[Jan. 2026] Our year-end trip to Morocco has finally come to an end.
By the time we returned to Marrakesh from our excursion to Essaouira, it was already getting dark, and we were caught in traffic that was even worse than during the day.
Even I, who wasn’t driving, was constantly on edge.
We had a hard time finding parking, and after wandering around in the dark, we finally arrived at our accommodation for the night, a riad called Bahia Salam.
As I mentioned before, there seemed to have been a mistake in the accommodation arrangements in Marrakesh, and we had to settle for a small room for three nights, but for our last night, we were given a spacious room.
Although Bahia Salam is a riad, it’s large and has hotel-like facilities, including a spa.
Our room, called “Suite Meknes,” was decorated with scattered flower petals and had a rather nice presentation.
I wish we could have stayed here for more nights.
After settling down for a while, and since it was our last night, we wandered around the Marrakesh medina once more.
There was nothing new or exciting about it anymore, though.
After wandering around for a while, we ended up spending the evening on the hotel rooftop drinking virgin mojitos (non-alcoholic cocktails).
The next morning, we left for the airport at 7 AM.
The croissants at this hotel’s breakfast were delicious.
At the modern airport, we said goodbye to Youssuf, our driver whom we had seen every day for 11 days.
We gave him a 100 euro tip.
He was a perfectly fine driver and not unpleasant, but despite spending 11 days with him, we didn’t feel particularly close.
Perhaps he was just a typical young person, simply going through the motions of his job.
Even my husband, who quickly makes friends and becomes close to people, seemed to feel the same way.
At the airport, we met up with my husband’s sister and her husband.
It was a complete coincidence, but they were also travelling in Morocco at the same time, and incredibly, we were on the same return flight!
They were on a group tour, mainly to the desert.
They told us that crossing the high Atlas Mountains had been extremely difficult due to the unusually heavy rain and snow in Morocco this winter, and that their journey had taken an incredibly long time.
They said their tent camping in the desert was comfortable, which made me think that even my husband, who is particular about hygiene, would be fine with it.
I think we’ll try a desert tour next time.
Looking back after safely returning home, the first thing that struck me was how much I enjoyed the cross-cultural experience after so long.
It’s lucky that we could have such an experience just two and a half hours’ flight from Italy.
And I thought about how well Morocco has changed over the past 30 years.
By “well,” I mean that despite its economic growth, it seems to have preserved its traditional way of life and scenery in stark contrast to the disappointing Albania.
To boost its tourism industry, a vital pillar of its economy, the persistent touting that was so tiresome 30 years ago has completely disappeared, and efforts are being made to ensure tourists have a comfortable travel experience.
30 years ago, Morocco was described as a place “once is enough; you never want to go back.”
Now, I’m sure there are many repeat visitors.
I hope it continues to maintain its peace and remain a fascinating country.
