Morocco
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Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings
The situation in regard to crossing the Moroccan and Mauritanian border has changed for the better. There is now no need to get a permit from the military in Dakhla and they have done away with military escorts. Travellers are now free to cross the border on any day without a military escort. The restriction of travel only on Tuesdays and Fridays has also been done away with.
The road on the Moroccan side is paved all the way to the border checkpoint, which consists of two huts separated by about 50m and overlooked by a military camp. At the first hut the papers of your vehicle are checked and at the second hut your passport is stamped. From there you proceed to the Mauritanian border post on paved road half of the way and the other half on gravel. The distance between the two points is about 5km. Here the military take down your personal details, especially your occupation. From here you travel over desert sand for another 5km to the immigration check point which is also two huts about 50m apart and you have the papers of your vehicle checked before proceeding to the next hut to have your passport stamped. At this location there are a number of guides offering their services. We paid 200 euro for a guide to bring our convoy of three vehicles to Nouakchott plus 50 euro because one of the vehicles was a truck.
It is always advisable to travel in convoy so that you can help each other. Vehicles have to be equipped with steel plates to get them out of sand traps. On softer sand the tyre pressure of the vehicles should be lowered to present a larger contact area and on harder ground the tyres should be pumped up again. If travelling at 80km/hr, you could cover the distance to Nouakchott with only one night in the desert.
There is also evidence that it is now possible to drive north from Mauritania to Morocco. On our way south we met a German and a Swiss person at Guergguarat, on the Moroccan side of the border who had just driven north from Mauritania and they had travelled north without a guide.
Foong Swee Kong, Singapore (May 03)
The Tarifa-Tangier ferry can only be used by EU passport holders as Tarifa is not an international port. We only found this our when we went to buy our tickets in Tarifa! Everyone else must go from Algeciras.
Dani Miller, Australia (May 03)
There is no longer a ferry from Tangier to Cadiz, and although there is now a standard ferry service from Tangier to Tarifa, only EU nationals may disembark at Tarifa. This was most annoying to us Aussies who bought tickets only to have to go back for a refund when immigration informed us we would not be able to travel.
Noga Bernstein, Australia (Jan 03)
Travel Tips
It's no problem to travel during the Ramadan.
It's not a problem to get food, especially at night. During the day it's not very comfortable to eat in public spaces though. In towns with very little tourists you have to be prepared to have breakfast for dinner. Everywhere we went, there was breakfast with bread, boiled eggs, tea and soup after sunset. In places with many tourists you can get whatever you want all day long, you won't encountered any problems at all.
You might not even realise it's Ramadan.
Lobke Zandstra, Netherlands (Aug 05)
I'm a Portuguese female, with brown hair and eyes. During my last year's visit to Morocco I had some problems getting accommodation due to the fact that in some hotels they thought I was a Moroccan girl spending a night with a European boy (I was travelling with my boyfriend who has blue eyes and whiter skin than mine).
When we entered some hotels (in small towns and also in bigger towns) and asked to see some rooms, often we received a "we don't have more rooms" as an answer. That wouldn't be a problem if we hadn't seen most of the room keys hanging on the wall and a French couple choosing between two rooms.
After some situations like this, finally a Moroccan explained to us that I looked like a Moroccan and they refused to give me a room because it wasn't morally accepted that a Moroccan girl spent a night with a man who isn't her husband.
This year I returned to Morocco and this problem continued, but in a softer way. On our way to Larache we called a hotel and asked for the prices. They told us it was 130 dirhams. When we get there and the guy at the hotel saw me he asked for 200 dirhams. After a little discussion he finally told me he was raising the price because I was a Moroccan. Everything was ok, after I showed him my passport.
So, after all this confusion, we started to enter the hotels with our passports in our hands, waving them in front of the staff so they wouldn't take me as a Moroccan. It seems to have been the best move, because after that everything went right.
I usually respect the principals of the countries I'm visiting, but I expected everything except this. I hope this advice will help girls with the same problem.
Joana Barros, Portugal (Jan 04)
Fes: If you look a bit longer around in small alleys close to Bab Bou Jaloud you will also find unofficial homestay options for Dh80-100 (sometimes cheaper). If you are lucky you can sleep in one of the superb palace houses with decorated rooms and pillars around a patio for less than Dh100/dbl. Some of the touts can also guide you to one of these homestays.
