Travelling Solo… in Covid times

Despite having no willing travel companions this time around (and yes, quite a few who probably thought I was a little crazy to even contemplate travelling overseas so soon!) I was straight onto my travel agent Ally (who is bloody amazing btw!) to look at date options. I settled on February 7. It gave the world a few months to settle into re-opening and I was optimistic that travelling to the other side of the globe would be totally fine by then.

Then Omicron happened.

Morocco decided on a hard border closure to try and curb the spread. A full flight ban took effect at the end of November 2021, with no indication as to how long it would be in place.

Breathe! Surely everything would be fine by February 7 🙏🏼

There was constant speculation in the news and from my friends and suppliers on the ground in Morocco as to when the borders would be opening… but suddenly it was mid-January and still no firm dates. Eeek!

My flights hadn’t been cancelled, so I took that as a good sign, but with only three weeks until I was scheduled to fly out I wasn’t getting too excited (in a normal world I would have already started packing by this time!).

AND THEN!

On January 28 they announced the borders would reopen on February 7 – the day I was booked to fly out of Australia! I couldn’t believe it – it was a definite sign!

But still… I had to wait on them announcing the conditions of entry, and at that point Australia was sitting on the “naughty” list for a lot of countries due to our high case numbers.

Fast forward to Feb 2 – only five days before I fly out – and the entry requirements are announced:

✔️ I’d need a negative PCR test within 48 hours of flying
✔️ my vaccine passport
✔️ a completed health declaration
✔️ plus I would receive a RAT on arrival.

All achievable! So long as I didn’t pick up Covid in the next five days 😬

To cut a long story short, this trip was bookended with pretty high levels of anxiety, as I knew I would also need to have a negative PCR test to get back into Australia.

Was I up for the challenge? Sure was.

I’m a social introvert by nature so the thought of travelling alone is as exciting for me as travelling with my husband (sorry babe).

The PCR test at Sydney airport was a breeze. The check-in process was a little more laborious, with additional document checks, but all to be expected. I was standing behind a Moroccan national at check-in and he was turned away. Despite having an exemption letter for his vaccination status, the letter wasn’t accepted in Morocco and they wouldn’t let him board the plane.

To my relief my flight was half empty, so I had that glorious four seats in the middle all to myself and with that I was off!

So, for anyone dreaming of a trip to Morocco – it’s a bloody long way away! From Australia you can expect to be in transit for close to 40 hours. I prefer to fly with Qatar – they’re a great airline and have nice direct routes to Morocco.

First flight: Sydney to Doha – 15 hoursSecond flight: Doha to Casablanca – 8.5 hoursThird flight: Casablanca to Marrakech – 1 hour! Phew.

Once you add in the layover time – not to mention having to arrive at Sydney airport 7 hours before the flight to get the PCR test done – that’s quite the journey.

[Note to self: win lotto so you can travel business class next time.]

So, remember I mentioned the flight from Sydney was half empty? Well that certainly wasn’t the case for the flight from Doha to Casablanca. 100% FULL!! Being one of the first flights back into Morocco since the borders opened (less than 24 hours earlier) every man and his baby (of course seated right next to me) were on that flight.

This brings me to my list of hard and fast rules when travelling overseas:

Always store your passport and back up credit cards in the hotel/riad safe. Seems like a no brainer but it’s so important! On this trip I spent a night in a remote Berber village (more about that in a future blog), staying in a local family's home. No safes and not even a lock on the bedroom door (which opened out onto the terrace and the outside world). That night I slept with my nerd bag* securely wrapped around my torso.

Take comfy walking shoes! Yes, there’s a glamorous side to Morocco, but if you’re there to get lost in the souks, this is far from practical! I averaged about 18,000 steps a day on this trip – not something you want to do in an exotic pair of sandals!

Because this was a solo journey my mantra was always keep it modest (and pack light). The more modest you dress, the less attention you attract. Having said that, on previous trips where long lunches and
exotic dinners have been a firm part of the itinerary, then a little glamour is definitely on the cards 😉

Speaking of dining, I discovered a new travel go-to on this trip – Dunch! It’s not a Moroccan culinary experience, simply a concept I came up with on the first few days - a little bit lunch and a little bit dinner, served at about 3 or 4pm. It was the perfect scenario for a solo traveller. Let me explain…

You will often find the Riads in Morocco provide breakfast. It’s generally a pretty decent spread – traditional Moroccan bread such as M’smen or their Beghrir pancakes (or both if you’re lucky!), possibly an
omelet, always fresh OJ, yoghurt, fresh fruit, coffee or mint tea. If you really take advantage of this spread (I mean really go hard on the bread products in particular!), it can last you through most of the day…and mean you only have to pay for one meal – Dunch!

