Travel diary #42 : Unexpected interlude in Ourika Valley (part 1)
Wow. Where to start ?
The last 15 days have proven to me that it’s important to never blindly follow your initial plan.
After a week in the hustle and bustle of Marrakech, my plan was to keep going west to get closer to the desert. Ahead of schedule, I decided to log on to Workaway to see if I could stop and volunteeer somewhere on the way to slow down the pace. That's how I discovered Bab Zouina (“the beautiful door”), a 2 hectare yoga center 30 minutes from Marrakech.
Karim, the owner (who was also a teacher at my brother’s university in Swiszerland, what a small world !) invited me to spend 15 days in this beautiful yoga center to photograph the place. A Whatsapp call and two days later, I arrive in Douar Sbiti, a village surrounded by the Atlas mountains in Ourika Valley.
This paradise oasis surrounded by nature regularly hosts yoga retreats that I would be able to attend & photograph. Pinch me, am I dreaming ?
This is my bedroom for 15 days. I'm SO excited to have so much comfort. After 3 months of backpacking in places which are not always up to European standards, I really felt like a princess here ! A private room with a comfortable bed, a closet to store my clothes and a private bathroom (which never lacks hot water 🙏🏻). Oh, and did I mention the wood stove to keep me warm at night ? Combined with no internet access in my room, the crackling of the wood in the evening as the only distraction made my experience here even more romantic.
This place is so recharging, the background noise is even better than my "meditation" playlist on Spotify...
After visiting the property with a blissful smile (2 hectares of garden, beautiful facades, arched doors and mosaic fountains....), I met the staff. There are 17 people that work at Bab Zouina day and night to make this place extraordinary. They do a remarkable job. Unfortunately, they only speak Arabic, but that doesn't stop us from sharing good times.
⬇️ Yacir, 3 years old, is the son of Aicha, the chef.
They cook breakfast, lunch and dinner. As if that wasn't enough, the food is delicious and the majority of the products are made locally. The honey comes from the guest house's own beehives, the fresh bread is prepared every morning and baked in the wood-fired oven, the oil comes from the olive trees in the garden, the vegetables and the tea leaves from the vegetable garden… This is un-real.
A few days later, I meet another member of the staff, Ayoub. He speaks English and he will be my guide for the next days. I was very lucky to meet him and we quickly became friends. He introduced me to the village life and made my experience in Ourika valley even more special !
It's incredible to wake up surrounded by snowy mountains.
Where the magic happens :
The second week, I go to the souk with my favorite guide. After a half-hour walk to reach the main road, we jump in a taxi which brings us to the local Monday souk in a village nearby. From fresh veggies to living animals, computer parts to second hand clothes, they sell everything here. Once again, it was a really authentic experience.
Ayoub loves singing, I got lucky to have private shows :
This is only the beginning of my adventures in Ourika Valley, Morocco ! Part 2 coming soon !
See you in the next one 😘
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I have started this blog when I first travelled solo in South East Asia more than 2 years ago. The passion hasn’t faded and I’m still really excited to share photos and stories with you here. If you like the content I post every week and want to support the blog, you can buy me a coffee here ☕️ (A big thanks a lot to the people who supported me already, it means a lot 🙏🏻) or simply leave a comment :)