Hans Rossel, Belgium (Aug 03)
Depending on how good ones negotiating skills are it is important to note that the first price heard by a merchant is always ridiculous. Goods in places like Fez and especially Marrakesh are almost untouchable to the budget traveller with no negotiating skills. Fortunately I love to negotiate and improve my Arabic at the same time. For most items I ended up paying 1/5 to 1/7 of the original quoted price.
Many people ask you for a tip or gratuity which is fine if they have provided a service for you, but don't feel obligated to pay or be intimidated by the guy who walks in front of you and says "give me one euro" just because you were randomly passing by him while he was doing his "dance".
Ali Douraghy (Jul 03)
Everywhere you go the Moroccans sell the most fantastic orange juice. They make it fresh, usually in front of you and sell it at widely varying prices. The cheapest being at Djemaa el-Fna Square in Marrakesh. There are about 60 stalls standing permanently in the square, and they all sell OJ at Dh2.50. We are so sad that the first thing we bought when we got home was a juicer!!
The best fish dish of our hols was at the grill stands at the harbour in Essaouira. You can choose from a variety of the days catch and sit at large communal tables and watch the sun go down as you eat your heart out. The only thing that shocked us was when our Moroccan chef appeared with the head of a monkfish for us to eat. We surprisingly abstained!!
Sue Jeynes-Taylor & Steve Bowden, UK (Jul 03)
Fes is not the place to buy Moroccan handicrafts, as suggested by LP. We made this mistake and waited to get to Fes to do our shopping and were unable to find anything. The scant selection we found was extremely poor. We kicked ourselves for not shopping in Marrakesh where there was everything available in the medina.
Linh Nguyen, USA (Jul 03)
I was in Morocco a few weeks ago and asked about the climb up Mt. Toubkal. The local hotels in Marakesh will tell you that only a few warm jumpers/shirts are required.... but it is worth remembering (as I found out at approx 4000m) that it can be sub-zero with wind chill.
Edward Gillies, UK (Jun 03)
The first thing I wanted to bring to your attention happened in Rabat. Upon entering the Kasbah des Oudaias, we were approached by different Moroccan men all wanting to lead us back out of the Kasbah and to the Andalusian Gardens. They told us that where we were was forbidden to non-Muslims and that we were not at all welcome. The whole situation was very confusing. At first we thought they were just looking to act as guides; that we wouldn't be allowed to enter didn't make sense, especially because ahead of us we could see a few tourist shops selling postcards and the like, and we saw another tour group in the distance. But it quickly became obvious that we truly weren't welcome and were not going to get anywhere near the Plateforme du Sémaphore at the far end of the Kasbah. Not sure if other tourists have had this experience, but for us, at least, it was a bit unnerving coming on our first afternoon in Morocco.
Peter Francis Ormand (Apr 03)
The caves - Gouffre du Friouato - near Taza are quite a bit more difficult than even the new guidebook suggests. Once past the initial unsafe descent along the stairs and deep within the cave system, there is standing water the guide doesn't warn you about where the only choice is to go through it. There are also many spots where you are walking along a narrow, mud-slick ridgeline of rock with drops of 5 to 15 feet on either side. It's a great experience, but just be prepared with good footwear and a better than adequate flashlight.
Daniel Wickie, Canada (Mar 03)
Nearly everyone expects a tip. What we did not expect, however, was that it would be so difficult to find change. It is advisable to stop at a bank upon arrival and load up with 1 dirham to 5 dirham coins. We often found ourselves obliged to over-tip or not tip at all due to a lack of silver. Hotel and restaurant staff were generally reluctant to make change for us. It took our poor orange juice vendor in Marrakesh about 10 minutes to find change from the neighboring food stalls and other people such as porters, waiters and bathroom attendants also did not have sufficient money on them.
Jennifer Field, USA (Jan 03)
When we were in Morocco in January the weather was well below the advertised average temperature and there was heavy snow fall blocking the road into Azrou (Middle Atlas and the East). However, whilst it was a bit hairy for a while the Moroccan authorities seem well adept at sorting the problems out relatively speedily. Also to note is that whilst many places will say that they have heating and/or hot water (of great importance when the temperatures are below freezing!) often this is not as we know it and can be nothing above vaguely luke warm.
