I am traveling with a tour group (hispania tours in Malaga, Spain) thru Morocco next March and wondered if anyone had any tips? This is not a tent desert dune thing...mostly hotels and some tent...too cushy to legitimately call it adventure touring really. Even still...ideas?
Ok, so assuming that you've got your itinerary and things-to-see set by the tour company, you've never been to Morocco and want to know what to bring/expect? The weather shouldn't be too extreme but be sure to be prepared for the elements - wind, sun, especially. You'll probably want a hydration pack. The "tout" culture of hasslers is pretty thick; in the North I didn't like the vibe, in the south, it seemed most guys just wanted to make a bit of money. In the north, "No, merci," with a quick look in the eyes and going about your business is fine. In the south, let them pitch the wonderful tours that their cousin offers, say "I have my itinerary but if it doesn't work out, let me take your business card" - and they'll be thrilled and let you be. Everyone else is delightful, wonderful, generous, and eager to share their culture with you. Some of the finest people I've ever met traveling. I took the overnight ferry from Malaga; snacks/food were meager and without a cabin there's almost nowhere to sleep comfortably. Road conditions are generally excellent but do be careful about cyclists/mopedists and stray livestock. Hmmm... did I leave anything out?
Tim Cullis's Morocco GS Knowledgebase http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?p=818831 (way more info than you'll need for an organized tour, but lots of fun...)
Hi, I'm just back from Marocco and can give you this hints ... Hotel Baroudi Missour http://www.hotel-tuareg.com/ Riad Nour Erfoud http://www.riad-nour.com/cariboost1/ Sawadi Hotel Skoura http://www.sawadi.ma/ Sawadi it better to reservate. but it's good !!!! A 6km gravel road from Skoura to the hotel but it's so fantastic there... NOT GOOD Atlas Hotel in Demnate it's dirty and I think you are not alone in your bed !?! if you have more questin feel free for PM. P.S. I forgot near Zagora 25km to direction MHamid Hotel SaharaSky www.saharasky.com better to resevate too ...
One of the best quotes about the weather in Morocco came from the first French governor-general who said "It is a cold country with a hot sun." So if it's nice and sunny, the middle of the day will be lovely and warm, whilst March early mornings/evenings can be cold. If it's not sunny it will be cold all the time, but bad weather rarely lasts for more than a couple of days. Hydration pack and a buff are the two things I would always take. Rough Guide is probably the best map to have. Speed limits are sensible and should be obeyed, keep towards the centre of the road in towns. Watch out for roundabouts that have differing priorities--sometimes the priority is to traffic already on the rounabout (normal), other times it's the old French system of priority to the right and incoming traffic has the right of way. Make sure you always have change by asking the fuel pump attendant for 120dh of petrol and giving a 200 note, then you'll get a 50 plus 20 note plus 10dh in coins. Tim
I also just got back from several weeks in Morocco, still uploading photos to https://fishnbiker.smugmug.com Seen enroute; Essaouira, Marrakech, Casablance, High Atlas Moutains, Ait Ben haddhou, Ouarzazate, Zagora, Mhamid, Dades Gorge, Todra Gorge (unfortunately cut short due to road washout), Erfoud, Merzuga, Erg Chebbi (giant dunes), Ar-Rachidia, Mid Atlas Mountains, Midelt, Meknes, Volubilis (Roman ruins), Moulay Idriss, Fez, Rif Mountains, Ketama, Chechaouen, Larache, & finally Tangier with the wildest taxi ride of my life (2 drivers fighting over us as a fare, one road-blocking the other & trying to drag us out of the car until the police got involved) Got a route plan yet? Get your priorities sorted first. Riding? Culture? Scenery? You can probably expect to follow a dedicated route with a guide, so you'll maybe have limited latitude to wander off piste alone or dawdle. You may want to think about whether you are there to ride, or see the scenery & culture. Guided 7 or 10 day riding trips may be fun, but restrictive. Take time to try new foods, It's some of the best I have enjoyed during 40 years of wandering. Expect temperature swings from near freezing high in the hills to extremely hot, I experienced frost in the Rif & +53C in Zagora, just 4 days apart. March is at the end of the wet season, so green should be the main hue in most places, excepting the snow on the mountains. Depend on your GPS, it's a great tool to use in the Medinas, just way-point your hotel & wander where your nose takes you. Tim Cullis, previously commented on your thread. He has a Topo map for Garmin downloading. It's priceless. Thanks Tim, it served me well. Watch out for pickpockets in the larger cities, keep in your wallet only what you can afford to lose. $50? Hide the rest inside zipped up. Photograph everything, bearing in mind that many Muslims may not like you sticking a camera in their face. Use a telephoto or be prepared to crop a lot of wide angled waste to get a great shot. Take a small video camera. I used a shockproof/waterproof Panasonic one on a tripod on the car dashboard, usually attached to the handlebars with a RAM mount when riding. Very useful on foot too. Due to logisitcs, we had to use 4 wheels, but still got into many back gravel road areas, met a lot of wonderful people, even got to a Moroccan wedding in the Dades Gorge. As it was my 5th visit, I was quite relaxed & familiar with the Moroccan way.
