Wife & I are going to Morocco in maybe Sept. this year for a couple of weeks.
Has anyone been there and suggest best cities/sites that are must see?
We do not care about living in luxury - we actually take our backpacks and cameras and typically stay in guesthouse type places.
It is a pretty big country to cover in 2 weeks - not sure if we fly into Marrakesh if we can also see Fez, Tangier, Casablanca, etc.
Any help would be much appreciated!!

 

Good luck, never been there heard its an amazing place to visit.

 

Take pics and post them here.

 

I thought I posted in this thread, but I guess not. I was in Tangier a few months ago, great place. The markets were cool, people were friendly for the most part, and there was a lot of interesting stuff to see. We spent 60 euros to take a grand taxi up into the hillside, it was gorgeous and one of the best afternoons I've ever had just looking at the views.

If you make it to Tangier definitely stay at La Tangerina hotel. It's quiet, comfortable, and probably one of my favorite places I've ever stayed. It's got incredibly good ratings on trip advisor for a reason!

 

I have a friend who's been there multiple times and knows a lot about the hidden gems of the country. Very exciting and beautiful place from what he's shown me and told me about. I told him about T.S. and hopefully he'll post some pics and stories. I'm wanting to go there sometime in the near future.

 

We did a roadtrip back in 2007 from Switzerland to Morocco and back.
Check out the pics here, if you want: mission 6000 - bilder

We have been visiting Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes and Ceuta.
In Marrakech we stayed at the Es Saadi Gardens and Resort. A wonderful venue.
Be sure to visit the "square of the beheaded", the Djemaa el Fna, Marrakechs main square and the souks, if you are there.

 

Been to Morocco a few times
hard to imagine its only a 2.5 hr journey from the UK .

Dont bother going to Tangier if your going to Marrakesh
they are similar and Marrakesh - larger and more vibrant

Atlas mountain trips - a must do.

Easouriea - is a good place to visit - think gorgeous beaches - a long journey via taxi from Marrakesh -can be done in a long day if you wanted.
Easier to stay over a night...

Oh in Marrakesh - we stayed at large hotels and Riads
I can very highly recommend Riad Dar One - central location - not silly accomadation prices - service 2nd to none - won Tripadvisor awards



Hope that helps a bit

 

Great pics

 

Thanks buddy.

 

I am TheAmericanStig's friend that he spoke of in the earlier post.

*I'll try to make this quick ;-)*

I've traveled to Morocco twice and have gotten to know the country from a fairly intimate perspective. I was actually working towards a travel business there, but details kind of fell through with my business partner for now. Anyways...

You will absolutely love Morocco. The famous science fiction author (and amateur geographer) William Gibson used Morocco as a "dream world" in which to place his characters so they could escape the hyper connected and tech driven world of cyberspace and business in his novel Nueromancer. Frankly I couldn't think of a better place for a "dream world" than Morocco. Spend enough time there - you will see why.

If I had to go back again (which I am planning) I would highly suggest renting a Land Cruiser (Pricey - worth it if you can afford it though) and going off on your own. I have been from Casablanca all the way down the coast, nearly to Western Sahara, and into the High Atlas to climb Mount Toubkal. I have not been along the Mediterranean coast however, so for that region I can't speak other than I've only heard great things.

I've stayed in the Oasis Hotel in Agadir, but other than that I have only stayed with friends in private residences. If you can find locals to stay with or rent private homes, by all means do it. If you know how to haggle a deal (The national sport in Morocco) then you can get coast side homes rented out for as little as $50 USD a day. Even better - bring a tent and camp alongside the beaches.

If you want to hike up Mount Toubkal I suggest stopping over a night in the small Berber village of Imlil. Its a beautiful little place and has a decent selection of goods, but the rugs are spectacular and cheaper than in other markets. Get a hotel here (place to leave the car). Here's a list, but that first one is the best: Imlil Hotels: Read Imlil Hotel Reviews and Compare Prices

There are also several cascades throughout the Atlas mountains that are a nice visit, though sometimes over run with tourists.

Agadir has some fun and interesting casinos; you will be a high roller there, but don't stay too long in Agadir. it is VERY touristy.

Casablanca has lost its touch from that famous movie, but it is a very interesting city and offers an authentic feel. Check out there MASSIVE mosque there - the largest in Africa. Tiznit has some spectacular silver markets - your wife will love the jewelry and you will love the prices. Tifnit Morocco is a very neat and very small fishing village that is worth a stop along the road.

Along the Atlantic coast there are wonderful little coves and beaches that are all worth a stop as well as several small towns and villages. When you start getting out into the rural areas be sure to watch your gas gauge and keep in mind that you are far from any medical attention.

As far as ease of travel goes there is a lot of the population, especially younger, who speak French, Arabic, and English. You will find some Spanish speakers as well.

Marrakech is fantastic for the world famous market in the medina. This is the largest market in Africa, and full of history and more things than you could hope to see in a week. Let yourself get lost in there for a day and come out to the Djemaa el Fna (center square) for the night festivities and food vendors which are out of this world.

Safi is world famous for pottery as well as its old Portuguese fortress. If you are into pottery like me you could spend an entire day - maybe two, in Safi. The Americans landed there in Operation Torch in WWII as well.

I have not made it out to the Sahara, I got sick and had to cancel that part of my last visit, but it is spectacular too. I saw a convoy of 3 Trans-Siberian Porsche Cayennes doing triple digits on the highway coming back from the direction of the Sahara once. So - its full of laid back camel trips to rally car fun. Depends on what you want to do, but I suggest camping under the stars.

Crime is petty only. The Moroccan government has some fairly strict penalties for "touching" a tourist. Just watch for pickpocketers like all other vacation locations.

Connection to the rest of the world is remote, but there are cafes with wifi(slow) and cell phones, calling cards, and pay phones (Maroc Telecom) are available.

The diversity of Morocco is amazing in itself. You will be traveling to the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and the Arab world. This place as been exotic for thousands of years because of its use as a crossroads.

I've got tons of photographs, but I can't share many of them due to publication details with a book I'm working on. :-(

Feel free to shoot me a message if you want to chat more about Morocco and I'll give you my phone number. I will be going out of the country soon and won't be contactable though. So don't wait too long if you are interested.