Rustic Pathways | Morocco

Amazing program with amazing group leaders. I received a full scholarship for this program through a wonderful opportunity and had an amazing time. Morocco has so much to offer with a very diverse geography. I would definitely recommend it and it teaches so much about Islam which is also amazing. I had the opportunity to stay in the Saharan desert overnight and watch the stars and go sand surfing. It was really amazing and my Moroccan group leaders were very knowledgeable and open people who I bonded with really well.

I enrolled for the Moroccan Wanderer program with not a lot of expectations about what would happen during the program. Since it was a different culture and program to what I am used to I did not know what to expect. But as soon as I arrived in Morocco I knew it was going to be an amazing experience.
I arrived in Casablanca the day before because I was travelling from Colombia to Morocco via Madrid (I am Venezuelan but live in Colombia). I met my program leaders that night and met my group the next day at the Hassan II Mosque. Then we drove to Marrakesh and spent three days there getting to know the city which was amazing and very beautiful. Then we left for Ourikt the village were we would do our comunity service it was a very nice experience to get to know the locals and help them with the ongoing project for the school with the locals. Then we spent a night at an old Kasbah in Nkob wich was very pretty and the people there were extremely nice and helpful. Then we went to Merzouga wich was the place were we would leave our stuff prior to the night that we spent in the Sahara. The Sahara is something amazing it is like from another planet, it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen and I got to ride on my favourite animal: The Camel. After that experience we headed to the Toudra Gorge in the High Atlas. We satyed in a beautiful place and had a very cool hike around the area. After that we left to Ait Benhadou which is an old fortress town near Ouarzazate. We had fun exploring the fortress and getting to know about "The Hollywood of Morocco". Then it was the last stop towards Esaouira a beatiful beach town were we had great food and very nice Landscapes also we went to a fair. The last day we drove to casablanca and my group left back to their homes and I stayed one more night with the rustic team at a hotel in Casablanca.
This definetly was one of the best experiences of my life.

Going to Morocco was definitely the highlight of my summer. Morocco was exotic to me and fascinating. The most exciting part was seeing and meeting new people. I also brushed up on my Arabic skills! If I had another opportunity to go back to Morocco I would 100% take it! When I was there I ate delicious food like couscous and chicken just thinking about it makes me hungry. I went on the trip with my best friend and had a great time.

My experience in Morocco was truly eye opening. I saw everything from the crazy markets of Marrakech to the serene villages of the Atlas Mountains. The Rustic group leaders are absolutely inspiring people! The only downside of the trip was that I couldn't really relate to a lot of the teens in the group (wealthy, East Coast kids). But overall amazing!

I absolutely loved this trip. The local guides were so kind and open about their culture. The country is muslim, and I had so many questions that they were happy to answer, even the difficult ones! I improved my photography both by shooting, and by the interesting discussions we had about the morality of street shooting when some people don't want to be shot. While not everyone on the trip is going to be a life long friend, everyone on the trip was a pleasure to be with, and I am glad to have met. I highly recommend this photography trip in morocco, for explorers and artists alike.

My son had so much fun and he learned so much. He matured and grew in his confidence so much. This company kept in touch and even sent a few pics to let me know how the trip was going. They were so helpful and I felt my son was safe the whole time. He will definitely be returning.

This experience was one of the most eyeopening and life changing experiences of my life. Although living in the Zawita ahansal village was challenging it taught me to never take my life for granted. Also, it lead me to realize how unecessary material objects are and how, rather, love and the kindness of the human spirit are the true key to happiness and well being.

As amazing of a country as Morocco is, the thing that really made my Moroccan Wanderer adventure was the people it was with. The other students were awesome, but that's very subjective. The people that are much less so [subjective] are the guides/counselors. They were, for me, truly incredible. Due to them, this trip was much more educational, in ways that I never would have imagined before it, compared to other trips I've been on.

One of the biggest highlights was spending a night in the Sahara desert. It's the kind of experience that you'd never imagine yourself having: the kind of thing that only exists in movies. Thus, when the experience is actually had, it feels even greater than anything a movie could show. We rode camels in and out of the desert (which, in itself made me feel like Lawrence of Arabia), stargazed from the top of a tall sand dune, and went sandboarding. Combined, these formed an unforgettable experience.

The service project that we did in Zawiya Alhansal was also a vital and memorable part of the trip. We taught English and art in a small school for two days, then spent a lot of time playing soccer with the kids there and helping design a library in one of the schools. While this certainly didn't designate the overall adventure a service trip, it did give it a bit more meaning and impact that distinguishes it from a vacation.

Overall, this trip was something I would recommend to everyone and anyone, with my only advice being to be careful about health, as I did get sick.