I am currently somewhere over the north Atlantic heading home after spending 6 nights in Marrakech Morocco and two nights in London.  Why, you say, this combination? Well what drew me to Marrakech was my first invitation to attend a travel conference called PURE- ostensibly for the “purist” who plan experiential travel- which I try to do.

We (my love of my life – Barbara and I) believe in order to be the best at helping people to experience a great time while they are traveling, must not only travel ourselves but go to the meetings where providers of travel go and meet with them to be as prepared as possible. Hence, I traveled to Marrakech with Barbara, who intended to rest up a bit while I attended the conference.

Arriving in Morocco I was reminded of Arizona- lots of sand and a few green areas, and mountains off in the distance.  However this was where the similarities ended.  We were greeted at the airport by one of the representatives of the company we decided to use to tour the city and surrounding areas before the conference began.  Once outside I noticed the mountains off in the distant were snowcapped and while the climate was dry it was not hot with temperatures in the mid-60s.

I looked around thinking we might take a camel to town (really only kidding – but I did think it), but there were modern vehicles and off we went to the Four Seasons. (Yes- that Four Seasons)  I was certainly impressed- apparently the hotel had just opened a couple of months ago. Alarm bells should have been going off – maybe I was still a bit groggy from traveling so far – who knows.  I was in for a bit different experience than what I was use to – this property wasn’t quite ready for prime time.  Very slow check-in, went one day without the room having been serviced, difficulty with room service- i.e. filled out one of those little cards for breakfast that tell you to hang it on the door before midnight and then your breakfast will be served in your room at the time requested- when it didn’t arrive I thought I would check the door before calling room service and voila – there was my card still hanging from the door knob. However on the very positive side – the staff was very warm and friendly and I figure given a couple more months the other difficulties would be corrected.

None of this had put me off- I was in an exotic land and determined to see all that I could.  The tour guide was young (again alarm bells should be blazing away) and inexperienced with groups – I was traveling with Barbara and some other travel advisors.  Despite the guide’s youth we did experience much of Marrakech and the countryside including a beautiful property in those mountains I mentioned (the Atlas Mountains) owned by Sir Richard Branson (made a mental note that if I came back next year I was going to try and stay there for a couple of nights) and even visited a Berber home in the mountains. The people of Morocco speak French and Arabic and many also speak English and they are a very welcoming people.

Now I had been warned by another advisor to be very careful what I ate- and I always follow a few rules- no unpeeled fruit, or uncooked vegetables; and definitely I do not drink the water or use it to brush my teeth – must be bottled water only; but I try to experience the local cuisine everywhere (after all this is part of the travel experience) and the food was great! And I did not get sick (Yahoo!!) – little things like enjoying the food without a bad experience, having your luggage arrive when you do, people to meet you and get you to your hotel etc… are good and go a long way to adding to an overall good experience.

The conference had (I believe) a couple of hundred travel companies of which I met with approximately seventy over three very long days. Let me tell you- there are some incredible travel locations and itineraries to experience throughout the world!  You know you are in the right place when your conversation with your fellow travel advisors is all about how there are so many places and so little time.  I mean every continent was well represented – and the trips were spectacular – I found at least a ½ dozen I would take at the drop of a hat.  I concentrated on some of my specialties – Africa, Australia, New Zealand, China, and adventure and I came away with some great ideas and learning about each area (which is why I go in the first place).  I don’t know how other agencies plan travel without going to conferences each year.  Yes, these take me out of the office and cost Great Getaways money and time – but wow they are so important for me to have knowledge and additional contacts and ideas for great travel options!

