when we make a difference in someone's life. You know, because somebody else made a difference in my life and I'm just trying to do the same for somebody else. So, on behalf of my team, my family, we are very great for Rachel. We really really, really appreciate you taking a chance on us and giving us that opportunity to plan everything for you from A to Z. We're so glad you don't like to plan anything, so we did it for you.
RACHEL:
Well, I will be back and I appreciate everything that you guys did, thank you. There was not one time where I felt like I was being bothersome to you, ilya or Sam. You know we're always willing and ready to help me and answer questions or make me feel better about something, and Absolutely. I mean, I cried when I was leaving.
AZDEAN:
You know here's the funny part, Rachel I swear to you we had Daniel and Sierra. They traveled as a couple, I think then traveled over 60 countries, and the conversation that I've had with him is incredible. And I know for a fact that the hardest part about your tour is always saying goodbye, Always thinking of those people Some you may see again, some you may not see again. And then a year goes by, two years go by, and then you go back to your trip and you think about it and it's like, oh, I wonder what that person is doing. So that's why when I look at your Instagram pictures, those pictures they tell a different story, amazing story. It was just beautifully documented. And those pictures they'll have value when time goes by, Six months from now. You look at them and it's like, oh my God, I can't believe I went to that place, and whether it's Tangier, Shifshia or Marrakesh, that's the beauty of it and we're so glad that we were part of that journey for you, Rachel.
RACHEL:
Yes, I'm thankful and I just love you guys and I hope to travel with you again.