Morocco

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Revision as of 22:48, 5 November 2013 by Guaka (talk | contribs)

Template:Country Morocco is a wonderful place to be a nomad. Everyone is multilingual, everything is reasonably cheap, the weather is good and hospitality is abundant. It is important to understand that there are two very different sides to Morocco. There are the cities, from the modern industrial metropolis of Casablanca, to the crazy, filthy, magical streets of Marrakech. The beating hearts of Morocco, fuelled entirely by tourist dollars, some people hate the cities, others never want to leave them. The other side of Morocco is the countryside, the mountains and farmland, largely populated by ethnic Berbers, for whom hospitality is sacred. In the cities, people expect payment for nearly everything. By contrast, in the little mountain villages you would offend someone if you offered him money for his hospitality. If you are friendly and speak a little French, you can expect a cup of tea or even a meal at almost every Berber village. Keep a notebook to write Facebook addresses and phone numbers in! You will also have many interactions with European tourists if you stick to the main tourist routes. Camping is tolerated everywhere, although not technically permitted. The police are supposed to tell you to pack up your tent and find a hotel, but this never really happens.

In the cities, everyone speaks French and almost everyone speaks English. Spanish, Italian, German, even a little Japanese are often spoken to some degree by shopkeepers. But if you plan on exploring outside the cities, you will have a much better time if you speak a little French. It is often essential for hitchhiking and asking directions.


Fes - The old quarter of Fes is one of the best preserved medinas in the Arabic world. The ancient leather tanning vats are a popular destination. As you try to enter people will tell you there is an admission fee -- this is NOT true;the vats are a public area, just push past the hustlers.

Essaouira - A very chilled out beach town in the south. The medina is small, but cleaner (only slightly) and quieter than what you find everywhere else.

It is often said on online forums that you can just pitch your tent on the beach in Essaouira. I hate to speak ill of what is a very friendly, pleasant city, but the fact is that some pretty unsavoury characters sometimes walk the beach at night. You're better off camping in the thick bushes and trees a few hundred meters behind the beach.

Chefchaouen - The goat's horns, a small city up in the Rif mountains, founded by Jews expelled from Spain after the Reconquista. Painted blue, laid-back, some hustlers(harmless, even though they can be annoying) trying to sell you hash.

Ouarzazate A fairly uninteresting city in itself, but friendly and clean, Oarzazate is the biggest city on the Saharan side of the atlas, and the hub for tours to Erg Chebbi, Erg Chigaga, the Dades and Todra gorges, and Ait Benhaddou. If you want to camp, walk about 2km west along the main highway, and find a hidden spot in the farms and orchards that line the road. Workers are usually out there until dusk, so either ask their permission or wait till they're gone. hitch:Morocco trash:Morocco couch:Morocco