Meet Sara Lamzouwaq, Morocco’s award-winning tour leader paving the way for women

In 2023, Sara Lamzouwaq took home the joint title of ‘Best Tour Guide’ at the Wanderlust World Guide Awards.

Highly praised for her work in Morocco, Sara aims to enhance the country’s cultural and lifestyle experiences for travellers, and represents a minority of female guides.

Since working at FTLO Travel and Epic Morocco, Sara has built relationships with local women, who she in turn wants to empower by providing them with opportunities to generate income and support their families.

It is this rapport with the locals that leaves a lasting impression on her clients. Despite differences in culture and language, she brings groups together as one family.

This International Women’s Day, we catch up with Sara to learn why she became a guide, the difficulties of getting into the industry, and her top tips on exploring Morocco.

I’ve always wanted to be in a job that could change people’s lives. As a tour guide here, I have the chance to make a significant impact, whether it’s ensuring that my guests have a good time or by bringing people together, such as when we visit the tents of nomads or share a meal with a local family. It’s incredible how something as simple as a glass of mint tea can remind us that we are all fundamentally the same.

When I first entered the world of guiding, I faced the challenge of securing a place in a male-dominated industry. It became evident that I had to put in ten times the effort just to gain recognition, so I made a personal promise to pave a smoother path for others. This drove me to initiate efforts aimed at assisting women in vulnerable situations and to pave the way for other females to be tour leaders. My goal is to make their journey easier in a field where gender equality is long overdue.

nteractions with local people, such as sharing mint tea in their home, are at the heart of Sara Lamzouwaq’s tours (Sara Lamzouwaq)

Sometimes it’s organising a meal at someone’s home; other times it might mean hosting a henna party. I am always trying to support female-owned businesses or promote experiences run by women. My aim is to provide them with opportunities to generate income and thrive in their communities.

Fes is a place that I always love returning to because there is an experience I do there that is very dear to my heart: organising a home-cooked meal. It lets groups immerse themselves in the lifestyle of Moroccan people. I take pleasure in demonstrating how to make a pastilla [pie], which is a speciality dish of Fes. The family hosting us is warm and hospitable, going the extra mile to make our visit memorable. They even entertain us with lively chaabi music.

My advice to travellers is to not limit your visit to the well-known spots. Try to explore lesser-known towns such as Midelt, up in the high plains. I took a group there during harvest season and everyone was inviting us to have lunch with them and gave us apples. Open yourself up to new experiences, such as trying slow-braised lamb tagine with prunes (my favourite) or ending your day at a traditional hammam.

I was driving through the Atlas mountains in February when one of my group asked me if what was on top of the mountains was salt. I didn’t know if it was a joke or not, so I just told her, “No, my dear, it’s snow.”

Sara Lamzouwaq is a tour leader for FTLO Travel and Epic Morocco.