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..... costs depends on where in Morocco you fly into, the South is cheaper, the Sous area and the seaside villages on Atlantic Coast. Few tourists bother to travel south, are more attracted to the hullabaloo of Jemaa-el-fna, a staged Moroccan culture neatly packaged for them and happily pay for it. If you can fly into Agadir, the Sous Valley, Anti-Atlas Mountains and Atlantic villages await you.

In June parts of Morocco are hot, along the Atlantic the temperatures are modified with cool refreshing on-shore breezes, in winter the reverse effect with relatively warmer air off the Ocean.

Research these links..... http://mirleft.free.fr/index.html ..a number of low cost hotels are found in Mirhleft like this one, they are a bit like hostels with better facility's .. http://www.abertih.com/ and http://tafoukt.free.fr/index.html

....Taroudannt a large town in the centre of the Sous Valley, enclosed by a high wall, these clips will give you a sense of the town and people... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wlOVx6Z60s and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk5rvemTBeE

A recent post on budget travel in the south, Miehleft, Sidi Ifni are mentioned among many places, warts and all... http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2273047

To get information, this site you might find helpful, Agadir is a holiday resort most busy in winter for sun seekers, away from the holiday beach strip and in the suburb of Inzegane just south, cheap accommodation can be easily found, Inzegane is the biggest transport hub in the area, search the drop-downs... http://www.visitagadir.com/index.php

This is a low cost destination, The Sous and the Anti-Atlas Mountains villages, Tafraoute and the many small remote villages, research on this interactive map.... http://looklex.com/morocco/map02.htm

2

I'm also a fan of the Sidi Ifni - Legzira - Mirleft region when it comes to beaches. Lezgira beach has a couple of hotels right on the beach at about 150dh. Further inland Tafraoute and the nearby Ameln Valley are gorgeous places for mountains and walking.

My other favourite area is the small market town of Azrou in the Middle Atlas about 80km south of Fez with its springs, lakes, wild flowers, monkeys, cedar forests and volcanos. The hotel Cedres in Azrou is 75dh/night for a single with toilets in the corridor.

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I'm stunned at both the rapidness of response, and also the detail. Many thanks to you both...What seems most important to my savage Queen is a short trip into the desert by camel, hopefully involving a fire, and a night on the desert, where we can lie side by side on a comfy rug or simply the sand, and share a view of the stars likely never to be found as beautiful again...

where is our best bet to find such a trip and do it safely and cheaply???

The plan presently, is to fly from London to Casablanca. Definitely wish to visit Marrakesh, and also Fes if possible (if it is markedly different to elsewhere?). Then other than the camel ride trip, night in the desert trek...my own major preference is to enjoy a few days, maybe even up to 5 days, near a gorgeous beach, bereft of swarms of tourists, cheap, with safe water and warm weather...

So if we fancied Casablanca as a starting point, then aiming to include the desert trek by camel, whether one night or two, some wonderful markets and a seaside town or two where we could exist cheaply and joyfully and blissfully for 5 days or so, what would be the best suggestion of you chaps??? or of anyone else kind enough to chip in??

And also, please suggest some idea of costs...as mentioned before, travel as cheaply as possible, and staying with the bare requirements of a private bed, and access to toilet/water.

Is accommodation best to book beforehand or can we simply turn up in places and be inundated with guides/touts vying for our gold nuggets??? Or will a modern guide book suffice for arriving at places, then asking to be taken to a place mentioned??

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About the desert, you can choose between Erg Chebbi (my favorite place) or Erg Chigaga, both are worth to visit and are nice. You can read about that on this link: , I visited both more times and tried to give unbiased information.
It is worth to stay in the desert, ie in one of those ergs more than only one night. Costs are a little different between those two ergs, Chebbi is maybe a little cheaper than Chigaga, but not so much anyway. The night in sand dunes in Beduin tent costs between 25-40EUR, depend of which kind of the camp you wish to have, simple or luxury. To stay at some accommodation is also between 20EUR and up. Prices for the camps and accommodations are incl. breakfast and dinner.
About to book in advance or not, it depend also. If you want to waste the time with to search after something, you not need, but in bigger city maybe it is better to book in advance. In the desert too, advantage is that you skip just all tout that try to convince you that their particular place is the best and cheapest. So it is up to you how to do. Anyway you not need be worry to not find some accommodation.

Edited by: khamlia

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Hi Daniel,

I will be travelling in Morocco for roughly 3 weeks this December 2012. I have been using a Lonely Planet guidebook, internet sources (such as http://riadzany.blogspot.co.uk/ amongst others), the ThornTree forum and old fashioned conversations to get a sense of cost and planning.

June approaches the high season. It is also fortuitous - you have the possibility of sleeping on roofs/terraces/verandahs for Dh30 per person. From what I read, this is both common and safe. Even some mid-range hotels permit this. It is possible to budget Dh170 per day sleeping outside; eating a filling breakfast; simple food for lunch; and a nice+simple dinner in a restaurant. This does not include transport nor other costs (museums, tips etc).