On Friday night Barbara and I headed off to London (we had to fly through London anyway) to spend a couple of nights in one of our absolutely favorite hotels- the Goring (one hundred and one years in business – same family ownership- in the very heart of where I wanted to stay).  Saturday we strolled around Buckingham Palace, and Knightsbridge (of course we visited Harrods- even I love walking through Harrods) and then in the evening we visited the Taj  properties – a hotel and suites located in a very private cul-de-sac just a couple of blocks from Buckingham.  The suites offer great alternatives for families traveling together and we book the suites for our clients so Barbara and I wanted to see the accommodations first hand. Afterwards we had dinner at a wonderful restaurant (see Barbara’s blog) and retired early for our morning departure home.  I was reminded how much I enjoy London – fun city, great to walk around, etc…

Which brings me back to heading over the Atlantic and wishing somehow I could avoid flying altogether and just be Dorothy (you know- click my heels …).

If you have stumbled on to this abbreviated capsule of my week and are just dying of curiosity, call me and I will share my favorite places I learned about (we can all travel vicariously!. ) 

 

Meet Hassan, a well-groomed, kind young man who was our guide for two days in Marrakech. On our day trip to the High Atlas Mountains, Joel Zack, CEO of heritage Tours Private Travel, joined us so we had both Joel and Hassan. Poor Hassan had to cut his teeth on guiding a group of travel advisors AND he had "da Boss" along, too! Geez! 

Guiding a group is a learned skill and guiding a group of travel advisors on an educational tour could be compared to trying to herd a swarm of bees. We want the "honey", the essence of our destination, in quick, concise bits. We ask questions, lots of questions about culture, history, current events, best places to see or avoid and we are not an orderly group. Blink and you'll miss the advisor who just had to duck into the shop to bargain for "that to die for" pashmina. Drone on and half the group will be through the museum waiting for you to catch up. No, guiding travel professionals as your first group experience is trial by fire! Add having your employer tag along to really make a guy sweat, figuratively and literally. Hassan did okay, actually more than okay. He could have been a little more informative, a trait we were confident he'd mature into.

Next day paired us with Hassan sans Joel. We knew he'd be more relaxed, but that wasn't the case. Somehow we skipped the sightseeing and headed straight to the Medina for some serious shopping. We were told we'd see the snake charmers and people expecting to be paid to have their picture taken. Didn't happen! Instead, we followed Hassan, whose walking pace qualified him for an Olympic event. Our stroll through the souks was like watching a movie in fast-forward. We did spend a significant amount of time at one shop (fact-all guides in Morocco have relationships with certain shopkeepers-get used to it!). Understand when you are buying things in the Medina, you are buying because you like it not because it is old, antique, extremely rare or valuable-none of those descriptors may hold true.

Michael and I tried to buy a few things at "the shop-the best shop-you can trust this place" but we failed to agree on price. Leaving the shop, we continued at breakneck speed, the souks appearing through peripheral vision, a kaleidoscope of color. Darting down James Bond style alleyways, we found our way to Riad Joya,  our lunch destination, gem of calm and a wonderful place to stay right in the center of the Medina. 

Our luncheon was delightful and we felt fortified for the afternoon sprint! Bravely, I asked Hassan to slow the pace down, which he did. We could have shopped more but the whole group decided to use our regained strength to stop at the convention center and register for PURE Life Experiences, the reason we were in Marrakech.

Registration was a breeze for those attending PURE and we returned to the Four Seasons.  Because I had scheduled a private shopping tour while the PURISTS did what they were here to do, I wasn't particularly disappointed with the adrenaline inducing dash through the Medina. However, I was concerned that Hassan might behave like this with our clients-not good!

When we got out of the multiple personnel transport vehicle a/k/a the van, Hassan told us he had an emergency in the family and had to say good-bye to go to Fez. We learned that his uncle was in the hospital and had only a few hours left. Was this why we moved at Mach speed? Most likely! Joel's company is known for its quality guides and in-depth immersion into Morocco.

