A desert caravan

ROMAN ruins and hidden oases, pools carved in soft red rocks by cascading waterfalls and wind-sculpted dunes: Morocco offered travel writers John Weller and Lola Culsan plenty to explore.

The couple have travelled through Europe, compiling wild swimming and hidden beach guides for Spain, as well as a guide to outdoor swimming spots in London.

Now their latest Wild Guide has taken them to north Africa: they have embarked on a trip through Morocco.

The pair loaded up their campervan to embark on an enviable research tour  – and this time they have been aided by their son, Danny, who left his parents to their own exploring and headed along the Atlantic coast, hitchhiking, exploring, and capturing on camera stand-out places.

The result is a stunning travelogue: the trio bring the real Morocco to life, away from the usual tourist stereotypes and is illustrated by the trio’s beautiful photography: read this book and you are in danger of instantly booking yourself on the flight to Marrakech.

It wasn’t John’s first trip to the kingdom that celebrates Arabic, Berber and African influences in its towns and cities – but it was a happier experience from his first time there many years ago.

“We weren’t exactly rich when I was growing up. We never went on a foreign holiday, the closest we got to going abroad was when eight of us piled into my Dad’s black cab and drove all the way to Butlins in Minehead,” he recalls.

Food at Jnane Tihihit Working Farm

“So when I left school I saved up to buy an Interrail ticket and travel to Morocco with my then girlfriend. It seemed like a good idea. We got followed everywhere. I got offered a lot of camels for my girlfriend. A hustler in Tangier threatened to cut my throat unless I gave him 10DH – 80p. I managed to negotiate him down to 5DH – you can take the boy out of Queen’s Crescent… We bought a rug, jumped on the boat back to Spain and vowed never to return. I felt pretty shaken up at the treatment I received.

“So why Morocco? Why go back? Thirty-five years later, Lola, Danny and I were sitting on a balcony overlooking the Straits Of Gibraltar and the Rif Mountains in the distance. Someone came up with the idea of spending Christmas in Morocco.”

With his Arabic-speaking son in tow, John fell in love with the country and has returned five times since.

“Wild Guide Morocco is the story of our visits,” he says. “The kindness, openness and generosity of Moroccans was truly humbling. I climbed mountains, swam in rivers, trekked down to isolated beaches and shared time with some incredible people.”

Seeing first hand and recording the experience faithfully was important.

“We are not armchair travel writers,” adds John. “We visited all the places that we included. We want people to know that if we have recommended a place to visit, eat or stay, it’s because we’ve been there.”

Moroccan culture made the travelling easy.

“Any difficulties we had, such as a flat tyre in a remote village, people would appear to help,” adds John.

Oued El Kannar (Wadi El Qanar)

“We were offered food and tea on a daily basis, just because they wanted to be kind or get to know us. What also stood out about Morocco was the incredible diversity of the landscape. People tend to think of the desert, Marrakech or the beaches, but there are huge natural parks, cedar forests, wildlife like Macaque monkeys, lakes and rivers. We swam in lakes at the top of mountains, rivers in canyons beneath towering cliffs and even in a river in the desert.”
Danny travelled solo.

“Apart from the countless people who went out of their way while I was hitchhiking to take me where I needed to go, I did a lot of walking to get from place to place,” he says.

“Everywhere people offered me tea or a tagine, out of a genuine desire to share time. Moroccan hospitality and kindness are second to none. As a white boy who speaks Arabic, I was a little bit of an oddity and was often shown off to wives and children at home.”

Danny recalls the Atlantic coast town of Oualidia.

“I turned to see one of the most spectacular sunsets,” he says.

“The sea has carved its way through the shoreline, creating a saltwater lagoon, separated from the ocean by a thin spit of land. Fishing craft were putt-putting their way back from the open sea through the channel, carrying the day’s catch back home. The scene was doused in vivid shades of orange and gold. Shaking myself, I found a vantage point on the cliff overlooking the lagoon and I let fly with my camera.

“Every shot was gorgeous. As I watched, a flamingo made its noisy way down from the sky and came to a watery halt among the moored fishing vessels. The lagoon and other wetlands further up the coast are stop-offs for a wide variety of migrating birds, escaping the scorching heat of central Africa, and flamingos are the stars of the show. ”
They say travellers should forget all their preconceptions about the country.

“Beyond the landscapes, it’s the warmth and kindness of the people,” says Lola.

“A simple tap of the heart and a heartfelt salaam can go a long way. Even if your pronunciation isn’t perfect, the effort will be deeply appreciated. It’s not about speaking fluently – it’s about showing respect for the country, its culture, and its people.

“And most importantly, slow down. Morocco doesn’t move at a fast pace. Don’t stress – embrace it. Take your foot off the throttle, enjoy the journey.”

• Wild Guide Morocco: Adventures Through Mountain, Coast and Desert. By Lola Culsán, John Weller and Danny Weller, Wild Things Publishing, £18.99