Morocco with kids

Morocco feels as if it should be a ‘grown up’ place to go on vacation: an adventure on camel back or a lovers’ tryst in a kasbah. But the minute you walk into the madness of the medina in Marrakech and its circus-like ambience, you will realise that Morocco with kids is one of the best ways to see it. Because Morocco, not just the medinas but all of it, is fun. It’s cheeky. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. Moroccans like to take the proverbial a bit, especially when it comes to bartering and banter, and us grown-ups set in our ways can be intimidated by that.

But the children will get the cheeky chappy side of it straight away, giggling and going along for the ride. Which is just what you need to do in Morocco: chill and find the child within.

Join a caravan of camels guided by camelteers across the Sahara Desert and stop for tea, Berber storytelling and music in the dunes. Spend a night in a Berber camp too if you can, to watch the sun setting over the desert landscape. There will be enough shooting stars for a lifetime’s worth of wishing.

Anthony Horrobin, from our adventure specialists Encounters Travel, says: “Plan your trip carefully. A lot of the cities have vast distances between them, with seven-, eight- or nine-hour drives some days. So if you are given an itinerary, look at it carefully. Not just at the highlights, but make sure you are not driving all day to get from one place to another. Also, if you are taking kids, try to do something like eat with a local family or visit a local school. We do those sorts of things on our tours and get great testimonials from our guests. Morocco is definitely one of our most family-friendly destinations, and people don’t realise that before they go, really.”

Rachel Blech is co-founder of our supplier, SheherazadVentures gives great advice on traveling in Morocco with kids: Though the idea of staying in a traditional riad town house is very appealing, think carefully when choosing. Riads are a great experience of authentic architecture and culture, but they are small spaces set around a central courtyard. Noise carries everywhere, there are usually steep stairs around the central patio, with rooms on each level. Seldom is there a swimming pool larger than about 2x3m (unless you are booking a luxury riad).