Paul Derry & Paula Williams, UK (Jan 03)
Do your best never to be admitted to the government hospital in any town in Morocco. Go to a clinic where there is a better chance of cleanliness and quality staff. Sadly, the economic situation and general problems of Morocco have led to a poor state of health care.
Joanna V. (Jan 03)
Only a few weeks ago, a newly paved road was opened connecting Erfoud and Rissani with Merzouga. The LP guide tells travelers that the best way to get to Merzouga is on a city bus or by 4x4 taxi, but that was before this road was opened. In our travels last week we rented a car in Marrakech and drove to Erfoud/Rissani. In accordance with the instructions of the LP, we were ready to park our car and hire a 4x4 driver to take us to Merzouga. Fortunately, just before we hired a driver, a local was kind enough to tell us about the newly opened road. I can't imagine how stupid and angry I would have felt if I had parked our car and hired a 4x4 only to be driven to Merzouga on a paved road. This is a very easy trap for travelers to fall into.
Andy Heiskell, USA (Dec 02)
Be very careful when arriving in Casablanca on a Saturday or Sunday with just travellers cheques. There is nowhere in the airport or city to change them.
The medina in Fes is relatively hassle free if you keep your sense of humour and pretend that this is your 12th visit to Fes and its your favourite city. Try not to get stressed at the tanneries, even after the 300th guide in a row tells you his prices are the cheapest - they won't be. Buy things from smaller shops further back.
A point about guides - if they take you into a shop the price suddenly doubles as the guides expect 50% of anything the shop owner takes.
Richard & Alison Pett, UK (Nov 02)
Moving About
Taxis: While I found the bargaining with taxi drivers very stressful, I also found that everyone kept their word once an agreement was reached. On long trips by grand taxi, the drivers always took us exactly where we wanted to go in the next city or neighborhood. I might also add that the petits taxis are only allowed to carry three passengers, which meant that we had to travel separately or take a grand taxi for a group of four.
Ken Stanton, USA (Jan 05)
Around places like Merzouga and Rissani you don't always have to wait for a grand taxi to fill up with 6 people. Many times I would buy only 2 or 3 seats of the journey and the driver would agree to take me.
Ali Douraghy (Jul 03)
Unfortunately I regret to say that I am fully dissatisfied with private bus companies. It is common, that bus companies practice deception on the public to attract more passengers. Cashiers or agents working for the bus company sidetrack passengers entering the bus station from the CTM ticket office with information, that their company's bus departs in a few minutes. Really, the bus departs after 30 minutes or more. The maximum I experienced was a private company running a service from Azrou to Rabat via Meknes - 1hour and 35 minutes.
Andrejs Krumins, Latvia (Apr 03)
Volubilis: It is nearly impossible to get back to Meknés from the ruins by public transport. The best and cheapest way is to take a grand taxi from Meknés to Moulay Idriss. From there you charter a taxi to bring you to the ruins and after, back to Meknés. It is much cheaper and easier than to organise one in Meknés. There are lots waiting in Moulay Idriss, so there are bargain deals possible.
Alex Berger, Germany (Apr 03)
We highly recommend taking a guide to the desert because if you don't have a Land Rover it's really difficult to drive on your own with a normal car. You don't have the experience and the car could break down in the middle of nowhere. Guides know how to drive a normal car and they know where the big stones under the dunes are.
Carmen Gomez Aparicio, Germany (Feb 02)
The car we hired was a 2002 model Fiat Uno (Africa special, 1990 body/ suspension style) in excellent condition, total cost 260 euros for the week, hired from a local outfit at Casablanca Airport, dropped off in Marrakesh. That's about 19 euros a day each when split between two, for your own independent transport. It was worth every cent, we racked up around 2,000 fascinating kilometres, getting way beyond the realms of public transport. We explored the Middle and High Atlas Mountains and the Sahara for a week with the car, hung in Marrakesh for 4 days carless, caught the bus to fascinating Casablanca, spent a few days there and then flew back to Spain.
Rolf Forster, Australia (Jan 03)
Getting to Ait Benhaddou is simple even without a car. Leave Ouarzazte on the P31 and ask the bus driver to drop you off at the junction to Ait Benhaddou. There are regular shared taxis leaving from there to the Kasbahs. I would also recommend trying to be there for sunset or sunrise as it's truely spectacular.
Lawrence Schneck, UK (Dec 02)
The tarmac road from Rissani to Merzouga is now finished. This is great news as it means that we can all drive straight passed the (faux) guides direct to Merzouga. The drive takes about 30 minutes and finishes at the Porte of Merzouga where, of course, the guides are now waiting to try and catch you!
