Layla saida, Morocco

“Balak! Balak!” shouted a merchant in Arabic as a giant donkey came charging towards us from behind. 

“Balak,” in English, means, “Get out of the way!” And move-it-or-lose-it we did, as the muscular beast carrying heaps of fabrics plowed down a narrow stone road, forcing dozens of shopkeepers, tourists and beggers to flee in all directions.

Welcome to the Medina of Fes, a labyrinth of a neighbourhood in Morocco surrounded by eight kilometres of 12-foot-high fortified walls and some 12,000 narrow alleyways. Dating back to the 7th century, the medina is home to approximately 156,000 Moroccans, who survive within its crammed, car-free quarters of bustling souks, religious schools and historic leather tanneries.

It’s here, thankfully, where Insight Vacations brought PAX, alongside 30 other travel agents from Canada, the United States, New Zealand, the UK and Thailand, as part of their eight-day Taste of Morocco trip, an experiential tour of Arabic, Islamic and African cultures. 

Before entering the Fes medina, our brilliant guides, Javier and Abdulwahab, advised us to stick together, conceal our valuables, and bargain with merchants when shopping — and know when to say no to them. “Otherwise they’ll follow you to the next city,” said Javier. 

With its claustrophobic crawlspaces, shadowy walkways, and share of eccentric characters, the Medina of Fes can be difficult to navigate and borderline intimidating. But it’s truly the gateway to an ancient, authentic Morocco — and for that reason it’s a must-see, must-do experience. As our guide Javier told us: “Everything in the medina is a treasure.” 

The Medina of Fes was, hands down, a climax that marked the half-way point of our tour, which began days prior in Casablanca with a sea bass dinner at the famous Rick’s Cafe — a restaurant modelled after the city's eponymous movie. “Once you’re inside, you’ll think you’re in the movie [Casablanca],” said our guide Javier. Here’s looking at you kid. 

Our knowledgable guides wasted no time showing us Casablanca’s treasures, including the chic coastal strip — the  Corniche — and the breathtaking Hassan II Mosque, which can accommodate up to 100,000 praying worshippers at one time. Its minaret is one of the tallest in the world! 

In the blink of our camera flashes, our coach bus rolled into Rabat, Morocco’s capital, where we visited one of the few holy places open to non-Muslims, the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V. The scattered pillars outside the mausoleum, leftovers of an unfinished mosque on the Yacoub el-Mansour esplanade, are worth the Instagram pics alone.

From Rabat to Meknes, a region dating back to the 11th century, where olive trees line the city boulevard and the Bab el-Mansour, a grand imperial gateway, stands proudly. But it wasn’t until we arrived in Fes that our group could truly unearth the sights, sounds and aromas that define Morocco. 

The night before our day in the Fes medina, we had the privilege of dining in the lavish home of locals Ghali and Sana Alaoui. Here, surrounded by marble sculptures and Hermes pillows, we ate cinnamon-infused pastia and roasted lamb that, according to our host, tenderized in an oven for almost 40 hours. The capper was when everyone was invited to dress in a robe (a “djellaba”) and fez (a hat for men). Traditional Moroccan clothing, provided by the Alaoui’s, which we got to keep. 

The trek from Fes to Marrakesh was long, clocking some ten hours including breaks, as we drove over the Atlas Mountains, at times reaching 5,000 feet above sea level, jetting past cottage clay-coloured villages and jaw-dropping landscapes. Our guides, fittingly, played the song “The Marrakesh Express” over our coach’s intercom as we rolled into town, where Djemaa El Fna Square is the major draw. 

It’s here we encountered haggling snake charmers, monkey handlers and shop keepers — all of whom will do anything for a dirham. Bargain, beg, demand…someone, somewhere is trying to sell you something. The square transforms into an illuminated carnival by night, which is what our group explored, via horse and buggy, while en route to the restaurant Palais Arabe, where we enjoyed lamb tagine and fluffy couscous in the company of exotic belly dancers.

A good trip can be complimented by a stroke of good luck — and it was, by luck, that our bus crossed an argon tree full of goats along the dusty highway to Essaouira (the goats feed on the tree’s fruits). 

Elegant Essaouira, a breezy, beachside fishing town with as many seagulls as there are tourists, was our final stop before returning to Casablanca to officially end the tour. The camels on the beach in Essaouira deserved some camera time. So did the ancient archways in the ancient Mogador marketplace.

On our last night in Essaouira, we devoured seafood skewers at an Insight Vacations celebration dinner, which went late into the evening. Or until the last traveller standing says lla yemsek 'la khir, or "layla saida." 

Which, in Arabic, means goodnight.