New country, and new continent! I’m off for a week in Marrakech, Morocco. This is my first country in Africa that I’m visiting and it has been on my list for forever. I’m ready to get going although this is a bit more of a relaxing trip with some adventures thrown into the mix as I am dead in need of some down time. A little bit different for me but I actually really enjoyed switching off and sitting by the pool on a trip last year so thought it might help me to chill a bit!

After a few delays on the trains to get to the airport I finally got through security and began to chill. I’ve started a bit boujee I’m not gonna lie as I managed to get my hands on lounge access at Gatwick Airport so I lapped it up and got to the airport far earlier than I normally would to make the most of the three hours access I had! I headed to MyLounge at Gatwick South and let me give you a run down. I’m not gonna lie though, I’m glad I didn’t pay the price. Don’t get me wrong, it was lovely to kick back and relax before a flight with food and drinks and a guaranteed comfy seat, but, it wasn’t all that. The space was actually quite small it was so full, there was also kids running around everywhere and maybe it’s just me, but aren’t lounges meant to be chill?! I was there for the changeover of breakfast and lunch so managed to try both; breakfast was quite standard and fairly decent, nothing too special but also tasted fair. Later on during my stay I had lunch in here, not great. It was pretty mediocre as standard but having cider on tap did not go a miss!

Before I knew it, it was time to board and after a few delays on the airplane, just over three hours later I landed in Morocco. I arrived in the late afternoon so didn’t really do much on arrival, I had prebooked trasnfers to my hotel (yes hotel not hostel) which was lush, and my hotel was insane nice! This trip all in all has actually been a bit more lux than I normally would when soloing it as I have used so many perks and upgrades. I booked 555 Hotel on Booking.com (my fave) and where I use it so much I got a free room upgrade to a suite and free breakfast included in my stay too. The hotel was wicked. I had a little wander around and grabbed some dinner before settling in for the night.

Day two and my first full day in Marrakech, and wow it actually hit me how hot it was here, I got up and had some breakfast where I also had an omlette made fresh for me, which can be requested each day, also enjoyed coffee and juice and a few other selections. I headed up to the rooftop pool to have a chill day, and my god it was roasting. I was in and out of the pool almost every 20 minutes just to try and cool down, and despite my SPF30 I still managed to burn after only a few hours out in the 38° heat. The rooftop pool was stunning though, and almost completely empty which gave a really nice chilled vibe that I was soaking up. I enjoyed reading my book and forgetting about the world for the afternoon.

I definitely realised how tired I was today and everything was catching up with me from being super busy in the weeks leading up to going away. I went back to my room in the late afternoon to have a shower and get ready to go out and have some dinner, but fell asleep and woke up a few hours later. I ended up deciding to order some food to my room as time was getting on, and ended up having a chill evening with a series I enjoy watching along with an earlyish night, ready for a day I was super excited about tomorrow!

Next day it was time for a bit of an adventure. There’s no way I can go a whole trip without a little bit of culture and adventuring. I use GetYourGuide to book almost every single one of my trips whilst I’m travelling and they never disappoint. I could not recommend them enough. I decided on a quad biking adventure in the desert, with the opportunity to meet some camels whilst watching the sunet, finishing with dinner and traditional Moroccan music and a fire show under the stars. I was very excited. The activity already had some amazing reviews and I was very ready to get going.

Morocco is an absolute scorcher in July (as discovered) so most trips run from the afternoon into the evening so it is marginally cooler, so I spent the morning chilling by the pool, trying to turn my burn into tan (it didn’t work, I’m more red), before heading to the meeting point. It wasn’t far from my hotel but I took a taxi on advice from the security outside my hotel. Before I knew it we were off for a day of fun in the desert. First up was a quadbiking adventure. This was honestly insane. I’ve been quad biking a number of times on various trips and I never get bored of it. It’s exhilarating and I get such a kick of adrenaline too. We quad biked through the desert for around an hour, stopping to grab some photos halfway around and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

We arrived back at the camp and had the chance for a sit down with some mint tea and bsicuits, before a camel ride through the desert which again was super cool. I was really sceptical I’m not gonna lie, and when I first sat on I clung on for dear life as it felt really wobbly, but I had the chance to give the camel I rode a stroke and a bit of love and had a really nice time. From here we had a chance to take some photos before heading to a place where Argan Oil is made, this was cool to see and we got to try some out too, both the edible and cosmetic versions. I didn’t even realise it could be eaten but it was served with bread just like olive oil would be, and as part of their own version of peanut butter which tasted really good. The ladies showed us how it was made and we even had the chance to get involved ourselves.

Last stop of the day was dinner under the stars. This did not disappoint. The menu included; vegetable soup, couscous and chicken tagine and it was delightful. Finished off with some cake and more mint tea whilst watching the sunset. There was the opporunity to dance and there was some incredible traditional live music. The day finished with a fire show which really left us on a high. And as for the starry night skies in the desert, wow! I cannot fault any of the day, it truly was incredibly.

Day four I kicked back again by the pool for the morning, before heading on a guided tour of the Medina and Souks. Again, booked with GetYourGuide as always for my favourite experiences! No one else had booked onto the afternoon tour (I think because of how hot it was) which meant I ended up with a private guide for the afternoon. I headed into Jemaa El-Fnaa Square to meet my guide and hands down the 5 minutes that I was alone in the square were the most overstimulating I’ve ever experienced, even as a seasoned traveller. Snake charmers, having monkeys coming in my direction, ladies attempting to braid my hair and add henna to my skin, my goodness there was all sorts. I was very ready to meet my guide!

We had a really great afternoon exploring, I learnt so much about traditional Morrocon culture and got to see metal workshop, shoe making, wool being dyed, and even got to meet a remarkable lady who was making rugs, who even let me have a try myself, which I mastered even if I do say so myself. Although I didn’t buy anything (I’m not really a souvenir person) I had the most wonderful time seeing so many beautiful colours, smelling amazing spices and scents, and just being part of the hustle and bustle around me. At the end of my tour, I found somewhere just on the outskirts of the main square to sit and a grab a coffee and take in the environment around me.

I had a little wander alone now that I was feeling a bit more confident of my surroundings and grabbed some snaps (of course), and my goodness some of the colours in my photos are just incredible, I couldn’t believe how picturesque the environment around me was. Every corner I turned was more colour and incredible imagery, I grabbed some dinner too after a wander, and headed back to my hotel to settle down for the evening and begin packing.. how sad!

My last day in Morocco had arrived, but as I had an evening flight home, I had a full day to chill out and squeeze in some last minute tanning, which I really wanted to do. I enjoyed my last breakfast at my hotel before checking out of my room and heading up to the pool. I still don’t think I’m over how hot it is here, even after spending months at a time in heat I don’t think it’s compared to this temperature. I enjoyed sitting in the pool just chilling out and I was the only one up there which was lush, I just ended having some space and reflecting on my last week, which I’ve really enjoyed.

Evening quickly arrived so it was back to the airport ready for my flight home! As I sit writing about a whirlwind five days full of culture, relaxation, exploring, sunshine and lots of smiles it takes me back to my night in the desert where I had a ‘this is life’ moment, I took myself away to reflect for a little while and just think about all of the truly incredible experiences I’ve had around the world, and the many more to come. Marrakech, thankyou, you did not disappoint. Next trip is in October, if not before, where am I heading?! See you there, Mads x