My friend Stuart has traveled with Overseas Adventure Travel (https://www.oattravel.com) several times. I've checked out their websites and like their itineraries. Two things that attracted me: one, their prices are not too high; two, they don't charge extra for single supplements. Many tour companies charge you anywhere from 30 to 50% extra if you are traveling solo.
I have been traveling solo and planning many of my trips. It's a long and tedious process because you have to make sure you take care of every little detail - Is there an ATM at the airport, how do get from the airport to the hotel, should I walk or take a taxi, how do I find the hotel, etc. One little mistake can costs you a lot of time and money. Going with a tour company means I don't have to worry about all these details. They tell me what time to be where and I just show up. I hop on the bus and follow the guide. Believe me, it is very nice. The downside is you have to follow their itinerary.
The trip that I signed up for is called Morocco Sahara Odyssey, a 16-day trip around the country. Below is a map showing the places we went to.
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| Morocco Sahara Odyssey |
Although Moroccans have light skin, they are actually Africans. The country is in the northwestern part of the African continent. West of it is the Atlantic Ocean and to the north is the Mediterranean Sea, which separates it from Spain and Europe. You can easily take a ferry from Tangier, in northern Morocco to Spain. Some of the ferry rides are as short as 1 hour. On this tour we don't go to Tangier, probably because it is a little far off the circular route we are taking.
OAT advertised its tours as including free flights. However, you can opt out of their flights and book your own flight. When they book your flight, they use a system called Amadeus, one of many airline reservation systems. The flight choices that they come up with is not always the most convenient for you but optimized for their commissions. With that in mind I decided to book my own flight. I found that Royal Air Moroc, the Moroccan national airline, flies directly from JFK airport in New York to Casablanca. It's about a 10-hour flight with no stopover. Later I found out that others in the group whose flights were booked through OAT have to stop in one of the European cities like Paris, Amsterdam or Lisbon. Even those who live in Brooklyn, NY, have to make a stopover somewhere in Europe.
I flew from JFK airport in the late afternoon and arrived in Casablanca in the morning at about 8am. Someone was supposed to pick me up but when I went to the lobby I did not see someone holding a sign with my name. I spotted a counter selling local SIM cards so I decided to do that first. However, the lady would not take US dollars so I had to go to a nearby ATM and withdraw some Moroccan dirhams. The exchange rate is roughly US$1=10 dirhams. I paid 200 dirhams for a SIM card with 30GB of data but no phone calls. I figure that would be enough for me for the roughly 2 weeks that I will be in Morocco.
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| Royal Air Maroc Plane at JFK Airport |
I texted Aziz, our local guide, and asked him where is the driver who is supposed to be picking me up. He told me that he is waiting just outside the airport. As soon as I exited the airport, someone came towards me holding a card with my name. He called the driver and we waited at the curb for the van. This morning I was the only traveler on the van for a 3-hour drive to Rabat.
I checked in to the Le Diwan hotel at about noon. After eating some snacks that I saved from the flight, I took a well-deserved 2-hour nap. I have to make sure that I don't nap too long or I won't be able to fall asleep that night.
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| Le Diwan Hotel in Rabat |
The best way to get rid of jet lag is getting some sunshine and exercise. I decided to take a walk to explore Rabat. I met a couple of fellow travelers and they told me the shops are only 15-20 minutes away. I decided to check out the place. I learned later it's called the medina. What is a medina in Morocco?
Medina” means city in Arabic, and in Moroccan cities it refers to the historic old town, with narrow, winding streets and alleys enclosed within a stone wall, accessible via various gates, or babs (doors).
Since it was a Sunday it was quite crowded. There are a variety of shops - selling clothes, spices, food, restaurants, etc.
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| Shop selling clothes, shoes, etc |
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| A Pastry Shop |
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| Fresh-squeez juice |
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| Shop Selling Spices |
The next day our tour leader took us on a walking tour of Rabat near the hotel, then hop on the bus to the Royal Palace. then off to the Casbah Oudeya, a citadel built in the 12th century.
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| The Mausoleum |
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| Inside the Citadel |
In the evening our group got together for a Welcome Dinner at the hotel restaurant. There were 16 in the group of about 4 or 5 solo travelers. This is what I like about OAT. They have spots for solo travelers that they don't charge extra for. It was a tiring first day. The next day we'll be taking a long bus ride to Fez.
Note: Although this trip started in late November 2023, I am just now catching up to update my blog on it.
