Morocco What to Expect

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.

When you stop for washroom breaks be aware of the children who approach you with baby donkeys or try to sell you stuff. One little guy was with a baby donkey and when I got off my bus be said, "Lady, take a picture". So I did, it was darling. Then he followed me around hounding me for a euro.

A very nice city. Was in Marrakech for business. Really enjoyed the souks and shopping for deals. I was surprised at the cost of most of the items - I was anticipating getting much better deals than what was available. Perhaps that was the weak $, or the types of souvenirs I was buying. Best souvenirs I purchased were drums for the kids and LOTS of spices for cooking.

Its hard, but try not to buy things from the kids on the street -- you'll have thirty other kids trying to sell you things too...

avoid like the plague. touts and children who throw rocks.

Never look interested in at something in the Souks (unless you do want to buy ) as they will pounce on you and talk you to death if you don't buy it and beware of the henna tattooists as they grab you and paint on you if you go near them, then charge you - this happened to me! Take a man with you (if you are female) as they tend to give you lots of unwanted attention if you're female(s) and on your own Always check what price a taxi fare should be before getting in as they WILL rip you off (though it's still dirt cheap so I didn't mind) If you don't mind chancing it, don't book a hotel before you go as you will get a lovely and clean hotel easliy and very cheaply near the main square if you just turn up NEVER take chances with the food, never eat salad or drink tapwater! I was ill for 5 days after eating a salad!! Definately go to Essaouira, it's beautiful Definately go through the Atlas mountains, it is beautiful (but beware the road is very bumpy and twisty-turny and no air con on the bus so made me feel sick!) and do a camel ride in the Sahara - you can book these tours in Marrakesh, ask the hotel reception and they show you where to go You need to change money when you get there as you cannot buy currency before you go (at the airport in they change it) You won't be able to escape the attention from would-be sellers everwhere so just try to ignore it (or be firm) and enjoy the beautiful surroundings Take the bus sightseeing tour when you arrive, it's good for getting your bearings

Rissani, while a convenient stop off point for travelling from the north of Morroco to the desert by bus, should be noted for it's overly pushy and occasionally decietful locals. I should point out that I had an amazing time in Morroco, and the people are generally really friendly and interesting, but this is just one of those cautionary tales of things to look out for. Whilst backpacking around the country, myself and several friends caught a bus to rissani, intending to then get a taxi straight to a particular hostel in the desert. However, as soon as we arrived, in the late evening, we were latched upon by a very persistent man, who insisted we stay at his hostel. After going into a cafe to avoid him, he continued to push his services, while we tried to chill out after a six hour bus trip. When we eventually said we just wanted to find our own place to stay, he claimed that the only two taxi drivers in the town were currently in the cafe, and we would not find anywhere else to go. After getting into an argument, he then accused one of my friends of being racist. We walked off, but were soon followed by several of the men on mo-peds, who claimed they just wanted to apologise. Immediately after this, the two taxis from the cafe followed as if to pick us up. Feeling threatened, we went into the nearest hostel we could find, coincedentally opposite a taxi rank! One of the men even slyly followed us in and got a commision off of us! Relieved to be out of the situation, we paid for a nights accommodation, and arranged with the hostel clerk to get a taxi the following day. However, the next day we found that the taxi driver did not want to take us where we wanted to go, but instead to another hostel he said he had been instructed to take us to.When we argued enroute, he then turned around and took us back to Rissani, where we argued some more (!) with the guys at the hostel, and eventually got our money back. My female companions were quite upset at this point, and we decided to go to a police station to report the hassle we had received in the town. Unfortunately, no-one at the station spoke english, so they called in an interpeter. Who just so happened to be the guy we were reporting! Anyway, after a sitdown and some more arguing with the chief of police and the two men from the hostel, one of the guys from the hostel agreed to drive us to the taxi rank and ensure we got out of town alright. We eventually got to the desert, and had an amazing time in the saharan desert, riding camels and sleeping out in berber tents amongst the dunes and stars! So, a happy ending in the middle of a fantastic adventure, but just something to watch out for.

go and eat to the restaurants on the seaside walk. . . good food and female singing performance.

Huge city!!! Not worth to spend long time there. Place to stay: l'auberge des jeunes - nice, clean, well situated (medina, next to train station Casa-Port). Bed in 5-bed room (males and females separate) cost 60 drs (around 5.5€) To see: only huge qnd really impresive mosque of Hasan II !!!NO MORE CONSULAT OF MAURITANIE IN CASABLANCA!!!

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!

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

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

Eating in Morocco is a joy. BUT be sure and ask around before you go to an "upscale" eating establishment. There are several tourist traps. One of the tastiest and cheapest things to do, is to eat on the big square. The square features prominently in the movie Rendition. Much of the movie was shot there. Morroco became the Middle Eastern Hollywood after David Lean shot much of Lawrence of Arabia there. Well, back to eating on the square: During the day it is deserted, but at night it comes to life with dozens upon dozens of food stalls and grills and the cooking gets underway. For $5 you can eat your fill. Don't be afraid. Many tourists are concerned about sanitation. We ate there four times and every time we had cautious European tourists ask us whether it was "safe" and then they joined us to dine al fresco. Also, if you are staying overnight (Marrakech deserves at least three full days) and if your budget allows, DO NOT stay in the hotels. Find a Riad (an old family home that has been converted to a bed-and-breakfast). You will meet fellow travelers over breakfast and you can share tips. There are tons of ATMs all around the square to get cash. Remember, it is better to pull from your Cash card rather than a getting a cash advance from your credit card.

Never look interested in at something in the Souks (unless you do want to buy ) as they will pounce on you and talk you to death if you don't buy it and beware of the henna tattooists as they grab you and paint on you if you go near them, then charge you - this happened to me! Take a man with you (if you are female) as they tend to give you lots of unwanted attention if you're female(s) and on your own Always check what price a taxi fare should be before getting in as they WILL rip you off (though it's still dirt cheap so I didn't mind) If you don't mind chancing it, don't book a hotel before you go as you will get a lovely and clean hotel easliy and very cheaply near the main square if you just turn up NEVER take chances with the food, never eat salad or drink tapwater! I was ill for 5 days after eating a salad!! Definately go to Essaouira, it's beautiful Definately go through the Atlas mountains, it is beautiful (but beware the road is very bumpy and twisty-turny and no air con on the bus so made me feel sick!) and do a camel ride in the Sahara - you can book these tours in Marrakesh, ask the hotel reception and they show you where to go You need to change money when you get there as you cannot buy currency before you go (at the airport in they change it) You won't be able to escape the attention from would-be sellers everwhere so just try to ignore it (or be firm) and enjoy the beautiful surroundings Take the bus sightseeing tour when you arrive, it's good for getting your bearings

avoid Djamaa El Fna food market try Riad Demeures D'orient a great place avoid automatic cash exchange try new feelings Comptoir Paris

We saw a snake charmer here and it was just like you'll remember from childhood cartoons. Very cool. But eating the scrawny "chicken" dinner the night before (I suspected it was really pigeon) left me pretty sick the day we were here so I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. It was probably the grapes that actually made me sick -- we were warned not to eat any fruit that you couldn't peel or remove the skin from. But the thought of eating pigeon still makes me feel queasy to this day (20 years after the trip to Marakkesh)

Ahhh...Such a scary place..:(..Will nevr go there agin