Are there any travelers here that have been to Morroco? I'd love to hear your stories.
>>1088061
Check the tanneries at Fez. Do not do it in Marrakech. They are uglier and the keeper is an asshole that tried to hit us
>>1088136
The owner of the big shop above the Fes tanneries is a cool guy; used to represent Morocco in Olympic kayaking and lives half the year in new Jersey. He treated me to lunch on his rooftop wheni told him i was american.
He'll also jew you out of every penny you have, but jesus he sells nice stuff.
OP I've been to Morocco every year since 2009. Mostly I stick to the mountains and about tourist stuff but i can probably answer any questions you have. Been to every big city more than once.
>traversing High Atlas in late February
>ascend southern side of ridge which gets lots of sun, no ice
>look down on northern side of ridge, completely covered in ice
>takes me while afternoon to descend 200 meters on my ass chipping footholds in the ice
>realize entire Berber village is watching me
>when I finally make it down villagers all laugh their ass off
Doesn't matter, made friends
>>1088164
How much did you pay, out of curiosity? I got away with a fancy one for €250, I think I pissed off everyone in the shop
My mother and sister (50 and 20) are going to Marrakech. They're not particularly well travelled, average suburb women from England. Would they be safe? I'm a little worried
>>1088240
They'll be perfectly safe but they won't have a nice time (unless they're uncommonly open-minded.)
the resident sleazeballs usually restrain their inappropriate comments if a girl is accompanied by a man; I'm not sure of your mother's presence will keep your sister from getting those comments.
NB this is only a problem in Marrakech; the sleazeballs do not represent Moroccan people as a whole.
>>1088263
Maybe I undermined my own statement that it's perfectly safe so here's a run-down of what happens to a Moroccan male who, say, slaps a white girl's ass: she reports it to the police, meanwhile the guy gets a beating from his neighbors. Then he gets a beating from the police, then he sits in prison for potentially months while his family tries to raise enough money to bribe him out. Then he lives with the stigma forever, or moves.
This exact story makes headlines in Marrakech every so often, so most of the sleazeballs keep the molestation strictly verbal.
>>1088061
Went up to marrakech, drove down to ait ben haddou, ourzazate, valley of the roses, atlas mountains, down to merzouga and into the desert on camels.
Great stuff, would reccommend!
>>1088263
>>1088265
Verbal harrasment is worse than I hoped but not unexpected
>this is only a problem in Marrakech; the sleazeballs do not represent Moroccan people as a whole
I'm not judging, I'm sure some creeps in the capital don't represent the country. I'd be happy to visit by myself, but two very soft targets are different, you know? They'll be in Marrakech the whole time though, they're just usual tourists. I almost don't even want them to leave Marrakech.
I don't want to scare them but I'll tell them to be extra careful, maybe mention creeps
I've been to Morocco a few times when I was young. 8 or 9 or so. My mom is Moroccan, and I have a lot of family there. I might have to go again, it's been way too long.
>stories
This one time, my mom, aunt and cousins and I took a train back to Kenitra. I think we were coming back from Marrakech. Some ladies sitting across from us gave us dirty looks and eventually started getting catty with my mom and aunt. Don't know what it was about, since they were speaking Moroccan. I think they were somehow upset or offended by me playing with a GameBoy. I dunno. By the time we got to the station, it erupted into a full blown fight. A large crowd formed around the fight and everything. Good times.
>>1088300
Jesus, this ALWAYS happens on public transport in Morocco, and I'm left wondering what people can possibly get so mad about while sitting on a bus. It's the single greatest driving force in my effort to learn darija, to find out what they're yelling about.
I even saw a guy get literally thrown off a city bus in Agadir. Half the passengers were on their feet screaming at him,a couple of the men threw punches before they lifted him off his feet and ejected him.
No kidding though, maybe the reason Morocco is my favorite country is that I never have a fucking clue what's going on.
Is there a good place to buy some nice cloths or get a tattoo ?
>>1088240
to make life easier they can wear a hat or a hijab. it doesnt have to be full on muslim hijab style but just a show that they are trying and their lives will be much easier.
