Morocco - Itinerary and tips?

[shaff12]

Hi all, I am not travelling until covid is over but doing some research for future trip once leisure travel resumes. Anyone been to Morocco free and easy or self drive? Able to share some tips on the below or anything related?

- Accomodation
- Self drive or use their transportation there or join their tours there?
- Safe to travel there by ourselves? (3 ladies, 1 in her mid 60s)
- Food, what are the must try?
- Itinerary, what are some places worth visiting?

Thank you and appreciate any tips!

 

[beanstalk6]

Marrakech, Tangier (and Gibraltar), Rabat, Casablanca in order of my preference. I used trains to travel between them. The markets were irresisistible for crafts. I had a lot of tagines, harira and mint tea. Beware of the scams, especially confidence tricksters. I am not sure if older ladies get unwanted attention travelling on their own, but touristy places are likely to be fine.

 

[shaff12]

Marrakech, Tangier (and Gibraltar), Rabat, Casablanca in order of my preference. I used trains to travel between them. The markets were irresisistible for crafts. I had a lot of tagines, harira and mint tea. Beware of the scams, especially confidence tricksters. I am not sure if older ladies get unwanted attention travelling on their own, but touristy places are likely to be fine.

Thank you for sharing!
Do you mind sharing more on the scams, what sort of scam?
How about if it is safe for a group of ladies only?
We plan to visit only tourist places. But would like to go into the desert, not too sure how this can be done as well..

 

[beanstalk6]

My sister made the trip last year with a female companion and did not encounter any harrassment. A trip or night out in the Sahara can be arranged in Marrakech, where the options run from glamping to budget options including the camel ride. I did not do this then, but she did.

A scam commonly covered in travelogues has someone purporting to be a government officer (forestry, in my case), striking up a converation with you seemingly by chance (as I crossed a busy road in front of the Ibis in Marrakech), about some subject (how dangerous the roads were), venturing to life (how he got posted to Marrakech with family etc) and finally the main story (his remittance failed to arrive in town- need help). They are very friendly, smooth and would invest quite a bit to get you hooked. I encountered another at the ferry terminal in Tangier. Equally difficult to shake off.

 

[shaff12]

My sister made the trip last year with a female companion and did not encounter any harrassment. A trip or night out in the Sahara can be arranged in Marrakech, where the options run from glamping to budget options including the camel ride. I did not do this then, but she did.

A scam commonly covered in travelogues has someone purporting to be a government officer (forestry, in my case), striking up a converation with you seemingly by chance (as I crossed a busy road in front of the Ibis in Marrakech), about some subject (how dangerous the roads were), venturing to life (how he got posted to Marrakech with family etc) and finally the main story (his remittance failed to arrive in town- need help). They are very friendly, smooth and would invest quite a bit to get you hooked. I encountered another at the ferry terminal in Tangier. Equally difficult to shake off.

Thank you so much for sharing! I feel more confident travelling there now as a group of ladies.

- Would you be able to help share more on the trip to Sahara? How to book the trip, who to book from?
- How about phone line and internet connectivity there, very worried about going into the desert and with no or poor connectivity.
- May I know also if encounter those scammer, how to tackle them? Just ignore, walk away or how?

 

[beanstalk6]

I am not able to help on the trip to the desert. It should be better to book at the travel desk of a reputable hotel, even if you do not stay at the hotel. I don't think you will be travelling that far out into the desert where internet connectivity is not available. Lastly, ignore natives who make the first approach, especially those of friendly males. When a deal is too good to be true, it always is.

 

[shaff12]

I am not able to help on the trip to the desert. It should be better to book at the travel desk of a reputable hotel, even if you do not stay at the hotel. I don't think you will be travelling that far out into the desert where internet connectivity is not available. Lastly, ignore natives who make the first approach, especially those of friendly males. When a deal is too good to be true, it always is.

Booking with a reputable hotel is great advice! Thanks for that, feel safer to do that!
Yups, never been to desert before and they are just huge and mysterious to us, must make very sure we can go tour there safely