Our guide the next day, Jalil, was excellent! He shared wonderful stories about Morocco, past and present, and suddenly Marrakech and its culture began to make more sense to me. Three days later I returned to the Medina with another guide, Aziz, an absolute delight and a seasoned veteran guide with Heritage Tours. Aziz regaled me with stories about Marrakech. We ambled through the souks on this trip and I managed to find some mementos to send home. When I asked about Villa des Orangers, where Michael et al dined one night when my body said, "Stay at the hotel and rest!", Aziz arranged for me to have a private site inspection.

My morning with Jalil and the 2 1/2 hours with Aziz turned my discomfort with Marrakech into a fondness for the quirkiness and intrigue of this destination. It turned my "been there, done that" into "I will probably return someday, armed with my new found knowledge and my list of preferred hotels. Thank you, Jalil, Aziz, and thank you to Heritage Tours, who seamlessly provided us replacements for Hassan, and such high quality replacements, too! These types of situations, a guide suddenly departing or maybe a client not meshing with a guide, can dampen or even ruin a client's journey. How our partners in-country handle the situation makes all the difference. Heritage Tours proved it knows its stuff, is professional, and our clients would have been totally unaware of any changes or hiccups in the itinerary. To borrow a phrase from one of the major credit card brands, our relationship with Heritage Tours is "priceless"!

The moral of this story? First, this experience underscored a fact I already knew, the importance of a superior guide. Also, I accepted a new self-discovery, I no longer enjoy a diet of unpredictability, that this travel advisor prefers to have certain constants-a welcoming place in which to rest my weary body and a host who honors my desire to experience a destination while avoiding the rough edges.

If you have been following my hectic travel schedule of the past several weeks, you'll know I've been to China on two separate occasions, to Morocco and London. Thank you, Joel Zack, for sharing your passion for Morocco with me. Thank you,Guy Rubin and Nancy Kim, of Imperial Tours, for the ultimate, personalized experience in China, twice in a month! You are simply the BEST. Nothing more need be added.Xie, xie (thank you, in Chinese). 

And as Toto wrote in a note to Dorothy, "Done with Oz, took the shoes, and going back to Kansas!"

 

Michael decided to attend Pure Life Experience, an assemblage of purveyors and buyers of unique, enriching and often life-changing experiences around the globe. While we are familiar with some options, we are always on the lookout for the what's new and different or a fresher experience than was previously available. PURE, in its 3rd year of operation, is held in Marrakech in November and I wasn't about to pass on this destination! So, I planned a week of R&R while Michael spent his days forming new business relationships and cementing the existing ones.

Joel Zack, CEO of Heritage Tours Private Travel, invited us to experience the newly opened Four Seasons Marrakech, using it as a base for exploring the area-the Medina, the new city, many properties and the beauty of the High Atlas Mountains. Joel fell in love with Morocco when he was part of a group of  architects sent to Morocco to restore some synagogues. What we learned is that Joel KNOWS Morocco, he gets it, he understands the nuances and quirks and relishes in them.

My take:

I like Morocco and, now having experienced this uneven culture, I enjoy it---but it took awhile. I had to suspend my stand on women's rights (I am not so ambitious to try to change an Arab/Berber culture). I always wore conservative clothes (not a problem because I'm not into the latest trendy styles---come on, I'm 63 not 23!) and yet I found some men eying me, perhaps wondering what a younger version of me would look like (surely they can do better than lusting after a woman soon to receive Medicare!).

The Four Seasons Marrakech is an attractive structure, but it is not ready for "prime time " yet. Service, on the best day, is uneven. I know, I know, you're going to remind me that I am complaining about a phenomenon of Morocco. I disagree! This property is a Four Seasons and that brand comes with certain givens, one being exceptional service. Even if the employees are not used to the service standards that are de rigeour elsewhere, the middle management and upper management should be (no housekeeping one day, turn down service offered at 10:30 PM, really?). The other recommendation is to add some wonderful Berber carpets to the long marble hallways to soften the echo effect of footsteps and conversations.

