Why I’d Travel With Intrepid Again – Even If Morocco Wasn’t For Me

After spending a few weeks studying in London, I wanted to take the opportunity to experience somewhere completely different before returning to Australia.

Morocco was within easy reach and unlike anywhere I had travelled before.

I chose Intrepid’s ‘Essential Morocco’ tour as a straightforward way to see much more of the country than I could have managed independently, without having to organise the transport and accommodation myself.

With hindsight, Morocco was probably never going to be my perfect holiday destination.

As a younger traveller who tends to enjoy good restaurants, busy bars and the freedom of exploring a city with friends, there were parts of Morocco that I found quite challenging. But I had never been to Northern Africa and wanted to give it a go.

Over 12 days, our group of 10 young people from Australia and the UK travelled from Morocco’s major cities into smaller towns, historic centres and eventually the Sahara Desert.

This was my second trip with Intrepid, the first being to Vietnam. Our guide, Abinane, struck what I have found to be a consistently good balance with Intrepid Travel. There was enough organisation to make travelling easy, without ever making the trip feel overly regimented.

We were given plenty of free time to experience Morocco together as a group, while Abinane was always there with a restaurant recommendation, somewhere worth visiting or a suggestion for where we might have the best night.

The group itself also made the trip considerably more enjoyable. Everyone was friendly and wanted to see as much of Morocco as possible and have a good time doing it.

It meant we rarely felt like we were being marched around on a tour. Instead, Intrepid handled the difficult parts and largely left us to enjoy the good ones.

The accommodation was comfortable and practical, with clean, spacious rooms, friendly staff and breakfast included each morning. A few properties also had pools, which became particularly welcome after long days travelling in the Moroccan heat.

Starting In Casablanca

Casablanca was a gentle introduction to Morocco. There are some good restaurants, beach clubs and parts of the city worth exploring.

For anyone hoping for a big nightlife scene, expectations should be adjusted.

Alcohol is naturally less prominent in a predominantly Muslim country and the bars we did find tended to be limited and relatively expensive. That remained fairly consistent throughout the trip.

Chefchaouen was one of the first places that really delivered the Morocco you imagine before arriving. The town is famous for its blue buildings, narrow streets and mountainous setting, and is the sort of place where simply walking around is enough entertainment.

It also contained what became a surprisingly important discovery for our group: a pub.

With the World Cup on at the time, the owners were extremely accommodating and we got to watch the England vs Argentina semi final together.  A disappointing result but an unexpected and memorable night.

Moulay Idriss offered something completely different. Older, quieter and considerably less polished for tourism, it gave the trip a stronger sense of Morocco’s history.

Nearby Roman remains and the town’s religious significance provided an interesting contrast to the larger cities and more tourist-focused stops elsewhere on the itinerary.

You Will Eat Tagine

Before travelling to Morocco, there is one question worth asking yourself.

How much do you like tagine? The slow-cooked Moroccan staple appears everywhere and, to be fair, is very good. After several days, however, some of us found ourselves craving a little more variety.

Once you move away from the bigger cities, Western food becomes less common and menus offer less variety.

This is where having a guide becomes particularly useful. Knowing which restaurants are reliable and suited to the group removes a surprising amount of effort from each day.

One of the best local experiences Intrepid organised was lunch with a Moroccan family during one of our longer travel days. We were welcomed into their home and served the best meal of the trip. Meat skewers, Moroccan salad and a hospitable family who told us a bit about their day to day life.

Into The Sahara

The clear highlight of the trip came in the Sahara.

After days of moving between towns and cities, our group arrived at a camp surrounded by enormous sand dunes and, for the evening, camels.

Riding through the Sahara as the sun disappeared behind the dunes was comfortably the most memorable experience of the 12 days.

It is difficult to replicate the scale of the place in photographs. Once the sun goes down, the desert becomes almost completely dark and the night sky takes over.

Sleeping there is another matter.

The black tents retained the day’s heat, so a perfect night’s sleep it was not.

But step outside and look up at the stars and it becomes difficult to complain.

For me, that single evening justified a large part of the journey.

Finishing In Marrakech

After travelling through more rural parts of the country, arriving in Marrakech felt like returning to something closer to the style of travel I was used to.

There were more restaurants, more international visitors, better rooftop bars and considerably more variety when it came to food. Even food delivery suddenly became an option again.

Marrakech is undoubtedly touristy, but I did not see that as a negative.

There is enough energy to keep the city interesting, plenty of visitors from the UK and Europe, and a medina that is genuinely worth getting lost in for a few hours.

If I had to choose between spending extra time in Casablanca or Marrakech, Marrakech would win every time. It was also a good place to finish.

After almost two weeks moving around the country, it provided enough familiarity to relax while still feeling unmistakably Moroccan.

Matt with Abinane

Where Intrepid Makes The Difference

The biggest takeaway from the trip was not really about any individual Moroccan city. It was how much easier Intrepid made travelling through the country.

Transport was organised.

Shuttle buses appeared when they needed to.

Accommodation was sorted.

Our guide helped us navigate local customs, from tipping to language barriers

When it came to eating, we had someone who knew where to go and what was reliable.

These are small things individually, but over 12 days they add up.

They are also exactly the things that can make travelling independently through an unfamiliar country tiring.

Intrepid removes most of that friction while still leaving enough freedom for a group to feel as though they are actually travelling together rather than simply following an itinerary.

Abinane was central to that.

He knew when to organise us and, equally importantly, when to leave us alone. That balance gave us the freedom to have our own trip while knowing that the complicated parts were being handled in the background.

His support also extended well beyond the itinerary. When one of the passengers became unwell, Abinane immediately took them to hospital and stayed with them to make sure they received medical attention.

Morocco was fascinating, occasionally spectacular and gave me some experiences I will remember for a long time. The Sahara in particular is something I would recommend experiencing at least once.

As a destination, Morocco probably does not suit the way I personally like to travel enough to bring me back for another 12 days.

But would I travel with Intrepid again? Absolutely…and in some ways that is the stronger endorsement.

It is easy to love a tour company when you already love the destination.

It is much harder when the destination itself is not entirely your style.

Intrepid took a country I probably would not have felt particularly comfortable travelling through independently and made it simple, social and genuinely enjoyable.

Sometimes that is exactly what a good tour operator is supposed to do.