Morocco Travel Tips & Morocco Decor Prints

Whether you’re looking for Morocco decor for your home in the form of fine art photography prints or Morocco travel tips and inspiration for your own trip, you’re in the right place! 

To me, travel and art are intersected. As an oil painter and fine art photographer, I draw so much inspiration from the time I spend immersed in other cultures and, let me tell you, Morocco has it all!  

From the people to the landscapes to the architecture to the food, I was in a constant state of awe during my Morocco travels. 

The pictures of Morocco that I took along the way are also some of my absolute favourites, and I’ve turned several of them into Morocco wall art for those interested in decorating their homes with photo prints of this incredible country. What a great way to memorialize or inspire your own adventures! 

My Morocco Travel Experience

To start, here’s a journal entry from my trip that I think really captures the whole experience:

The people of Morocco were beautiful, but so was everything they touched.

The tiles and carvings in buildings were all intricate and visually striking.

The way they poured tea was a fine science and, at times, a talent show.

The way the artisans displayed spices, light fixtures, and rugs in the markets made me avoid blinking.

The way they put their soul in the music was so heartwarming.

And my favourite: the way they slow-cooked all their food, and ensured I never went hungry, even if we were eating simple cooked vegetables.

It didn't matter where we ventured; everything was an unexpected and overwhelming spectacle for the senses.

Now, let’s dive into where I went, what I did, and some tips for your own trip to Morocco!

A Wonderful Stay in Marrakech, Morocco

My trip began in December of 2018 in Marrakech, Morocco. I stayed at La Maison Arabe. I had never heard of, or truly understood what a riad was. Upon arrival, I soon found out it meant walking past nondescript concrete exterior walls and finding yourself enveloped in a secret garden where every inch was a breathtaking display of artistic expression.

This particular riad was decadent and I booked it purposefully: Because of their cooking school, proximity to the Souks, the fact it wasn’t inside the Medina (see travel tips below for why this is important to note when booking if you are solo), and their hammams. 

After backpacking with my authentic tagine for the entire trip, through my connecting flight in Europe, and all the way back to Squamish, BC, I dropped it out of my bag and smashed it on my kitchen floor. I guess I just have to go back again!

The customer service and hospitality at La Maison Arabe was incredible. I enjoyed the hammams so much that I squeezed in another session before I departed back to Vancouver.

After arriving and exploring La Maison Arabe’s stunning grounds, I headed out to see the city of Marrakech. 

A Sahara Surf Safari with Chasing Sunrise

After traveling solo in Marrakech for a few days, I met up with Chasing Sunrise, alongside 60 other adventurers, for a Sahara Surf Safari. 

Together, we moved to a new riad, explored the Medina/Souks, then hit the road East to safari in the sahara. As you can probably imagine, the opportunities to collect images for my Morocco decor wall art collection were plentiful during this adventure! 

We started the road trip leaving Marrakech and watching the sunrise on a terrace overlooking this valley before heading East towards Agdz.

We stopped at some amazing places along the way, including Taliouine which is famous for its saffron spice and one of the main exporters in the world, and Tazenakht where we stopped to see the silversmiths and small artisan shops with intricate jewelry design. 

We also visited Ait Benhaddou which is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We got to tour ancient cave homes where people hid with their families and livestock during war.

We also planted eucalyptus trees for a local school for them to create income for years years ahead! 

At our next stop, we had the opportunity to meet a Nomadic family who lives within the mountains of the Atlas range, living off of the land and off grid. They graciously welcomed us and prepared a traditional wedding feast that will stay in my memory for life. 

Dane’s IG post perfectly describes these warm souls.

After making our way through the Atlas mountain range, we entered through the gates in a town called M’Hamid and boarded our Defender 110 and 4x4’d into the Sahara Desert, closing in on the Algerian border for our New Year’s Eve camp out. The stars at night were incredibly vibrant and a dream for astrophotographers!

In this photo, you can see our camp in the top right corner.

The sunset on the last day of 2018.

The sunrise on the first day of 2019 in the Sahara Desert.

On New Year’s Eve, we took a 4x4 deep into the Sahara to stay in a camp hidden within the dunes. We were introduced to our neighbours (a family of camels) and climbed through the desert to find the perfect spot to watch the last sunset of 2018.

Here is an excerpt from my journal entry about that night:

Burned what we wanted to leave behind. Celebrated.

Then wandered back into the dunes to gaze at a sky untouched by light from below.

Magic. 🌠

Morocco Travel Tours

It’s not uncommon for visitors to book a Morocco travel tour. It’s one of the best ways to navigate cultural differences and language barriers, stay safe, and be sure that you’re making the most of your experience. 

Not only did I have a great experience with Chasing Sunrise but my trip wouldn’t have been the same without Adil from Barefoot Trips Morocco, his crew, and the road warriors who hosted us for a week during our safari. 

Surely, one of the reasons I fell in love with Morocco was because no detail to make us feel at home was overlooked. They took us from the edge of the Sahara to The Lunar Surf House on the coast of Tamraght, invited us into their home, taught us about their culture, and were so joyful the entire time. It was food for the soul.

Speaking of food for the soul, If you’re visiting Tamraght, don’t forget to make a stop at Let’s Be Cafe for some seriously amazing healing food and vibes. 

Back to the travel tours—not only did Adil and his crew take incredible care of us, but on the way to Tamraght, we even stopped at his family home. They took ALL of us in and fed us the most beautiful meal. Can you imagine inviting 60 strangers into your home!? It was an experience I will never forget.

Morocco Travel Tips, Safety, and Cultural Awareness

No matter where you’re visiting, it’s always important to be aware of cultural differences and how to travel both safely and respectfully. 

