This will be mine and Tom’s 7th trip to Morocco, there are some great spots, a lot of our first experiences surfing point breaks were in Morocco. There are a variety of beach, sand and reef point breaks in the area. Winter is the best time for consistent swell and we will have an experienced guide to ensure we are getting the best conditions for the day. From sheltered bays, exposed beaches to easier point breaks, swell dependent, we will aim to find great waves to surf. Obviously, with it being warm, consistent and a three to four hour flight from most European cities, expect a crowd at some spots but there are plenty of waves to go round.

Here is the Yonder classification of an intermediate surfer. Someone who understands better the principles behind catching green waves and can consistently get to their feet but are wanting to work on wave selection, going down the line from the drop, taking the drop, bottom turns & top turns. They are more confident in slightly bigger conditions (3-4ft) and want to work on paddle techniques to get out back on bigger days. Have a better understanding of sea safety and varying conditions.

You can see all of the Yonder classifications here.

Taghazout is a working fishing town which has become home to the Moroccan surf scene due its proximity to the famous Anchor Point, Killers and other world class surf spots.

It is safe, charming and full of surfers from all over the world, every time we go, we make new friends and connections which is great.

It’s worthwhile to note that Morocco is a developing country in Africa - that cultural difference is one of the reasons we have been so drawn to it but it also is worth noting that sickness can occur but there are precautions that can be taken to minimise risk.

Most phone networks work but check with your provider as it is outside Europe. There is good wifi at Surf Maroc.

Alcohol is legal in Morocco, however it is uncommon in most places; Surf Maroc’s hotel Amuage has a bar. We usually buy a bottle of something at the airport on the way through for a balcony sunset drink.

The Moroccan currency is the Dirham. Exchange rates at last time of checking were around 12Dh to the £1, 10Dh to the € and 8Dh to the $.

Dirhams can only be obtained within Morocco. There are exchange facilities and ATMs in the airport. There are also plenty of ATMs in Agadir. There are no ATM’s in Taghazout, the nearest is Aourir, a five-minute drive from Taghazout. This machine and many other ATMs in Morocco do not accept Maestro and can be unreliable, if you have a VISA card we recommend you bring it.

As a rough guide

A coffee is around 10-15 Dirham which is 80p-£1.20.

A bottle of Coke around 6dh or 50p.

A M’semen (sweet pastry street food) is usually 5dh or 40p

A pot of mint tea is around 15dh or £1.20

Blankets and Tagines are beautiful souvenirs, we can offer advice on getting a good price for these but budget some extra cash for market day!

Flights are easiest from Manchester with EasyJet or Ryanair. It’s a 4hr flight with no connections. Previously a taxi from Newcastle and lifts have been arranged via a Whatsapp group prior to the trip.

On all the surf sessions we will be in our own mini bus with our own guide. We are working with the excellent Surf Maroc on the accommodation and food so there will be other surfers in the accommodation and at meal times etc. We will largely be spending the days on the road as a group so it’s the best of both worlds. We have the option to eat at Surf Maroc or in the village as a group.

By making a booking, the first named person on the booking agrees on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking that:

a he/she has read these Booking Conditions and has the authority to and does agree to be bound by them;

b he/she consents to our use of personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and is authorised on behalf of all persons named on the booking to disclose their personal details to us, including where applicable special categories of data (such as information on health conditions or disabilities and dietary requirements);

c he/she is over 18 years of age and where placing an order for services with age restrictions declares that he/she and all members of the party are of the appropriate age to purchase those services;

d he/she accepts financial responsibility for payment of the booking on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking.

1. Booking & Paying For Your Arrangements

A booking is made with us when you pay us a deposit (or full payment if you are booking within 6 weeks of departure) and we issue you with a booking confirmation. We reserve the right to return your deposit and decline to issue a booking confirmation at our absolute discretion. A binding contract will come into existence between you and us as soon as we have issued you with a booking confirmation that will confirm the details of your booking and will be sent to you or your travel agent.

The balance of the cost of your arrangements (including any applicable surcharge) is due not less than 6 weeks prior to scheduled departure for . If we do not receive this balance in full and on time, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you in which case the cancellation charges set out in clause 5 below will become payable.

2. Insurance

Adequate travel insurance is a condition of your contract with us. You must be satisfied that your insurance fully covers all your personal requirements including pre-existing medical conditions, cancellation charges, medical expenses and repatriation in the event of accident or illness. If you choose to travel without adequate insurance cover, we will not be liable for any losses howsoever arising, in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.