>>1088300
probably over something that happened between families a couple hundred years ago.
morrocan guys will knock people the fuck out without hesitation.
>>1088061
stories? try not to get robbed by the kids that run around with samurai swords in dark alleys.
>>1088326
to make life easier they can wear a hat or a hijab.
yea I guess I forgot to mention dressing modestly (apparently, I'm not a lady) reduces the number of comments you get. DON'T wear a hijab; you'll be laughed at by everybody in Jema el Fnaa. Don't expose shoulders or legs, scarf around neck; easy. Forearms are fine.
>>1088061
test
>>1088061
Moroccan here (don't live there anymore). I've been to Chefchaouen(the city in OP pic) multiple times, beautiful city, I would recommend if you ever go to Morocco, it's a lot more relaxing than the big cities.
Chefchaouen gets a lot of the DUDE WEED LMAO tourists because apparently the hashish there is really good, the food is amazing as well.
Last time I was went there was a guy on the hill with a fucking sword chasing after someone, and a crazy old man at night pretending to be a judge(he was obviously high as fuck)
in regards to the hijab thing, most girls these days don't wear it. It's mostly for married women. Just dress modestly and you'll be fine.
If you want to buy anything in Morocco never pay the asking price, always try to haggle so you don't get jewed
>>1088353
Mind explaining the whole Western Sahara debacle (if you can)?
>>1088359
Sorry, don't know enough about it to give you any useful info
>>1088353
What are people always arguing about on public transport?
>>1088379
Everything, Moroccan people can get into arguments over the most trivial shit. They're very stubborn.
>>1088172
They do make you think like you ripped them off so you walk away happy about getting a good deal but don't worry, they definitely made money on you
>>1088263
They do this in Lebanon too. If you are a woman wearing western clothing and you are walking the streets alone men will catcall you constantly, but if you are with a man no one will say anything. The upside to this is that if you are a woman walking alone and a man actually touches you in anyway everyone else on the street mobs up against the cat caller and beats some feminism into him.
>>1088934
i wouldnt be telling women they dont need to worry because the mobs will protect them from gropers. police maybe, but they need to just gtfo if a yelling mob forms in one of those places. keep an open mind but lets be real here.
btw is there any country where the women do this shit to men? just curious....of course.
>>1088061
Only visited for 2 days after a months stay in Spain. Was fun though, lot of good chicken.
Also, everyone and their grandmother tried to sell me everything ever.
>>1088359
>Spanish finally shrug and decide to give up claim on old unused piece of empty desert they held for a few hundred years.
>It declares independence at the same time
>Morocco swoops in and says "nuh-uh niggas, this ours now! Muh eternal Moroccan clay!"
>Local Arabs say "Berbers fuck off"
>Moroccans refuse to budge
>stalemate for the last 40 years, with occasional meddling from Algeria and Mauritania
That's pretty much it.
>>1089130
I was there just in transit last year, talked to a lot of Sahrawis. They're optimistic they'll get their freedom, but not for 20 or 30 years. Apparently it's the French responsible for holding the situation in limbo by siding with Morocco.
>>1088061
Went to Fes with my mum and dad on holiday when I was younger, 15 or so.
I didn't enjoy it at all, not my cup of tea.
People are slimey jewing cunts, to the point where it feels like nobody is nice because they're nice, they're just nice because they want money. They'll also put you in situations where you have to buy something, we got invited into some blokes house, this lovely riad, gave us tea and then tried to get us to buy a rug which my mum did. She knew he was doing this for a sale but let it happen anyway.
Also allah hu ackbar at 5 in the fucking morning was annoying.
We were prepared for the jewing and the haggling, my mum haggled like fuck and loved it, but they think all tourists are clueless and try and take the piss.
The food was shit, very plain, the tajine was just meatballs in tomato sauce.
My mum had the shits really badly even though she didn't touch the water, and I got it for a few nights too again not having touched the water.
Medina was just what you'd expect from a middle eastern market, went to the tanning place and was okay.
Overall though it was boring and I would never go again.
