We've been in Agadir, Morocco for just over 2 weeks. For the month we're here, we rented an Airbnb from a local woman called Laila.

Hospitality culture is so different (aka awesome) here. While Laila wasn't in town to greet us when we first checked in, she came to visit and say hi a few days later. Right after we open the door to say hi, she comes in with hugs for everyone and kisses on the forehead for each kid.

It felt like we'd known her for months. That's just how it works here. Moroccans are known for incredible hospitality.

On day 2 in Agadir, we met a family on the beach, a woman (who we learned later was a widow) and her 2 sons. The older one had some developmental disabilities and had a harder time communicating, but the younger son spoke English remarkably well. We started playing soccer in the sand and within 20 minutes were asked if we'd join them for dinner the next day.

While the timing for dinner didn't work out, we're connected on Whatsapp and there's a good chance we'll make it happen. Again, these were total strangers!

Interesting side-note: the younger son's hobby was computer engineering and using Youtube had taught himself how to code and had written 13 mini-games himself.

Ok, back to Laila, our Airbnb host. On the very first evening meeting her, she asks us if we've ever been to Imsouane (a small coastal village about 1.5 hours north of Agadir). We hadn't.

Then, without hesitation, tells us we should go up there to stay at her other Airbnb for free. She explains that Imsouane is a popular surfing spot and that her son (a surf champion in Morocco in his teens and early twenties) had motivated her to invest in that area awhile ago.

In the right conditions, the wave at 'The Bay' of Imsouane can last for half a mile – and is dubbed “the longest wave in Africa” – making it a popular spot for longboarders and beginners. There's also a great wave for expert surfers at Cathedral Point on the other side of the harbor.

Gideon, our fearless 13yr old, was smitten. 'I'm going to live here someday' he said. The morning after arriving in Imsouane, we had breakfast on a cliff-side cafe and Gid took 100 dirhams ($10) and went to figure out how to rent a board for the day.

It was easy and said he didn't want lessons (he'd surfed twice before). As the rest of us went back to the Airbnb to get ready for a day at the beach, Gid took to the waves by himself.

Kirsten and I couldn't decide if it was a good or bad thing that we left our 13yr old alone surfing for 40 minutes without supervision, but that tends to be the way we've parented...just throw them into the deep end and let them build confidence. Maybe we'll regret it someday, but so far it's worked out.

Laila, the Airbnb owner, has been so cool to get to know. She has traveled the world herself and over a dinner out (yes, we went to a restaurant with our Airbnb host), she told us of her recent adventures in Egypt and her upcoming trip to Peru. We were inspired.

If you ever want to come to a remote, beautiful little surf-town in Morocco, I can't recommend Imsouane enough. This is Laila's Airbnb and you get great views from the patio.

On this 4-month trip, we don't consider ourselves on vacation, but this weekend getaway to Imsouane felt like a mini-vacation inside the trip.

We ate out for every meal (dinner for 5 is about $25 - breakfast about $15) and sipped fresh orange juice overlooking a surfer's paradise from cliff-side cafes with lounge areas on the roofs...

All this, because Moroccan hospitality always surprises you and because Laila just wanted us and the kids to have a good time. Thank you Laila, we really did.