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The Kingdom of Morocco to give it it's correct title is an Arabic, Berber and French speaking country in North Africa with a population of 37 million and covering an area of 446,300 sq Km stretching from the Mediterranean sea in the north down to and including vast parts of the Sahara desert in the south. Formerly governed by France Morocco requested independence on 11th January 1956 and finally became "free" in 1965. Nowadays the kingdom of Morocco is a self governed nation with a democratic parliament and King.
Our trip was 10 day whistle stop tour taking in the many sights and sounds of this amazing country. Unlike the majority of our trips which we plan ourselves we chose, given the distances involved, to join a group tour this time and I have to say it was worth it.
Arriving in Marrakech the night before the tour we were collected at the airport and driven to our hotel; the rest of the group had arrived earlier so we didn't get to meet them but we were excited and raring to go for tomorrow. Our first day was a quick walking tour and introduction to Marrakech, a bustling, vibrant and cosmopolitan city we would revisit at the end of the tour.
Following our brief introduction to Marrakech we re-joined out group and headed for the Atlantic coast and the resort town of Essaouira. This was a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle we had seen the day before with it's beautiful sandy beach and old fortress ( supposedly used in Game of Thrones). If you decide to visit Essaouira you absolutely have to go down to the port where you will find hundreds of small blue traditional fishing boats. If you manage to go when the fishermen have just landed their catch you will have never seen anything like it. It really is a sight to remember.
The following day, back on the bus and on the road to Casablanca. We were expecting a lot more from this place but must say we were disappointed with what it had to offer. As the financial capital of Morocco, in our opinion , it is really just a huge city. However we did get to visit the huge Mosque of Hassan II which was definitely worth the visit. The third largest mosque in the world, and the largest in Africa, boasts a capacity of 25,000 inside and a further 80,000 outside. The total area of 20,000 square metres took only 6 years to build at a cost of around $800 million.
After spending the night in Casablanca we left and headed further north to the modern day capital of Rabat. Home to the palace of the king Mohammed VI, The un-finished Mosque and a stunning Medina ( Old town) which wouldn't look out of place on small Greek island. House prices in this quaint part of town are among the most expensive in the whole of Morocco.
Next stop Chefchaouen - the Blue City - and blue it was. I must say prior to leaving for this trip this, along with the Sahara desert was what we were looking forward to the most and it did not disappoint. A true feast for the eyes and dream for any photographer. Winding up the hillside you will find streets lined with traditional traders but what makes this so special is that everything is painted blue. Blue houses, blue walls, blue stairs. shades of blue everywhere. If you are reading this looking for a recommendation of places to visit for a short stay in Morocco, Chefchaouen is a must
On the road again - this time to the city of Fes. You may associate the word Fes with the traditional red hat but trust me Fes is so much more. The old town (Medina) is a maze of tiny, narrow streets lined with hundreds of traders selling everything from scarves to spices, leather goods to watches. Famed for it's fabric dying and leather tannery Fes truly is a something to heighten to senses. If you are looking to buy souvenirs from your trip then this is the place to do it.
Final destination - Merzouga - The Sahara Desert. Without a doubt, in our heads this was to be the highlight of the trip. Camping in the desert, camel riding, quad biking, sand boarding and jeep safari. What's not to like here? I could write a full blog post on this part of our trip alone but hopefully these images will give you a taste of what you can expect and you will want to visit for yourself. You know when you see a picture in the airport or on line of a stunning landscape but when you get there you are massively disappointed with the reality ? The Sahara desert is the exact opposite - It genuinely does look like the pictures you see. Endless rolling dunes reaching out as far as the eye can see towards the horizon. Isolation, peace and truly majestic beauty
We topped out trip off with a visit to Ouzoud waterfalls which is around a 3 hour drive from Marrakech. If you have time it is well worth taking a day to visit the highest waterfall in Africa which cascades down the river between the red rock. There is also a boat trip ( included with ticket) which gets you up close to the falls. If you are lucky enough you will also be able to picture some of the local wild moneys which live in the hills surrounding the falls.
You can book your Ouzoud tour using one of the links below.
Unlike the advisories from the gov website which we followed - Don’t get money at airport they charge a massive fee - banks and cash points are easy to find
Don’t be "afraid" of the locals - they do come up and chat and are genuinely friendly - just ignore them and walk by
Keep an eye on wallets and phones but no need to be over cautious
Make sure you know where you are in the medinas as they can get confusing
Around hotels in Marrakech and larger towns men may try and tell you they work for the hotel and ask if you remember them. They are basically looking to guide you somewhere here and will charge a fee once they take you to your destination. Ignore them and walk past
Always haggle prices - 200 dirhams start price could well be 70 by the end of negotiations - multiple purchases from same vendor attract a better price
Mint tea is amazing
Local coffee is a Nos Nos which is basically a layered drink with coffee milk and foam
Always carry 1 and 2 Dirham coins to use for toilets
Tipping is expected. 10% in restaurants is normal. US$2-3 per day per person is normal for guided tours.
The products in markets are obviously fake but you can get some good quality items at bargain prices.
Be aware of snake charmers in Marrakech square. They will charge you to take each picture so pay them 10-20 dirhams maximum before hand and then take as many as you want.
We did our Morocco trip with Travel Talk tours and found it was an amazing experience. If you would like to book the tour please click the link below or please get in touch with us for any help or advise. We are always happy to assist
