Let me start by saying that 8 days in Morocco is barely enough time to skim the surface. I’ve observed two different styles of travel: The leisurely traveler who has countless weeks to explore a country (maybe someone taking a gap year or a retiree)… or the “jump-hop-skipper.” I’m the latter of these two, or the grasshopper as some might say. I’ve adapted to maximizing my limited time, getting a quick taste of many places, and am generally able to do so on a natural adrenaline reserve. With only a certain number of free days a year to travel, and a world so big, I’d rather see as much as I can, and return later to the cities/countries that I loved or want more from. Someday I hope to revisit a few places I could’ve used more time in, like Melbourne, Chiang Mai, Prague, and Montreal. Either way, 8 days was what I allotted for Morocco.
Last summer I completed an Amsterdam-Morocco-Belgium trip over my birthday. Hell of a route, right? It was great. I had not been to Europe in over 2 years so it was fun to return (and experience the cooler weather – the heat wave in North Carolina at the time was intense). And I’d been researching a Moroccan holiday for a while so was thrilled to make it happen… and to step foot for my first time in Africa! This was my second visit to a Muslim country. It also involved traveling alone for the first four days.
Without further adieu, here is a photo essay of my time in Morocco:
Morocco is one of the most challenging but rewarding places I’ve traveled. In addition to dealing with major language barriers, intense heat in areas, and an unsafe riad in Fes that resulted in us leaving the medina, the country is poor and its infrastructure is vastly different from the comforts many of us know at home. While I would not recommend Moroccan travel if you have yet to visit a developing country, I would highly suggest it for those who like adventure, rugged travel, and have a go-with-the-flow mindset. The interactions and hospitality, beautiful sites, history, and nature were alluring enough in their own right. I am SO glad I made the visit.
My route consisted of 1 night in Tangier, 2 nights in Chefchaouen, 1 night in Fes, 1 night in Merzouga (desert camping), and 2 nights Marrakech.
Tangier- I stayed at the Melting Pot Hostel, and highly recommend it. The views from the roof are lovely; additionally they offer free breakfast and hot mint tea that you can sip over sunrise or sunset. As I only had one night here, I do not have sufficient city recommendations although I do a have a tip: once you arrive outside the medina (probably via taxi), there will likely be a man who offers to guide you to your accommodation. I welcomed the offer as I had read this medina was quite confusing to navigate. Be sure to know the dirham (currency) conversion beforehand so you can properly tip the person lending his time and help.
Chefchaouen- I started in Tangier specifically because I wanted to visit ‘Chaouen which does not have its own airport. It’s about 2 hours southeast of Tangier and I’d recommend taking a shared taxi. I stayed 2 nights at Riad Gharnata and highly recommend it. I had a beautiful, clean, private room. Enjoy a generous, complimentary breakfast on the rooftop before heading off to explore the medina or go hiking. The atmosphere is laid back in Chefchaouen, and I found the locals to be incredibly kind and helpful. If you are up for an authentic cultural experience, go visit the public hammam for a traditional bath. Travel just outside of town for a hike through the Rif Mountains. There are some pop-up restaurants along the river where you can grab lunch, and super haggling opportunities for local goodies outside the entrance. I picked up a beautiful blanket for $1.70.
Fes- I traveled here by private taxi as I could not find a share car, and my driver didn’t speak a word of English. We struggled to speak Spanish to each other and it was a long (but scenic) 4-hour drive. I’d selected an Airbnb in the medina which looked lovely in the pictures. Once there, it was stuffy and dark, and after hearing that our Chinese neighbors had money stolen from their room, we checked out. We stayed a night at a more modern hotel outside of the medina but were not crazy about it either. The city is crowded and very poor, so you can feel the desperation. We hired a guide to take us through the medina, but were not too keen on him either. I would recommend carefully choosing a guided tour for Fes exploration. History buffs will appreciate the city, the tanneries are fascinating, and there are some great restaurants (in fact, my favorite meal in Morocco was on a Fes rooftop). Despite it’s shortcomings, Fes was a great jumpoff to head to a stop we were very much looking forward to- the Sahara Desert.
Merzouga- the drive to and from the desert was very long, so if you have time, I would recommend a two night stay. I booked our tour through Fes Morocco Tours and found it to be a great package deal. A driver stopped at many cool places along the way, we rode camels very close to Algeria, had a lovely meal prepared for us by the Berbers, and fell asleep under the stars. The dunes were beautiful and picturesque. Riding the camel was actually my least favorite part of the desert experience as I felt bad for the camel and an unsure of what kind of treatment they endure. There is unfortunately very little research on camel welfare and Moroccan tourism relies heavily on these tours for income. Regardless, it was a positive experience.
Marrakech- what an awesome city. It is lively, colorful, and a bit more touristic. There are many good restaurants overlooking the main square, where the people watching is second to none. If you are sensitive to animals like me, you will be bothered by the monkeys on leashes and snake charmers. Unfortunately it’s part of the culture here. You can, however, protect future animals by not purchasing photographs or paying the charmers. We ate at a great rooftop restaurant called Zwin Zwin that I’d highly recommend for sunset and a glass of wine (note that alcohol is hard to come by and very expensive in Morocco). You can spend hours in the fabulous souks, checking out jewelry, art, poufs, bags, and so forth. Drink as much freshly pressed juice as you can stomach. The Yves Saint Laurent gardens are pretty to explore, and a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the medina. I unfortunately don’t recall the hotel we stayed at since Rosanne booked it, but we enjoyed the comfy beds and pool.
And that concludes my 2017 trip to Morocco!