Questions & Answers

A deposit of $500 per person is due by Friday, November 13, 2026 ($1,000 for a couple). Your deposit is non-refundable; it holds your room and is applied to your total.

Rooms are limited, since we are staying in intimate boutique homes.

• $6,500 per person for a solo traveler with a private room
• $8,300 per couple sharing one room and one bed ($4,150 per person)
• $4,100 per person for two friends sharing a room with two twin-size beds

This covers seven nights of accommodation with breakfast, our group gatherings and experiences, private transfers, and group gratuities. International flights are booked separately.

When you reserve, you choose one of two options at checkout:

• Deposit + monthly plan: a non-refundable deposit today ($500 per person), then five monthly payments charged automatically to the same card on the 8th of each month, January 8 through May 8, 2027. That is $1,200 solo, $1,460 per couple, or $720 per person in a shared twin.
• Pay in full: your full trip cost in one payment at checkout: $6,500 solo, $8,300 per couple, or $4,100 per person in a shared twin.

Yes. Reach out to me and I will help you settle your remaining balance in one payment.

You will receive an email asking you to update your card, and the payment will be retried. Your balance must be complete by June 1, 2027 to hold your room.

Yes. You will receive an email receipt for every payment.

Our first three nights, September 3 to 6, are at a 5-star riad hotel in the medina, the heart of the old city, with courtyard gardens and pools. Our last four nights, September 6 to 10, are at a boutique garden estate in the Palmeraie, selected by the Michelin Guide, with private houses and pools among the palm groves. Every bedroom has air conditioning.

• Solo: a private room of your own
• Couple: one room with one bed, shared together
• Shared twin: one room with two twin-size beds, one person per bed

Yes. Two friends can share a twin room at $4,100 each, with a twin-size bed for each of you. Let me know who you are sharing with, and each of you reserves and pays separately. If a roommate match does not come through, you may be reassigned to keep costs down.

Yes, and I would love to help. Let me know your dates, and I will ask our hosts about extra nights at the group rate where possible. Additional nights are paid separately.

• Breakfast every morning at both homes
• Our welcome reception on Friday, September 3: a Moroccan grazing spread with mint tea
• Lunch together at noon on Saturday, September 4, before our 2:30 pm garden visit
• Dinner with wine at our Party in the Desert on Sunday, September 5
• The birthday dinner party on Wednesday, September 8, my gift to you

On your own:

• Lunch each day, except our group lunch on Saturday, September 4
• Dinner on September 4, 6, 7, and 9

Meals and drinks charged at the hotels outside our gatherings are paid individually.

The sunrise balloon flight is an optional add-on at $650 per person: a private flight for our group, with a catered breakfast served in the air and round-trip transfers. Pay in full, or in five monthly payments of $130 on the 8th of each month, January through May 2027. It flies on Tuesday, September 7, with Thursday, September 9 held as our backup morning. Please decide by November 13, 2026, together with your deposit.

Yes. A professional photographer joins us for the Party in the Desert and the birthday celebration.

Yes. Every guest must carry a travel insurance policy for this trip and send proof of coverage by Sunday, August 15, 2027. Insurance protects your investment, and it protects all of us if something unexpected happens far from home.

Please choose a policy that includes all of the following:

• Trip cancellation and interruption for the full cost of your trip
• Emergency medical care abroad, since many US health plans offer limited coverage overseas
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Coverage for your full travel dates, including any extra nights

I highly recommend it. This upgrade lets you cancel for reasons a standard policy may exclude, with partial reimbursement of your prepaid costs.

Timing matters: this upgrade is usually available only when you buy your policy within 14 to 21 days of your first trip payment, depending on the insurer. For deposits made by November 13, please buy your policy by early December 2026.

I use IMG Global. Their iTravelInsured Travel LX plan offers Cancel for Any Reason as an add-on. You are welcome to choose any policy that meets the coverage above; comparison sites such as Squaremouth and InsureMyTrip let you compare side by side.

