Introduction
I went to Morocco in November 2001. This is important to know for several reasons:
- Autumn is generally a period where nature is still very dry, but cloudy wheather and also some rains can start. It can even snow in the Toubkal region.
- In 2001, Morocco had its second year on a row of draughts. Everywhere we came, you could see river beds of 50 meters wide with only a very small river flowing in it. Last time people could ski on Toubkal was 1998.
- November 2001 was the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attack on NY and Washington. This meant mass cancellations from many tourists. Official numbers said tourism declined 25% in October 2001 compared with October 2000.
What trip did I do?
- Day 1: arrival Marrakech
- Day 2 to 6: trip South Marrakesh - Zagora Zagora - Merzouga Merzouga - Dades gorge
- Dades gorge - Ouarzazate Ouarzazate - Marrakesh
- Day 7 - 9: trip to Toubkal region 3-day trekking starting from Imlil
- Day 10 - 11: Marrakesh
Highlights
Highlights of the trip where undoubtedly:
- Merzouga desert dunes with camel ride and overnight stay in tents
- M'Gouna mountains with great scenery and beautiful undiscovered villages around Bou Trahar and El Hot
- Amridil kasbah in Skoura
Travel gu
ides
Lonely Planet
- I had the LP (5th edition 3/2001) with me and as usual it gave very good info. It reads easily and in a few hours you get a good idea of what to see. It also pointed out Hotel Ali in Marrakesh which is the center of budget tourism in Marrakesh. There is a good trekking section with trekkings in Toubkal and El Gouna region. However, some minor negative points are that the descriptions of the trekkings are not good enough to do it on your own, especially distances and timing can be incorrect. Also there's almost no info on the region North of El Gouna. I read about it in a French guide, and the region there is absolutely great.
Order the Lonely Planet Morocco now for only 13.99 US$
Wegwijzer
For those of you speaking dutch, it is definitely worth considering becoming member of "Wegwijzer". This is a non-commercial organisation based in Bruges, Belgium. They have an incredible amount of info coming from guidebooks, leaflets but also reports from members. Since 2001 you can now get a lot of these reports online!! Membership is only 25 Euro a year, and this includes a good magazine they publish every 2 months. Have a look at
www.wegwijzer.be. I myself am a member since almost 20 years now.
Go to general info 1 for info on visa and transportation
Article Comments:
| 03/17/2006 |
| Leslie (4) |
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Oh I definitely don't blame anyone for wanting to visit, I would like to see Morocco as well. But it just seems like the people I know who are world and travel conscious (sadly not most Americans) want to go to Morocco or Egypt, but know nearly nothing about the rest of N. Africa. I know movies like Casablanca, and even Alexander being filmed there have added to the appeal...but Tunisia has an incredibly rich history (Carthage alone is incredible) and some amazing attractions as well. Is it safe for Americans to travel to Morroco or Tunisia right now though?
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| 03/17/2006 |
| John (4) |
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hey, it's completely worth going to visit maroc. I used the ferries to go across the mediterranean. it takes about 2 hours and it's only about 30 euros. you'll be in andalucia so i'd take the ferry from algeciras to tanger. tanger's a really nice town but you may feel overwhelmed by the amount of touts and guides there... they literally came at me one after another. Chefchaouen, which is to the east is a really beautiful town in the mountains... VERY laid back (you can see the weed fields as you ride in on bus. hah.) the thing is, if you're short on time, you may find it easier to travel bia train instead of the buses. they're more comfortable anyway however this city's not connected to their rail system. (by the way, this website is good to look up rail fares and times and such: www.oncf.ma)
Fes is another beautiful city. it is very historical and a very important city to moroccans. Marrakesh is a WONDERFUL city, i agree with mark.... don't forget to visit the huge square right off of Ave Mohammed V: Djemaa el-fna. it is awesome.
this time of year is woderful to go south too... the beaches of essaouira and agadir are to die for.
let me know if you need other info.
hey... it's much cheaper in the kingdom of maroc than it is in andalucia ;)
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| 03/17/2006 |
| mark (5) |
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Morocco is one of the most unique countries in the world and I would not hesitate for a minute to go there on a detour even if you have just 4 days. A simple boat ride from Spain to Morocco will show a culture most people only dreamed about. Depending on how many days you have, you have to check out Marrakesh and Fes. All the other cities can be skipped in my opinion if your time is limited. Stay away from Tangiers, its the worst city in the world. Trust me.
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