Tag: Tourists

Marvelous Morocco

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

Time seems to be flying as we scramble to catch up after our last whirlwind trip! Last month, we had the absolute privilege of spending almost two weeks in beautiful Morocco. This was our first time to Morocco, and actually our first time in Africa, so we were beyond excited and hyper-focused on doing and seeing as much as we could. To that end, we set out on completing a somewhat ambitious loop from Casablanca to Fes to Merzouga (and the desert) to Marrakesh and finally back to Casablanca. Whew, even typing it all out is a bit much! Anyway, here’s a little recap of what we did and what I would recommend to anyone traveling to Morocco for the first time. 

Casablanca

We didn’t choose to start and end in Casablanca for any reason other than that’s where the cheapest flights from Québec happened to be. But, of course, once we knew we were heading to Casablanca, we promptly watched the 1942 classic! Spoiler alert: modern-day Casablanca is absolutely nothing like the movie. Since we only had a couple of days planned here, we focused on hitting the highlights: Hassan II Mosque, Central Market, the port, Arab League Park etc.

I feel like Casablanca is the sort of city that would be great to live in, but not so great for tourists. It’s the biggest city in Morocco, and we totally felt that as we trekked from site to site. If you are touristing in Casablanca, however, I would definitely recommend Sky 28 bar. It’s at the top of the Kenzi Tower Hotel and gives you amazing views of the city and the coastline. We went at sunset, and it was such a great way to see all that city sprawl!

Another Casablanca recommendation I would readily give is the restaurant Le Cuistot Traditionnel. It might have been our favorite of the trip, mostly because of the amazing Moroccan food and beautiful décor, but also in part because of the amazing owner and chef. He actually used to work for the king of Morocco and had such an amazing collection of photos, mementos, and stories from that time – really such a cool guy and place!

Fes

The next stop on our itinerary was Fes (or Fez), which is one of the oldest cities in Morocco. I think this was the city I was most looking forward to before our trip because I was so excited to experience the medina. The medina refers to some 9,000 streets and alleyways that make up what I can only compare to a massive hedge maze, except these walls are stone, several stories high, and about 800 years old. “Bustling” just isn’t a strong enough word to describe the medina, which is home to approximately 100,000 people, most of whom must be merchants of some sort given the insane number of markets, shops, and stalls!

Walking around the medina was chaotic in the absolute best way. There are souvenirs, snacks, businesses, and historic sites all crammed into the narrowest of spaces, not to mention all the people shopping, taking photos, transporting goods, etc. Unfortunately, Google Maps is almost no help in navigating since the vast majority of the streets in the medina are too small to be on the map. For that reason and so many others, walking around Fes felt a lot like traveling back in time. Of course, eventually you’d spot some stainless-steel water bottles or personalized power banks and instantly be back in the 2020s.

In my opinion, the absolute best thing to do in Fes is to wander. Just walk around, get lost, find your way back again by recognizing some sign or stall, and ultimately soak up the chaos. I also think staying in a dar (a room in a local house) or a riad (an inn) is essential in Fes. Hearing families eating dinner, buying your water at a little window shop, and feeling the warmth of Moroccan hospitality was such a great part of our stay in one of the most unique places we’ve ever been. Oh, and remember to prepare yourself mentally for bargaining at the markets, you absolutely have to have your head in the game for that!  

To/From the Desert

The next part of our trip was a bit out of the ordinary for us. When we were planning everything, we knew we wanted to get out to the dunes, but we weren’t sure the best way to do that. Renting a car our first time on the continent seemed challenging, but doing a multi-day tour had us wary as well. In the end, we decided on a tour that doubled as transportation between two of the cities we wanted to see, and included most meals, tickets to the various sites, and lodging for the two nights. Given how cheap it was and the huge number of different companies and individuals offering something oddly similar, we were a little worried it was all a big scam…

But nope, it was just as amazing as all the reviews said it would be! Of course, I was still very nervous when we hadn’t heard from them by the night before out 7am departure, but once we were put into contact with our driver/guide, Mahmoud, I was completely at ease. He was so skilled at giving us the right amount of time in each place, sharing enough information to keep us interested and entertained, and juggling all the logistical tasks it required to transport 10 foreigners across the country and into the desert for three days and two nights.

