BOOKED Trips Marrakech, Fez, and The Sahara Desert Trip Recap

On November 2-11, 2025 we took 12 women ranging in age from 25-60 from all across the United States to Morocco for a trip inspired by the book “Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood” by Fatima Mernissi. Our unforgettable 10-day, 9-night journey through explored the rich history, culture, and artistry of Morocco told through the lens of local women including our wonderful guide Meryem who was born and raised in Fez. You can see highlights from our trip in our Instagram stories. 

OUR TRIP BOOK

”Dreams of Trespass” is a memoir by Moroccan sociologist and feminist writer, Fatima Mernissi that offers a unique and intimate glimpse into the hidden world of a harem girlhood in 20th-century Morocco. Mernissi reflects on her childhood in a Moroccan harem during the 1940s French occupation. She unveils the complex world of women confined by tradition yet vibrant with dreams. Mernissi challenges Western stereotypes of the harem, portraying it not as a site of sexual fantasy, but as a space where women navigated intricate social dynamics, debated religious texts, and nurtured aspirations beyond their physical confinement.

Fatima Mernissi was a pioneering figure in the fields of sociology and women’s studies. Born in Fez, Morocco, she became a prominent voice for women’s rights in the Islamic world. Her work challenged traditional interpretations of Islam and advocated for gender equality. Mernissi’s writings, including “Dreams of Trespass,” “Beyond the Veil,” and “The Veil and the Male Elite,” have had a profound impact on feminist thought and social discourse. This memoir is a compilation of personal recollection, historical context, and social critique, offering a unique perspective on gender, power, and the resilience of the human spirit.

OPENING DINNER & BOOK DISCUSSION

We started our trip with an intimate gathering in the gardens of our trip hotel Jnane Rumi in the Palmerie of Marrakech, Morocco. The dinner was a chance to get to know each other and discuss our featured book, “Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood” by Fatima Mernissi. The hotel is a design lovers dream!

Marrakech Makers

“Marrakech was the city where black and white legends met, languages melted down, and religions stumbled, testing their permanence against the undisturbed silence of the dancing sands… People danced in Marrakech, travelers said, when their differing languages did not allow them to communicate.” – Dreams of Trespass, Fatima Mernissi

We spent the day touring through the major sites of Marrakech including the Bahia Palace a grand residence built in 1866, the Ben Youssef Madrassa, the Jamaa El Fna Square, and the souks including a visit to a herbalism and argan cooperative and a kaftan cooperative. We had lunch at Amal Restaurant, a non-profit social gastronomy restaurant and training center that empowers disadvantaged women by providing culinary and life skills training.

Calligraphy & Culinary Delights

“First came the ulema, or men of learning, who devoted their lives to science, and could often trace their ancestry back to Andalusia, or Muslim Spain. They kept the veneration of books and the book industry alive, from papermaking, calligraphy, and bookbinding, to encouraging reading, writing, and collecting rare editions.” – Dreams of Trespass, Fatima Mernissi

The group had a multi-course breakfast by the pool and enjoyed a private calligraphy lesson in the gardens of our hotel, learning the elegant art of Arabic script from a master teacher. 

Later that evening we ate our way through the kasbah, mellah, and medina eating sfenj, harira soup with chebakia and dates, olives, loubia, lamb, beef kabobs and more!

Farm-to-Table Feast in Fez

“There were no closed gates to be seen anywhere, only wide, flat, open fields where flowers grew and animals wandered peaceably about. But Yasmina explained to me that the farm was part of Allah’s original earth, which had no frontiers, just vast, open fields without borders or boundaries” – Dreams of Trespass, Fatima Mernissi

We made the long drive from Marrakesh to Fez and enjoyed a farm to table cooking class in the outskirts of Fez on a Black woman-owned eco-farm named after Maya Angelou. We learned how to make our own couscous and tagine with vegetables collected from the onsite gardens and tea with honey from the onsite beekeeper. It was such a relaxing and lovely afternoon we didn’t want to leave the farm!

But after a few more hours into the city we arrived at Palais, our luxury riad for the night. This boutique hotel is a lovingly restored traditional palace located within the walls of Fez’s ancient Medina.

Fez – A Journey Through Time

“Our Medina streets were narrow, dark, and serpentine – filled with so many twists and turns that cars could not enter, and foreigners could not find their way out if they ever dared to come in. This was the real reason the French had to build a new city for themselves: they were afraid to live in ours.”  – Dreams of Trespass, Fatima Mernissi

The next day we explored Morocco’s oldest imperial city. Fez’s medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site recognized as one of the best preserved historic towns of the Arab-Muslim world.

We started the morning at the Chouara Tannery and shopped until we dropped. This is the place to go for the best leather goods from coats, and bags, to shoes. The service is impeccable and travelers were able to get custom jackets made, altered, and delivered to the hotel with 24 hours. We saw the communal bakeries that power local life, and walked through the Blue Gate as we made our way to Anou’s women’s cooperative and learned about the importance of traditional weaving. We had a delicious lunch at Dar Alamia which is a beautiful restaurant that must be visited when in Fez. After we visited another weaving cooperative and enjoyed panoramic views from the rooftop of the University of Al-Qarawiyyin.