Upload your policy confirmation or certificate using the button below. Please make sure it shows your name, your policy number, the insurance company, and your coverage dates.

For US citizens, the State Department lists these requirements:

• A passport with at least six months of validity when you enter, so valid through at least March 2028
• One blank page for your entry stamp
• No visa for stays of 90 days or less
• No vaccinations are required for entry

If you travel on a passport from another country, please check Morocco's requirements for your nationality.

No vaccinations are required to enter Morocco. Please make sure your routine vaccines are up to date, and see your doctor or a travel clinic 4 to 6 weeks before departure to ask about recommended vaccines, such as hepatitis A and typhoid.

Yes, for your own personal use. Morocco's customs rules ask travelers to carry documentation showing the medicine is needed:

• Bring a copy of your prescription or a letter from your doctor, in your name
• Keep each medicine in its original labeled container, in your carry-on bag
• Pack enough for the full trip, plus a few extra days
• Customs may ask you to sign a short form confirming the medicine is for your own use

If you take a controlled medication, such as a strong pain reliever, a sleep aid, or an ADHD medication, please check with the Embassy of Morocco before you travel.

Yes. About two weeks before departure, enroll in the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov, with our dates and both addresses, so the US Embassy can reach you if needed. I will send both addresses and a reminder in my pre-departure email.

Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK). Please plan to arrive on Friday, September 3, 2027, and depart on Friday, September 10, 2027.

Yes. Private transfers meet you on arrival on September 3 and take you back on September 10. I will collect everyone's flight details this summer so each pickup is arranged.

Once your deposit is paid and your place is confirmed. Many US travelers connect through European hubs or Casablanca.

Early September is warm and sunny. Average highs are around 91°F (33°C) and lows around 68°F (20°C). Our outings are planned for the cooler morning and evening hours.

• Light, breathable clothing, with shoulders and knees covered for the medina
• Comfortable walking shoes for cobbled lanes
• A sun hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen
• A cocktail look for the Party in the Desert, and a formal look for the birthday dinner
• A light layer for the desert night and the early balloon morning
• A swimsuit for the pools
• A plug adapter: Morocco uses Type C and E outlets at 220 volts

• Welcome reception, September 3: relaxed, smart casual
• Party in the Desert, September 5: cocktail attire, with a light layer for the evening air
• Birthday dinner, September 8: formal
• Every other day: relaxed and comfortable

Our celebration colors are Majorelle blue, terracotta, and rich jewel tones, if you would like to join in.

The Moroccan dirham (MAD). Cards are widely accepted at hotels and finer shops, and cash is best for the souks and small purchases. ATMs are easy to find in the city.

Dirhams cannot be taken out of Morocco, so exchange any leftovers before you leave, and keep your exchange receipts to convert them back.

Gratuities for our guides, drivers, and house staff during our group gatherings are already included. Tips for anything you arrange on your own, such as a spa treatment or a meal out, are up to you.

Yes. I will collect everyone's dietary preferences and allergies before menus are finalized for our group gatherings.

Please tell me privately. The medina has uneven lanes and stairs, and the balloon flight requires climbing into the basket, so I will work with our hosts to make every day comfortable for you.

Balloon operators set their own health guidelines, often for pregnancy, recent surgery, and back or heart conditions. Let me know if any apply to you and I will confirm with the operator. The flight is optional, and you are welcome to sleep in instead.

• Before February 1, 2027: payments beyond your deposit are refunded in full
• February 1 to June 1, 2027: payments are refunded less any costs our hosts and partners cannot return
• After June 1, 2027: payments are non-refundable

Your $500 per person deposit is non-refundable. Your travel insurance is your protection for cancellations.

No. Each place is reserved by name and is non-transferable.

Timings may shift for heat or wind. If winds cancel the balloon flight on September 7, we will try again on the morning of September 9.