Australia’s favourite travel critics are back with more epic overseas adventures and outrageous laughs in the new season of Travel Guides.
This week our Travel Guides are off to explore the mysteries of Morocco, landing smack-bang in the hustle and bustle of Marrakech.
Arriving at the medina gates, confusion kicks in as their luggage is whisked away down a maze of ancient alleyways to their unique accommodation at a riad -a traditional merchant’s house with roof terraces set around a beautiful internal courtyard. Some are not fussed by the welcoming mint tea, while others are shocked by what they find on offer in their room.
All checked in, the Guides head out jumping head-first into a tsunami of sight and sound as they enter the onslaught that is the Jemaa El Fna – Morocco’s most famed open-aired marketplace. At this mad mix between a market and a circus, they soon come face-to-face with a dancing cobra and his mates.
Some Guides kiss a snake and like it, while others are turned off by the thought of eating sheep heads. And as the sun sets, the market place turns into party central with some very questionable dancing as they Morrocan the night away.
Waking up in Marrakech our Guides tuck into a traditional Moroccan breakfast. Too spicy for some, this is not the average vegemite on toast. After this breakfast of champions it’s time for some serious tanning…Moroccan style. Visiting the oldest leather tannery in the city our Guides need a strong stomach for what they encounter.
Having seen where Morocco’s famed leather goods originate from, they hit the Souk Semmarine, the city’s biggest market and a mecca for any bargain hunter. When it comes to shopping for a few local threads, our Guides try their best to fit in but are easily recognisable as tourists.
All kitted up in their new Moroccan outfits, our Guides make a short trip out to the moon-like expanse of the Agafay desert. While some soak up the tranquillity and get a quiet thrill by taking a ride on a camel, others have a screaming good time by taking to the rocky hills on quad bikes.
The next day starts with a juice and a cooking class where the Guides learn to whip a traditional tagine. Then they put their bellies to good use by giggling and wiggling their way through a belly dancing class. Warning: some things can not be unseen.
Leaving the mayhem of Marrakech behind, our Guides head for the hills in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains. Separating the coastline from the Sahara Desert, these peaks stretch from Morocco to Tunisia and form the highest mountain range in North Africa. They rock the Kasbah at their traditional accommodation and visit a local Berber village for an authentic experience of daily life in the country.
Finishing off their Moroccan adventure with a hike in the Atlas Mountains, our Guides reflect on a trip they will never forget and decide what they will rate this exotic trip out of 5 stars.