If you require a cheap 'private bed', it is quite possible you will find a handful at Dh140 maximum in most towns/cities. Buses and trains are relatively inexpensive. They can get you to where you want to go, just as long as you have the patience when delays ensue.

I would advise getting your hands on a guidebook. From what I read, the further south you go, the fewer tourists you will encounter. Research the above posts.

Merzouga and Zagora appear to be the principal starting points for ventures into the desert. The hotel/auberge Ksar Bicha in Erg Chebbi (a few Kms from Merzouga) has it's own pitched desert camp for overnight trips. This is not shared with other hotels, so you might find the ethereal get-away you are looking for. You'll need to book ahead - see tripadvisor for reviews.

Despite your budget, you may want to look into staying in a Riad once. These are former grand town houses that now offer boutique accommodation. Often there are no more than 10 rooms. They capture the elegance and romance of Morocco. Again, you will need to book ahead (see www.fez-riads.com).

Travel well,
khaled.

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Khaled, "June approaches the high season" ??? It is a little wrong info. Do you not mean low??? High season is in Spring incl. Eastern, Autumn and December, most around Christmas and New Year.
And, not only Ksar Bicha has it's own desert camp. There are many accommodations with own private camps.

Edited by: khamlia

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Khamlia, my mistake. The summer is, however, a peak period of particular people, such as students owing to the long vacation. Thank you for the correction.

Daniel, just to clarify, a frugal budget of Dh170 per day/per person sleeping outside is perhaps the lowest you could go. A little bit extra would make the trip more comfortable for you both. Regards.

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If you can get by with a room with a shared bath, maybe 350-750 dirhams a day, depending on where you eat, how much you travel, how many souvenirs you buy.
And June is the "high season"--in the desert temps likely will be high/hot.
Wait until you arrive in Merzouga and arrange for a desert tour through your hotel..

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..... If you arrive in Casablanca a City....... you don't need to visit two more Cities, drop Fez to avoid over repeating the City experience. See the posts and links on this recent post on Cassablanca, a City much maligned ... http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2275463 ... here you can use the Railway Network to reach Marrakesh, trains are cheap and safe mostly punctual, arriving in Gueliz (new town) a short distance from the Medina, a 20 minute walk. For trains and Supratours Buses working in conjunction.... http://www.oncf.ma/PrixEtReservation/Pages/BilletsNormaux.aspx

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Marocfan do you mean that you will be high of the hot weather in the desert? If I was there in this "high season" I would be not high, I would be so slowly as death almost LOL

And about to book, I think marocfan you not understand what I mean when I say to book in advance. I mean not to book the tour, but hotel would be good to find in advance and book. Most accommodation are not just in Merzouga and to run from one to other and search one room, it can take quite long time. And at bus station are waiting touts for the hotels, so you can be unlucky and end up where it does not appeal to you so much. And how do you run there to another hotel?

Khaled, if I take it so, so you have right, for the particular persons as students and teachers it is high season :)

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Thankyou to all concerned for the continued input...Slowly but surely a route of sorts is taking shape in our minds.
Beginning in Casablanca, a day or so there, then onto Marrakech by train/coach. A few days there to explore the medina and take a trip or three to the major highlights. From Marrakech purchase a trip into the desert to play camel/camp fire/sleep under the stars...Next will be a dash for Mirleft, Legzira, Sidi Ifni...a week perhaps by the sea...

Also, I very much like the sound of Azrou, but need to check its location and try to shoe-horn a visit into our present plan.

Casablanca 2/3 days>Marrakesh>Desert Camel 1/2 night trip>Agadir path to Mirleft/Legzira/Sidi Ifni 3-5 nights> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Perhaps Azrou after making our way North via easiest, cheapest, most pleasant and interesting route>>>Tangier 2 nights>>>Tarifa (SPAIN)

can we do all that if 14-21 nights comfortably???? And what parts of that plan could be made by train?? rest of it easy enough by coach??? After leaving the coastal towns, what would be a good path to Azrou??? Would we be better of using our 3-5 days of relaxing beach time in non-tourist lovely seaside places in Taghazout or somewhere else above Agadir????

Cheers, in advance, for your tips...we are set to purchase our flights this evening, or tomorrow at the latest, so will be aiming to work out how long we need in Morocco very soonish.
Daniel

Edited by: thegutterpoet

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By train:
Casa - Marrakech
Casa - Tangier
the rest by bus, car or taxi or by foot :)

P.S. and I forgot - by camel LOL

Edited by: khamlia

Edited by: khamlia

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Why even consider spending two or three days in Casa?????

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Casablanca seems the cheapest place to fly into, from the UK. We hope to make the trip back to London on the ground, via Spain and France. If Casablanca is as lacking charm as many seem to suggest, perhaps we should focus more on marrakesh and/or fes???