Morocco Summary

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Morocco Rundown

Food:

Not that good for vegetarian food. I got sick of vegetable cuss-cuss, had a few pizzas, quite a few omelets, a few vedge stews and a few fish dishes. Speaking good French would help when ordering. Could always get croissant for breakfast & milk coffee.

You must get used to Restaurants and Cafes only selling mint tea, despite the signs (can take food to a cafe to eat there). Food places often had a large pictorial menu above, but all in Arabic or French.

Bigger cities like Marrakech had normal restaurants.



Transport:

Trains from Tangier to Casablanca were better than British trains – High Speed Double Deckers taking 2.5hrs for the 210 mile journey (stopping at Rabat on the way). The train from Casablanca to Marrakech was older & slower, but had individual compartments with 8 seats (4 with a folding table near the window) taking 2hrs to cover 150miles. Tangier to Marrakech = £27.63 Single (360mls).

Coaches were quite smart with plenty of leg-room, tilting chairs, central exit, air-con etc. Lockable bags could be put in hold for 5Dh (50p) (needs booking 30mins before departure).

We used CTM coaches mostly but also Supratours (each has own bus station), which is run by the train company for onward travel at the end of train lines. Other companies were also operating, but we didn’t use them. Tafraoute to Agadir 123miles = 110Dh (£10)

Grand Taxies – only a few old Mercedies left, now more modern mini-buses. Used for longer journeys out of town, need to haggle price before setting off. All hang around in same area of town.

Petit Taxies – not allowed to leave town, only 3 passengers. Should use meters but don’t, so need to haggle before setting off. They drive around town, you need to hail one in traditional fashion.



People:

Mostly very friendly. Often help for no reward. Touts are rarer than in India and mostly located in popular cities like Tangier or Marrakech where the government has clamped down on them in places like the new Train Stations. Taxi drivers always try their luck, but when one asked for 300Dh to take us from the train station to the Djemma el Fna in Marrakech, and I looked around and asked where the helicopter was, he laughed too and it came down to 30Dh. Whilst in Taroudannt we picked up regular hustlers, one we called Mick Jagger (as he said Mick had visited his shop), another had met us as we got off the bus and walked us to our hotel (although I was going to get a taxi) he refused any money then, but was always there when we left our hotel, trying to get us to visit his uncles shop (we didn’t). One guy, Mohammed, was always smiling and helped us out a few times in the town centre, we met him on our last day and he was the only one we gave money to, although he never asked for any.

Moroccans always seem to greet each other like long lost friends with big hugs and back slapping.



Landscape:

The coastal strip between Tangier & Casablanca was quite lush farm land, the same half-way to Marrakech, but then became scrubby.

The High Atlas and around Ouarzazate was very sparse vegetation-wise, but had rocks aplenty.

The Souss Valley (which runs below the High Atlas from Agadir to beyond Taroudannt) was quite lush again with many plastic greenhouses and lots of olive, almond and palm trees.

The Anti Atlas mountains had more vegetation and the start of fields could be seen in the rock clearances and shallow ploughing. I was told that they were harder workers in the Anti Atlas, so made the land work for them through their hard work.



Hotels:

Hotel Mamora, 19 Rue Mokhtar Ahrdan, Tangier 90030 (£16pn) 1 night

Surprisingly nice hotel down a back-alley in the old Medina. Very clean and nicely decorated.

En-suite room. Near main Mosque and Petit Socco.




Hotel Dar Youssef, 114 Derb Sidi Bouloukat, Riad Zitoune Lakdim, Marrakech Medina (£7.50pn) 2 nights

Fairly small & basic, but clean room with shared toilet & shower. Hot water good. 1^st floor has 2 good bathrooms, we were on 2^nd floor with only 1. Very close to Djemaa el Fna (main Square)

Another Dar Youssef is further East (Hotel Dar Youssef 1), ours was westerly Hotel Dar Youssef 2



Hotel Palmerie, Avenue Al-Maghreb Al-Arabi, Ouarzazate (£24pn) 3 nights

A sort of Holiday Village, with 3 roomed houses (2 up, 1 down), a pool, restaurant and bar. Hot water in shower. Cool at night but air-con warmed it up whilst we were out having dinner. Bar was very European with pool table etc. Good location half-way between the Kasbah and the city centre. 10mins walk to Kasbah, 5mins walk to town.



Hotel Tiout, Avenue Heritier Sidi Mohamed 228, Taroudannt 83000 (£22pn) Near main Mosque. 3 nights

Very nice hotel with antiques, wall murals & painted carvings. Friendly, helpful staff. Also between the Kasbah and the city centre, 5mins walk to either. The attached restaurant was good too.



Hotel Adrar Agadir, Boulevard Mohamed 5, Agadir 80000 (£17pn) 3 nights

A sort of Premier Inn, soulless but large room. Nice en-suite bathroom. Ground floor. Unlockable sliding patio doors to garden. Card entry with slot for lights. Mike had trouble locking his door. 15min walk to beach. We ate the set evening meal for 100Dh (€8). All a bit too glitzy for us.



Maison D’Hotel Arganino, Place La Marche Verte, Tarfraoute 85450 (£8pn) 3 nights

Basic, small, clean room with shared toilet & shower. No seat on toilet! (I used en-suite next door). Manager was a Moroccan version of manager in Marigold Hotel Film... Near main Mosque.



Hotel Corail, 18 Avenue Hassan II, Marrakech (£17pn) 1 night

Another Premier Inn. Everything worked, but lacked any character. 3min walk to train station, which is why I chose it. Small balcony with chair, overlooking back yards.



Hotel Maram, Rue de la Marine no.74, Place Souk Dakhel, Old Medina, Tangier (£17.66pn) 1 night

Basic but clean room with shower & sink. Shared toilets on landing. Shower drain was a bit smelly but OK with door shut. Friendly staff. Overlooking main alley to Petit Socco. Near main Mosque. In the morning it was an easy downhill walk to the ferry terminal with luggage.



17 nights in hotels in total

Overall the hotels were fine, sometimes overpriced and soulless (Agadir & Corail-Marrakech), but mostly nicely decorated and sometimes intricately hand painted. Always clean. I seemed to have chosen their locations well for easy access to town centres and Kasbahs.

I think most cheaper hotels are not online, so would need checking on foot (as in old days before t’internet). Or possibly just stay in hostels.

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Comments

[Amy Friedman]

thanks
Fabulous to have all this information! I look forward to the film!!!