3. Cutting your holiday short

If you are forced to return home early, we cannot refund the cost of any travel arrangements you have not used. If you cut short your holiday and return home early in circumstances where you have no reasonable cause for complaint about the standard of accommodation and services provided, we will not offer you any refund for that part of your holiday not completed, or be liable for any associated costs you may incur. Depending on the circumstances, your travel insurance may offer cover for curtailment and we suggest that any claim is made directly with them.

4. If You Cancel Your Booking Before Departure

If you or any other member of your party decides to cancel your confirmed booking you must notify us in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only take effect when it is received in writing by us at our offices and will be effective from the date on which we receive it.

Should one or more member of a party cancel, it may increase the per person holiday price of those still travelling and you will be liable to pay this increase.

Since we incur costs in cancelling your arrangements, you will have to pay the cancellation charges as follows:

Period before arrival in which you notify us

Cancellation Charge

More than 6 weeks

Deposit only

4 – 6 weeks before arrival

50% of holiday cost

2 – 4 weeks before arrival

75% of holiday cost

Less than 2 weeks before arrival

100% of holiday cost

Please note that insurance premiums and amendments charges are not refundable in any circumstances.

Important Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended after they have been confirmed and any alteration or cancellation could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements in addition to the charge above.

If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges.

Where possible, we will deduct the cancellation charge(s) from any monies you have already paid to us.

Cancellation by You due to Unavoidable & Extraordinary Circumstances:

You have the right to cancel your confirmed holiday before departure without paying a cancellation charge in the event of “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” occurring at your holiday destination or its immediate vicinity and significantly affecting the performance of the holiday or significantly affecting the transport arrangements at the destination. In these circumstances, we shall provide you with a full refund of the monies you have paid but we will not be liable to pay you any additional compensation. Please note that your right to cancel in these circumstances will only apply where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel to your destination or its immediate vicinity. For the purposes of this clause, “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” means warfare, acts of terrorism, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely at the travel destination.

* Please note this condition is related to package holidays and is not applicable to Room Only bookings.

This clause 5 outlines the rights you have if you wish to cancel your booking. Please note that there is no automatic statutory right of cancellation under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (Directive 2011/83/EU).

5. If We Change or Cancel

As we plan your holiday arrangements many months in advance we may occasionally have to make changes or cancel your booking and we reserve the right to do so at any time.

Changes: If we make a minor change to your holiday, we will make reasonable efforts to inform you or your travel agent [KR8] as soon as reasonably possible if there is time before your departure but we will have no liability to you. An examples of a minor change includes a change of accommodation to another of the same or higher standard.

Occasionally we may have to make a significant change to your confirmed arrangements. Examples of “significant changes” include the following, when made before departure:

(a) A change of accommodation area for the whole or a significant part of your time away.

(b) A change of accommodation to that of a lower standard or classification for the whole or a significant part of your time away.

(c) A change of outward departure time or overall length of your arrangements by more than 12 hours.

(d) A significant change to your itinerary, missing out one or more destination entirely.

Cancellation: We will not cancel your travel arrangements less than 8 weeks before your departure date, except for reasons of force majeure or failure by you to pay the final balance. We may cancel your holiday before this date if, e.g., the minimum number of clients required for a particular travel arrangement is not reached.

If we have to make a significant change or cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible and if there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of:

i (for significant changes) accepting the changed arrangements; or

ii having a refund of all monies paid; or

iii accepting an offer of alternative travel arrangements of a comparable or higher standard from us, if available (at no extra cost); or

iv if available, accepting an offer of alternative arrangements of a lower standard, with a refund of the price difference between the original arrangements and the alternative arrangements.

You must notify us of your choice within 7 days of our offer. If we do not hear from you within 7 days, we will contact you again to request notification of your choice. If you fail to respond again, we will assume that you have chosen to accept the change or alternative booking arrangements. [KR9]

Insurance If we cancel or make a significant change and you accept a refund, we will provide a full refund of your travel insurance premiums if you paid them to us and can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy.

Compensation[KR10]

In addition to a full refund of all monies paid by you, we will pay you compensation as detailed below, in the following circumstances:

(a) If, where we make a significant change, you do not accept the changed arrangements and cancel your booking;

(b) If we cancel your booking and no alternative arrangements are available.

The compensation that we offer does not exclude you from claiming more if you are entitled to do so.

Period before departure in which we notify you

Amount you will receive from us*

62 days or more

£NIL

61 – 42 days prior to departure

£10

41 – 28 days prior to departure

£20

27 – 14 days prior to departure

£30

Less than 14 days prior to departure

£40

*IMPORTANT NOTE: We will not pay you compensation in the following circumstances:

(a) where we make a minor change;

(b) where we make a significant change or cancel your arrangements more than 8 weeks before departure;

(c) where we make a significant change and you accept those changed arrangements or you accept an offer of alternative travel arrangements;

(d) where we have to cancel your arrangements as a result of your failure to make full payment on time;

(e) where the change or cancellation by us arises out of alterations to the confirmed booking requested by you;

(f) where we are forced to cancel or change your arrangements due to Force Majeure (see clause 10).