Of course, Morocco is no exception. Morocco is a Muslim country, so it’s important to make sure you understand the local customs by doing your own research and to be respectful of the culture that is in place, whether or not you agree with it. 

Here are some of the questions that I hear the most often and my top tips for traveling to Morocco.

Understand the Moroccan culture

Morocco is mostly Islamic. Therefore, it’s important to know about certain rules. For example, you cannot walk into a Mosque if you are not Muslim. There are some Mosques open to the public, but you must wear the proper attire (cover your shoulders and wear full-length pants). Again, do your research!

Is Morocco safe for women?

For the most part, I did feel safe, but I wouldn’t have ventured out at night alone. Also, like I mentioned above, I did my research to make sure I was being respectful of the customs here. It’s always important to be cautious when traveling alone, especially for women, and it’s understandable if the idea of traveling alone in Morocco leaves you feeling apprehensive. If you’re concerned, I recommend booking a trip with a reputable tour company, like the ones I mentioned above.

If you are a woman traveling in Morocco, you will draw unwanted attention, be leered/stared at, and potentially be verbally/sexually harassed.

First off, while it is unnerving, do not engage. Ignore it and move away from the space you are in. 

Secondly: One way to combat unwanted attention is to cover up. Wear a scarf (You can find beautifully handmade scarves in the Souks.) around your shoulders and hair. Also wear capris or longer, loose-fitting pants and avoid form-fitted clothing. With the heat, linens are the perfect choice to dress conservatively while being comfortable. I saw a tourist in a white tube top and 5” shorts which was culturally inappropriate. 

Thirdly: It is not commonplace or considered appropriate for women to be out, unaccompanied by men, at night. An individual in my party was spit on as we were walking back from a restaurant, through the Souks and back to our riad. Plan your dinner reservations accordingly.

Using your mobile phone in Morocco

When it comes to staying in touch, my advice is to buy the $25 sim card at the airport. Like, seriously. I thought I had a “roam like home” plan but as it happened, Morocco was on the “excluded country list” and I ended up with a whopping $8K invoice I had to negotiate with my cell phone provider. Buy the damn sim card, or at least make sure you’re very clear about your phone provider’s coverage! In fact, contact them anyway just to let them know that you’re traveling out of the country and that they know to keep your phone active.

Contact your bank before traveling to Morocco

On top of contacting your mobile phone provider, don’t forget to also contact your bank and credit card company before traveling to let them know where you’re heading. Having your credit card paused for fraud mid-travel, with a phone that’s been cut off, is a total disaster (and I’m speaking from experience here, so you’re welcome!). 

What luggage to bring to Morocco

A suitcase or roller bag is one of the worst things to bring on a trip to Morocco (and most European cities). Duffle bags and backpacks are the way to go. The cracked, dirt, and cobblestone streets aren’t kind to wheels!

Tips for Traveling to the Medina/Souks in Marrakech, Morocco

There are some specific tips for those traveling to the Media/Souks in Marrakech:

There are no taxis in the Medina/Souks in Morocco

This was a startling discovery for me upon arrival: You cannot take a taxi through the Media/Souks. You must walk! The Souk is like a labyrinth of sometimes unnamed streets and alleyways and cars simply cannot fit. I convinced my taxi driver to walk me to my riad, but you can’t count on that happening as he was harassed for parking his taxi and most folks wouldn’t want to deal with the hassle. Therefore, if traveling alone, I would suggest finding a flight that gets in with at least two or three hours of sunlight to find your way to your riad from where your taxi can drop you off, and make sure you have a good idea of where you’re going.

Watch out for directions scammers

This one can be frightening. Some riads are quite difficult to locate within the labyrinth of the Medina/Souks. What happens is someone will approach you to help you with directions and they will probably be really insistent on doing so. Be firm, and say no thank you then keep walking or find a storefront to duck into if you need some reprieve. What some scammers are trying to do is get you lost within the Medina. Once you are lost, they then demand money to take you back out.

Research and download a GPS map of the Souks in advance

Research and download a map to your phone in advance of your trip. Before you leave your riad, get your bearings on where you will be going directionally so you aren’t on your phone and then unaware of your surroundings. If you don’t know which GPS map is best, ask your riad hosts as they will have the latest suggestions. A regular map is useless. It must be GPS enabled. When I was last there, Google did not have the ability to guide me and if you end up looking lost, you are the perfect target for this scam! 

What languages do they speak in Marrakech? 

In addition to a dialect of Arabic, French is spoken in Marrakech. I found that brushing up on my French basics was easier than attempting to communicate in English.

Do I need to worry about pickpocketing in Morocco?

Pickpocketing is real. Be vigilant and aware. Don’t leave your things unattended. Don’t place your purse behind you. A fanny pack that you can wear at your front is great.

Dining in Morocco

My biggest piece of advice on this topic is simply to eat and enjoy! The traditional food of Morocco is DIVINE. It’s all slow-cooked in tajines and so darn flavourful with very few spices used. It’s all-natural, wholesome goodness! 

But, bring traveling snacks

That being said, you should always bring snacks from home, no matter where in the world you travel. If your stomach doesn’t agree with the food you’re eating, it’s nice to have some nourishment that your body is familiar with. 

Morocco Decor: Morocco Wall Art and Photo Prints for Adventurous Souls

All of this talk about Morocco has me itching to return to this beautiful and intriguing country! For now, I’ll just have to live vicariously through the photos of Morocco that I took along the way—and maybe stories from your travels, if you’d like to share! Feel free to connect with me on my website or on Instagram and tell me all about it! 

This piece called Camels on the Horizon is just one of the Morocco photography prints that you can find in my art shop!

If you’re looking for Morocco decor or other travel and landscape art prints for your home, please take a look at my online art shop.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget to check out my upcoming group travel expeditions if you’re looking for creative adventure opportunities. 

Happy travels!