The PlanningÂ
After discussing most of the countries in the world everyone finally agreed on Morocco for our family reunion. The idea was for all four of my grandparents’ children to meet again after my wedding (6 years ago!). Of course, this had to include grandchildren (including myself) and their great granddaughter Krythya (my 22 month old daughter). We were a group of 12 (8 adults, 3 kids and a toddler) travelling from India and the US. US citizens didn’t need visas, we however did, although quite a simple process via a travel agent.
The Journey
We chose to travel Etihad business owing to the age and health of those travelling, plus it was nearing the end of Krythya’s almost free airfare age. Needless to say, the lounge and flight had its comforts. Although it was way past Krythya’s bedtime the excitement of having family around kept her wide awake through the first leg of the journey to Abu Dhabi and during transit. We carried a few snacks as well as mini tetra packs of milk as she’s a dairy baby. I was only hoping the longer flight would be bed time and thankfully she slept through. Other air journey tips can be found here.
Casablanca
Our first destination, or base camp I should say, again chosen based on everyone’s flights. We got in by around 7am, all of us got through immigration quickly except for my grandfather who is an Antiguan citizen, as the officer wanted to make sure it was a real country! We picked up some croissants and sandwiches for breakfast at the airport and headed out. It was a good idea to pre-book a mini bus with an English-speaking driver to make our local travel easy. Although not mandatory we traveled with her car seat as its very convenient and safe for road trips. It took about an hour to reach our hotel Pestana Casablanca, located on the Atlantic coast, after which it still took another hour to get our rooms as we were early for check in. Krythya was however on schedule with her nap and didn’t mind the lobby sofa. Even if it’s a hotel, choosing places that are equipped with a kitchenette makes it convenient to prepare some quick meals etc. The staff were extremely friendly, even upgraded the baby’s room. Who doesn’t love some extra space?
Once everyone was checked in, and in our case napped and bathed we headed out to the Old Medina. The kids found a small garden to play in, with my grandfather and uncle watching over while the girls walked around. The tiny streets were lined with shoes, carpets, and endless artifacts. Soon it was time for dinner, we headed back to our hotel as it was conveniently located next to a mall with multiple food options. On our walk over, the kids rode camels on the beach while the toddler wanted to give it a bath. Also made a quick trip to the grocery for fruits, yogurt etc. With my rusty French I ended up getting sweet yogurt and mixed it with rice, yep you guessed it, Krythya spit it out. Only then did I realize it!
Day 2 was a bit more touristy. Started off with our travel standard baby breakfast which usually contains oatmeal, eggs and fruits. We visited the Hassan 2 Mosque which certainly lived up to expectation. Being the 5th largest mosque in the world you could pretty much see it wherever you went. It was beautiful weather for the long walk around or should I say run around for Krythya. For lunch we went to a sea side cafe where I found one of my favorites – paella and Krythya had her grandmas tomato rice…. Just kidding she loved the green olives and pita bread too. On our way to the next attraction our driver decided to stop at a government building as they had some local street artists there. Turns out it was not such a good idea as Krythya did not like the look and sound of them. Took us a while to convince her that the drum man was gone. By the time we had reached Mahkama du Pacha, the city courthouse it was Krythya’s nap time and she was tucked in to her seat and so my mom stayed back with her while we got to see some gorgeous architecture. Funnily enough the best part of the day was being stuck in Casablanca traffic with everyone singing wheels on the bus and learning mandarin from an 8-year-old.
Marrakesh
Road trip! We had an early start to beat the traffic for our 3-hour journey to Marrakesh. The timing worked out well to include Krythya’s nap. It was no short of an adventure from the minute we reached. We chose to stay at a Villa – Paix et Palmiers, which was not an easy job to locate. A beautiful rustic French style villa with a pool and lush gardens all around. Krythya was fascinated seeing oranges on trees. It was lunch time, and everyone were quite hungry, the villa only served breakfast, so my uncle ventured out to get some food. Behold it was a feast in the parlour/dining room which was on the other end of the swimming pool. We had the local version of roti and chicken, couscous salad and pizza. After lunch, we realized the gate to the parlour had locked on closing with the key outside, turning it through the grill wasn’t working. At a distance we could see a gardener who couldn’t hear us calling out (my aunt suggested he was a ghost haha). To make things worse my little cousin got her head stuck in the grill, which luckily wasn’t difficult to get out of, but she started to cry. Finally, one of the house maids came out and showed us how to open the lock. Enough adventure for one trip, right?