It takes 7 hours to get to Merzouga (and the Chebbi dunes) from Fes and another 9 hours to get to Marrakesh, so we covered a lot of ground and a lot of points of interest, including some of my favorite: the monkeys in Ifrane, the Todgha gorge, the random espresso bar van in the middle of nowhere, and the ancient city of Aït Benhaddou. But of course, the highlight of this adventure was our time in the dunes. Riding the camels, watching the sunset and sunrise, sandboarding, a bonfire, drinks shared with new friends, star gazing – it was one of those travel experiences that seems totally unreal, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Marrakesh

Honestly, you’re probably thinking, how could we possibly top what we’d already enjoyed thus far in Morocco, and we were a bit worried about that too, especially since we were told by almost everyone we talked to that Marrakesh was their least favorite city in Morocco. We had heard Marrakesh was noisy and dirty and that the people there were pushy and impatient, etc. Well, I don’t know if we’re just weird, but Marrakesh was our favorite of the cities we visited, pretty much precisely because it was all those things and more! To me, it felt so utterly authentic in its own ancient-trading-center-turned-major-tourist-destination sort of way.

Much like Fes, Marrakesh also has a medina, but it’s actually much larger and thankfully fully mapped on Google Maps (plus one for navigation)! However, the medina in Marrakesh hasn’t banned motorcycles like Fes has, so it was a bit louder and dirtier. Of course, I found that more fun and probably more convenient for locals. We also found the people of Marrakesh to be super likeable! Maybe they seem pushy or impatient to some, but as city-people ourselves, we totally got it. We knew almost instantly that if we ever choose to move to Morocco, Marrakesh is the place for us.

Hopefully, we’ve already done our part in hyping up Marrakesh, but for some more specific recommendations, I’d say first, make sure you walk through Jemaa el-Fnaa (the main square) often and at all times of day. You’ll see so many things you’ve never seen before and might never see anywhere else! But if you don’t like people hawking their goods/services, then I advise you walk with purpose lol. You should also go to a hammam and get scrubbed down. You might feel awkward or unsure, but it won’t last long. Just take it all in and think of the stories you’ll have to tell afterwards. Other highlights for us in Marrakesh were the Marrakesh Museum, MK Rooftop, and basically any supermarket (their Carrefour is *chef’s kiss*).

As is always the case with our trip recap posts, there’s just so much I want to share, but then, I’d really rather you go out there and experience it for yourself! Morocco might seem daunting at first; I know there’s a lot of information online about it (particularly a lot of cautionary tales), but we found it to be a very welcoming place that really puts a lot of effort into making sure tourists are well taken care of! It’s simply marvelous really! Shukran, Maroc – until next time!

Oh là là! C’est Paris!

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

For as long as we’ve been traveling internationally, somehow, we had never made it to Paris. But thankfully, that wrong has now been righted as we recently spent nine incredible days in the City of Lights! I knew going into this trip we would have to make some tough choices because there’s so much to do and see in Paris, and it’s one of the most visited cities in the world, making it necessary to both plan ahead and have contingencies. However, despite the challenges of touristing in such popular location, I think we did a pretty good job hitting the major points of interest without getting lost in the crowds. There were, however, a few things that still surprised us when visiting some of the most popular Parisian attractions. Things like…

Eiffel Tower

It takes multiple days to get the full Eiffel Tower experience. For some reason, I thought we’d just stop by the Eiffel Tower, take a few pictures, and continue on our way, but that’s not how it turned out. We did have that initial viewing and walk through the parks around the base, but then we decided we wanted to go back and ride/walk up and down the tower, view Paris from above, and see the Eiffel Tower from directly underneath – all of which were SO COOL, but took a lot more time because we had to buy tickets, go through security, wait in line, etc.

