Morocco People & Culture

Marrakech, especially the Medina, the old city is very exotic. Narrow streets and very easy to get lost but also very easy to get help from the locals, even if you might not speak arabic or french. Important to have pre-hand given tips or to hire a guide in order to find what is hidden behind the beautiful big, wooden doors. Friendly people, good food and shopping and many ways to relax in a hammam or a country club a bit outside the city.

Beautiful small town in Rif area…all painted in amazing blue color. People are very friendly, atmosphere is sooooo relaxing… trekking in nearby mountains can bring some nice surprisings…:)

Essaouira is marvelous town completely reserved for pedestrians; cars have to park outside the city walls; the narrow winding streets seem sometimes to be a maze of confusion, but one makes sense of them fairly quickly. Most of the tourists here are European: Spanish, French, English and German, in that order. The town is blessed with many small inns and gueshouses and several exellent resturants. One of the most fun things I did there was get custom-made pants and shirts. The town is a shopper's paradise. We found a place that carried linen pull-on pants and shirts, but although I liked the style of some, I prefered the fabric in trouser styles I did not care for. The shop owner pulled out a couple of bolts of the fabric I liked, took my measurements and five hours later I had two custom-made pants and a shirt...all for a very reasonable price. We went there from Marrakech by public bus which cost us about $20 for two people. On the way back, we took a taxi; that cost $50. I wanted to return by taxi because there were places I wanted to stop and take pictures. However, traveling in an airconditioned Mercedes taxi was FAR better than being in a hot, stuffy bus.

What do you say about Morocco? its the land of Ali Baba.. and Marrakech is his hometown.. You expect to see that dude come out of every stall you pass. There is almost something mythical about that place. I was there many many years ago. The berber culture is a proud culture, strange people. You keep your stuff CLOSE to you! forget a wallet in your back pocket.. thats FOOLISH! you put you money in your shoe.. anywhere thats not easy to get to. Especially the kids, they start crowding around you..thats how they do it first.. the others are the one that bump you hard.. You just got to keep away from people and hold your SHIT! Other than the thieves you can find all kinds of stuff here. but you have to know how to haggle..and haggle you will. All the stalls within the town walls of Marrakech are a bazzar of everything you can think of.. clothing, pots, pans, jewlry...anything. And Hot.. did I mention its HOT... I mean beat satan out of Hell HOT. take your breath away hot. But, thats the desert for you ... careful with the water.. only drink bottled water or soda.. There was no bottled water when I was there so I drank beer and soda. Also careful with the spices on the food.. itll eat you up too. But if you want to feel like you are in a Mythical Land - you are in Marrakech. Women - be careful.. men are very dominant.

Avoid the touts and ripoff merchants of the Djma el Fna by going into shops that only locals would use. The people are friendly and interesting, and on one occassion I met the most excellent local man (who happened to work in the shop next door) by wandering into a herb and spice shop and saying hello to the guys chilling down the back drinking tea. I ended up staying for ages and chatting, met all his friends later on, then was treated to a beautiful meal with his family the following night at his house. Just at a time when I was beginning to think Morocco was full of thieves and liars, this man and his family and friends proved how wrong I was. Not your typical tourist experience.

What do you say about Morocco? its the land of Ali Baba.. and Marrakech is his hometown.. You expect to see that dude come out of every stall you pass. There is almost something mythical about that place. I was there many many years ago. The berber culture is a proud culture, strange people. You keep your stuff CLOSE to you! forget a wallet in your back pocket.. thats FOOLISH! you put you money in your shoe.. anywhere thats not easy to get to. Especially the kids, they start crowding around you..thats how they do it first.. the others are the one that bump you hard.. You just got to keep away from people and hold your SHIT! Other than the thieves you can find all kinds of stuff here. but you have to know how to haggle..and haggle you will. All the stalls within the town walls of Marrakech are a bazzar of everything you can think of.. clothing, pots, pans, jewlry...anything. And Hot.. did I mention its HOT... I mean beat satan out of Hell HOT. take your breath away hot. But, thats the desert for you ... careful with the water.. only drink bottled water or soda.. There was no bottled water when I was there so I drank beer and soda. Also careful with the spices on the food.. itll eat you up too. But if you want to feel like you are in a Mythical Land - you are in Marrakech. Women - be careful.. men are very dominant.

