Unforgettable Morocco

Written by '74Escape

Traveler: Viktor Sloth – Photographer & Director

What is your most unforgettable escape? Must have been Iceland. Made an unforgettable impact on my soul and I. The nature is indescribable. However, this time we headed south to Africa, Morocco, Marrakesh.

What was the purpose of your travel? My girlfriend and I work a lot so we decided to go on a little retreat from the northern hemisphere to magical Morocco.

Where did you stay? The entire trip was very spontaneous, and to be frank, we did not read a lot about the place. We found cheap tickets to Marrakesh, booked them, threw some clothes in a bag and got moving. We booked at a hotel we was recommended called La Mamounia. It looked terrific, but when we got there we quickly realized we did a terrible mistake: The price we thought was for the entire week, was for one single night – ooops! We booked the room a little too rushed 😉 We found a hotel just outside the Medina. It was okay – we usually just need a bed without bugs in it, and then we are happy.

What did (do) you most like about the trip?

The surprise: The culture was much more different than anticipated.

The diversity in the nature also impressed me! Desert, ocean, mountains.

Could you share an unforgettable memory about the trip? A memory that will not subside for a while is the haggling. Don’t count on to just quickly do some shopping. Often we were invited to tea and the haggling could go on for a loooong time! It was very exhausting, but looking back – also quiet funny but not suitable for my temper.

Favorite restaurant or foods you have tried during your trip? In general I want to eat local food when I am a new place. Morocco was not a different story and luckily the Moroccan cuisine is very delicious. I fell in love with the Tajine, which is basically slow cooked food in a clay pot. You can get it everywhere and I liked it best with lamb or beef.

What are the must tries of the city? To enter the Medina and get lost in the small and narrow streets of the Souk’s is a must try. It can be a bit intimidating and confusing but great fun! There is a good chance to find a hidden gem in one of the many shops, and there is also a good chance to get bamboozled big time.

Any hidden gems you could whisper to us? Le Jardin in the middle of the Souk areas in Medina is a wonderful escape from all the haggling and the crowds. They have a great date smoothie 🙂

Would you go back? The trip was partly a location scout trip – and yes, indeed. I will go back there and shoot.

Could you list a few of your favorite finds you came back with? The Atlas mountains are just an hour outside of Marrakech and it is an insanely interesting place. Beautiful, huge and vast. I really liked driving around in the mountains and drinking tea with the mountain Berber people.

Any tips that might be useful to know before going there?

Be sure to always have cash, and don’t flash too much expensive clothes or jewelry – it will make everything you buy a lot more expensive.

Get out of Marrakesh and visit the ocean city Essaouira – it’s a two hour bus drive and worth it! Here we had the best fish I tasted for a while and the mood of the city and the harbour was wonderful.