Liz Williams (Oct 02)
We flew to Malaga and took a ferry from Algeciras to Tangier. Passport control on both sides was not straight forward. It was not explained to us that we had to change our ferry ticket for a boarding pass at a small kiosk before going through passport control. We missed a ferry because of this. On the next ferry there were long queues of passengers leading to a desk with a notice saying "Police". We were given a landing card to fill in when we boarded the ferry but it was not clear that we then had to hand this in to the police desk. When we got off at Tangier, there was not passport control and we were sent back on the ferry to find someone to stamp our passports. As it was a Sunday night, it may have been the case that the usual passport control was shut.
On the way out of Morocco, we should have received a landing card at the ticket office in the ferry port, rather than on the boat. We didn't know this and we were turned away at passport control. We went back to the office and then queued again, nearly missing the ferry for a second time!
Jennie Davison & Susan Ford, UK (Aug 02)
Scams & Warnings
For all travellers to Marrakesh who want to get henna body art done in Djemma el-Fna, please be warned to avoid black henna. Black henna is henna paste to which black hair dye has been added and it is toxic. In the short term it can give you chemical burns which become oozing blisters and leave you with scars in the shape of your henna design; in the long run, use of black henna can lead to liver and kidney damage. These dangers apply to both the recipient of the henna designs and the henna artist. Please go to the following page for specific information on black henna, its dangers and what do to if you have a reaction to it: http://www.hennapage.com/henna/ppd/index.html
The henna artists that set up in Marrakesh's main square, Djemma el-Fna, will offer you natural henna as well as black henna. Always go with the natural henna; choosing black henna will be dangerous to your health and will encourage the henna artists to continue to use it. Children should NEVER be exposed to black henna because their smaller bodies can't deal with the toxin as effectively as adult bodies.
Lisa Butterworth, USA (Nov 03)
During a recent trip to Morocco my father, step mother, sister (13) and I (15) stayed for one night in a hotel in Chefchaouen. The hotel itself was absolutely lovely with unique rooms. My sister and I shared a room which was quite far away from my father's and step mother's room and we had been given strict instructions to lock and bolt our door and not to open it to anyone but them. At about 11pm someone knocked on our door. I asked who it was and when there was no reply I decided not to answer the door. However, the person kept hammering on the door for at least 5 minutes. I spoke to them again (I do not think they understood me very well at all) and they indicated that they had to give us our passports. I told them to take it to my father's room and told them the room number. The man replied and said that they were asleep. I told the man that I could not open the door. After about 2 or 3 minutes of banging the man finally went away. In the morning we told my father and step mother about the incident but they said that they had been awake until at least 1.00am. The hotel seemed to know nothing about our disturbance and apologised. After the night in Chefchaouen I was espially careful about my safety. I would just like to warn all female (and especially younger) travellers to Morocco to be very careful about security in even the nicer hotels.
Catriona Rose, UK (Aug 03)
I only caught onto this scheme later when thinking about the details. While on the train from Meknes to Fez a man came into my cabin and after a few minutes started asking me about the yellow-cover LP edition I was holding. He spoke English well and claimed to be an employee at the Meknes tourist office who was heading home to Fez. After describing the intricacies of the Fez market and the difficulty in negotiating the streets or finding the interesting things, he made his suggestion. He said that he was going to the Fez branch office to drop off something and suggested he make an appointment for me for an official government guide. I agreed. The next day the guide showed up but was unable to produce an official badge when I requested to see it. I told him thanks anyway but that I would manage on my own. Thinking back I remember the man on the train was not alone but was part of a 2 man or more team of people who were checking the train for tourists. After we had agreed that I would meet the guide he got up and left, probably to find another LP reader on the train. Caution to travellers: don't believe someone is an official guide or official tourist office employee just because they say so. And don't plan on meeting guides anywhere other than the office in which they are employed. I managed Fez just fine on my own.
