I left kids at home and went to Africa for the DAY for £51 – it was cheaper than spa & ultimate self-care birthday treat
I WOBBLED perilously on the camel as it stood up, nervous that I was about to slide straight off, before screaming with joy as it came to a stop.
It was my 43rd birthday and normally I’d be celebrating at home with my husband and four kids over cake and cards, before a countryside walk.
But this year, I was enjoying a camel ride in the Moroccan desert, after deciding to take an extreme day trip to Africa – without my family.
My companions for the adventure were a bunch of strangers I’d connected with on a WhatsApp group and met for the first time at Gatwick Airport at 4am.
We had an action-packed itinerary for the 18-hour trip, including flights, riding on camels and quad bikes, touring Marrakesh’s famous souks and enjoying a tagine dinner.
It might sound crazy to make the 2,800-mile round trip to Morocco and back in a day.
But for me, it was a rare chance to have ‘me time’, rediscover my adventurous spirit, forget my responsibilities and make new friends.
I love spending time with them but it’s exhausting and I often feel burnt out by refereeing squabbles and ferrying kids to school and activities.
Normally, my days are spent juggling work as a freelance journalist and caring for my four kids – a teenage son, six-year-old twin boys and a ten-year-old daughter, who has a genetic condition and multiple disabilities, including autism and cerebral palsy.
I love spending time with them but it’s exhausting and I often feel burnt out by refereeing squabbles and ferrying kids to school and activities.
Before I had children, travel was a big part of my life.
I’m an only child and my late dad saw visiting other countries as a key part of my education, taking me to places such as South Africa and China, and sending me on school trips to India and Mexico.
I volunteered in Kenya, Romania and Poland in my teens and even went to Australia for my honeymoon.
But since having my first child aged 29, I’d barely left Kent, let alone Britain, and I missed it.
Our large family made it expensive and logistically impossible to go abroad as a six.
Then last year I learnt about extreme day trips, where you fly to another country, explore and return home by bedtime.
They usually involve an early morning flight out and a return flight late at night.
‘Bucket list’ trip
I joined a Facebook group dedicated to the topic, with 300,000 members all keen to see how far they can get and back in 24 hours.
I started small with visits to Switzerland in September and December, going in groups of a dozen or so led by the organiser of the Facebook group.
But with my birthday looming in March, I felt the itch to go further – and Africa seemed like the ideal challenge, with Morocco on my bucket list.
I wasn’t sure what my husband Philip, 43, would think of me ditching them all for my birthday but he encouraged my mad plan because he knew how important it was to me.
Getting up at 3am and meeting six strangers at the check-in desk was exhilarating. All the tiredness melted away as we boarded the plane for our 6.05am flight, which took three-and-a-half hours.
I’d booked two single flights with WizzAir at a combined cost of £51, taking just a rucksack with my essentials for the day and a passport. It was cheaper than a night out in Bromley, Kent, where I live.
While security at Marrakesh International Airport was slow, we were riding on quad bikes by noon, even though we lost an hour due to the time difference.
Yes, it was a long day, but I felt like I’d been on an actual holiday, leaving me recharged for mum duties.
We had booked a driver for the day who took us to our hour-long driving session, followed by an hour riding camels in the desert, before three hours exploring Jemaa el-Fnaa, the city’s historic main square, and its incredible souks, led by a guide.
Then it was back to the airport to check in for our 8.15pm return flight, arriving back in Britain at 11.20pm.
Yes, it was a long day, but I felt like I’d been on an actual holiday, leaving me recharged for mum duties.
It’s also a great way to see the world during a cost-of-living crisis as there is no accommodation or extra bags to factor into the price.
I’ve since done another day trip, this time to Venice, and in October, I’m taking my eldest son James, 13, to Athens to show him the Acropolis.
He’s going to miss a day of school but I know he’ll learn more than being in the classroom for a few hours.