“I decided it was time to take the plunge and go on my first “solo” holiday. I have enjoyed solo weekend trips before, but was looking for a longer break, and to get further afield. I really liked the idea of a small tour group, hoping I would meet like-minded people in a similar position.
Tired of British winter I really wanted to take in some sunshine and enjoy a bit of culture at the same time. I had visited Marrakech before and enjoyed it, so chose a trip which incorporated rural Morocco with a taste of its other highlights. I particularly liked the idea of spending some time in the desert.
The G-Adventures trip was recommended to me by Abbotts Travel as being exactly what I was looking for. There would be around 14 people on my tour, which is a nice manageable size. Because we had to make our own way to Casablanca there was a real international feel to the group. I was joined by Koreans, Austrians, Canadians and an Italian, as well as another British couple.
The itinerary covered so much that every day was full and there was very little “free” time. We visited the beautiful ancient city of Fes, then travelled over the incredible Atlas mountains, visiting various interesting towns along the way, sampling local foods and getting a real glimpse into the lives of ordinary Moroccans.
Part of the G-Adventures ethos is to give something back to the community, and our guide explained how our visit to a woman’s co-op helps them to educate girls, whilst teaching them traditional Moroccan cooking and crafts so that they have a life skill. The absolute highlight for me though was the night in the Sahara desert. We parked our small bus at a Kasbah and mounted our camels for an hour trek to our desert camp for the night, then clambered up a huge sand dune to watch the most incredible sunset. It was stunning and utterly breathtaking to see nothing but desert in all directions.
We spent the evening around the fire, then I chose to sleep out under the stars. Waking to the huge clear desert sky put a big smile on my face! We then had to get back on our camels for the sunrise trek back to the Kasbah.
I think the trip offered a bit of everything. The frenetic pace of Marrakech was insane coming from the tranquillity of the desert. The food was lovely (even though we all got a bit bored with tagine!), the people were friendly and the holiday was terribly good value. Our guide, Lahcen, told us all about the Moroccan ways of life and traditions, and had local knowledge of each area we visited, showing us places “off the beaten track”. I certainly didn’t feel as though we only saw 'tourist highlights'. I am very keen to book up another trip with G-Adventures as soon as possible, perhaps to the Far East next time! Thank you Abbotts for a truly amazing experience.” Kristina