In Er-Rachidia I was fooled again, but luckily caught on. I had wanted to purchase a CTM ticket to Casablanca. I asked a man where I could get it and he directed me to the open window. The CTM window was closed and I assumed the open window next to theirs was selling tickets for them based on what the man was saying. The ticket I got however was not CTM as I later discovered after leaving the train station. I had made a point to ask the guy if he was sure this is a CTM ticket to which he replied, "Yes, of course I'm sure." I went back and got the ticket I needed and gave the guy a piece of my mind as well. Later, before my bus left the station, the owner of one of the little cafes in the station described to me how the guys outside the windows earn their commissions by selling bus tickets and will say anything to sell the ticket they want you to have. I'm sure this is common in other Moroccan bus stations as well. Advice to travellers: even though it sounds obvious, make sure your CTM ticket has those three letters printed on it.
Ali Douraghy (Jul 03)
We fell into the faux guide trap in Fes. Halfway through our second week and we thought we'd seen every trick in the book and wouldn't get conned. But we did.
Just to warn any future travellers; we found our way relatively easily to the Jewish Cemetery. Of course I made a fatal mistake, I had hundreds of dirhams in my purse. On arrival at the gate to the cemetery we knocked as suggested on the door expecting to be let in by the gatekeeper but unbeknown to us were greeted by a 'guide' on the outside. The gate opened and a lovely old man appeared (the real gate keeper). The chap that was with us then spoke to him in Arabic (we speak French not Arabic) and then we followed him in, still thinking he was the gate keeper, while the real gate keeper disappeared.
I was quite touched when our guy told us not to put any money in the donations box yet, as he thought we should see the place first and give, as we felt necessary. We were then rushed around the whole area in about 5 minutes and before we got to the museum at the far corner he asked us if we would give him our donation so he could put it in the box for us and then proceeded to ask us for more money to pay to get into the museum. We argued a little and then feeling slightly disrespectful because of our surroundings I got my purse out. To cut a long story short we had a brief look in the museum, we gave the real (as we found out later) gate keeper some money that I think he thought was our donation for the cemetery...but we thought it was to get into the museum. The penny started to drop when he looked eternally grateful and placed it into what seems to have been a second donation box. Then we were forced to give our guide more money supposedly for the donation box. He said he'd put it in later and then proceeded to put it into his pocket.
It sounds really dumb but he wouldn't let us leave until we handed over a small fortune (I must now add that he saw how much cash I had in my purse - pound signs in eyes is an understatement) and he got really angry when we didn't give him anywhere near as much as he wanted. He then very kindly shoved us out the back door. We were horrified and lost!!! Luckily a nice local man showed us the way back to the main street. The moral of this story is put your money in the donations box, you don't have to pay to get into the museum and don't speak to anyone apart from the guy inside the cemetery.
Sue Jeynes-Taylor & Steve Bowden, UK (Jul 03)
I followed the advice given in the LP guidebook about dress for women travelling in Morocco. I wore long, loose trousers and loose, long sleeved tops. No low necklines, no skirts, nothing too revealing. I didn't cover my head, but I always tied back my hair. I was travelling with my (male) partner and I even wore a wedding ring. I felt very safe in most places and ignored the stares and occasional comment. However, in Fes a young man walked up to me in the street and grabbed me in a completely inappropriate manner and ran off. This was very distressing. I think it must have been that I have blonde hair and I therefore looked very different to any local women. This is something that other blonde travellers might want to be wary of.
Bronwyn Ife, Australia (May 03)
I think you should be aware of a new tactic being employed by the faux guides, hustlers and hasslers of Fes. They will typically board the train at Sidi Kacem, a couple of stops before Fes, and wander through making "friends" with tourists. First class is not immune, as the train is nearing journey's end and ticket inspections are less frequent. These guys are very subtle. They will engage you in conversation for some time (where you come from, work, family, etc) so as to gain your confidence before the all too familiar offers of help are broached. They will also generally leave you be just before Fes, as the station is crawling with police, presumably in order to deter this type of activity.
Martin Edwards, UK (Apr 03)
One day I was trying to walk to the wildlife reserve south of Agadir on the beach and got robbed in broad daylight about a mile south of the main beaches. Be careful on the beaches south of the city.
Robert Blasiak, USA (Apr 03)
Be really careful with rental cars in Morocco. Our first attempt had a leaking fuel tank, amongst other problems. Our replacement had faulty headlights, rear views, no speedo and no driver's side seatbelt. Consequently our friend is recovering from a broken shoulder and ribs in Er-Rachidia hospital after we came off the road. Take care driving, especially around sunset when the roads convert into pedestrian zones and Moroccans seem to lack the road sense we are accustomed too.
