Top 10 things to do in Morocco
21 July, 2015This guest post is brought to you by cashback site ShopBack. Writer Hui Min is an avid traveller who loves offbeat travel destinations. She likes the cheap thrill of collecting passport stamps in her passport. Besides travelling, she likes to meet new people from diverse cultures and have drinks with them.
cheapvacationholiday.com
Singaporeans are a restless bunch of people. Whenever a long weekend break comes along, many of us choose to take the first flight out. This travelling trend is so common that a certain minister encouraged us to stay in the country to partake in the SG50 celebrations instead going off somewhere. With so many Singaporeans travelling religiously, the challenge is to be constantly on the lookout for fresh, interesting and affordable destinations to go to. Europe? Too passe. Japan and Korea? Too common! Increasingly, many Singaporeans have chosen to go to far-flung places like Africa.
The African continent is rising in popularity amongst the more adventurous travellers. When one thinks of Africa, images of vast grasslands filled with various animals usually comes to mind, Madagascar-style. However, there is more to Africa than that! The northern African states seems to be completely excluded from African narrative. The states of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, to name a few, share an intertwined history with Europe. With unique geography, North Africa offers a novel and enriching experience to tourists.
My trip to Morocco was truly one of the most memorable experiences I have had so far. If you are thinking of heading to Morocco, here are the top 10 things that you should do in Morocco!
- Stay in a Riad
morocco-gateway.com
When in Morocco, throw away the notion of staying in a hotel with its generic layout. Stay in a traditional riad for the authentic Moroccan experience. A riad is a traditional single or double storey Moroccan house that is built around an inner open courtyard. Even though the entrance outside may seem plain and old, the interior of the riad is often homely and cosy and built to offer an oasis of peace and respite from the chaos and bustle of the main streets of Morocco.
- Get lost in the Medina of Fez
fez.net
Nothing is more inaccurate than the maps of the ancient medina in Fez. No matter how diligent you try to follow it, you are bound to get lost at least once. However, do not be afraid and let the alleyways take you to wherever it leads. You will be able to see the snippets of the daily lives of locals, something which you will not get to see if you stick to the main tourist street. Furthermore, with cars banned within the medina, the way of life within the medina has remained the same for a few centuries.
- Spend Time in the Sahara Desert
moroccohighlights.com
With the biggest desert situated right within its territory, you cannot say that you have visited Morocco if you do not make a trip to the desert. Ride a camel underneath the desert sun to your desert camp, accompanied by a warm welcome by the berbers who had lived the way their ancestors did in the desert. Sit around a campfire and dance and sing to the songs of the desert people. If you are able to spend more time, i suggest that you take the time to go deeper into the desert to visit the desert dunes of Merzouga. The dunes are the ones that will leave you in awe and remind you exactly how small you are compared to nature.
- Try a Camel Burger
Besides being used for transportation, camels apparently make good food too. We made a trip to cafe clock, a popular tourist hangout place who offered the signature camel burger. For those whose tastebuds are more adventurous, give the camel burger a shot. It is like a mix of mutton and beef.
- Stroll along the streets of Chefchaouen
moroccowhynot.com
The small little town has been gaining massive popularity due to its insta-worthy blue painted walls and streets. Painted blue to ward off pesky mosquitoes during the summer, the main charm for me was the laid back nature of the town. Doors remain unlocked, life functions at a leisurely pace and you are spared from the chaos of the typical Moroccan streets you encounter in major cities like Fez and Marrakech.
- Have a cup of Moroccan Mint Tea
telegraph.co.uk
Mint tea is not just tea in Morocco. It is a sign of hospitality a host has towards his guest and can also be a toast to symbolise friendship. Moroccans treat their mint tea very seriously. I am not too sure what the Moroccans put inside their mint tea but the taste is different and unique as compared to other kinds of mint teas that i have tried. When drinking the tea, do it the teh-tarik way. Angle the teapot at a certain height and pour the tea out. It is supposed to taste better that way.
- Bargain in the souks of Marrakech
dailymail.co.uk
Another famous part of Moroccan culture. The souks are like one giant market where you can buy all your daily groceries and necessities in one go. Anything you want, you can literally find in these souks. Ranging from live animals to little trinkets, all you have to do is to bargain. Do not be afraid to bargain with the shopkeeper. Bargaining is seen as a way of life and shopkeepers will not be offended by you as you counter-offer with a lower price. It is a thrilling experience within itself
- Visit Tanneries
moroccowhynot.com
Morocco has the oldest tanneries in the world. Located in the ancient city Fez, one of the tannery, the Chouara Tannery, is reported to be almost a thousand years old. In the tanneries, leather are still made using the ancient methods, with no aid of any modern technology. A lot of tourists also go there for the stench test- to test out if the tannery really stinks according to guidebooks and other tourists. (It does!)The best place to view this ancient practice will be through the leather shops surrounding the tanneries. Do note that you have to pay a small “entrance fee” before you are allowed in.