Those comments from the viewpoint of a travel advisor who wants to ensure her clients enjoy every detail of their journey aside, we next spent 3 nights at Naoura Barriere, a definte DON'T(so much a "don't" that my mind refuses to remember the name, resorting to looking at stationery to recall the proper name and spelling!). This property was assigned to us during the conference, so we had no choice of accommodations. We were told it is a contemporary Moroccan hotel, an option for groups. I haven't seen or felt a whole lot of Moroccan, contemporary or otherwise, and feel more like I'm in a Marriott that still is decorated in the 1980's.

After  visiting several hotels, villas, and riads, I recommend you avoid the more recognizable names. La Mamounia, historic and elegant, with magnificent grounds might appeal to some, but I felt it was stuffy. Royal Mansour, owned by the royal family, is over-the-top and not subtle, it's riads are a nightmare of stairs.

  My favorites for in-city stays are Villa des Orangers, minutes from the Medina, and Riad Joya, a new hidden gem within the Medina. At 21 rooms and 7 rooms respectively, book early! Both are totally charming and each is an oasis of calm in an otherwise bustling city.

You can't come to Marrakech without at least a day trip to the High Atlas Mountains. The beauty of the area, dotted with Berber villages, is unforgettable. We visited Villa Malika, a nice option for a couple of nights (request the junior suite on the top floor with walls of windows). Then we visited Kasbah Tomadot, one of Richard Branson's tony resorts, and a MUST STAY in my book. Okay, you're correct, I eschewed recognizable properties en ville (don't you love it when I speak French?); but come on, folks, this is Richard Branson! Have you ever known something branded with the Virgin name not to be stellar? Opt for one of the tented suites and be prepared for some serious pampering!

Now that I have my picks firmly in place for our stay during PURE next year, I'm off to London for a couple of nights of serious British luxe, staying at The Goring, now famous for Kate Middleton's locale for her last night as a single woman, but more famous for its lovable and sometimes outrageous Managing Director and friend, David Morgan Hewitt. Good-bye sweet mint tea of Morocco, hello proper English breakfast tea.

Fast forward six weeks---When planning our flights to attend PURE, Michael and I chose to fly Easyjet from Gatwick to Marrakech. Easyjet, known for its pared down service and it's menu of service fees, has garnered a loyal following. I see a place for this type of offering for a short haul, but not for a flight over 1 1/2 hours. All coach and minimal legroom are doable, but seats that don't recline at all are the deal killer for me.

We arrived in Marrakech, enduring 3+ hours of sitting "at attention", and looked for our airport butler, a service offered in some countries that help new arrivals through the immigration lines and passport control. Not spotting our name on any placard, we darted o the shortest line. We waited obediently behind the designated line and, when our turn to be submit our passports came, we promptly stepped forward.

"No!" admonished the clerk sternly while straightening her uniform, "One!" Michael stepped back and left me to fend for myself with this impersonator of Attilla the Hun. I offered my best "suck-up" smile and hoped for the best. "Flight?" barked the Grand Inquisatrix. Oh my God, I forgot to write the flight number and fear coursed through my veins. A young woman a couple of people behind Michael volunteered the number. "8855," I told the wicked Witch of Morocco. She glared at me and shoved the form and a pen towards me. I scribbled the digits where instructed and after a moment more of glaring and a loud pounding of official stamps, I was allowed entry into Marrakech. She must have found Michael more to her liking because she processed his entry card quickly.

On November 6 at 2:00 AM the US will begin its ritual of "falling back". No, I'm not talking economics, I'm talking "TIME". Daylight Savings Time becomes Standard Time, or those who embrace acronyms would say, "CDT become CST". Have you ever wondered why we have this routine? I've read different reasons and, thanks to alltop.com, I found this interesting video.

My problem is more than time change, it's time change mixed with jetlag. I'll be coming home from Morocco on November 6 and my body will have no clue whether I'm on Moroccan time, CST, or ABC! Maybe coming home the day the time changes is a good thing!