Travel Blog – Success Story

It was a time when we were attending an IUS gathering in Manchester, my hometown when a friend of mine in the gathering center asked me if I have heard about the trip to Morocco which was being organized by Uplifting Travel company. I said “No, I have not heard about it”, So my friend suggested that I speak to Mr. Shah Abbas who was a member of the admin group that was responsible for organizing the trip. The trip was advertised for the purpose of spiritual retreat, reconnecting with Allah, healthy eating, and meditation. I decided to sign up for the trip in order to experience these activities, gain more knowledge, experience a new country and meet like-minded people who I was planning to make long last friendships with.

Shah was a lovely person who spent quality time with me in the gathering center to explain everything that the trip had entailed as well as afterward on telephone or WhatsApp if I had questions. I can recall an example for when Thomas Cook got canceled and there were no alternative flights on that day, Shah has worked extremely hard to get a flight booked for the day before and hotel stay at no additional costs.

Then the day of the trip arrived. I was looking forward to commencing with the trip; I had packed everything that I needed, and all was ready the day before travel. We arrived in Marrakech, Morocco, and spent some time in the airport exchanging some money to the local currency then trying to find a taxi to take us to the location of our hotel. We then arrived at the hotel, checked in, and received the keys to our rooms. It was a very nice place to stay for 1 night before going to the main location of the resort where the retreat trip was going to take place.

The following day, cars from the resort location came to collect us from the hotel in the afternoon. It wasn’t located very far from the hotel where we were staying our first day in Marrakech. Then we arrived at the resort by the name of Bab Zouina. We spent the first few hours settling in our place, receiving our rooms, leaving our bags there, and then we took a tour around the ground and started introducing ourselves to all the friends who were also attending the trip. It was a fantastic location, very spacious, and rooms were made according to the old Arabic or traditional Moroccan style. Within the first hour of arriving, we were invited to dinner which was a traditional Moroccan dish. It was authentic, delicious and the atmosphere was full of great vibes.

The days were planned extremely well throughout the period that we stayed in Bab Zouina. The trip was full of activities that were truly enjoyable in addition to being full of learning opportunities and new experiences. In addition to the boys’ gatherings and football there were the fantastic lectures that were led by Dr. Ali Al-Hilli about various topics which included “Who Am I” about getting to know yourself, relaxation, movement and sleep as well as a unique experience comprised of staying in a grave for 10 minutes or so in order to remember death and feel what it will be like when death comes. Moreover, we also had such educational nutrition presentations by Brother Zainali with our daily meals that gave helpful tips on having breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Finally, we have had the opportunity to visit Mountain Atlas, Moroccan Hammam (bath), as well as a calligraphy session about the different Arabic fonts.

During the Mountain Atlas trip, we were able to meet the local village area where we had the opportunity to meet the local people, spend some time teaching the kids in the local school some English, and spend some time hiking the mountain. During school time, we taught the kids different topics in the short period that we spent with them such as the English alphabet, how to greet others in English, numbers, colors, and a few other topics. It was comfortable for me to communicate with them as I can speak fluent Arabic and have a little knowledge in French, which was convenient because there are a lot of similarities between English and French such as the alphabet. Furthermore, the teachers were kind enough to allow us this opportunity to have such a remarkable experience. We then gathered with everyone from the school and took some amazing photos that will forever be a memory of this beautiful day. Furthermore, hiking Mountain Atlas was a fantastic experience, too. We have had the chance to view such amazing landscapes and take some photos to remember the events of that day.

On the Moroccan Hammam (Bath) day, we have had the chance to experience another authentic feature in Morocco, which was relaxing, hydrating for the skin, and refreshing. During Hammam, Dr. Ali Al-Hilli also demonstrated the Ghusul Al Mayeet (Islamic washing for when a person dies) in good detail which was a very educational experience and essential to have in case there is ever a need for me to perform it.

As the trip was coming to an end, I was feeling a little sad to say goodbye to such a beautiful place where we have made such amazing friendships and shared some wonderful memories. However, I hope that this won’t be the last time that we go on such trips as I’m sure that Uplifting Travel will be coming up with more fantastic opportunities to go to some great places like Marrakech, which I highly recommend to anyone who is looking to have a fantastic time, meet lovely people and experience nice countries.