James McIntosh, Australia (Feb 03)
Hustlers are everywhere in Morocco and you have to watch out. If you are asked to write a letter in your own language please be careful. You will probably end up in a rug shop or you might inadvertently carry some drugs with you when you take the letter home. Some travellers told us their experiences and we had the same ones. Fortunately not with drugs.
Unfortunately when we did some favours like taking someone in the car with us we always ended up in a carpet shop. They told us they wanted to show their thanks with a cup of tea and we couldn't refuse their hospitality otherwise they were very angry or offended. It happened throughout our stay. Sometimes it was very uncomfortable because they didn't let us leave the shop.
Carmen Gomez Aparicio, Germany (Feb 03)
I'm glad I'd read about the roadside children or adults jumping out with their fake shiny minerals as you drive by, but what we weren't prepared for was this:
In the mountains driving at say, 30-40km/hr, we turned a corner to see a group of kids aged 6-8 up ahead. They moved into the middle of the road and held their arms up, waving us to slow down. I did, but there was no way I was going to stop. A little girl (age 6-7) and slightly older boy (8-9) stood right in front of the car. The girl slapped her hands on the bonnet of our moving car, looking absolutely terrified, then she jumped aside when she realised I was not stopping. The boy jumped to the side and tried the handles of the passenger door (we always drove with the doors locked), then hurled abuse at us. We drove off. Both my daughter and I were shaken. This was the second time in the journey that kids had stood in the middle of the road, trying to stop our car, with nothing visible to sell. As independent drivers it's one thing ignoring the minerals and baskets of dates being pushed in your eyesight every 10 metres, but trying not to harm kids who stand in front of your car is something else.
Amanda Manor (Jan 03)
Locals have taken to putting goats on platforms in argan trees along the main route from Marrakesh to Essaouira to encourage tourists to stop. The goats are tied to platforms in the trees in the morning and are left there all day, often in blistering heat, without food or water. We saw guys actually doing this on Friday morning of last week as we travelled from Essaouira to Marrakesh. They were placing about 10 goats in each tree, which looked faintly ridiculous, but did not deter tourists from stopping to take photographs and buy souvenirs. We decided not to encourage this practice by stopping but we did manage to spot the odd goat along the way who looked like they had made it into the trees under their own steam and were happily munching away!
Kathleen McCann, UK (Dec 02)
At every cafe and restaurant I visited in Marrakesh the waiters had difficulty calculating my change. I put this down to illiteracy until I realised none of the errors were ever in my favour. I never came across this problem anywhere else in Morocco.
A. G. Cooke, Cyprus (Nov 02)
Tetouan seems to have more hustlers than Tangier. But a good escape is to pretend that you came on holidays with some Moroccan friends. Your 'imaginary' friends invited you to visit their home town (i.e. Casablanca or Marrakech...). It worked every time for me (OK I speak French which is an advantage). That allowed me to talk to locals at a café and when I needed to go I was saying that I was to meet my friends for the last meal of the holidays or visiting their grand parents who live in Tangier. Also pretending that you have to take a bus or a boat will free you from any annoying hustlers.
Gerome Mortelecque, UK (Sep 02)
If you want to stay in the hotels in Casablanca's Medina, take a good look at your passport before trying...I entered at Melilla and was given a Beni Enzar entrance stamp as well as a HANDWRITTEN number on the last page of my passport. I have had no problems with any of the numerous police/military checkpoints in either the east or the Western Sahara, but ran into loads of problems trying to find a hotel in Casa's medina!
I finally got a room at the Hotel des Amis - after they called someone in to look at my passport - but about four others rejected it earlier; in their broken French I understood that according to them, the handwritten number MUST be in the form of a police stamp - otherwise it is invalid! A visit to my (Canadian) embassy in Morocco assured me that there are NO problems with the handwritten number, and that it will not, for example, lead to problems leaving the country, etc...however, the hotels in Casa's medina apparently differ in opinion. Be warned...in Casa they do things just a little...different.
Gord Barentsen (Aug 02)
Gems, Highlights & Attractions
If you get the chance, visit Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains. We split up our trip by bus between Fez and Tangier by staying in this beautiful mountain village for a night. After the hustle and bustle of Fez it was a welcome relief. The people are chilled, you don't get hassled as much and the blue-washed streets and houses are unlike anywhere else we saw.
