I can hardly believe it myself, but I’m back from my whirlwind trip to Morocco! We somehow managed to cram 5 cities into 8 days, with 2.5 days of car rides (and one camel ride) in-between. I enjoyed every minute of our week-long trek across the country, so I have decided that the best way to share my trip with you is chronologically… After an 8-hour plane ride from Dulles to Paris, a 4-hour layover, and another 4-hour plane ride to Casablanca, we finally arrived.

We were greeted by Aziz, who would be our amazing driver for the duration of our trip, at the airport in Casablanca. He had already met up with my sister, Natalie, who had arrived hours earlier from Senegal, so we all hopped in the car to travel from Casablanca to Rabat, our first destination. In Morocco, the hotels we stayed in were “riads,” traditional Moroccan houses/palaces with an interior garden or courtyard. Riad Kalaa, in the heart of Rabat, had a beautiful Andalusian courtyard with stone and marble architecture. The room I shared with Natalie was super cozy and had amazing amenities. It was so cozy, in fact, that Natalie and I didn’t want to get out of bed. Thankfully, Riad Kaala had a filling and delicious breakfast of traditional breads, yogurt, and fresh-squeezed orange juice that tempted us to leave our room.

 Our stay in Rabat was a short one, but a great intro to Moroccan culture and hospitality. I would quickly learn that Morocco is home to beautiful medinas, delicious kefta kebabs, and cats – lots of cats.

– Jackietara