You’ll see a familiar country through new eyes when you show it to kids. Last week I was in Morocco for the sixth time, but this time I brought Tim and the boys for spring break, and our experience was completely different from the designer shopping and helicopter commutes of my past Morocco trips. This time a local family taught us how to make bread the ancient Moroccan way—in their home and neighborhood stone oven; we made traditional drums out of goat skin in a drum maker’s shop in the souk; we played hide-and-seek inside the maze of 16th-century rooms that make up the oldest university in Marrakech …. you get the idea. We even slept in tents in the Sahara—and rode camels and went sandboarding on the dunes. See below for photos of our adventures, and be sure to follow me on Instagram to follow my future travels. (And if you’re interested in a Morocco adventure for yourself minus the array of pitfalls that can easily spoil trips to this country, just write to me at Ask Wendy.)

#Lanterns in the medina in #Marrakech

A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 9, 2017 at 7:47am PDT

Yours truly in one of the former dorm rooms of the oldest university in #Marrakech, Medersa Ben Youssef, built in the 16th century. A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 9, 2017 at 8:01am PDT

Colorful ladies in the souk. #Marrakech

A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 9, 2017 at 4:02pm PDT

The Atlas Mountains are surprisingly lush this time of year. And April is perfect for hiking. #Morocco A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 10, 2017 at 9:44am PDT

Post-hike lunch at Kasbah Bab Ourika #Morocco

A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 10, 2017 at 12:01pm PDT

My three boys @lamaisonarabe, #Marrakech A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 10, 2017 at 2:45pm PDT

Did you think Morocco could look this green and lush? I certainly didn’t. The last time I traveled this road between Marrakech and Ourzazate, the landscape was brown. That’s the difference between April and November.

A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 10, 2017 at 4:11pm PDT

The Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where they also shoot films. They’ve filmed “The Sheltering Sky,” “Gladiator,” and about 20 other movies there. (That colorful crowd in front is my husband, sons, and friends.) #Morocco A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 10, 2017 at 5:47pm PDT

Come along on a camel ride! #Morocco #Sahara @merzouga_luxury_desert_camps__ A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 12, 2017 at 7:13am PDT

 

#sandboarding in the #Sahara @merzouga_luxury_desert_camps__

 

A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 12, 2017 at 4:45pm PDT

Saying goodbye to my new friends, wishing we’ll see one another again someday, Inshallah. @merzouga_luxury_desert_camps__ #Sahara #Morocco A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 13, 2017 at 11:24am PDT

Rooftops of Fes as viewed from @palaisamani #Morocco A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 14, 2017 at 4:49am PDT

#Breakfast in #Morocco: D’Chicha soup with figs and Moroccan crepes. @palaisamani   A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 14, 2017 at 5:10am PDT

Fes has much narrower streets than Marrakech–and many more mules filling them. #Morocco A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 14, 2017 at 11:14am PDT

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Our friendly neighborhood dried-fruit stand. #Fes #Morocco   A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 15, 2017 at 12:47am PDT

That’s Charlie in the orange baseball cap. He’s not exactly blending in, but at least I can’t lose him. #medina #Fes #Morocco A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 15, 2017 at 1:05am PDT

Another lovely #hotel in the #medina: Riad Fes, a Relais & Chateaux property. #Fes #Morocco   A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 15, 2017 at 1:40pm PDT

60 seconds inside the finest carpet shop in Fes. Starring Lahkim Bennani, whose family has owned Palais Quaraouiyine for generations. Cameos by Tim, Doug, and co. #medina #Fes #Morocco A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 15, 2017 at 1:40pm PDT

An awful lot of time and labor go into handmade ceramics. We’re at Art d’Argile, a pottery and mosaics studio. #Fes #Morocco   A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 16, 2017 at 2:19am PDT

And now for something completely different: @hotelsahrai, which overlooks the medina–and much of the rest of the city–but is a world away. #Fes #Morocco A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 16, 2017 at 10:42am PDT

Family Christmas card? @merzouga_luxury_desert_camps__ A post shared by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Apr 12, 2017 at 11:04pm PDT

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