A Moroccan Adventure with Wilderness Inquiry

This past April, a group of six women set off on an unforgettable 12-day adventure to Morocco — a first for Wilderness Inquiry! Traveling amongst the stunning landscapes, historic sites, and vibrant markets of Morocco, they formed bonds with each other, all while connecting with the beauty of their surroundings.

It didn’t take long for this kinship to occur, with one participant writing after the adventure, “I saw myself as part of a team.” Wilderness Inquiry staff member, Carly Rhodes, also traveled with the group as an ambassador for the organization and as a liaison between the Moroccan tour guides and trip participants. When asked about the group dynamic, Carly simply said: “We all got along very well; it was just very easy.”

This is a great accomplishment for a group that mostly did not know each other prior to touching down in Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city and the trip’s starting and ending point. For the next 12 days, it was all adventure and learning — from rich cultural sites in Fes and Marrakech to the otherworldly beauty of far-flung desert and mountainous areas. For several of the women, a sunset camel ride in the Sahara Desert was the defining moment of the trip.

Accessibility is a clear challenge in such an environment. One of the participants, Joy, uses a wheelchair and wasn’t able to ride the camels with the rest of the group. However, she encouraged them to go ahead and have the experience with the plan that she and their tour guides would drive out to the dunes and meet them to catch the sunset together as a group. It might be a long shot — as they weren’t sure if the car could make it to the meetup point — but they were certainly going to try.

When we finally got to the dunes, we were just sitting and watching the sunset, and then we saw a little vehicle pull up and it was Joy and our guides. They were able to find us in the dunes! And so we were all able to sit and watch the sunset in the dunes together, and it was pretty magical.”

— CARLY R.

The hospitable nature of the Moroccan guides and community continuously fostered unique experiences for everyone. On one of the days, the group was treated to an impromptu lunch with a local family, who graciously invited them into their garden to share food and stories together. Moments like this — intercultural bonds between strangers — are a vital part of what made this time so special. When reflecting on the experience, one participant wrote,

The planning and support of Wilderness Inquiry went far beyond my expectations. I traveled as a companion to my disabled sister-in-law and also with a blind woman. I learned to experience a new country through the eyes of those women, as well as through the lens of our wonderful guide, who helped us to understand Moroccan people and culture.”

— DAISY W.

All in all, Morocco’s welcoming culture, combined with Wilderness Inquiry’s inclusive and adaptable approach, ensured that the group enjoyed an unforgettable experience. And by the time they returned to the Casablanca airport, signaling the end of their time in North Africa, it was hard for them to part — forever bonded by this brand-new Wilderness Inquiry adventure.