Marrakech is supposed to be the treasure of Morocco if you want to see the traditional culture. If like me your not about to travel all the way tot the south Fez is a real good alternative, and most probably allot less crowded with us tourists

Most of my travels have been to fairly tame places, so I wanted to peel off from the tour group at the end and walk the Medina on my own. I'm glad I did. It's one of the rougher places I've been, but to me it didn't feel unsafe, just unpolished. Be assertive but friendly and you'll be fine... though women may feel more comfortable grouping up.

Asilas, a oasis of culture, is a small fortified town on the Atlantic coast of Morocco and about 50 km from Tangier. There's is a subtle vibe going on in the city: wall paintings catch the eye, and you can easily spen a day walking and appreciating the works of African artists. The city clean, it's peaceful and relaxing. And the people are just great!

Tanger lies on the North African coast, at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterrabean See meets the Atlantic Ocean. A crossroad between cultures. I have been in Tangiers several time and I have to admit that Tangiers has a tricky charm to put down in words!
First a magnet for artists that gathered in the city to find inspiration, it is now evolving as a top destination. Unfortunately, for the time being, the city has developped several urban areas, and Tangier has turned into a big construction site. But the natural glow of the city remains and you can still enjoy the views, the light, the life of the city.
My favourite place: Haffa Cafe, an institution! It's a cliffside cafe, where you can drink a nice mint tea overlooking the strait. Unbelievable.

Djama el Fna is just magic at night when people are playing music, charming snakes, drinking tea and eating tajine all over the place! A unique experience.

Fez is one of the most fascinating cities in the world; it is so diverse that each individual will find something or the other to do here. All you need to find is your area of interest and the only thing you should be open to is experimentation.
- Ibn Danan Synagogue

here some places

- Kairaouine Mosque and University
- Nejjarine Museum
- Zaouiya of Sidi Ahmed al-Tijani
- Museum of Andalusian Music
- Water Clock, part of the Bou Inania complex on Talaa Kibeera

- Besides the above given places there are many sites around Fez which are of immense historical importance and you should see them all on your visit to Fez.
- Tickle your taste buds and experience the exotic cuisine, or simply learn how to cook the sumptuous Moroccan dishes.
- Learn the Moroccan language and study the standard Arabic.
- You can also visit the tanneries of Fez, or the place where beautiful pottery is created.
- Maneuver through the streets of the Fez lost in the vibrant market place, absorbing all you can.
- Shop till you drop through out the vacation and surely you will still find it less.
- Discover new ingredients and new remedies to old ailments with Berber pharmacy in the Medina, the typical Moroccan therapy.
- Loiter around the streets of Fez and immerse yourself in the aroma of the city.
- Cherableeyeen Mosque
- Royal Palace
- Merenid Tombs
- Hammams in Fez`

Fondest Memory: i live here so i don't miss any thing i enoyed it every thing in this wonderful city.

so for more help or any information please free to contact me i will be glade to help.

Fouad

Best windsurf and kitesurf beaches in West Africa.
Place of Gnawa Music Festival.
Wonderful henna at Habiba's place!
The freshest seafood you can get (still kicking)..

Essaouira is an excellent destination for Westerners travelling Morocco. It is pretty quiet and people will hardly harass you.
The old town is inscribed in the Unesco World Heritage list.
Other popular tourist attractions are windsurfing and the Gnaoua music festival in summer.

**Sorry if this travel tip is a little scattered. I want to make sure that I don't cover unnecessary things and talk about the important ones**

Stall #23 was my favorite OJ vendor. It was naturally sweet. I think I had about 4 to 5 glasses each day, which gave me a rebound immune boost due to lack of Vitamin C, after Marrakesh.

If you are a solo woman traveler, watch out for men at Djemaa el Fna at night. My butt was touched a few times. Enjoy the story-telling even if you can't understand Berber or Arabic, enjoy the music, enjoy the culture!

I had Moroccan crepe or rifaa, facing the market mid of the square. It was a very filling breakfast. Must try!

I had a hamam at the local women's bathhouse. I then went to the local store, by the entrace/exit of the souq towards the square, to buy the black soap, clay, and loofah and was able to take with me in the US.

I had a really good sheep brain/face at Stall #19. You must try! I also had snails in a couple of stalls. And I had a diced liver and lamb sausage towards the back of the stalls, to the left when facing the main street.

You must drink the tea!!! I had unlimited at my riad. That and shisha.

If you think you're getting a good deal, maybe you should haggle and start 90% less of what they are asking. In our riad, we were taught that the prices are usually increased up to 500% (five hundred percent).

There is a prayer call at 5 am. This is also the only time you will see the Koutoubia open. Please be sensitive and don't bring your camera if you're going there at 5 am. A little respect, yah. And no, you won't be able to go in. It is just amazing to see a unified amount of people getting up at 5 am in order to pray.