Simon Kenny, UK (Jul 03)
In the Atlas mountains, we visited the Oukaimeden valley and encountered an undiscovered gem. It is little visited by tourists, but contains a much larger berber population than the other valleys nearby. In the late afternoon, there was lots of activity as people finished their harvesting for the day and we were able to watch peacefully against a backdrop of a lovely sunset glowing against a large brown rock face. There are also lots of paths that can be followed in the hills surrounding this valley.
Owen Kimber, UK (Jun 03)
Khenifra has a population of about 100,000 and is a town of almost all Berber population in the Middle Atlas Mountains. At first it is non-descript, a typical town with regular people, but that is part of its interest. It is not a major tourist centre. It is an authentic town, perhaps just a bus stop for some between Fes and Marrakesh. Consequently the prices are extremely competitive. In its triangular carpet market it is well known that prices for carpets, blankets and other textiles are one fourth to one sixth of Marrakesh prices. Fridays and Saturdays at the carpet market are fun, with an impressive crowd from the hills and villages present for the live auctions, haggling and bargaining.
Khenifra also hosts the largest Sunday market in the region, with fruit, vegetables, livestock, household items, and many other goods available on several acres from 5 am to 3 pm. The people are as colorful as the goods.
The town serves as a departure point for several ventures to the country. It is about 20 km to Lake Aguelmam Azgza amid the cedar and oak forests in the hills. The lake has receded from its former size due to the 20-year drought, but is still a beautiful bright blue surrounded by steep golden cliffs, oak trees and numerous herds of sheep.
Go another 12 km to the source of Oum Rabiaa, the largest river in Morocco. This unexpected surprise is an easy walk from the parking lot. As you approach the source of this river you discover there is not one but about 40 different springs flowing together to form the beginnings of this 600 km long river. For the more adventurous there is some rock climbing near the waterfall (which can be dry). The treat here are ledges on either side of the converging springs with about 12 shaded, carpeted and cushioned patios for relaxing. Enjoy the fresh cool water and air or even tajines or fresh mint tea served by Berber women. The price is so minimal it will surely rise as this becomes known.
David Simmons, USA (Nov 02)
Yarns, Fables & Anecdotes
There is an art to looking like you are lost, and the time and place to do it. It was 10:00am on a bright sunny day in the Rif Mountains during Ramadan. I bought two bus tickets to Fes from Chefchaouen. I walked outside and realized that none of the buses had signs indicating where they were going. I wandered around asking everyone "Fes?" Some people ignored me, others shook their heads, and others tried to avoid me. It was pretty obvious that I was lost, and everyone at the station could tell. I had achieved my objective. When my bus did finally pull up I was the first to know. Everyone pointed to my bus, some out of pity, some out of annoyance.
Two weeks later, I found myself completely lost again, this time I was walking down the railway tracks from a small deserted train station into a tiny Moroccan port town right before dark. I was being tailed by a teenage kid who was asking me questions, and trying to get me to give him money. The kid had more on his mind than just bumming a few cents. I walked with a purpose, and told the kid in no uncertain terms that I knew where I was, and where I was going. Truth be told I was completely lost, and was hoping that I was heading south. The kid wasn't quite sure if I was telling the truth or not, and his hesitation bought me enough time to cross the tracks and get to a road where I got a ride from a passing motorist. As the car was pulling over to pick me up, the kid flashed a knife at me. It was too late, we were off the tracks and there were people around us now. The guy who pulled over to give me a ride turned out to be an off duty cop (white holster in the trunk). The art of looking lost at the right time, and not looking lost when you can't figure out which way is north can save your behind as well as your vacation.
Liam Kidd, USA (Dec 04)
We couldn't work out why everyone in the villages in the High Atlas Mountains was so unpleasant - trying to grab at packs, yelling at us to give them things and begging. This is sad but bearable if its just the kids, unfortunately however, the adults were just as bad. After 3 days in the peaks we discovered why this was happening when we came upon a party of French tourists who had backpacks full of gifts which they intended to give out on the way.
Surely this kind of thing is unhelpful to locals as well as to travellers, if everyone expects to be given things they are just going to look on travellers as walking shops giving out free gifts and get annoyed when some don't. There is also bound to be a culture of teaching kids to beg from travellers which will make the kids less interested in doing useful things. Instead they will just wait for the next traveller to come along.
Richard & Alison Pett, UK (Nov 02)
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