You want to travel to a country and see the real culture: not just what glossy guidebooks would have you believe.
It’s harder than it sounds, especially if your trip is short. How on earth is this possible?
First of all, we’ve got good news for you! Just because you want to experience a country authentically does not mean that you have to go through the stress of planning your own trip.
In fact, you’ll probably be able to better experience the true culture of the country if you don’t plan your own trip.
Here’s why: Unless you have previous experience with the country that you are visiting (in our case, Morocco), your ideas of what you should see will be primarily determined by media and tourist guidebooks.
As we discussed in our 9 Myths You Believed About Morocco blog post, media often portrays a country incorrectly. Similarly, most guidebooks are going to present you with a view of the country that is packaged for tourists (because who else would be reading guidebooks?)
Taking a group tour isn’t going to help you really see a true side of Morocco either. It’s difficult to interact with a culture when you are stuck in the schedule of a large group. When a spontaneous moment presents itself and you want to explore it further, you will have to get back on the tour bus and move to the next city.
We also don’t think that authentic travel means going where no tourists or travelers have gone before. If that’s what you are looking for, then you will need to pitch a tent out in the Sahara for a few months and really learn to adapt! We think that being able to see a country authentically is being able to see it for what it truly is in the limited amount of time that you have to spend there.
How?
We have found that the perfect solution is to have a private tour that is focused on experiencing Morocco for its cultural identity. Experience It Tours only offers private tours and its handpicked local drivers help the travelers see Morocco’s culture: all aspects of it.
Your driver will allow you to be spontaneous as you decide where you would rather spend a little extra time or stop along the way between cities. Our travelers have loved how their drivers explain the customs of Morocco to them…there’s nothing like hearing a local’s perspective!
Instead of imagining for yourself what the culture should be like or trying to make Morocco fit in the “exotic North Africa” box, allow your driver to share with you how Morocco is changing and where it is today.
You will certainly see the famous sights of Morocco, but you will also have the freedom to jump out of the car and take a photo or stop and interact with Berbers in the villages.
You’ll be able to swing through the McDonald’s with the green tiled roof or try the snails on the side of the street. You’ll be able to watch how the other tourists interact with what they are experiencing for the first time.
Seeing the authentic Morocco doesn’t necessarily mean only going to small villages and towns. It means seeing different aspects of Morocco with enough flexibility to learn and an insider to help you understand what you are coming across. We recognize that Morocco is made up of modern cities, rural towns and medieval marketplaces. We believe in helping people see as much as they can of what makes Morocco unique.