Marrakech for New years
Replies: 15 - Last Post: Sep 13, 2012 11:18 AM Last Post By: Truman13
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Marrakech for New years
HiMy girlfriend wants me to take her to Marrakech for New Year and possibly Christmas 7 days in total. I am not so keen and know very little about the place and North Africa in general, but I always true and obey her commands :)
Any ideas about what I should plan, what we should do, what sort of accommodation?
Last New years we spent 5 days the Algarve Portugal which was wonderful.
We are spending a week in Barbados where I am from with my family in October, I go away every New Years either to visit family, alone or with friends but since we have been together I suppose I have to go with her.
Help would be appreciated.
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..... agree with reading a good guide book, the LP should do it, there are others and a Marrakech City specific books are also available. After reading, if Marrakech remains the priority holiday destination, you''ll find lots of things to do for the week, and possibly a short side trip to Essaouria, this is typical tourist trail stuff, simple, colourful set-up, regularly used by large numbers of tourists, for a first timer very entertaining. Post again when you have specific questions. Maybe this trip will whet your appetite for a more adventurous trip latter.4
Sbutler0641, I think you will develop some enthusiasm for Morocco after having studied a good guidebook, as Tim has suggested. I have The Rough Guide-Morocco, but many others like LP.Trust me, Morocco is worth getting excited over!
By the way, don't take idiosyncratic Miguel too seriously; he's our resident geriatric bad boy.
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I am sure you will enjoy Morocco maybe more than Algarve coast. The ocean there make so much noise, more than in Morocco :).Anyway Marrrakech can be good for you and your girlfriend to celebrate New Year and Christmas. You can do some trip around, maybe to waterfall Ouzoud, besides Essaouira.
And don´t listen to marocfan, it is not so as he says LOL, but of course we know better than men so ... :)
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Part of me wishes that the OP, sbuter0641, would read up on Morocco, get excited, and then come alone!Does anyone agree with me on that?
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Yes, OP would read about Morocco so he will to get excited. But David, why he would go alone? Without his girlfriend do you mean?Edited by: khamlia
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SButler,If you love places like The Algarve and Barbados, then I am not sure that Morocco is for you.
Morocco is not full of comfortable 5 star hotels; most local people do not speak English, the scenery is not 'manicured' and it is a largely dry, rather than a 'lush' green country. Being a moslem country, the bulk of it is also 'dry' in terms of alcohol availability
The only friend I ever brought to Marrakech who did not like the experience was someone who, it turned out, only usually ever went to 5 star places in New York & Paris. She hated the dirt, the lack of sophisticated vegetarian food, the fact that donkeys, horses & carts, pedestrians and cyclists all shared the same, very narrow roads.
If you can come to Morocco with an open mind, accepting that its culture is not Western European, that 'Christmas' is not a big event there, and that our 'New Year' does not have the same resonance as it does at home, you could have a good time. If, however, your poor girlfriend is going to have to drag you kicking & screaming from the golf courses & cocktail bars of your favourite venues, I would save both her & yourself the bother
13
Hi,I've been to Marakesh, late November so weather wise it's probably not going to be that great, you might get rain it it will probably be just about warm at best.
You'll have to plan activities that suit this kind of weather or be prepared for it.
With Morrocco being an Islamic country this might limit what you can do on New Year's Eve and Christmas as I don't know what the celebrations are like and alcohol is very low key.
Also understand that you can get a lot of hastle in Marrakech and Women in Morrocco are normally covered. You need to check that your girlfriend understands this as women can get a lot of hastle in Marrakech.
Shopping in Marakech is great on the souks as long as you're prepared to haggle and deal with the touts that will constantly harrass you.
Probably the best day trips to do are in the Atlas mountains which are close by and you can go hiking.
Chris.
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Hi allI really appreciate all the responses I will take quite a bit of the advice given :) Im in Barbados from 21st Sep to 7th Oct and I will read more about Morocco and come up with some specific questions. I like the idea of seeing more of the county, I would prefer to stay in an apartment and have some ideas of finding suitable accommodation. I do not drive but my girlfriend does but from experience she gets stressed when driving so we will not hire a car. She knows North Africa a lot more than me as she had a boyfriend from Egypt in the past and went a few times.
Again thank you very informative and entertaining the responses I am getting some enthusiasm for the trip and as it gets closer I will no doubt get excited.
