Dear friends
I am a fortyish single male. I plan a 3 month visit to Morocco. I would like to live in a nice Medina, have quiet and pretty accommodation (either an apartment or a private room with some sort of kitchen rights), eat good food, take walks, sit in tea-shops, and read tons of books (which I will bring with me). It occurs to me to do this in Fez -- but would you suggest another city instead? It occurs to me to do this Sept - Nov of 2008. But Sept will be Ramadan -- will any restaurants/tea shops be open at all? In Fez -- will November be already cold? Also, how is the air pollution in Fez? How would I look for this kind of semi-longish term accommodation? Finally, do you suppose I might be comfortable on, say, $600 a month? $1000 a month? Many thanks!
Fez is the most sophisticated medina in Morocco - and you can do trips from their easily by bus, train and grand taxi to many neighboring towns including Chefcheouan, Meknes, Casa and even Marakeesh (7 hours by train). Most of the other Medinas are much smaller and lack the sophistication - so they may be too limiting for a 3 month visit. People eat dinner during Ramadan - and most restaurants are probably open - plus it is not a strict Muslim country - in fact Fez has a large Berber population that does not actively practice Islam or any religion. There are many rentals - check the guide books (Lonely planet etc. as a starter - then hit the net). Morocco can be surprising expensive - but you can eat cheaply by sticking to their great diet and avoiding western style places. Fez also has good control over transport costs (meters in taxis etc which is not uniform throughout Moroc.) so that will help you too. Have fun!
The medina in Marrakech is just as "sophisticated" (whatever that means; I thought only people could be sophisticated) as that in Fes. Many people who have posted in this forum believe the "hassle factor" is greater in Fes than in Marrakech. I like both cities but much prefer Marrakech. And yes, it can be cold in November--check the weather information on yahoo and msn for records and average temperatures.
And no, Morocco is not "surprising expensive."
Hi, Im quite surprised at Fez now being called the most sophisticated medina in Morocco - have never thought about nor seen that as a description! and I also much prefer Marrakech - Fez's medina is listed by Unesco as a world heritage site, its very old and historical interest could be an impressive attraction - but to me the hassle is worse in Fez and i also prefer the surrounds of Marrakech that can be enjoyed - Essouira is great for a few days around its medina and beach and coastal areas - theres the Atlas mountain areas of TizinTichka(Telouet and through to Ouarzazate, Dades Valley and Gorges) and TizinTest(such as the mosque of Tin Mal, scenic areas such as Imlil and Asni) and down to Taroudannt and Tafroute.
In addition to wonderful Marrakech, towns i would recommend as great places for lounging around for a few days or a week or more at a time would include - Telouet, Essaouira, Asilah, Chefchouen, Tafroute, even Cascade douzoud, and a nice spot up the Dades Gorges and indulge in the luxury of lounging and roaming around there for a few days or more!, and Merzouga in the sahara, thinking about it with that amount of time id even go stay, which i have done before actually, in Casablanca for a few days or more (lots of disagreement on that one! but id still agree with myself!)
Other comments also such as Fez having a large Berber population that does not actively practice Islam - is actually not just Fez! - its true Morocco is one of the most liberal Islamic countries but there are certain 'musts' - even if there are many moroccans who drink alcohol etc and might not be actively praying the 5 times a day etc when it comes to such religious fundamentals as Ramadan even they and the majority of Moroccans will be adhering to that. And ive been there for 3 years of ramadans - if youre in a city its minimal problems with restaurants etc, (and its at ramadan that ive seen the place eg medina of Marrakech, after the locals have broken their fast at sundown the most alive and busy ive seen it!if you are in a small country town basic or essential shops will be open but shut early afternoon. Main road/access routes will still have restaurants for travellers)
Several suggestions. Three months will give you LOTS of time to look around before you settle down, and that's what I'd advise. Check out Fez, Meknes, Marrakech, and the other suggestions above. But personally, I prefer the much smaller places, and there are several in the south that I return to for a month or more. Much friendlier, safe, no hassle. Not so in any of the cities, in my experience. Spend some time learning the language, doing what the locals do, hiking around, hanging out--if that sounds appealing.
Second point, Ramadan doesn't really matter if you're going to find a place with a kitchen. It's much wiser if you're not going to fast just not to eat in public during the day anyhow. If you want to stay for three months, presumably you want to move more in the direction of "fitting in" than not, and so I'd even recommend that you try the fasting, just to relate to what's happening around you--up to you.
You can live very reasonably, but you'll have to look around for a while to find the bargains. I've found places just by asking the people in the hotel or cafes. Everyone knows someone with a room to rent, a vacancy next door, whatever. But it takes a while to check things out, compare prices. You can live for $1000/month no problem, including all the travel you want. You can live for a lot less in smaller places.
But I return to the point of exploring a bit rather than finding something over the net before you go. Let your own intuition guide you. The weather is much better in the south, so maybe take a trip down the coast just west of Tiznit, for example, if you think a smaller town might be right for you. September to November should be great weather, cooling down toward the end. I'd especially suggest you check out Essaouira for a prolonged stay during your first visit to Morocco, by the way.
Most restaurants are NOT open during Ramadan, let's be clear on that.
Aside from that, good advice from the above posters. I would suggest finding a place with a kitchen as well - I'd say Fez is a good bet, unless you don't like cold weather, in which case Marrakesh or Essaouira (the latter might get boring, I don't know) would be good choices for that time of year. The added benefit of Fez is that it's close to so many other wonderful places (Meknes, Ifrane, Chefchaouen, Moulay Yacoub, Azrou, etc).
I would say you could easily survive on $1,000 or less. When I lived in Meknes, in a huuuuge ville nouvelle apartment, I paid less than $250/month on rent, and probably spent around $250 more on everything else necessary.
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