A Real Moroccan Adventure // S04E04

We are halfway south through exploring Morocco and we are going to drive deep into the desert in search of a remote desert camp that we simply have to show you. But first up we want to show you our new favourite Moroccan city because it has been over 10 years that I've been on the road and this is the first opportunity for my dad and brother to come out and join us in the We are driving around the world. You are invited so subscribe and buckle up. It's one heck of a ride. This is Essaouira and we are in the old Medina which is absolutely gorgeous. Gorgeous yeah it's like a little maze it's got really cute little streets that you can get lost in really easily and everything around is just like you just want to take a picture of everything and the doors are incredible. We have rented an apartment here because I have family coming over to see us so it cost us about 500 US dollars for a month's rental and we figured you guys might want to see what 500 dollars gets you in northern Africa. One of the things that stood out most when we walked into this room was how beautiful the tiles were and how colourful it is in here. And our living space with an open fireplace. Nice to have the fire. Nice to have some chill out space. As much as I love the combi it is really cool to get out of the combi and just have a little space especially with the family coming and everything. So here we have a terrace such a lovely little space honestly just it's really small it's really compact it's on multiple levels but it's very Moroccan and it's very cool and we're really pleased to be able to spend a bit of time in a Moroccan apartment in old town in Essaouira. So far it's my favourite place in Morocco I think. This will be a great place to stretch out for a bit and a rustic base to host my family. It also gives us the chance to invite our other van friends into the house to enjoy the social space and a nice hot shower. We have been paid this kindness many times over the years and even from some of you guys who are watching and sharing the journey with us so it's nice to be able to pay the hospitality forward for once. With our base set in Essaouira we drove back up to Marrakech to pick up our special guests from the airport. My dad Andy and my brother Connor. In Morocco the culture shock hits you straight in the face when you get off the plane. Marrakech can be quite intense so we're happy that we chose a much quieter and we think quainter city of Essaouira for our temporary home base. Like many of the major cities in Morocco there is a tourist scene here also but Essaouira known as the windy city of Morocco somehow manages to maintain a more relaxed atmosphere. This city was at one time the main port of Morocco and in the 60s and 70s attracted many hippies including Cat Stevens and Jimi Hendrix. The markets thrive day and night and bargaining is still a necessary part of every transaction but it's less aggressive here than Marrakech. Wandering the twisty maze-like lanes inside the old medina provides hours of entertainment and exploration. There are seemingly endless places to discover inside these walls of the old town. We are really happy to have this whole house and full facilities to feel at home in this town. It gives us the opportunity to buy fresh local produce at the local souk otherwise known as the market. Honestly you wouldn't believe how much great food can be found here and at insanely cheap prices. Shopping is an adventure in itself and it meant we could try our hands at cooking the famous local cuisines too like tagines. Oh it's the star. I don't know what this is going to taste like. Have a lick. For the short time my dad and brother were visiting we tried to cram in as much as possible and there are no shortage of fun things to do here in Morocco. He's in the Sahara. I never thought I'd be playing golf in Africa. Beautiful day for it too. Okay okay okay. You coming Conor? First time camel. First time. This was my first camel ride and believe me it is quite the experience. You'll find camels in many parts of Morocco but here in Essaouira they're primarily used for tourist excursions. However horses and carts in this town are still used by locals as cheap taxis. Here in Morocco as it is when you're immersed in any completely different culture even trying to accomplish simple chores like finding firewood can be an adventure. Most unusual taxi ever. Okay picking up another hitchhiker. So we've now got a um literally the second we got off a horse the porter was there wasn't he? He's like 50p 50p just take the wood to the door so now we're doing that. What do you think of Essaouira? Amazing just like a completely different world to completely different cultures to anything I've ever experienced before. Yeah yeah worth coming? Yes yeah very worth coming um just don't expect anything before you come and just uh yeah come here with no expectations and you'll you enjoy the place. So now we are leaving Essaouira and we're heading off into the desert um somewhere near Marrakech we'll see what happens what the road brings. Let's do it. Desert camp. We know from past experience that loading up the combi asks a lot of it but we wouldn't even have this awesome tiny home on wheels if it wasn't for the help of my dad. So there was no way that we were letting him leave Morocco without a proper we are going to air down a little bit just to uh help the combi out with the suspension and make a bit of a smoother ride for us and also um just hopefully give the tyres a bit of an easier ride too. A bit more traction on this rough desert terrain. Okay I'm sending them up the hill because that is one gnarly hill um a real test for Boomerang. It's been really rutted out and very very loose and so we're gonna see what happens but it's me and Boomerang against the Moroccan desert and uh hopefully we can make it because honestly I'm not sure and it's the only Ready Boomerang? Made it! Was there any doubt? In 2.1 kilometers. It's true it never does look as scary as it is um and we're still kind of proving Boomerang on the off-road stuff so um that was a step up in confidence. Boomerang is possibly more capable than I ever thought possible. Ready guys? You guys look comfortable. This is nice. This is supposed to be camping. Look at this Leah. I thought we booked camping. This is a plus so far in the middle of a desert. All right let's go to the bathroom. Off-grid toilet. That's fancy. Where did they get their water from? There's a shower. Well done to you. Nice view of the mountains in the morning. Oh my gosh look at that. Atlas mountains right outside the tent. Sweet. I don't want to leave. Leah scoured the internet for a place for us to stay and found this place in the desert and this is uh this is Emma's special isn't it? Five star camping. If you're gonna stay in a campsite this is the one to do. I've never been glamping before. It's my first glamping experience. My first glamping experience too. You've never been glamping before? Yeah I have been glamping before. This is so much better. Really? Yeah. How many stars would you give it? I'd give it five stars. You'd give it five stars? Yeah. I certainly didn't have a shower and toilet. It's been awesome. Yeah that's pretty lush. I feel like I'm on a set of an Indiana Jones movie being here. I love Indiana Jones. Now we just need um Indiana Jones to be here. Harrison Ford. I could be my Indiana Jones. You got the wrong hat. Morocco is becoming quite well known for its glamping. I mean they really do know how to set up a camp in style. This one was complete with a golf course. Everyone's playing desert golf. Desert sunset golf in Morocco. Didn't think we were going to be doing that in Morocco. Maybe this rough surface would give me the chance to even the score with my dad. Or maybe not. If Morocco is on your bucket list we definitely recommend that you factor in a night of glamping. Having a candlelit dinner in the desert foothills of the Atlas Mountains is pretty memorable. This is the quietest and nicest place I've ever had dinner I think in the desert in candlelight. Looks like we're set for a three course meal. Soup. Moroccan soup to start. I think it's going to be a traditional tagine for mains and then who knows what for dessert. But I can tell you what we're all having a really good time. Seriously this is an awesome place to wake up. Topped only by the incredible six course Moroccan breakfast. Which was of course welcomed because we have another big day of adventure ahead of us. Sending the back end down sliding it around the corner. Yeah you've got a bit of a dust bit. Moroccan dust bit. Hopefully that washes off. Essaouira and the Agrafe desert have definitely been highlights for us but it's not the experience of being here and well actually managing to get here. It's also being able to share the experience of the adventure together with the people we love. We've said it before adventures fuel our soul and adventures that are shared together create memories and stories that stand the test of time. Back onto the highway time to air up again. These are the defining moments of life. The moments that remain with us long after everything else fades. The challenge of driving around the world means I don't know when I'll be able to see my dad and brother again. Hopefully it won't be too long. No matter how far away we are from our families time spent making memories together is time well invested. Next up it's Leah's turn to have a visitor as her sister is flying in from Australia and we can hardly wait to show you what we discover. So until then happy travels.