Morocco – From Assigned Destination to Dream Adventure

Welcome to the first-ever Behind the Sojourns post, your insider’s peek into the planning, inspiration, and stories behind our journeys.

Today, we’re diving into the story behind Morocco, our second The Adventurous Women’s Club sojourn. Confession: this trip wasn’t exactly my idea. In fact, it felt a bit like a glamorous homework assignment that I couldn’t refuse. Here’s how it all unfolded:

Picture it: India, on the first-ever TAWC journey. We’d barely unpacked before the conversation turned to where we’d travel next. Morocco quickly topped the list, and by “topped,” I mean it was collectively decided without any real input from yours truly. It was less of a suggestion, more of a charming ultimatum—”Alexis, we’re going to Morocco.”

I’ll admit, I originally imagined our next trip to Africa would be a classic safari in Kenya. Morocco wasn’t even on my radar, despite having a deep affection for it from my years living nearby in Madrid. Morocco felt familiar, comfortable even like an old favorite you adore but don’t urgently need to revisit. But these women were persistent, enthusiastic, and entirely unwilling to wait for Kenya.

What followed was a whirlwind of scheduling acrobatics. Planning around Ramadan, Passover, Easter, school spring breaks, and the searing heat of North Africa was no small feat. I practically became an amateur detective, scouring school calendars to find a tiny window that worked. Because, let’s be honest, asking eight busy women for their ideal dates typically yields about a thousand conflicts, from birthdays to anniversaries and everything in between. Somehow, against the odds, we landed on the perfect dates.

As I dove into itinerary planning, my initial casual attitude quickly transformed into genuine excitement. Knowing these women so well from our India adventure allowed me to see Morocco through their eyes, and it was thrilling. Together with an incredible new local partner, we designed an itinerary bursting with creativity, exclusivity, and style.

We kick off in Tangier at Villa Mabrouka, Yves Saint Laurent’s former home. Tangier sets the tone with exclusive experiences with renowned interior designers, fully embracing chic, sophisticated creativity.  Many women decided to acclimate to the time zone by starting early in Madrid, and honestly, seeing these trips organically expand is a testament to the magic of these experiences.

Next stop: Fez. Fez is wonderfully quirky, and while I knew this trip needed to be ultra-luxe based on the group’s India preferences, Fez posed a unique challenge: there’s only one true five-star accommodation, which wasn’t available for our dates. So, we’re privatizing an entire boutique Riad hotel just for ourselves, making us the exclusive guests. It feels like an elegant sorority house experience, or as one of our original travelers dubbed this group #TeamVarsity in India. Privatizing a Riad for a group trip is a first for me, and we’re even planning to customize it before our arrival. This unexpected twist has turned into one of the highlights of planning.

From there, we head to Marrakech for exclusive visits like YSL’s Villa Oasis, custom handbag workshops, private villa dinners, rooftop soirées, and a dreamy desert dinner under the stars. This itinerary isn’t just a repeat of past Moroccan adventures, it’s entirely reimagined, specifically tailored to our group’s unique style.

All seven women from the inaugural India trip confirmed almost immediately, and they’re bringing friends and family along. One husband’s willingness to reschedule his own trip to take care of the kids speaks volumes about the pull of these adventures. Once you’ve experienced a TAWC sojourn, there’s no going back. 

So yes, Morocco started as a mandatory assignment from my favorite group of travel companions, but it quickly evolved into a dream I didn’t even know I had. And now? I’m counting down the days.

Stay tuned.

XO, Alexis