- Experience a Traditional Hamman
marrakechandbeyond.com
A traditional Hammam is something that the locals still visit today. A visit to a traditional hammam is one of the best ways to connect and talk to locals. Every Moroccan town will almost certainly have a public hammam so all you have to do is to ask your local hotel or any local for directions. Hammans are not “mixed” and there will be certain timings reserved for each gender. Take note of that and have an enjoyable time!
- Visit Ait-Benhaddou
desertmoroccotravel.com
Named as a UNESCO heritage site, this mud city situated on the edge of the Atlas mountains is a popular location site for many movies. Two of the most popular movies filmed are Gladiator and Game of thrones. Besides the fact that Ait-Ben Haddou boosts stunning views of the town’s surrounding landscapes, there is a lovely and friendly uncle whose house has been used in the Gladiator and has a sign that reads “ Visitors Welcome.” His door is always unlocked and you are welcome to step into his house, free of charge. Furthermore, you will be warmly embraced by him and his wife, with the offering of mint tea according to traditional Moroccan hospitality. This is the true Moroccan hospitality and an encounter which you will never forget.
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Comments (24)
Fon
23 July, 2015 at 6:27 pmLove the things! Have never thought about Morocco before.
Marco Gomarnad
10 September, 2015 at 9:46 pmMorocco is safe and very attractive for travelling. I really love it and recommend as exotic destination.
Gerga Sto
23 October, 2015 at 8:31 pmI arranged one of the Morocco desert tours to erg chebbi desert, pretty much last minute, for me and some other people I met in a hostel in Fes. Our group went from two to three to five, and there were no problems – Hassan met me where the overnight bus dropped us off and was totally fine with our expanded group.
Since we arrived at 6:30 am, we had to wait until the late afternoon to head out into the desert. We were allowed for free to rest all day at Le Petit Prince in rooms and shower, which was great. We were later joined by several other groups and we set off on our camel safari as a group of 15.
The tent camp was wonderful! Comfortable, great dinner, and music into the night. Hassan (the boss), Moustafa, and co. are so enthusiastic and they pulled a bunch of us into the moonlit dunes around 2 am just to chat (in a bunch of languages, as we were a very multinational group), learn a bit of Berber, and dance. It’s refreshing to see considering how often they must do this. All of us enjoyed the hours of chatting and fooling around, and were pulled up to see the sunrise a few short hours later. Very memorable.
After the ride back to the auberge, they gave us a nice breakfast, let us all clean up, then sent us on our way. They were also able to recommend accommodation and transportation for me to the Todra Gorges, both of which worked out wonderfully.
Piper Smith
19 November, 2015 at 10:50 pmThanks for share such interesting information about the Morocco that we should try on morocco trip. Soon my family is going for morocco trip and I will share these information with them hope they like it. However already booked a local guide for us from a travel agency as “Trekin morocco” for have a safe trip. Thanks again for such and post and keep posting.
George
1 December, 2015 at 11:41 pmHi there, I have booked a 4 days trip to Morocco with my wife. Casablanca is my first place to visit. My plans are to go on camel trekking on Sahara Desert.
Goldie
16 February, 2016 at 8:36 pmHi, I am planning at trip to Morocco. Could you please share the places you stayed at and ate at when you were there? And also what did you think of these places?
anabel
27 February, 2016 at 12:15 amWe cannot say enough good things about Morocco and its people. We just returned from a two week adventure of a lifetime. We toured Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Fes, Skoura, Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara desert, and many sites in between. Our favorite experiences were wandering around in the souks, learning about the Berber history and culture, relishing the beauty of the architecture, and enjoying the beautiful riads and fantastic food and for me, doing yoga in the Sahara desert. We also had a fabulous time riding camels (actually dromedary) in the desert, ending at a posh campsite with gracious hosts and delicious food.
We have traveled extensively and this was easily among our best vacations ever. Iddir worked with us to create a perfect tour. Ibrahim was a wonderful driver and guide, and was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and an all around nice guy. The local guides arranged by Iddir at each of the historical sites and cities were outstanding as well.
