Easily The Best Experience of my Life Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I joined this Moroccan adventure without any experience with the Arabic language or Moroccan culture. Professor Mohamed Brahimi met with our group on numerous occasions prior to our trip to answer all of our questions. You learn so much about Morocco and its people in just 10 days on this trip - it feels like you are there at least a month, and every moment is completely enjoyable! We were delighted to have a guide in many of the major cities that we visited in order to learn the most of the locations and the rich history therein.

On-site administration of your program

Professor Mohamed Brahimi made certain that all arrangements with our travel organization and visits during our trip were seamless. We were on a tight schedule, for which we were thankful - because we were able to see so many new places and meet new people! Whenever we had a question or requested to make a particular stop to spend a little more time somewhere, Professor Brahimi made sure we were able to have our questions answered fully and that we got the full benefit of every visit and stop.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Every night you are thankful to fall into your bed. There's just so much to do and see! Each location we stayed at was well appointed and clean. WIFI was offered in almost every location (except out in the desert of course!) so we were able to stay in touch with our loved ones at home.

I cannot say enough about the FOOD! Every meal was a treat, something new and delicious to try. Sometimes the menus were in either Arabic or French (which I spoke neither of), but Professor Brahimi was very gracious to explain the menus or advise us of something delicious to try. After a while, you don't even look at the menu, you just try anything! A major delight was the "salad" appetizer that came on many different dishes to share with your table. This was a meal in itself, beautifully arranged, delicious and fragrant. All of the tagine meals were decadent, flavorful and mouthwatering. I bought a tagine and a Moroccan cookbook when I got back to the U.S because I wanted to have dinner like that again, but nothing I cook compares!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt completely at home with the local culture. Everyone is so friendly and wants to share a story or a cup of mint tea with you. When walking through the souks of Fez, I was intrigued by a stone carver in a stall. I asked if I could videotape him and asked him a few questions through Professor Brahimi as an interpreter. The man was very flattered that we were so interested in his work and gave us his entire history of how he became a carver and how dedicated he was to his work. This is only one example of the incredible kindness of the Moroccan people.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

We did not require any specific vaccinations to travel to Morocco. No one in our travel group was incredibly sick (needing medical care while abroad), therefore I do not know how the local healthcare system compares to what I am used to at home. I would encourage travelers to bring a variety of over the counter medications, however. Motion sickness medication is helpful when the bus is navigating winding mountain roads, vitamin C is good to keep your immune system in top shape (you are so busy, your body may begin to feel tired toward the end of the trip), and perhaps some Tylenol PM to help get a good night sleep. Besides this, there were no health issues while on this trip.

Everywhere we went was completely safe. We always traveled as a group and had fun. We were never separated and always had phone numbers to the hotel where we were staying and Professor Brahimi's phone number as well, in case of emergency. Morocco is extremely family friendly, there were many nights we were out very late and families were still out enjoying the evening together.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

The exchange rate from US dollars to Moroccan dirham is very reasonable. Our trip cost included many meals and when we did visit a restaurant for dinner, our expenses were roughly between $10-$14 apiece (includes tip). I was able to travel Morocco for 10 days comfortably with purchasing many items to bring home as gifts for about $500 spending money while traveling. I could have easily spent much less than this, but I like pretty things to buy. :)

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

As we were traveling in Morocco, we were encouraged to speak a little Arabic. Many of the students traveling in this group had taken Arabic classes through Worcester State University and Professor Mohamed Brahimi. I had joined this travel group with little language experience, however, I learned a lot! It is surprising how quickly you pick up simple phrases and want to test them out - and people are so appreciative and encouraging when you try!

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• Hotel

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• International Students
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• Meeting new people and making friends that I will keep for a long time
• Traveling to see the sites all over the country
• I greatly enjoyed seeing the Sahara desert from camelback under the stars

• I cannot think of a single thing that could be improved on this trip.

The Avid Adventurer