A Holiday in Morocco – Student Style

This is our guide on how to make memories abroad on a budget!

As a student, a long way into their overdraft, it can be difficult to achieve the dream of a getaway, not only from studies, but from the dull British weather.

The cheapest holidays are in the last-minute deals, however, there’s then the issue of finding somewhere that’s not only affordable, but hot too, so when a £220 all-inclusive week-long trip to Morocco pops up, you’d be silly to turn it down.

Morocco, largely known for its Souks (Markets in Marrakech) and the Berber, Arabian, and European influences, is a vibrant country that thrives with constant activity, making it a PERFECT destination for the typical student longing for an adventure.

I stayed in a fantastic resort named Aqua Mirage, complete with 3 pools, a water park, a football pitch and tennis courts, a couple of ping pong tables, as well as a gym and spa to treat yourself.

Image by Jack Griffith

This trip is a prime opportunity to explore the aspects of a completely different culture to your own.

Marrakech Souks

The amount of life bursting from the old town, 200 metres west of the Koutoubia Mosque, is indescribable. It’s a once in a life time experience that gets all the senses tingling with the scent of Moroccan spices, the sound of hand drums, the rattle of snakes, and monkeys jumping all over the place.

Image by Jack Griffith

Unless you’re planning on buying a few little souvenirs, you merely need a maximum of 150 dirhams each way for a taxi, which equals to just over £10.

Cascades of Ouzoud 

You will tend to find with an all-inclusive getaway there are a number of tours and excursions that are offered, in which you have the chance to travel and discover the variety of unmissable sights.

In my case, I chose to visit the Cascades of Ouzoud waterfalls for 600 dirhams.

It is the most visited site of the region, 150km northeast of Marrakech, known for its stunning views that only get better as you descend into the depths of the waterfall. The trip was complete with a meal in a modern Moroccan restaurant.

The waterfalls are surrounded by traditional shops and cafés, all placed at different levels of the beautiful destination.

It’s likely that you’ll bump into a few wild macaques on the way too. They’re certainly not afraid to get up, close and personal by jumping on your head, as I learnt in my own experience.

At the bottom, a short raft ride into the centre of the waterfall is offered for 40 dirhams each, allowing you a close-up view of the falling water in the setting sun – very romantic if you’re travelling with your other half.

There are plenty of exotic things to do on your trip to Morocco on a budget. Anything from a horse and carriage ride through the old town in Marrakech at night, to riding quad bikes on an off-road adventure, all range around 200-800 dirhams.

I only took out £70 to spend for my week in Morocco, which allowed me to make two full day trips. I also had money left over to buy a couple of souvenirs.

If you’ve been to Morocco or any other destination on a budget, or are planning to, be sure to tweet some of your pictures and videos to @VIVAMagazines We’d love to see what you got up to!