Husband Hunting in Morocco

Once a year in Dakhla there is a female raid Sahraouiya´s  – this year it was the third edition of the crazy race and I invited Manuela, one of the survivors to speak for you guys. Why I chose her? She is not an ordinary woman competing in the race. She had a mission… ;)

Manuela Lanza, journalist, vlogger and Morocco lover, known for her original travel show “Husband Hunter” ranked 11th in the competition, not bad considering she had a triple challenge: compete, vlog and “hunt” a husband in Dakhla.

“It was tough. Very tough. When I “vlog-hunt” I normally don’t have to run and bike on the sand or canoeing against the current in the deep sea. So yes, it was very difficult to find time and energy to talk to men in Dakhla. But I managed to “hunt good material” I think (laughter), like those local men who were drinking tea in the middle of the desert. They were very friendly, offered me tea and even taught me how to wear the Sahraoui scarf.”

-she explains.

But despite all the difficulties Husband Hunter is a Spartan woman, and nothing, not even a desert wind storm, can stop her from vlogging her “hunts” and share them with us.

“I put a lot of passion in my vlogs, I really want to take my viewers on a journey with me and have fun together, I work hard to find interesting characters, “hunt” them with my camera and curious questions, introduce cultural elements, landscapes and show different realities to stimulate the intellect, wow I sound so sophisticated (laughter)”

-she concludes.

This vlog is the result of all her adventures in Dakhla:

So far Manuela has “hunted” men in Italy, Greece, Spain, Czech Republic and England, but Morocco is the country where she has vlogged the most, she keeps coming back… but why? Let’s find out about Manuela’s love affair with Morocco.

“I’m a travel junkie (I buy more flights than underwear (laughter) so when my friend Laura asked me to join her trip to Morocco, I said oh yeah. I had no idea what to expect (I love that sensation). I was a blank canvas.  When we arrived to Marrakech, I already had the determination to start shooting for my Youtube channel, the brainstorming was done, the idea “in the oven” and I was excited to crack on “baking” videos for my own TV show, which has always been my dream. So I saw a Moroccan guy on a motorbike, alone, and I thought >let’s get to meet him and interview him for my project. < The guy turned out to be very nice and showed us around Marrakech. I have the vlog on my channel

Morocco was a bomb of sensations for me, its medinas, exciting chaos, colours, flavours, all made me feel so alive. Every day in Morocco was an adventure and I’m very adventurous myself, so it helped me reconnect to that part of me, and understand I wasn’t happy with my “anesthetized/robotic” life in London. I learned a lot from this city and from my job at Thomson Reuters, I got incredible skills in TV and learned so many things about myself. However, I thought this lifestyle would bring me happiness and success but actually during that trip in Morocco I realised my real passion is what I do in my Youtube channel. “Husband Hunter” was born in Morocco. So for me Morocco means a lot in my life, I rediscovered myself”.

Manuela’s first video “10 things I learned about Moroccan men”  went viral in the country:

“When I saw the success of my video I was so happy, although I must admit that several media published my video without crediting me, and that’s a real shame because that could have helped me to grow my viewers. But anyway, my Youtube career has just started, and I already love all my Moroccan subscribers.”

I guess that’s something you’ve been waiting for… I’ll ask The Husband Hunter what she thinks about Moroccan men!

Husband Hunter: I love that they are very welcoming, always smiling and family-oriented. My latest experiences with European men haven’t been amazing, most of them have “the commitment phobia” disease, as soon as the relationship gets serious, they run away. Also Moroccan men like women with a bit of “meat” and come on, let’s admit it, that’s a relief. You can quit the gym and eat tajine in peace, haha.

What would you say to my bewildered Readers?

Husband Hunter: Never stop exploring Morocco through Bewildered in Morocco, my channel on YouTube, on your own, get lost every day in a different place, try a different dish, invite your friends, get married in Morocco (laughter) and don’t forget to invite me to the wedding to hunt a potential husband and make an amazing vlog!

Hmmm, will she finally hun a husband, what do you guys think? ;)