Hello, friends!
I have just returned from the last Wheelchair Travel Group Trip of the year — my first in Morocco! Our 11-day tour was a magical excursion into the heart of a foreign land and I continue to be inspired by the adventurous spirit of our travelers. It was a pleasure to reconnect with returning travelers from the United States and Canada, and to welcome new ones as well!
This newsletter will be a short one (I'm still a bit jet-lagged) — with a few reflections on Morocco, a look at my flight on the country's 'Royal' airline, and a preview of the next group tour which will go on sale next week! Let's dive in!
Magical Morocco
Though I have taken many personal trips to the African continent — to Egypt, Kenya and South Africa — this month's Morocco tour was the first Wheelchair Travel Group Trip in Africa. It was a big milestone for my tour business, and a true delight to share the tour with Wheelchair Travel readers from around the world. While I don't want to give away too much (you'll have to discover Morocco on a future group trip!), there are a few highlights I would like to share.
Cats, cats, cats! They're everywhere in Morocco, and you will be hard-pressed to find a stray that doesn't receive love from the community. In Moroccan culture, cats are revered and benefit from widespread communal care with locals feeding and housing strays and viewing them as symbols of harmony.
From the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, to the wind-swept deserts and the rocky or sandy shores of the Atlantic Ocean, Morocco's diverse landscapes and climates surprise and enchant. At one point in our journey, looking across the infinity pool, we observed a pack of camels waiting for riders in the stunning Agafay Desert.
Casablanca, Morocco is home to the Hassan II Mosque, the second largest mosque in Africa and 14th largest in the world. At 689 feet, its minaret is the second tallest in the world (and you know that I am fascinated by the world's tallest buildings and towers). What makes this mosque special is that it is open to the public — most mosques are open only to Muslims, so it was a unique opportunity to explore this place of worship during our group tour.
In the cities of Marrakesh and Essaouira, we explored the public markets that featured handcrafted souvenirs, street food, performers and more — in addition to haggling for the best prices, we found ourselves immersed in the communities we visited, which is a highlight of any group tour.
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Flying Another 'Royal' Airline
Lots of airlines have 'Royal' in their names (Royal Jordanian, Royal Brunei and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to name a few) and I recently had the opportunity to add Royal Air Maroc, the Moroccan flag carrier, to my flight log.
The state-owned carrier delivered a high level of service on my flights between London-Heathrow and Casablanca, with the cabin crew being exceptionally committed to ensuring that my wheelchair was returned to me at the aircraft door. During my return flight from Casablanca to London, I was able to experience business class on the carrier's Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. You can read my full review of the cabin here:
John Morris
While the Casablanca-London flight is a short one at about three hours, the Dreamliner is also deployed on longer routes between Casablanca and the United States and Canada, with the carrier offering nonstop service to cities including Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, New York and Toronto.
Coming Soon: Wheelchair Travel Group Trip to the Italian Island of Sicily!
Earlier this month, I released the September 2026 Wheelchair Travel Group Trip to Portugal, which sold out within a couple of days. Although there isn't any more space on the Portugal tour, I am excited to announce a new tour opportunity — we're going to the Island of Sicily in Italy!
The Wheelchair Travel Group Trip to Sicily is scheduled to take place from October 1-11, 2026. The 11-day tour itinerary will highlight the best in Sicilian landscapes, history, art, architecture and of course gastronomy! We'll stay in Palermo and Catania, while visiting other cities including Cefalù, Siracusa and Taormina, among others!
The complete tour itinerary will be released on Monday, December 22 at 10:00 a.m. ET (New York time), exclusively to paid members of this newsletter. Paid members will have a private booking window of 5 days. If spaces remain, bookings will be opened to free subscribers on Saturday, December 27.
If you would like to be among the first to receive this trip opportunity and future information about accessible group tours, please upgrade your subscription in advance of the tour release.
Final Thoughts
The celebrations of Christmas and New Year's Day are just around the corner and, like in years past, you should expect the next newsletter to contain some articles that reflect on where I have been this year, where things are going and the work that must still be done.
Your readership and support is a gift to me and my family, and I thank you as always for joining us on this journey! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Talk to you next week,
— John
