The Magic of Morocco - Part 3

I'm finding it really hard to not keep going on forever... as each day of this Moroccan adventure was so full and eventful! When I sit down to begin each blog about this Moroccan trip my mind buzzes with the events that filled each day, and I remember more and more about where we went, what we ate and what we did... I find myself thinking "Oh that's right, and then we did this, oh, and then we did that!!! Oh how am I going to ever finish this series of blogs?". But this is where we get to the really good stuff! The trip that just keeps getting better and better!

Beldi Country Club, Glamping and Villa Anouk... prepare for interior (and exterior) spam! These places blew my mind - they were what I had come to Morocco to find...

After another yummy feast and fun conversations around the breakfast table, we made our way to our rooms to pack our bags and depart Le Riad Yasmine for the next part of our adventure. It was off to Beldi Country Club, which was exciting, as I'd only heard amazing things about this place (and had seen some pretty alluring images on Instagram!). It was a bit of a drive, but the time spent in the bus was never boring - the usual shenanigans kept our spirits high and the vibe was always a positive, excited one... there was singing, laughing and great conversation.

When we finally arrived at Beldi Country Club, it definitely did not disappoint! It was so beautiful in fact, that we probably spent the first hour just walking around the grounds and taking photos rather than sitting down to lunch! The atmosphere was breathtaking and so relaxing and quiet. Everywhere you looked there were roses or bougainvillea streaming out onto the pathway or over the pergola above... it was magical.  

We finally made our way to the outdoor restaurant for lunch. We sat down at our table by the pool and took a deep breath to take in the surroundings. There was not a time during this trip that I didn't pinch myself to make sure it was real... and this was a pinching moment. Another glass of rosé in hand and another delicious 3 course lunch... sitting under the shade of a vine covered pergola with a light blowing breeze, surrounded by a great group of new friends... pinch! Yes, I was really here!

Well, we all knew it couldn't last forever, so on the bus we climbed and made our way out to the outskirts of the desert where we would spend the night glamping under the stars!

 

We arrived at Scarabeo Camp, got settled into our tents (which were more like large rooms complete with lounge settings and a fireplace!) and prepared for an afternoon of roaming the hills on the back of a camel! This is the part that didn't really go to plan... but it made for a GREAT story and running joke for the rest of the trip. A few of us were excited, a few of us a little anxious, but nevertheless we all climbed onto the back of our camels. Most of the camels behaved... MOST of them... we were making good progress, but my camel seemed to think it was part of a rodeo and was enjoying taking me for a bit of a ride! Although I was fortunate to not be bitten! All of a sudden, we heard a shriek and a 'STOP, get away!!! I want to get off!' and one of the girls had been bitten on the bum by the camel in the lineup behind her! So the camel ride didn't go for as long as planned and we all turned around and were led back to camp... The bruise was something else!!! The biggest, blackest bruise I have ever seen - very impressive! And it became the topic of conversation for large parts of the rest of the trip! Other than that, those that got to explore the hills on a longer ride really enjoyed it and were humbled by the experience, riding on camel back across vast mountains and wide open space - it was tranquil and peaceful (but not so much on our ride!)...

The evening was spent laughing about the events of the day accompanied by wine and nibbles, and sitting by the warm fire as the sun went down. Dinner was served by candlelight in a large dining room tent and afterwards we made our way back to our tents to fumble our way around in the dark, shower and work out how to flush the chemical toilet! We needed a goodnight's sleep as we had to be up and ready by 5:30am the next morning to prepare for our hot air balloon ride!

We all sleepily clambered into a convoy of four wheel drives, luggage and all, and drove for what felt like hours to reach our departure point. There was a large hot air balloon with an extra large basket waiting for us... there was no wind which was a relief - quite a different experience to the takeoff Danny and I had in Turkey! And the view from above was serene and peaceful. 

After landing, we ate a quick breakfast before jumping back into the bus and heading off to Essauoira... my FAVOURITE part of the trip... but that's going to have to wait until next post I'm afraid, as I've ranted on a lot more than I had expected and Villa Anouk is definitely worth a post of it's own!