Of course, we also wanted to see the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night, especially with the twinkling lights, which meant that we’d have to go back at the top of the hour sometime between 10pm and 1am. So, at the very least, it’s absolutely necessary to be there at some point during the day and at a specific time after dark, but what about having a picnic on the lawn? Or sharing a glass of wine with the Eiffel Tower in view? Essentially, all roads kept leading us back to the Eiffel Tower.

Champs-Élysées & L’Arc de Triomphe

Speaking of roads, Avenue des Champs-Élysées was another surprise for me. I knew we’d be walking down it at some point because of the sights at either end, but I definitely didn’t plan enough time there. Even though we’re not big on shopping, there were so many cool stores (and restaurants) on this street, so for any subsequent trips, I’ve already made a mental note to give this area a little more time. The Arc de Triomphe might also get a special highlight on a future trip to Paris because you can (much like the Eiffel Tower) climb to the top of the arch and get a different view of Paris from above, this time with the Tower in the picture as well.

Le Louvre

I’m pretty sure I’ve said it before, and I’ll probably say it again, but Tucker and I are not the best at museums. We have trouble slowing down when we’re in a new city, and honestly, I feel like I’ve seen enough ancient pottery to last me a lifetime. However, the Louvre was absolutely my favorite ticketed activity in Paris. We originally planned to spend three hours at the museum, but could easily have spent the whole day. There is just so much to see in every wing, on every floor! As you might expect, it was very crowded though, which, to me, is all the more reason to plan a whole day there. Take breaks, walk into the courtyards, get a cup of coffee, and then get back in there and marvel at not only the 40,000 pieces on display, but also the eight-hundred-year-old palace they’re housed in. And seriously, no matter how much you may dislike crowds or museums, you absolutely cannot skip this one.

The Catacombs

The Paris Catacombs were something I’d heard about many times, but whatever I’d heard or seen was nothing like experiencing them in person. Although they’re a little bit of a hike from the other sights, their uniqueness definitely makes them well-worth a visit. I’m actually really glad we jumped on the tickets-and-reservations bandwagon early in our Paris trip, because this was another one that we almost missed out on because there are limited spaces and most were already sold out by the time we decided to add this to our itinerary. I can only imagine how far in advance things have to be booked in the high season!

Disneyland Paris

If you’re a Disney fan, like me and my family, you might have heard some negative things about Disneyland Paris. Before visiting, we had heard the food wasn’t really good, it’s not as clean as other Disney properties, it’s really small, etc. but now that we have been there, I definitely beg to differ. I, personally, loved the food. I mean, of course it doesn’t have the variety of Paris proper, but as far as the various Disneylands go, there were several things I preferred at this park! Overall, it felt very much on brand to me: spotlessly clean and with so much attention to detail throughout. There are also two parks there, so definitely not the smallest when combined. I do understand why people wouldn’t necessarily want to give up time in Paris to go to Disney, but I don’t regret it at all! We had a magical time, as always.

Vernon/Giverny & Monet’s Gardens

Anytime we’re in a city longer than a week, we try to do at least one day-trip to somewhere outside the city. For Paris, I contemplated several options, but in the end, we went for Vernon/Giverny to see Claude Monet’s incredible gardens. As amazing as the Louvre and other Paris landmarks were, and as fun and nostalgic as Disneyland was, getting away from the crowds was the perfect choice for our last full day in France (sorry Versailles, maybe another time). We loved everything about this little trip within a trip. The train ride out to the sleepy little town, walking down the many narrow cobblestoned streets, seeing all the flowers in bloom – everything.

Of course, our main reason for going to this little town was to see Claude Monet’s house and gardens, and they also exceeded every expectation. The whole area has really leaned into the artistry and beauty of the French countryside, and it was lovely to be a part of it, even if only for an afternoon.

Ultimately, no matter how many places we visit, we’re always in awe of what there is to do and see in every corner of the world. And, for me, the surprises we encounter along the way, make it that much more fun! I’m already ready for another trip! On y va!