Desert outfit & Marrakech packing list

Traveling is one of my biggest sources of inspiration for all aspects of life. Discovering new corners of this wonderful planet gives me life, and especially watching the people who live their is one of my biggest passions. To me it has always been fascinating how „different“ people from various countries are. By saying „different“ I mean this in the best way possible. For example, when I was a little girl we often went to Italy just for the weekend (my hometown in Carinthia is very close to Italy) and I remember how I’ve always been (and still am!) so impressed by the fact that a 1.5 hour car drive brings you to a place so different to your natural habitat. Not only is the landscape, the architecture and the food totally different, but also the people who live their. As for Italy, I’ve always loved the fact that people generally seem to care more about their looks. Fashion is a big part of the Italian mentality and I every time I go there my Mom and me love sitting in one of the little Cafés on a busy Piazza and just watch all the dressed up and stylish ladies and gentlemen passing by.

Traveling, foreign cultures and the overall vibe of a place still influence my style today. So whenever I’m packing my bags for a certain destination I always build a mental moodboard fitting to the country I’m visiting. Based on that I decide which outfits come with me on the journey. Of course I also take practical reasons and planned activities into account when packing, but I simply love to blend in with the style of a place. Another big advantage of said packing method is that combining the pieces you bring along with each other is usually very easy – this way you’re able to come up with different outfits whilst only bringing a limited amount of clothes.

When I packed my suitcase for our trip to Morocco, the neutral beige and brown colors of the desert were immediately on my mind. My whole wardrobe basically consisted of a cream white color palette. Fun fact: One of the guys working at Scarabeo Camp came up to me when I wore this outfit and asked whether I did some research about the camp before coming here, because I matched the colors exactly. (The answer is yes.) 

I put together a little packing list for a trip to Marrakech and surroundings in May:

• Although most parts of Marrackech seem very open minded and used to tourists, I always feel more comfortable not showing too much skin in arabic countries. Hence, I preferred to wear long pants instead of jeans shorts, although I’ve seen other girls wearing very short pants and dresses as well. But that’s just my personal opinion, so as far as I am concerned I think long and airy pants, such as palazzo pants are perfect for the season and the location.
• The same goes for tops. I felt more comfortable in tops not showing too much cleavage or perhaps a bra, but again, that’s just my personal opinion. Opting for classic t-shirts, airy tops and long-sleeved linen blouses is a safe option and perfect for the climate.
• Bring a jacket and a jumper! Although temperatures are rather hot during the day, it cools down very rapidly at night. A jeans jacket you can swing over when it gets cold or even a light jumper are perfect.
• I forgot to bring a hat, although I usually always do! But luckily enough, you can buy gorgeous straw hats at every corner of the Medina. I highly recommend to take a hat with you because you don’t want to underestimate the power of the sun. Morocco is located on the African continent after all…
• As for shoes, I recommend to bring at least one pair of closed shoes. Especially the streets of the Medina are rather dirty (dusty, sandy, and all kinds of dirty actually), and as there are so many people walking around, it’s not very unlikely someone will step on your feet at some point. Preferably bring shoes you can put into the washing machine or clean easily – I wore my white Nike Huarache, which are perfectly comfortable and which I highly recommend, but after that trip they were dark brown. I simply put them into the washing machine when I got home and they were like new again.
• I always like to bring a light scarf whenever I’m traveling – especially by plane. It works as a blanket on the plane, as a pillow when you want to sleep, as a coverup when you’re at the pool. The possibilities are endless!
• One more tip: If you’re planning on visiting the Medina and eventually buying things there, be aware of the fact that bargaining is part of the Moroccan mentality. People expect you to bargain with them and are even a little offended if you don’t. However, make sure you’re leaving you’re designer handbags and all obvious status symbols like big diamond rings or watches at your hotel – this way you’ll be able to get the better deals.

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