As a solo traveller it was also a nicer experience sitting in restaurants earlier in the afternoon, when they’re not as busy (also a plus in covid times) – and meant I didn’t have to venture out at night alone. I was always safely back in the riad by about 6pm with a full belly, ready to reminisce on the day and chat to family as they woke in Australia.

To start with my Dunch options were a little limited as some restaurants were a little slow to reopen once the borders opened, but I soon found my go-tos – you can read about them here.

So once I sorted out how to eat alone in Marrakech I had to get my head around withdrawing cash from the ATMs in Jamaa El Fna.

Jamaa El Fna is the main square in the Medina – and it’s hectic! There’s snake charmers and monkeys next to guys selling teeth(??) next to juice vendors next to just about anything else you can think of! It’s overwhelming, touristy, and admittedly, I’m not a big fan. But it’s the only place in the Medina with ATMs – and when shops with working eftpos machines are a little hard to come by in the souks, being able to access cash becomes rather important!

Standing in front of an ATM in a bustling square on the other side of the world is a tad daunting, especially when everything on the screen appears to be in another language. As with everything on this trip I learnt to take it slow. Familiarise myself with my surroundings and just take a deep breath. I can do this!

On previous visits to Morocco I’ve always been with other people, so there’s been an extra set of eyes and at least one more brain to help make sense of foreign situations. I’m not going to lie, going it alone at times I felt a little vulnerable and exposed. Often you will be approached by people asking for money when you’re at the ATM. I never found them to be too demanding or intimidating, and they would politely walk away when I shook my head, but it can put you on edge.

Chatting to one of my suppliers a few days in he explained to me how safe Marrakech is. “Have you seen all the security cameras? They’re everywhere!”. And yes, he was right. Once you start camera spotting you really do see them everywhere! That eased my mind somewhat.

Anyway, I soon worked out which button to press to change the language on the ATM screen. Tick! A couple of days later I helped some other tourists that were struggling to work out how to start a transaction…I was starting to feel like a local!

Admittedly one of the questions I got asked most about this trip was, “is Morocco safe for women to travel alone?”. My answer – 100% yes!

Morocco is like anywhere else you travel in the world – there’s places you should avoid, and you have to keep your wits about you, but for the most part it’s totally safe.

Yes, the culture may differ to what you might be used to, but (for me at least) that’s why I travel!

My first few days in Marrakech I was definitely out of my comfort zone and super aware of my surroundings. It was the first time I had been there alone and was quite the culture shock after being stuck at home in Australia for the past two years! There may have been a few tears and a little anxiety, but that was all part of the adjustment to my new surroundings – coupled with some hardcore jetlag!

I’m pretty sure I had quite the power walk happening when I ventured outside my riad into the Medina on that first morning. Of course, I quickly got lost (insert Maps.me to save the day!).

But once you acclimatise you soon realise most of the people around you are locals, going about their daily routines. There are groups of kids coming home from school, mums picking up the freshly baked bread,
dads catching up for mint tea. I was privileged given the time I travelled. With the borders only just open tourists were very light on, so I was able to experience the Marrakech Medina at a rare and very special slower pace. I feel the next time we meet Marrakech will feel closer to her real self, with a full belly of tourists. Inshallah.

My final few days in Morocco were a heightened mixture of anxiety and relief (and a rather inconvenient bout of gastro!).

My departure PCR test had to be within three days of leaving. I’d tracked down the testing clinic (just outside Jamaa El Fna) and had visited them earlier in my trip just to ensure that:

1) I knew where they were!

2) Their opening/testing hours were correct, and

3) I was familiar with the process and turnaround time.

It was all so straight forward. I turned up at the time they told me to, filled in a form, had the test and was on my way. My ability to return home as planned on the Monday was now in the hands of that test result!

The following day I again turned up at the time they told me, anxiously waited for about 10 minutes along with a handful of others, my name was called, and they handed me the results. Hallelujah! I was negative and could finally relax and enjoy my final few days… until the gastro fairy decided to visit – on my last day!! Urgh.

Without going into too many details the trip home was a little touch and go. Thank god for the airport hotel in Doha, which gave me a much needed rest and shower on my 20 (yes TWENTY) hour stopover. The original plan was to leave the airport, but the quarantine rules changed while I was in Morocco. Special mention also to the massage place in Doha airport – the most expensive, but also possibly the best, foot massage ever.

Of course I’m already planning my next trip. Would you like to join me?

*nerd bag – a phrase coined by my lovely husband who thinks my uncuttable / unscannable travel handbag is possibly a little extreme. It’s my go-to and my safety net when I travel. I can’t recommend it enough. It houses my passport, cash, cards and never leaves my body (unless it’s sitting in a hotel safe). Thanks for the peace of mind Travelon.