Volcanos, Camels, and Ancient Civilization
This year, we traded traditional holiday festivities for an unforgettable journey across the Canary Islands and North Africa. What started as a dream itinerary turned into a mix of magical moments and eye-opening challenges. Here's the full breakdown of our trip—the good, the bad, and everything in between.
The Canary Islands - Tenerife: A Geographic Wonder
After an 8-hour flight to Madrid and a quick 2-hour hop to the Canary Islands, we arrived to perfect weather—mid-60s during the day, 50s at night. A light jacket was all truly you needed when the sun dipped behind the clouds.
The Canary Islands are unlike anywhere I've been. In just four days, we experienced beaches, lush greenery, volcanic landscapes, desert plants, and rolling hills. The diversity is incredible, and no matter what you’re in to, there's honestly something for everyone.
What We Did:
Whale Watching – Spotted pods of pilot whales off the coast. Depending on the time of the year, you can also see bottlenose dolphins, blue whales, sperm whales, and sea turtles.
Hiking – Explored trails through volcanic terrain and forests. Some of the most breathtaking views from our trip were on this hike through Tenerife’s northern national park.
Stargazing – Hands down, the highlight of our trip. We had a lesson in different types of stars, constellations, planets, galaxies and moons. Plus, we were able to see millions of stars at the top of the volcano in their national park.
Stargazing: A Night to Remember
If you do nothing else in the Canary Islands, go stargazing. We drove up to the top of a volcano where it was pitch black and absolutely freezing—but worth the potential frost bite. Our guide walked us through galaxies, constellations, planets, and stars we'd never see back home. Millions of stars filled the sky, and we even caught a few shooting stars. At the end of the tour, the guide takes a photo of you on his camera that’s able to pick up the sky behind you. It was breathtaking.
More to Explore:
The islands are a paradise for adventure seekers. Surfing, diving, snorkeling, hydrofoiling, paragliding—you could easily fill a week with activities whether you're traveling solo, with friends, or with family.
We also ate incredibly well. Spanish and Italian cuisine dominated our meals, and I'm linking our favorite restaurants below:
Madrid: Christmas Magic
We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Madrid, and the city was buzzing with holiday spirit. Streets were lined with lights, Christmas markets were packed, and cafes were full of locals enjoying the festivities.
Christmas Eve:
We wandered through parks, squares, and markets all day, snacking on Iberian ham, papas bravas, bruschetta, and churros. We ended the night cozied up watching Christmas Vacation—a perfect way to celebrate away from home.
Christmas Day:
Most of Madrid shuts down on Christmas, so we joined what seemed like half the city at a Chinese restaurant for Christmas brunch. After eating, we headed to the airport for our flight to Casablanca. This was a quick but lovely layover in our journey.
Morocco: A Study in Contrasts
Casablanca: Weddings & Recovery
Our 3-hour flight to Casablanca landed us just in time to check into our hotel, grab a quick dinner, and settle in for the night with Home Alone to top off Christmas. The next morning, we toured the famous Hassan II Mosque, had lunch, and prepped for our friend's wedding welcome party.
Unfortunately, I came down with a stomach bug the next day and spent most of it in bed ordering room service and watching movies. But I rallied for the wedding that night, and it was worth it. The event was held on the family's stunning property—beautifully decorated backyard, incredible music, delicious food, and everyone dressed to the nines. It was truly a magical evening.
On our last day in Casablanca, we walked the coastline and explored the old medina, though the rainy, gloomy weather cut our visit short. We ended the day with afternoon tea at La Sqala, which was exactly what I needed after being sick.
Marrakech: A Desert Night & New Year's Eve
The highlight of Morocco was our night in the Agafay Desert. We stayed at a glamping resort where we enjoyed a traditional Moroccan dinner, watched a live musical performance, and stargazed under a blanket of stars.
The next day, we headed to Marrakech to explore the YSL Museum, Majorelle Garden, and the Medina. The medina was overwhelming in the best way—so much to see that I went back the next day just to shop. I left with some treasures: a suede tote, a belt, an engraved bangle, and a custom perfume that I also got for my mom.