If we become unable to provide a significant proportion of the arrangements that you have booked with us after you have departed, we will, if possible, make alternative arrangements for you at no extra charge and where those alternative arrangements are of a lower standard, provide you with an appropriate price reduction.

6. Passport, Visa and Immigration Requirements & Health Formalities

It is your responsibility to check and fulfill the passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. We can only provide general information about this. You must check requirements for your own specific circumstances with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates and your own doctor as applicable. Requirements do change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure.

Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. If your passport is in its final year, you should check with the Embassy of the country you are visiting. For further information contact the Passport Office on 0870 5210410 or visit https://www.gov.uk/browse/citizenship/passports.

For European holidays you should obtain a completed and issued form EHIC prior to departure.

Up to date travel advice can be obtained from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, visit https://www.gov.uk/travelaware

Non British passport holders, including other EU nationals, should obtain up to date advice on passport and visa requirements from the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of your destination or country(ies) through which you are travelling,

We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.

7. Delays, Missed Transport Arrangements and other Travel Information

If you or any member of your party misses your flight or other transport arrangement, it is cancelled or you are subject to a delay of over 3 hours for any reason, you must contact us and the airline or other transport supplier concerned immediately.

Under EU Law, you have rights in some circumstances to refunds and/or compensation from the airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation or delay to flights. Full details of these rights will be publicised at EU airports and will also be available from airlines. If the airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the Civil Aviation Authority at www.caa.co.uk/passengers. Reimbursement in such cases is the responsibility of the airline and will not automatically entitle you to a refund of your holiday price from us. If, for any reason, you do not claim against the airline and make a claim for compensation from us, you must, at the time of payment of any compensation to you, make a complete assignment to us of the rights you have against the airline in relation to the claim that gives rise to that compensation payment. A delay or cancellation to your flight does not automatically entitle you to cancel any other arrangements even where those arrangements have been made in conjunction with your flight.

We cannot accept liability for any delay which is due to any of the reasons set out in clause 10 of these Booking Conditions (which includes the behaviour of any passenger(s) on any flight who, for example, fails to check in or board on time).

Please note the existence of a “Community list” (available for inspection at https://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/safety/air-ban_en) detailing air carriers that are subject to an operating ban with the EU Community.

8. Covid Waiver

COVID-19

To comply with public health best practices during the COVID-19 outbreak and aftermath, we respectfully ask that all guests the occupants of our guestroom(s) and any of invited visitor(s) to our properties (collectively, the “Guests”) are fully aware of the symptoms of COVID-191 and confirm that none of the Guests are experiencing any such symptoms, nor do any of the Guests have reason to suspect that they have been exposed to COVID-19 within the past 14 days. Additionally, all Surf Maroc guests agree and fully understand that Surf Maroc and any of it’s accommodation venues cannot guarantee that its properties (or its employees) are free of the COVID-19 virus.

We are asking that our valued guests and visitors, including the Guests, follow all recommended CDC guidelines relating to COVID-19. We are all responsible for practicing the preventative steps recommended by the CDC and your thoughtful attention to these guidelines is needed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In connection with your stay at our property, we are requiring the acknowledgement and consent to the following terms:

That the Guests fully understand that COVID-19 is highly contagious, and that although Surf Maroc, it’s partners and subsidiaries are taking reasonable efforts to mitigate contamination risks, all risk of exposure cannot be fully eliminated.

As such, the Guests are assuming the inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 by visiting and/or staying at our properties or any other place of public accommodation. In consideration of the use of the guestroom and/or other Surf Maroc facilities and services, the Guests hereby waive and release the property owner, property manager and each of their respective affiliates, subsidiaries and employees from any and all claims, liabilities, damages, actions or costs directly or indirectly arising from or in connection with potential or actual exposure to COVID-19 at our property or any of other Surf Maroc facilities (or at any medical facility or testing center visited subsequently) including, but not limited to, any illness, injury, loss of work, loss of wages, trauma, emotional distress, medical expenses or death suffered in connection therewith. I acknowledge, on my behalf and on behalf of the other Guests, that I have informed all Guests of these terms, that the Guests fully understand the waiver set forth above, and that each of the Guests fully accepts all risk of exposure to COVID-19 in connection with visiting or staying at our properties.