My ‘solo’ trip to Morocco turned into an unforgettable girls' escape
"Come on, we're getting there...slowly," I cajole myself and Mindy along as we struggle up a particularly steep part of Mount Toubkal. "Donkey!" shouts Andrea from behind, and a heavily laden mule draped in colourful blankets staggers by. Taking a much-needed breather to let him pass, I glance back at the view across the Ait Mizane Valley, earthy brown peaks as far as the eye can see, and grin at my gaggle of new friends chattering away.
As the editor of solo holidays website 101 Singles Holidays, I love exploring the world on my own. However, there's something about enjoying a shared experience with a bunch of like-minded people which can elevate our travels, something I found on a recent trip to Morocco.
I'm travelling with adventure travel company, Intrepid, and meet the 12-strong group of women at Gatwick Airport. Intrepid has seen a real boom in solo travel in recent years. More than 46% of their customers book a solo trip, and 72% of these identify as female.
We all hail from different parts of the country, but smiling and swapping names, we realise we're connected by our love of adventure. And for many – me included – it's our first time in Morocco.
Landing in Marrakech and the setting sun is turning everything a warm syrupy gold. I'm immediately immersed in the evocative sights, sounds and scents of the imperial city.
Along with my gaggle of women, I follow our guide, Mustafa, through the snaking alleyways of the medina and try not to get distracted by shiny silver jewellery and colourful leather slippers piled around every corner. We pass spice-scented food trucks, stalls glittering with brass lamps, while scooters toot past with two, often three passengers astride.
Mustafa stops outside an intricately carved door which opens immediately and Amina, our host, welcomes us into her home with a smile. A traditional Moroccan riad, the central courtyard is decorated with intricate blue-and-white wall tiles, low-slung couches are scattered with colourful silk cushions, while in stone nooks sit polished silver urns.
That evening, me and the girls gather around low tables and feast on huge platters of rfissa, a traditional Moroccan dish piled with chicken, lentils and eggs. Afterwards, Amina brings out filo pastry drizzled with almond paste and dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon. It's heaven.
After dinner, we're entertained by The Houariyates, the OG of Moroccan girl bands. Swathed in yellow, the all-female quartet plays the traditional music of the I'Houara tribes, which is largely loud drumming and chanting.
Of course, a solo trip to Morocco is not just about Marrakech. One of the highlights of Intrepid's Morocco itinerary is a chance to trek in the High Atlas Mountains. Driving from Marrakech, the roads narrow as they wind through the foothills. Driving through scenes of random goats, men with mules and makeshift stalls selling clay tagines, I chat easily with the women and the hours fly by.
We're staying in Imlil, a small village known as 'Little Chamonix'. which sits at 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) above sea level. It's best known as the gateway to Jebel Toubkal, the highest peak in Northern Africa.
Mount Toubkal is a popular challenge for serious trekkers, many of who we pass on their way down from the peak. It's a challenging walk for some, but we all find our pace and natter and help each other up the mountain. Eventually, we make it midway to the peak at Sidi Chamarouch, a tiny Berber village which has a shrine to a local marabout – a Muslim holy man.
At dinner in our little mountain guesthouse, the ladies and I chat around the table swapping stories about adventures, families and more – the camaraderie of today's trek seemed to bond us even further. In the morning, we say farewell to the great Jebel Touqbal and drive to the Agafay Desert, our next adventure. From the mountains to the desert, Morocco's landscape is incredibly diverse and I'm mesmerised by the rocky, lunar-like sands of Agafay. I watch as a caravan of camels silhouetted against the dunes plod across the horizon and I briefly forget what century we're in.
We're spending the night in Yes We Camp's, a rather swish desert camp with beautiful safari tents furnished with traditional Moroccan décor. After our own camel ride at sunset, we dine on yet more tagine and chat until the early hours under a dusty blanket of stars, the faint sound of camels harrumphing in the distance.
After a serene yoga class overlooking the lunar landscape, we head back to Marrakech for the last night of our 'solo' trip to Morocco. Intrepid have arranged a farewell dinner at Al Fassia, an acclaimed restaurant in Guéliz, which is run solely by women. As we feast on shared platters of couscous and tagine Makfoul, braised lamb shanks with caramelised onions, I look around at my new friends, all chatting and laughing easily with each other, and relish the adventures we've just had together. Like the clichéd saying goes, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.
Red has an exclusive eight-day women-only adventure with Intrepid, ideal for solo trips to Morocco. Made for travellers in search of a solo trip to Morocco where you can explore as a group, the tour explores rural corners of the country for an authentic experience. Expect a couscous cooking class, hiking and Amazigh music along the way.
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