Morocco Travel Tips

Olya and I spent our honeymoon in Morrocco. It was really a magical place, and we recommend it to anyone with a taste for adventure. Since we're often asked, here are some tips for folks traveling to the region.

We stayed most of the time in Marrakech but then hired a driver to take us through the Atlas Mountains, to Zagora and the edge of the Sahara.

Days and nights in Marrakech

Marrakech is amazing, a real riot of colors and sounds and people everywhere (and sometimes less appealing smells.) There are wonderful places to explore, most of which can be found in any guide. We especially enjoyed walking around the city and practicing our bartering skills. The Saadien Tombs are great, as is the big outdoor market of Djeema el Fna - don't miss it at night! The Ben Youssef Medersa was hard to find but quite beatiful. We took lots of pictures so if you need inspiration, check out my Flickr site. The only thing we would NOT recommend is visiting the tanneries. Leather is great and all, but you do NOT want to see how it’s made. :p



Riads of Marrakech

In Marrakech you should absolutely stay in the many “riads” (sometimes spelled “riyad.”) These are tiny hotels, more like B&Bs, run by families in an ancient villas. They have just a few rooms, great food and service, and are usually centered on a spectacular inner courtyard. But calling them B&Bs is a disservice, because they are the ultimate luxury vacation spot. They provide much-needed respite from the bustle of Marrakech. Having been to several of these, I would highly recommend them over the standard hotels.



There are many great riads in town, and we moved around quite a bit to experience many of them. Our favorite by far was La Maison Arabe. It's very high end, the food is spectacular, and they will shuttle you to a stunning private pool outside the city walls. They also offer a Moroccan cooking class which is definitely worth taking.

Our second favorite riad was called Dar Doukkala. It has a wonderful art-deco feel, right out of the movies, and a very friendly and wordly owner. But all the riads are basically wonderful, and almost all of them have good websites where you can get an idea of what they offer.

The Road through the Atlas

Taking a trip through the Atlas mountains was definitely a highlight. Our riad helped organize it, and it's quite simple to book once you’re there. You should definitely get a driver and not attempt to drive by yourself. Moroccans drive like madmen, and the roads through the Atlas are insanely windy. The road itself is wonderful and fun to be on. It winds it's way through some truly alien landscapes.

We headed down to Ouarzazate (a movie-studio town, medium-interesting) and Ait Benhaddou (an amazing city they use as a backdrop for movies like Gladiator, because it’s so picturesque. It’s so cool it’s worth the trip by itself.) From there we took a camel ride and slept in the desert with the Blue Men nomads, which is not for everyone but we really enjoyed - despite getting caught in a nightstorm and waking up covered in sand. :)



Haggling tips

• Speak French if you know it! All Moroccans speak some French and it’s WAY better when haggling for prices
• Learn to haggle. The best trick we found is to go to the official government stores (you can ask around, or consult a guide to find them.) These are stores where the prices are listed (and regulated by the government), and haggling is not allowed. Prices are higher but the wares are high quality. And more importantly, you can learn the baseline prices of things. So then when you’re haggling, you know what something is really worth and you can play the game in a more relaxed fashion. And don’t be afraid to walk away! No item we saw was truly unique, there are at least five other stalls selling the same things down the road. So take your time, and haggle hard. At first it’s stressful but by the end, we were really enjoying ourselves.

We didn’t get a chance to visit the rest of the country, but we loved it so much we hope to go back some day.

- Piero