Three weeks in Morocco

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Overview

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Most of the organized tours do brief swings through the main sites, ending up back on the plane, ferry to Spain, or in Agadir in less than a week. We decided to see the real Morocco and go at our own pace, staying wherever we ended up. Following is a rundown on some common destinations such as Fez and Marrakesh, but also some info on some lesser-known, but just as interesting places.Quick Tips: Best Way To Get Around: You can catch a bus or a share taxi to pretty much anywhere you want to go in Morocco. The buses are nothing special, but they'll get you there. One odd custom, however, is that they charge you for carrying luggage. I saw locals paying it as well, so it's not a t...Read More

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Silverwoods at Treasure Lake

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Hotel | "various cheapies"

Merzouga guesthouse Photo - Silverwoods at Treasure Lake, DuBois, Pennsylvania

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Guesthouse accommodations in Morocco are lukewarm: nothing special, but not horrible. Budget hotels are pretty basic. Expect hard beds, thin sheets, and probably a squat toilet, for anywhere from $6 to $15 per night. Beware of places that are next to a Mosque, unless you can easily get back to sleep after having a wailing Meuzzin jolting you out of bed.

The simple villages seem to have the funkiest hotels--perhaps because they don't have to deal with cramped quarters. Our room in Todra Gorge had an amazing view from the rooftop deck and some of the other places we stayed in had really atmospheric restaurants or hang-out rooms. If nothing else, the hosts were always friendly and helpful.

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on September 25, 2000

Silverwoods at Treasure Lake
1 Coral Reef Road
DuBois, Pennsylvania
(814) 375-1800

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Hiking in the Dunes

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Attraction

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The edge of the vast Sahara washes up in Morocco, like an ocean that stops at the beach. The town of Merzouga is perched on the edge, with a view of the dunes that's like a view of the mountains from a valley. There's a dirt road, then just dirt and rock, and then dunes that go on for hundreds of miles. You can rent camels for a few hours and take a guided tour of the area, or you can just strike out on your own for free. The key if you take the latter route is to always keep close to the village and to get back before the sun gets up too far. Sunrise is fine, but noon is deathly. Even the locals stay inside in the afternoon, amusing themselves with songs, stories, or crafts. W...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on September 25, 2000

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Hiking in Todra Gorge

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Attraction

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Todra Gorge is like something out of the American West, but it accents how much diversity there is in this country. It's a narrow canyon that rises dramatically on each side. It's only 30 feet wide in some spots, but nearly 1000 feet high. The local hotels can arrange treks, or you can just stay at the bottom of the canyon and follow the road--it's impossible to get lost. The scenery is stunning and it's another peaceful place to spend the evening.

We stayed at the Hotel Les Rohes ($7-$10 per night), right at the entrance to the gorge. You'll have a longer ride or walk from other places, but the scenery along the way is fantastic.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on September 25, 2000

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Trust your instincts

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Story/Tip

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After a healthy dose of Paul Bowles short stories and some unflattering stories about touts and hustlers, I had my guard up bigtime when we hit Morocco. Ironically, after three trips around the globe, it's the country where a friendly local was the most help in turning us on to great places. We flew into Casablanca, did a quickie stop in Meknes, then went to the fantastic spot of Chefchouan to chill out in the mountains for a few days. In Chefchouan, we met a jewelry store owner who didn't even try to sell us any jewelry. He just met us while walking around town, invited us for tea, and introduced us to his cousin and family. The next day he invited us to lunch at his home and...Read More

After a healthy dose of Paul Bowles short stories and some unflattering stories about touts and hustlers, I had my guard up bigtime when we hit Morocco.

Ironically, after three trips around the globe, it's the country where a friendly local was the most help in turning us on to great places. We flew into Casablanca, did a quickie stop in Meknes, then went to the fantastic spot of Chefchouan to chill out in the mountains for a few days.

In Chefchouan, we met a jewelry store owner who didn't even try to sell us any jewelry. He just met us while walking around town, invited us for tea, and introduced us to his cousin and family. The next day he invited us to lunch at his home and we went out for mint tea that night with him and his cousin. Turns out his cousin was going back to Fez the next day, on the same bus as we were. My wife bought a piddly bracelet, we promised to send him a T-shirt from home, and it still seemed too good to be true.

For another few days we waited for "the catch," as the guy's cousin Ali showed us around Fez, took us to places no guides even seemed to know about, and recommended some places on the outskirts to check out. He had us over for dinner and marked lots of places in our guidebook that we should visit later. In the end, we had him help us buy a (not very expensive) rug, but we had to really plead with him to get him to help us find good quality and negotiate.

After we left Fez, we spent most of the rest of our trip visiting places he had recommended, such as Merzouga on the edge of the Sahara, Todra Gorge, and Essaoura. We also hit some small towns that were stopping points here and there, and all of them turned out to be great.

Yes, lots of people get ripped off in Tangiers (even the Moroccans say the city should be avoided), but don't let this get in your way of meeting real Moroccans. Just get out of Tangiers, have some sense, and keep your eyes and ears open. As for us, when we boarded the plane for Egypt we were still waiting for some fallout from all of Ali's kindness. Of course there was none. He was just being hospitable, as were a dozen other great people we met along the way. As one guy we met in the middle of an oasis said: "You buy something, then we talk, we laugh, we drink tea. You don't buy something, we laugh, we talk, we drink tea."

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Kicking back in Chefchouan

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Story/Tip

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It's no secret to the Spanish backpackers who come here for the, um, herbal remedies, but Chefchouan is usually nowhere on the itinerary for most North American travelers.

Too bad, because it's one of the most atmospheric places in Morocco, if not the whole of North Africa. It's a mellow, laid-back place full of shephards, old men in Djellabas (those big pointy-head hooded coats), and endless glasses of mint tea. The historic town courtyard sits next to an old castle fort, while a crumbling ancient Mosque is perched atop a nearby hillside. Circling the town are towering mountains. It's a great place to relax, hike, or just wander the whitewashed alleyways.

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