Things to Do in Marrakech Part 1

Two years ago, just before covid conquered the world, I made a spontaneous and brave decision to travel to Marrakech, Morocco on my own. I was recently heart broken then and let's just say I had a momentary loss of sanity and just went for it.

Why Marrakech you might ask? Well a simple answer would be because Morocco is one of those countries who welcome a Filipino passport without a lot of frets. Also, because I saw a university batch-mate posting about her recent travels there. Anyhow, my reason was pretty shallow but I figured Morocco, sounds exotic! Why not?! Down below I listed some fun things you can do if you ever feel like grabbing a passport and whisking away to Morocco.

1. Get a Henna Tattoo

Moroccans and other Berbers believe that henna tattoo are a sign of good luck so you will see a lot of henna tattoo places in Morocco. Getting a henna tattoo makes you feel like you are immersing into the Moroccan culture. Plus watching it get done in person is pretty mesmerising. Con: you may end up sitting there for a long time depending on the design you choose. A place I would recommend to get henna there is "Henna Cafe" which is known for its livelihood initiative for women in the community.

2. Shop and Get Lost At Souks

Souks are basically Arab markets or bazaars. If you love shopping and you know how to haggle you would love this place. Although it can be quite tricky to navigate. I had to use the app called "Here We Go" to get around it as unfortunately google maps does not work well in the Souks. Pro-tip avoid eye contact as every merchant will be fawning over you and will be persistently friendly in order to get your business. Another pro-tip, research the prices of the products you want to buy first as sometimes these sellers tend to overprice since they are used to people haggling. I bought my souvenirs at the souk. Their leather products are pretty impressive.

3. Visit Agafay Desert and Ride a Camel

I'm not going to lie, this was the highlight of my entire trip. I actually went out of my way to rent a whole van for myself to get to the Agafay desert as I was a solo traveler. I remembered saying to myself, "I must ride a camel, no matter what". It was a long drive to Agafay but it was well worth it when I saw the camels. They even give you traditional desert costume to go along with your ride. I was very scared as the camel stood up. I have never been on one before and it was absolutely towering I felt like I was going to fall. I had a guide to accompany me on my camel ride but he does not speak english. He did offer to take a photo for me using gestures. To conclude my Agafay desert trip we were offered a meal in the desert with a campfire and a lamp it was quite an unforgettable experience.

I think this is getting a bit too lengthy now, so please expect for a part 2. I got lost a lot while travelling to Morocco, but in the end, I ended up finding myself and becoming whole again. It is amazing what an act of bravery can do to a person. That's all for now I hope you enjoyed this read and I hope it inspired you to travel and be brave.