We celebrated New Year's Eve at our Airbnb in Marrakech, toasting to an incredible year of friends, family, and success. I can't wait to go back.
Egypt: Beauty & Frustration
Egypt is a place of contradictions. The history is incredibly rich and awe-inspiring. You can visit tombs and temples built in 4000 BC with original paint still vibrant on the walls. The carvings are crisp, and many structures are still standing strong. The Grand Egyptian Museum holds all of King Tut's treasures—roughly $55 million in gold today. Most of the tombs were robbed, which is why King Tut is so famous, his is one of the only to have survived in it’s entirety. With this in mind I can’t even imagine what several of these tombs would’ve been worth today had they not been touched. Lastly, the pyramids and Sphinx in Cairo are iconic, but I'd recommend spending most of your time in Luxor, where the majority of temples and tombs are located.
What We Did:
If you visit Luxor you should 100% do a hot air balloon ride. You will be able to see the entire city from above while you watch the sun rise, it is the most gorgeous experience.
Doing a camel ride and taking a picture infront of the pyramids is a right of passage, so you have to do it. It wasn’t my favorite experience, camels smell, and spit, and are kind of aggressive so I try to avoid them, but the pictures came out great!
Visiting the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo is a must, it’s recently opened so there is so much to see and learn within the walls of the museum.
Book tours for the pyramids, tombs, temples. If you get a good guide, you’ll learn so much about Ancient Egypt throughout the tour.
For the Pyramids, our tour guides name was Zeinab, she was okay. She seemed a bit uninterested most of the tour and didn’t really answer some of our questions. Our guide in Luxor was amazing though, his name was Verfugbar. He was very knowledgable and passionate about the history of the kings and queens that once lived in the Luxor. He was through Emo Tours, definitely request him for a full day to see both the east and west banks.
The Challenges:
That said, Egypt was also the hardest part of our trip. As a third-world country under a regime, it comes with challenges that are difficult to navigate as a tourist.
The culture felt incredibly aggressive. Everywhere we went, we were harassed and scammed. Every interaction with locals turned into a sales pitch. People who offered to "help" were actually trying to trick us into buying something—anything. They'd follow us for blocks, refusing to take no for an answer.
At times, I didn't feel safe.
As a woman, the experience was particularly uncomfortable. Egypt is a strict Muslim country, and I was rarely acknowledged. If I negotiated prices, I was seen as "difficult." No matter how conservatively I dressed, it never felt like enough. The streets were flooded with men, with very few women visible, which made me uneasy.
Shopping Tips:
If you do go, don't believe shops that claim to be "government-regulated" with "fixed prices." This is a tactic to make you overspend. Salespeople will add everything you glance at to your cart and pressure you until you buy something. Don't cave—negotiate hard, and don't worry about offending them. They're already overcharging you.
One salesman tried to sell us 4 items (we didn't even want) for $1,200 USD. We walked away, but plenty of people don't.
Where to Stay: If you're visiting Cairo, stay downtown, not in Giza. We made that mistake and regretted it. Giza is kind of like their timesquare becuase it’s next to the pyramids, so the hassling is on another level, plus the streets are very dirty in comparison to downtown Cairo.
The Final Straw:
By the end of our time in Egypt, we were exhausted and ready to go home. We didn't even visit the famous bazaar because we couldn't handle more harassment. To top it off, I got traveler's stomach bug from a contaminated drink—something that rarely happens to me and was out of commission for a couple of days.
Final Thoughts
Despite the rough ending, we had a lovely trip overall. The Canary Islands and Madrid were magical, and Morocco (especially Marrakech) exceeded expectations.
As for Egypt? I think everyone should go at least once for the history. It's where civilization began, and witnessing it firsthand is incredible. But if aggressive sales tactics, safety concerns, and cultural challenges don't appeal to you, maybe just stick with the Egyptian exhibit at the Met.
Hopefully, this review helps you plan your future travels. Until next time! ✈️
Where We Ate:
What We'd Do Differently:
Spend more time in the Canary Islands
Stay downtown in Cairo, not Giza
Prepare mentally for Egypt's aggressive sales culture
Tours:
All tours throughout the trip were booked through Viator