Morocco

I booked Morocco through the travel agency Two Nights In and the agent’s name was Justyna Smith (hello@twonightsin.com). Two Nights In partnered with the agency Experience Morocco. This was the first time I traveled with a travel agency and I can’t recommend it enough for Morocco. We visited 6 cities in 13 days and used their driver and luxury van – which had speedy wifi and was stocked with cold water bottles and snacks. Having a driver made the travel relaxing and all of our stops were planned for safe areas with decent meals, clean bathrooms, etc. even though we were in very remote areas getting between cities. The agency gave us a local phone to call the driver 24/7 whenever we needed a ride home from dinner, to run an errand, etc. They also booked our guides in each city and although some were better than others they were all very knowledgeable and pleasant. Although you could certainly independently book all of the below, I can’t recommend Two Nights In enough. They provided great suggestions and worked closely with our group to add in/take out things based on our personal preferences. Marrakesh Stay: Hotel La Maison Arabe was incredible and I would highly recommend. It was in a great location, in a beautiful, old property Visit: -Jemaa el-Fnaa – definitely hire a guide. -Spa day @ Royal Mansour -El Badi Palace -Bahia Palace -YSL Museum -Jardin Majorelle -Koutoubia Mosque -Rug shop -Pharmacia Eat/Drink: • Our hotel La Maison Arabe • We had lunch at our spa day @ Royal Mansour which was a standout from the trip. It was expensive. Cocktails are tough. Stuffy, luxury vibes • Café Dar Touareg in Medina • Drinks @ La Mamounia • Azar belly dancing- apps and drinks only • Grand Café De La Poste Day trips from Marrakesh: • Atlas Mountains Hike through Berber Village • ATV Dades Gorge Auberge Chez Pierre The Sahara Stay: Luxury Camp Chebbi Tips: The weather in the desert varies greatly depending on the time of year, but our evening sleeping in the tents was very hot- probably 75/80 degrees. But the morning was a bit chilly and we needed sweatshirts. I would pay close attention to the weather when you go to pack accordingly! Fes Stay: Palais Faraj is a huge, beautiful historical building that was very elegant and ornate and had an old colonial feel. Visit: • Medina: The Fes Medina is huge and is best exploring by wandering and eating as much local food as you can - olives, figs, bread, cheese, pastries are some of the more common items. Tons of souks (shops) as well. • Tanneries: A must see where they by hand color all of the local leather. Our guide took us to the roof of a local shop which I’d highly recommend. We heard the smell was unbearable (it’s actually pigeon poop used in the dye!) but it wasn’t too awful and don’t let that deter you. We bought awesome leather jackets here! • University of Al-Karaouine: oldest university in the world with incredibly ornate architecture • Tamegroute Pottery Cooperative: Do a tour of the 6 step process of how pottery is hand made and see all of the local artisans at work. Was surprisingly fascinating and had a great gift shop. Eat/Drink: • Nur: Incredible local 8 course tasting menu by a female chef. The plating were works of art and this was definitely our most special and memorable meal of the trip! • Palais Faraj: incredible rooftop views of the medina and had a big menu of Moroccan/European and even a bit of Asian. Tips: Fes is not safe to walk around at night as tourists. Nur was deep in the medina but someone from the restaurant met us and walked us from outside of the medina to their doorstop. Chefchaouen Stay: Dar Echchaouen Visit: • Chefchaouen is small, charming, and beautiful. The best thing to do here is really just to wander and take lots of pictures of the incredible blue buildings! • Hike to the Spanish Mosque @ sunset • Local square • Riad Lena & Spa Eat/Drink: • Hamsa: we had lunch on the roof here. Chefchaouen doesn’t have much of a food scene, but this meal was one of our favorites of the entire trip! • Casa Hisham • Café Hassam: we didn’t make it hear, but heard good things from multiple people! Tips: Chefchaouen is a dry city (no alcohol) and there are only 1-2 hotels in the entire city that sell wine. I would definitely recommend bringing alcohol from other cities to have at your hotel. Chefchaouen is extremely safe, even at night, to walk around and therefore was probably the one city where we didn’t need a guide. But, the medina is extremely windy and confusing so just be mindful of directions and navigating there. Rabat Stay: Villa Diyafi – when we stayed, the hotel was under new management and it felt a bit too new and empty. There was construction going on and the staff seemed new/not very knowledgeable. The property was modern and beautiful and the rooms were huge, but it was a bit out of the way from the tourist attractions and medina. I’m not sure I would stay here again although with time it may improve. Visit: • Chellah: scenic garden and Roman ruins • Hassan Tower • Mausoleum of Mohammed • Kasbah of the Udayas: beautiful ocean views of the Atlantic • We only had 24 hours in Rabat but the main sites were close/small enough that we squeezed them all in! Eat/Drink: • Cosmopolitan: we only had one night in Rabat but we enjoyed this modern European/French spot and had a relaxing outdoor meal in their courtyard. Casablanca We had a brief stop in Casablanca before flying out but it was worthwhile to quickly visit the one main site, the Hassan II Mosque. It is the largest Mosque in Africa and is breathtaking. Double check the seasonal hours and interior tours as they are limited during call to prayer times. It was neat to drive by the beach boardwalk but I don’t think it’s worth spending too much time in Casablanca otherwise! General Tips • Safety: Traveling as 5 American females, my biggest surprise in Morocco is how safe we all felt the entire time. We were with a guide in most major areas, but I never felt that people were aggressive or disrespectful. In general, most Moroccans were very kind, helpful, and welcoming of tourists. • Dressing respectful: We were in Morocco in September and the day temps were often around 90 and hot. It is fine to wear a thin strap dress or tank top, so long as you have a shawl in case you go into mosques. Long or short sleeves are not necessary but you should not wear anything cut above knee length. I would have packed more linen pants and tank tops. Do not pack heels- lots of cobblestone and old windy streets! • Bartering: Bartering is prevalent almost anytime you buy something. By the end we learned the general rule of thumb seemed to be that souk (shop) owners seemed willing to make a deal at 60% of their original offer, so we would offer about 50% of their originl asking price. • Locals: We encountered a number of small children in local villages and wish we had brought small, cheap toys such as bouncy balls or yoyos. I would save these for remote areas, and not hand them out in the bigger cities, markets, or souks (shops). • Gyms are not as prevalent in hotels, even luxury hotels, as in the states. Only our hotels in Marrakesh and Rabat had gyms. • Expect windy roads and lots of construction between cities. I went through A LOT of Dramamine, especially in the Atlas Mountains area. • Call to Prayer won’t disrupt your visit except on Fridays from 12-3ish. This is the most holy time of the week so expect most shops to close then. Everything was open on Sundays. • Patience was a virtue. Expect Europe type service and long, leisurely meals. Take out food or coffee does not really exist. Most people spoke basic English but knowing a few phrases in French or Arabic definitely helped.