It was time to explore Marrakesh, we headed out to Jemaa el-Fnaa, the market place. It was quite entertaining for kids and adults alike. Horse carriages, snake shows, pottery, what’s not to like. Krythya got herself a pet camel (no not a real one….), while my grandfather got his shoes polished.
Day 4 started with lazy breakfast by the pool, as the day was slightly warmer. The weather in general was much cooler than expected. Always a good idea to pack in layers, and fleece jackets helped. Today we drove to see a Berber village in the Atlas Mountains. For lunch it was Tagines, a local delicacy of cooking in a clay pot. The restaurant overlooked a stream with hanging bridges, Krythya spent all her time on it and we took turns outside with her. Then we visited a facility where we witnessed the making of Argan oil. Argan peanut butter yumm! Tonight was going to be a late one, once we were back at the villa we made sure Krythya was fed and dressed in warm comfy clothes and made our way to Chez Ali. I would say it’s an elaborate version of Jaipur’s Chokhi Dhani. As expected Krythya fell asleep on our way, it was a stroller kind of night. There were beautiful warm and cosy tents set up for tables. Tagines for dinner again, the vegetarians had couscous and carrots. For entertainment were folk dancers making the rounds and the main show Ali baba and the forty thieves was set outdoor. Sure shot way of waking up a baby, fire forty gunshots… and she was up. She did enjoy her first belly dancing show that followed
Next morning was time to say goodbye to Marrakesh, the beautiful Villa and the very hospitable owners. On our way back to Casablanca we stopped at a resto-gas station for a quick bite. There was a children’s park as well, so we spent more time than planned for. Krythya made conversation with kids that were speaking French so it was quite amusing to watch. We arrived in the evening only to spend time together as some family was set to leave that night. The kids got very emotional as they didn’t want to leave Krythya. This bonding was really what the trip was meant for.
Rabat
The last leg of our trip was a one-hour drive to the capital city of Rabat. If you’re looking for roman ruins and nature walks The Chellah is the right place to be. Krythya got to see some large vultures and their nests too. At which point she referenced the baby bird from her book ‘Are you my mother’. For lunch, any guesses? Yep Tagines! But this time in Dar Naji a highly recommended restaurant for its beautiful and comfortable seating especially with a toddler who likes to be on the move and of course amazing food. Then we went on to see the Hassan tower, where we got creative with picture taking and had some very hygienically squeezed sugar cane juice. One last stop before heading back was Kasbah of the Udayas. As majestic as the name suggests but not very stroller friendly. Krythya did enjoy the mini doors and cobblestone paths like a she was in a story book. On our way back was a beautiful seaside drive that put all of us down for a nap.
That night we were packed and ready to leave the next morning. The driver agreed to drop us off at the airport although that wasn’t in the original plan. Overall this was one of the friendliest places I have visited. And a truly memorable one for all ages!
Useful Tips from our Trip
- Using a travel friendly car seat is both safe and convenient for road trips.
- Planning the day with Krythya’s nap schedule in mind helped avoid a tired and cranky baby.
- Choosing places to stay either villa or hotel that provide a kitchenette makes cooking small meals to pack and go convenient. Carrying dry items like rice and pasta would suffice.
- We found that involving Krythya in the plan of places we were going to visit got her very excited and interested in anything we did. Also helps them learn and make memories.
- Always have flexibility in plans. As sometimes just having time and space to run around in a garden makes the holiday so much more fun.
Babytravelchronicles👶 
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