John
29 February, 2016 at 2:50 pmThe information that you have shared that is Awesome and one of the thing that I would like to mention here that in Morocco is also one of the best place for adventure tours if you are a rider and would like to enjoy Moto riding that you can also enjoy Moto riding tour there I have also a Adventure lover and in Morocco I had gone there specially for moto adventure the company that provide these kind of services
Frank
10 June, 2016 at 1:32 amWe booked the 4 day/3 night sahara desert trip from marrakech. We were promptly met at our designated time by hamid in a nice SUV that was very comfortable. We then joined Youssef for the next few days. Youssef was a very intelligent, calm, and interesting person with a sense of humor. We enjoyed our discussions along the way. We booked the intermediate hotels and found each one to be comfortable and nicer than we expected. Each had excellent breakfasts and dinner choices. We had an amazing trip into the desert even though it started with an unpredictable sandstorm. After a thorough exfoliation, we enjoyed sunset, dinner and music in the Berber tents. The next morning was a beautiful sunrise. The camel ride was excellent and a memorable experience. Our guide in the desert was also friendly and helpful. Youssef continually went above and beyond to make our trip pleasant. I would highly recommend anyone considering a desert trip to use sahara desert crew!
John
14 July, 2016 at 8:00 pmThis is one of the best blogs to get information about Morocco. I have read this blog and get the useful information such as how many travel places are available in Morocco. Which things are most famous. Where you can enjoy the food and drinks. Thanks so much to share nice collection of pics.
Caity
5 September, 2016 at 8:27 pmwhat flights did you take to get to Morocco?
Monika
22 September, 2016 at 1:31 pmHi, dear, thanks for this amazing blog post. We are planning to travel to Marrakech with a friend for 5 days and we have no idea what to do so your list is a great starting point.
Salme
2 October, 2016 at 10:29 pmHi
Very interesting article to read.
Having been to Morocco several times before (by car, for work, for holiday), my girlfriend and me decided to show some wonderful places to my mother&sister. We had one week holiday in July and wanted to spend two days in Marrakech at least ; so that we had 4 days sahara tour to Erg chabbi for a short trip in Morocco.
When we were looking for an agency we found th and contacted them to find out if longer trips are possible. We were really thankfull for the great service done by Iddir providing us an offer for a private 4 day trip. We were picked up by our driver in Marrakech and felt immediately very comfortable in this huge Toyota Landcruiser. It was no problem to travel with 4 persons and luggage. It was a joy to travel with our driver Hassan through this wonderful country. He his a very good driver and great guy. We had so much fun, thank you very much!
Nora
31 October, 2016 at 11:44 pmMy family of 3 with a child of 14yrs are gg to Morocco end Nov. We will start from Marrakech and ends in Tangier. 3N in Marrakecg ans were planning to do 1day tour to Casablanca on 1 of the days.. 3D2N for desert tour and end in Fez. 2N in Fez we will make our way to Tangier by train. 2N in Tangier which includes a Chefchauen day trip. Not sure if these ideas are feasible. Open to suggestions. Many thanks!
Zhiqiang & Tingyi
15 November, 2016 at 9:45 pmok sounds good. a lot of moving about – so pack light.
Chea
22 December, 2016 at 3:54 pmVery interesting and helpful guide. I never really thought of Morocco as a backpacking destination, but this has definitely changed my mind. Seeing as I’m based in Spain at the moment, I think a trip to the Mediterranean is called for!
Manique
1 January, 2017 at 8:44 pmWe are interested in drawing up an eight day itinerary for about 8-9 days and would like to use your tour guide Iddir. Could you please send me his details
Manique
1 January, 2017 at 8:45 pmInterested in getting your tour guides contact details
sadhvi vaish
1 March, 2017 at 3:12 amHi could you please share your tour guide’s contact! Seems like many people have reviewed him highly!
siti
20 April, 2017 at 4:34 pmHi, I am planning to go on a 8 nights Morocco in October. Can you share your tour contact? I am also considering renting a car to explore the places on our own. any concerns?
Raybon
30 May, 2017 at 9:08 pmThanks this information. its really very good at prospect of Morocco Travel…Thanks
Nourdine El Jakani
12 September, 2017 at 4:55 pmThanks for sharing such interesting a post.This is exciting trips and amazing landscapes and nature.
Cat
22 October, 2017 at 1:34 pmHi,
Awesome blog spewing with information. How did you get around? Would it be possible for you to share your tour contact or your personal driver?
Going this December.
Thank you so much!
Virikson Morocco
5 December, 2017 at 3:34 pmThe realistic cities of Morocco are the most attractive. Marrakech, Fes, Meknes… are places where you determine a beautiful mixture of the three values (Amazing, Arabic and Saharan) that figure the Moroccan cultures. you may also need to discover some gorgeous sites in the Moroccan Sahara such as Mir left, and Dakhla if u like to surf.