Why You Don't Have to Be Brave to Travel Morocco (According to Women Who Just Did It)
"I realized that on your trips I don't have to be brave. Everything just feels so safe and taken care of and calming. I didn't worry about anything. Laura's got everything handled."
That's Danielle, talking about her recent 10-day trip through Morocco. And if you're someone who's been eyeing Morocco but hesitating because it feels too adventurous, too unfamiliar, or frankly, too scary—her words might surprise you.
Because here's the thing: Danielle, along with Carrie and Teresa, just spent 10 days traveling through Morocco. They rode camels through the Sahara Desert, navigated 108-degree heat, experienced traditional hammams, floated over the Atlas Mountains in hot air balloons, and bonded with a group of complete strangers.
And according to them? They never had to be brave.
The crew about to head up in a hot air balloon ride. [Morocco, 2025]
The "Dangerous Destination" Myth
Morocco consistently makes people's "someday" lists—right alongside their "but isn't it dangerous?" questions. It's one of those destinations that gets stereotyped as sketchy, unsafe, or too challenging for the average traveler.
The reality? It's none of those things.
"I feel like you do a good job of curating all of the experiences and all of the people that travel with us," Danielle explains. "But it's nice to be able to kick back and like, okay, someone else has everything taken care of and I can just chill and enjoy my trip."
That's the difference between traveling solo to a new country (which, yes, requires bravery and extensive research) and traveling with someone who's already done the hard work for you.
What "Safe" Actually Looks Like
Let's be real: things don't always go perfectly on trips. On this particular Morocco adventure, the group dealt with:
Extreme Sahara heat (we're talking 108 degrees)
Their trip leader (that's me) getting heat exhaustion
Monkey encounters in the cedar forests
Getting pulled over by Moroccan police
The general chaos of traveling with strangers
But here's what actually happened when shit hit the fan:
When Laura got heat exhaustion in the desert, the group didn't panic. They stepped up, supported each other, and kept the trip moving. As Carrie put it: "We all tried to help you, but we also left you alone. And we came together as a group and knew that when you needed help, we're going to help you, but we're going to continue on with our trip so that you don't have to worry about us."
That's the power of group travel done right. You're not alone, but you're also not babied. You have backup without losing independence.
The "Saying Yes" Effect
Teresa, who describes herself as a planner and "not a type two traveler traditionally," found something interesting happened in Morocco: "I say yes to everything on these trips. You have your trip planned out, but then there's extra things that you can say yes to, like the hot air balloon ride or being the first to go through the hammam."
"I'm just more likely to say yes because I know it's all planned out. It's all been something that you have tested yourself. You're adding stuff to the trip that you know will bring value that you've done that is safe."
This is what happens when the infrastructure is handled: suddenly, you have the mental and emotional space to be adventurous. You can say yes to the hot air balloon because you're not worried about whether your hotel is confirmed. You can enjoy the hammam because you're not stressed about transportation to the next city.
The bravery comes naturally when you're not managing logistics.
Conquering Fears You Didn't Plan To
Sometimes the biggest personal victories happen when you're not even trying to be brave.
Take Carrie, who's afraid of heights. She signed up for Morocco knowing there would be a hot air balloon ride, but she didn't realize just how challenging it would be for her. "When we first started going up, Teresa knew I wasn't looking over the edge. I was like, I can't do this yet. But by the end I did."
Nobody forced her. Nobody made a big deal about it. The environment was just supportive enough that she could push herself at her own pace.
"That's just to me gonna help on every one of your trips that I go on because I overcame it in Morocco," she adds.
That's the thing about well-run group trips: they create space for personal growth without requiring you to be a hero before you're ready.
From Strangers to Sisters (Faster Than You'd Think)
Perhaps the most surprising part of group travel? How quickly strangers become friends.
Carrie, Teresa, and Danielle didn't know each other before Morocco. They met at the airport. Ten days later, they're planning their next trips together.
The hammam experience alone—a traditional Moroccan bathing ritual that involves getting very comfortable with near-strangers very quickly—created bonds that wouldn't have formed on a typical vacation.
"We all just like dunking our scarves in the swimming pool and then we'd just go outside and then within like 10 minutes your scarf would be completely dry again just because it was so damn hot," Danielle laughs, remembering their creative cooling strategies in the Sahara.
These are the stories you don't plan for. The MacGyver moments. The inside jokes. The "remember when Laura had heat exhaustion and we all just handled it" stories that become legend.
The ladies enjoying some well-deserved pool time. [Morocco, 2025]
What "Laura's Got Everything Handled" Actually Means
Throughout the podcast interview, all three women keep coming back to this phrase: "Laura's got it handled."
But what does that actually mean in practice?
It means:
The hotels are vetted and confirmed
The wine situation is strategized (important in a country where alcohol isn't readily available)
The packing list accounts for things you wouldn't think of (like personal fans for cooling)
The experiences are pre-tested so you're not guinea pigs
There's a plan, but also flexibility
When something goes wrong, there's a capable person managing it
You can hop on the back of a motorcycle with a stranger in India and trust it's safe (yes, this happened on a previous trip)
It's not about being sheltered or having your hand held. It's about having enough infrastructure in place that you can actually relax into the adventure instead of white-knuckling through the logistics.
Carrie showing off our epic wine run. [Morocco, 2025]
The Bottom Line
You don't have to be brave to travel Morocco. You don't have to be adventurous by nature. You don't have to be comfortable with uncertainty or chaos or unfamiliar places.
You just have to say yes.
The rest—the courage, the personal growth, the "I can't believe I just did that" moments—happens naturally when you're in an environment designed to support you.
As Teresa puts it: "I think that's the best part. You're going to leave doing stuff that you maybe never would have done before. You just feel safe, you do all these things with people, and it brings you closer."
Want to hear the full conversation?
Listen to the complete Morocco debrief with Carrie, Teresa, and Danielle on the Type 2 Travel podcast. They're sharing everything from their go-to comfort foods after international travel, to the overpacking strategies that actually work, to what really happened during that heat exhaustion incident in the Sahara.
Plus, you'll get the full story on:
The strategic wine purchasing operation
The hammam bonding experience (it's as intimate as it sounds)
Carrie's hot air balloon triumph over her fear of heights
What actually goes down when your trip leader goes down too
Ready to experience Morocco for yourself?
We’re going to Morocco twice next year—April 10-19, 2026 (a childfree trip for women) and September 4-13, 2026. You'll explore the souks of Marrakech, sleep under the stars in the Sahara Desert, visit Chefchaouen's blue-washed streets, and yes—you might pet approximately 300 cats.
And the best part? You won't have to be brave. Laura's got it handled.
