CORRECTION: This article has been updated on Feb. 15, 2026 to more accurately reflect Mandy Sinclair’s contributions to ‘Lonely Planet,’ and the duration of her trip to Morocco in 2010.
Mandy Sinclair wasn’t expecting to move her life to Morocco following her two and a half week trip in 2010. With an initial goal to improve her French skills, she ended up staying for more than 10 years.
After falling in love with Morocco’s culture and ambience, Sinclair spent those years building long-lasting relationships and an expansive career.
Sinclair began her journey at Carleton University. She graduated in 2005 with a degree in mass communications and a minor in French, then worked on the university’s public relations team. She went on to create the Tasting Marrakech food tour, hosted the travel podcast “Why Morocco?” and contributed to chapters in travel guide Lonely Planet.
The Charlatan sat down with Sinclair to discuss her life in Morocco, her favourite parts of her job and to learn about how she turned her passions for travel into an artistic career.
The Charlatan (TC): Tell me about your career. How did you get to where you are, and what do you do?
Mandy Sinclair (MS): I went on holiday to Morocco and absolutely fell in love with the country. I was there for two and a half weeks, and on the fourth day I was in Fez, Morocco, and just decided, “Okay, I need to get my French up if I’m going to move around in different positions in Ottawa. So I thought I would move to Morocco for five months, and learn French and I ended up staying for over 10 years.
In Morocco, I created a food tour company called Tasting Marrakech. It started as an evening tour with food stall hopping and watching entertainers in the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa Square. It was really an incredible ambiance, and I absolutely loved it.
I eventually developed another tour in my neighbourhood, Gueliz. The neighbourhood was developed during the French Protectorate era, and I created a tour that showed the contemporary design and art — 20th century architecture and the street food in the new town.
It was one of my favourite ways to spend an afternoon when I lived in Morocco. Eventually, I ended up back in Canada, and now I do contract and project-based public relations work.
TC: What inspired you to do those tours?
MS: I hold the hospitality in Morocco in a very high regard.
It was a constant curiosity. There was always something to learn, people to talk to and festivals to go to.
The food tours started because I noticed there was a gap in the market. It was really based on how I lived in the old, walled city — where Jemaa el-Fnaa Square is situated — where I would go after work if I wanted to eat some street food like calamari.
I wanted to show people that this is where I go, and it’s where the locals go as well. We always had a local guide with us, on the tour as well to provide the historical and cultural perspective.
TC: What are some of the biggest takeaways you got from the culture and from living there for that long?
MS: I definitely think Morocco made me a better person because the people’s genuine warmth is really touching.
The key takeaways: just look out for opportunities, and go with what your gut tells you. I had no idea when I was going to Morocco for five months what the opportunities and possibilities could be, and yet they just presented themselves, or I made it possible.
TC: Do you have an interaction from travelling that stands out to you the most?
I remember once I was in this place called Happy Valley in Morocco. It was a beautiful Sunday morning and spring, and there were some men working in the fields having a tea break. As I walked past, they invited me to come and have some tea. They had fresh bread from the oven and fresh olive oil from their farm. It was this really special moment of sharing and connection.
In my food tours, we had moments like that all the time when you’re sharing food and stories. It’s a really lovely, memorable moment.
TC: What was the experience for you when writing for Lonely Planet?
MS: It was really fantastic because when I was in my 20s and travelling, I used Lonely Planet. I mean, even I still buy Lonely Planet. I know the research, the intensity of the research and the expertise that each writer brings.
I was very honoured to be part of the Morocco book and then contribute a second time to Lonely Planet for the Canada book in 2023. You really get to know a destination inside and out because you have to visit every single place within the last six months of submitting your content.
TC: What did you enjoy most about being a travel concierge and directing people on where to go and what foods to try?
MS: You can really have an impact on their travel, right? When I travel, the things that I often remember are the cool things that maybe aren’t in the guidebooks.
It’s all about having an impact on helping them pick the restaurants and pick what to do each day and how to maximize their itinerary — because holiday time is so precious.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Featured image provided by Mandy Sinclair.
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