A Reading Retreat in the Sahara Desert

“If you’ve never seen the Sahara Desert before,” Mina said, “you cannot imagine it. That’s where you see how powerful Allah is – he definitely does not need us! A human life is so negligible in the desert, where only sand dunes and stars can survive. A little girl’s pain there is an utter trifle. But it was in crossing the sand that I discovered there was another little girl inside me. A girl who was strong, and intent on surviving. I became a different Mina then. I realized that all the world was set against me, and the only good that I could expect had to come from inside myself.” – Dreams of Trespass, Fatima Mernissi

We journeyed into the Sahara desert for two days for relaxing and a reading retreat. The day time was for reading, relaxing, and sandboarding. In the evening we had henna done and enjoyed a Gnawa music performance.

A Desert Oasis: Aït Ben Haddou & Kasbah Stay

“A life filled with deliberate self-indulgence, as short and scandalous as it might be, was better than a long and respectable one devoted to a lethargic tradition. Asmahan entranced both men and women with the idea that failure or success did not matter in the adventurous life, and such a life was much more enjoyable than a life spent sleeping behind protective doors.” – Dreams of Trespass, Fatima Mernissi 

Leaving the desert we visited the historic Aït Ben Haddou kasbah, the site of numerous films from Game of Thrones to Gladiator. The scenery along the way was stunning with stops in Tinghir, Todra Gorges, and rug shopping at a women’s cooperative.

In the evening we checked into Kasbah Tamsna, a boutique hotel in Ouarzazate that blends Japanese and Moroccan design elements. The food here was phenomenal and we had exclusive use of the property. If we were to do it all over again we would definitely spend more time at this hotel.

Luxury Hammam Experience & Farewell Dinner

“The magic of the hammam beauty treatments and ritual came not only from feeling that you had been reborn, but also from feeling that you had been the agent of that rebirth.” – Dreams of Trespass, Fatima Mernissi

We checked into our feature stay at Jnane Tamsna, the first Black woman-owned hotel in Morocco for lunch and a free afternoon. Jnane Tamsna is a beautiful testament to the hospitality and storytelling of Meryanne Loum-Martin and Thaïs Sala, the mother-daughter duo and owners of Jnane Tamsna. They live onsite together with Meryanne’s husband Gary Martin an ethnobotanist, university lecturer and founder of the Global Diversity Foundation.

In an interview for the Michelin Guide she says “the ambiance of Jnane Tamsna resonates as a constant conversation of what’s come and what’s next…the place is about a constant dialogue between the past and the present, between cultures, between outdoors and indoors… it feels authentic, rooted, and indeed serene because it’s timeless,” The hotel has become a hub for creativity and convening spot for writers with their annual event the Diaspora Salon. The next event will be held February 8-11, 2026 at their property.

At dusk the group went to La Maison Arabe for a traditional hammam massage experience and after we ended with a farewell dinner and performance.

WHAT OUR TRAVELERS HAD TO SAY

We had the great pleasure of awarding a $5,000 Maya Angelou Travel Scholarship to Sidhvi, a medical student from Birmingham, Alabama to attend the trip. In her application she talked about navigating the world as a deaf young woman and her interest in working with immigrant and refugee populations and her interest in exploring the commonalities between her own experience growing up in a conservative Indian household and what we were reading about conservative Moroccan cultures. Here’s what she had to say about her experience.

ABOUT BOOKED TRIPS

BOOKED Trips connect curious and community-minded women through storytelling. Our book-inspired travel experiences and immersive itineraries take our travelers from the pages of our favorite books to the places their set in. Three principles guide our work:

• SMALL GROUP, BIG IMPACT- Embark on a literary adventure that combines the freedom of solo travel and the joy of being part of a small group of book enthusiasts. With no more than 12 spots per journey, dive into rare experiences that large crowds miss. And when the day’s adventure ends, your private room is your haven to reflect and recharge.
• TRAVEL SOLO, BUT NEVER ALONE – Join a community of travelers who share your passion for compelling stories and authentic connections. Our trips are designed to create spaces where like minds gather, immerse themselves in new cultures, and create lasting friendships that span the globe.
• SUPPORT LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS – Our travels are carefully crafted to benefit the communities we explore, prioritizing partnerships with Black, brown and indigenous local experts. When you choose BOOKED Trips, you’re traveling with purpose and contributing to the local economy.

Travel with us in 2026. Here’s our trip lineup:

• April 16-26, 2026 – Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. Book: Born A Crime by Trevor Noah (SPOTS OPEN NOW & $100 OFF THIS WEEK ONLY with code “newsletter” at booking)
• August 5-16, 2026 – Kenya and Zanzibar. Book: For What are Butterflies Without Their Wings: Short Stories by Troy Onyango. Spots open January 2026.
• October 8-19, 2026 – Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Halong, and Hoi An Vietnam reading “The Mountains Sing” by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai. Spots open March 2026.