Learning English under pressure

You've heard his baritone podcast voice for the past year and a half, and picked up bits and pieces of his story. But as we approach our 50th episode of Destination Morocco podcast, have you wondered, "How did Azdean come to live in Houston, and how did Destination Morocco get its beginnings?”

Azdean did in fact grow up in Marrakech, never imagining that he would wind up in the United States, raise a family, start businesses and build connections around the world. It's an inspiring story of perseverance, opportunity and getting much help and support along the way, a big reason why Azdean is happy to pay it forward now that he's in position to do so.

Until he was in his early 20's, Azdean barely spoke more than basic English, and yet to immigrate to the US he needed to pass the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam.  He had just a few months to go from beginner to functional level and get a passing grade, and the steps he took were astounding, from music to movies to cramming at times 15 hours of study per day.

Once established in Houston, he developed a passion and understanding for hospitality, American-style, and ultimately applying that mindset to tourism. Starting Destination Morocco wasn't so much a lifelong dream, but rather one that materialized once their son Imran was born, a desire to include Morocco in his life and to foster an understanding of it. This then morphed into providing that opportunity for others, but with the wealth of knowledge from being a native-born Moroccan.

Stemming from the family-run business beginnings, the company has maintained its focus on private tours and small group travel, so that guests can have as much flexibility and control as possible, just as if they were visiting on their own. 

Azdean talks about how helping people avoid scams and know who to trust has been a big part of the motivation for organizing tours, and he shares some unpleasant examples, including the time that a waitress at a restaurant in Fès mentioned, unprompted, that the tagine Azdean's clients had just purchased was a fake. 

Of course, they were surprised and put off by this, and weren't sure what to believe.  Fortunately he knew what to tell them so that they could identify for themselves if it was true. 

Morocco is a bucket-list destination, the type of place you may only visit once (or twice!), and you should always put your faith and funds in people you can trust. We're here on the podcast to build that trust, to have fun talking about Morocco and make sure you get the most out of your trip. From Azdean to Sam and the entire team, we help you navigate Morocco's distinctiveness and complexities, coming from Azdean's own perspective as a Moroccan and a traveller himself.

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November 8-15, 2026, $1995 USD Per Person
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Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.