Southern Morocco Is One of the World's Last Great Unexplored Destinations-Here's How to Visit

"The first trip is mere reconnaissance; the slow and intimate process of knowing a place requires return visits. The first time I went to Marrakesh, I so much disliked the mercenary crush of the medina that I avoided going back for 20 years-a long time to hold a grudge. At last I decided it was time to try reading more carefully what I had only skimmed before."

"Two minutes into a video chat with Bilal El Hammoumy, founder of Inclusive Morocco, I knew he could help. El Hammoumy is passionate about his native country, eloquent in English, a scholar with a PhD in Morocco's oral-history traditions, and-like any millennial-equally fluent in online life. As for the company name, it's designed to signal to clients that Morocco is a destination for travelers of every identity, religion, and physical ability."

"Ever since the painter Eugène Delacroix visited in 1832 and went home with sketchbooks full of souks and palaces, his celebrated Orientalist paintings have deeply colored the West's fascination with 'exotic' North Africa. Later, filmmakers came to shoot their epics, starting with Orson Welles for his 1951 Othello and continuing through Lawrence of Arabia to Gladiator and Game of Thrones."

True understanding of a place requires multiple visits, similar to how literature demands rereading. The author initially dismissed Marrakesh after one visit but returned decades later with fresh perspective. Meeting Bilal El Hammoumy, founder of Inclusive Morocco, provided an opportunity to explore the destination more thoughtfully. El Hammoumy's company emphasizes welcoming travelers of all identities, religions, and abilities. Morocco has long attracted Western visitors, from painter Eugène Delacroix in 1832 through contemporary filmmakers, creating layered cultural impressions. The author seeks to discover unexplored aspects of Morocco beyond the well-documented tourist experiences and Orientalist representations that have shaped Western perceptions.

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