Last, get yourself lost in the souqs!

As the administrative capital, Rabat is much more orderly than neighbouring Casablanca. It's streets are clean, grass and flower bed are almost manicured, but that doesn't mean it's devoid of character, the corniche and citadel are beautiful as is the old city which, though it looks like a museum, is still lived in. Go to the covered market - aside from all the bargains you can strike, you can get fresh fish sandwiches which were so good I went back for more! Oh, and I thought it was especially safe - even the busy covered market

La Scala restaurant in Casablanca is a a place where you can eat good food all day. Set in the old city walls the restaurant is set in beautiful gardens with Moroccan style decor. The set breakfast menu at £5.00 is great value including fruit juice, fruit salad, mint tea, pastries, traditional omelette and lots of bread. The lunch and evening menus have delicious fish and meat choices and of course tagines. Alcohol is not served but the range of fruit juices is fantastic. The atmosphere is relaxed, the service attentive and the staff speak both French and English. The clientele vary, it is a comfortable place to eat alone but also ideal for groups, couples and children as there are lots of separate dining areas. There is a mix of locals, tourists and business people depending on the time of day.

Agadir is an important fishing and commercial port, the first sardine port in the world, (exporting cobalt , manganese , zinc and citrus).It is also a seaside resort with a long sandy beach . Because of its large buildings, wide roads , modern hotels , and European-style cafés , Agadir is not a typical city of traditional Morocco, but it is a modern, busy and dynamic town. Agadir is famous for its sea food and agriculture .

I dont reccommend going here if you are a female alone or even a group of girls. Men need to be with you for safety. And be very warey of what you eat! I had food poisoning for 4 days! Another things is dont get roped into doing a tour that you havent had reccommended by another tourist. There are alot of offices around that office excursions at a package price, some are great, others are very dissappointing. The trip to Marrakesh is amazing although a very dangerous and long drive. Shark fishing is fun just to spend the day on a boat but I did not see one shark the whole day!

If tired of eating fish and tipical dishes, go to La Triskalla (Creperie, Galerie, Saveurs du Monde), in rue Touahen. Small sophisticated place. They serve also vegetarian food.
http://latriskalla.skyrock.com/

Marrakech, especially the Medina, the old city is very exotic. Narrow streets and very easy to get lost but also very easy to get help from the locals, even if you might not speak arabic or french. Important to have pre-hand given tips or to hire a guide in order to find what is hidden behind the beautiful big, wooden doors. Friendly people, good food and shopping and many ways to relax in a hammam or a country club a bit outside the city.

Beware of the men with monkeys or snakes, once they get them on you for a photo, they dont come off till you pay!

Rabat is a government town. There are a few things here and there to see, but if you want some activity or sunshine, it's better to head north a bit Asila or one of the other beach towns. They're more laid back, and cheaper, too.

get lost on the medina.

they try to make us believe that we need a guide to go around the medina but it's not true. the only thing they will do is go around with you to the shops where you don't want to by carpets. The restaurants they advice are the most expensive ones.

the best to do in fes is to get lost on the medina and try the most simple places to eat.

if you can, choose an comfortable hotel because you will need it to rest from the hot and movement of the medina.

when i was there i choose one of the less expensive hotels from the "Guide Routard" and can say that it was difficult not to have a clean and fresh room to rest.

from my experience, the "Guide Routard" as better tips then the lonely planet, so, if ou can read in french, choose the french guide to go around marroco.

don't forget the hammam but don't let those guys make you a massage, they are so violent that you can regret it to the rest of your stay in the country.

When in Morocco, definitely go sleep in a riad- it's much more charming than a regular hotel

Rabat is a government town. There are a few things here and there to see, but if you want some activity or sunshine, it's better to head north a bit Asila or one of the other beach towns. They're more laid back, and cheaper, too.

Ourzazate is a location that the moroccan government has promoted to spread tourists out. Nothing there really except some film studios (Hollywood shot the mummy, the english patient and others there). Ok place to spend the night but much prefer Zagora, if headed for the sahara.

When you exchange money they are going to probably give you all of your dirhams in either 100s or 200s. For a taxi or a water from a store on a corner this is way too much money. The best place to get smaller bills is McDonalds. There is one in Agdal (upscale neighborhood, to get there take the 56 bus or get a cab and say "ila Makdoonaldz fee Agdal") and there is one in the government district.

Anyways go to McDonalds and order the cheapest thing they have, pay for it with a 200 and ask them to give you only 50s back. Works every time.