I wanted to spend Eid al-Adha (the high Muslim holiday of sacrifice) with my family in Morocco (I live in the United States), and I also invited my close English friend to spend the holiday with us. So I decided to hire a large house, invite everyone, and have a relaxed holiday. I had three criteria:
A place large enough for 12 people
Close to the beach and has a pool (for the kids)
The ability to procure and sacrifice a lamb (I know. this is what Eid is all about. Don't ask)
And a housekeeper to help keep the place clean and provide some cooking. We enjoy cooking.
From the get-go, our host was very accommodating with our requests, including the Lamb!
The house is close to the freeway. The host met us on the nearest paved road, 5 min off-road( nothing rough) to reach this oasis in the middle of farmland! It has a lot of wholesome touches, from amazing pets to free-range chicken and grass-fed lamb. Organic farming is all over the place. The pool is a large clean saltwater heated pool; need I say more! The kids had a blast. The staff cleans the pool daily. The house is large, clean, and well equipped. Wi-Fi is available throughout the property. The speed is slow, but it gets the job done. We had no problem watching Netflix. Our housekeeper (extra cost) could not be nicer. She would come in every morning to clean the dishes from the night before, tidy the house help with breakfast and lunch.
The location is excellent. The nearest major city is Aljadida, “The Portuguese Fortified City of Mazagan,” which is worth a visit. A 20 min walk gets you to a quiet calm beach. We tended to drive 15 min to El Haouzia beach or Mazagan beach to find some waves and a lifeguard for the kids. The famous Mazagan Resort is a throw stone away (Good for a drink and People Watching).
Our hosts were an integral part of the experience. Our stay felt very relaxed, wholesome, and earthy. They provided us with an excellent Moroccan cook that we could request Moroccan Specialties (extra cost). The most amazing part was that our host raises livestock organically for their personal consumption. After we asked for a lamb for Eid, not only did they provide an organic grass-fed lamb, they arranged the butcher to sacrifice the lamb and extra bits for a fantastic barbecue that the wonderful cook prepared! I couldn’t say enough about our hosts and the entire staff; they truly made our stay memorable.
