Morocco

Slide a traditional djellaba over your shoulders, hear the call to prayer echo from the rooftops, and prepare for an unforgettable month in Morocco.

Orientation in Rabat

Learn about life in an Islamic culture through discussions about cultural differences and gender roles, survival Arabic language lessons, city walks in the shadows of thousand-year-old buildings, and scavenger hunts in Rabat’s ancient medina. Your introduction to Morocco concludes with a few days in magnificent Fès and an overnight in the Sahara on a camel
caravan trekking along rolling dunes.

Homestay

Spend two weeks living as part of a host family in a rustic Arabic- or Berber-speaking village community. Strolls along winding earthen paths with host siblings, discussions over cups of hot mint tea, and visits to open air markets deepen your understanding of daily life.

Sample activities:
Share couscous or tajine with your multi-generational host family; visit a colorful souk; play soccer with local youth; work with nonprofit social services organizations that serve your new community; improve your French, Berber, or Arabic language skills.

Sample communities:
Taouniya, Abrdi, Oulmes

Arts in Rural Morocco

Working side by side with local artisans, musicians, and educators, you learn how to cook traditional Moroccan meals, move to ceremonial music, and create authentic handicrafts through carpentry, wicker making, and weaving.

Sample activities:
Engage in small-scale community service work; weave an oriental carpet; teach English to elementary school children; make your own Moroccan-style wicker basket; practice traditional dances.

Travel and Exploration

Your journey through Morocco concludes with a visit to Marrakech and the coastal community of Essaouira.

Sample activities:
Visit Marrakech’s famous Jama Lfna, a centuries-old market teeming with vendors from remote Atlas villages, storytellers, snake charmers, fortune tellers, dancers, and acrobats; rest on soft, sand beaches and reflect on your adventure.

"All my senses were engaged. My ears learned to love Moroccan drums, my taste buds savored new spices, and my eyes were able to take in the amazing colors, hues, and textures of the Moroccan landscapes."

-- Stephanie Contreras
Whitehall, Pennsylvania