>>1089130
Mauritania backed down a long time ago
>>1089200
Pretty standard report from someone who's never left the cities. The jewery is so in-your-face that it's understandable most tourists come away assuming the whole country is like that.
But off the tourist track, people actually get offended if you offer them money when they're nice to you.
You didn't think the call to prayer is beautiful?
>>1089130
I don't think Berbers are a specific part of the equation. It's just Saharawi vs non-Saharawi
>>1088172
I paid about the same I think. 2300 dirhams in 2013 when the dirham wasn't as weak as it is now, so probably about £200. Was a decent deal I think. I think it helps if you speak French (as I do).
>>1088300
Where is your dad from out of interest?
>>1088240
They will be safe, but they won't enjoy themselves as others have mentioned. They will get stared and approached all the time as Middle Eastern men automatically assume that all Western women are sluts, regardless of how they are dressed. I don't really blame them though, they can only judge based on the culture we export to them which is pretty decadent. Most Moroccan guys also think that any woman who is outside after dark (apart from a few upmarket places) without a male relative or husband then she is automatically a slut/whore Your mother being there won't make a difference, a lot of young guys actually try to get with older Western women so they can be their sugar mommy. I would suggest yourself or your father go with them.
>>1089489
Yeah and they will also get their legs, ass or chest felt at some point. All the Western girls I met travelling there all said it happend to them at some point
>>1089489
And i think you've really got the nail on the head with regard to the mentality of these people. Who can blame them for thinking western culture breeds easy women. Also once you catch a glimpse of the chaos of Marrakech, who can blame them for resenting tourists.
Spent a month driving through the country with a buddy last year. Moroccans are so goddamn friendly it makes me ashamed of my culture. Everywhere you go you get given tea. Every village you stop in you get invited to someone's home for lunch, or to spend the night. I'm prepared to believe there's disrespect for female tourists in the cities, but by and large those people know how you're supposed to treat other humans.
>>1088240
I think the main concern would be not so much safety as being cheated out of money, as in, sold worthless shit for lots of money.
If they are lucky, they'll never know it's worthless.
Another potentially important concern is dirt. As in, every street being also used as a communal trash disposal.
Other than that, I suppose it'll be fine.
>>1089502
These things happen all over Morocco buddy, not just in Marrakech.
>>1089503
Its so funny seeing how butthurt they all get when a Western guy goes out on a date with a Moroccan girl. I remember one time sitting in a cafe in Gueliz with a Moroccan chick and this guy and his really old mother literally started at us the whole time we were there. In general Moroccan girls are 10/10, very humble, funny and great bodies. Just need to watch out for the few who are only out to scam Westerners, and the prossies.
>>1089613
Nice one Sven
>>1089652
>These things happen all over Morocco buddy, not just in Marrakech.
I both agree and disagree. I think Marrakech and Fes, maybe Tangier too, are the only cities where tourism is so ubiquitous that street urchins think they can get away with shit like that. It's just one more white girl out of literally millions, and you'll never see her again, so why not wolf-whistle?
But if you've visited the non-touristy cities, you'll know how extreme the difference is on people's attitudes toward tourists if you compare Marrakech/Fes with, say, Rabat or Meknes. walk through the souq in Rabat, *nobody* gives a damn about you, or even gives you a second look.
I'm not female so I'm not claiming you'll never get harassed outside of the tourist cities, but the difference in treatment of tourists really is black and white.
>>1088240
my sister went with a Moroccan friend, they got jizzed on by a random man on the street .think it was in Marrakech
>>1089828
#lad
Went there with the ferry from Genova, that means 3 days 2 nights.
I was in a room with 3 shady moroccan truckers that invited their 8 friends in the room who would sit on my bed and cook in the room. They searched in my bag and also threatened to kill me for no reason.
Then I arrived in Tangiers, saw some 40yo guy shit in the street just next to main station, I was harrased by hobos that wanted to hold my luggage in exchange of money, a taxi driver "saved" me.
Went in Meknes after that, some kids threw rocks at a dog then at me. Also a teen with scar on his face followed me for 30 minutes telling me to take small streets to go faster.
Marrakech was hell as described above. Safe but non stop harrassment and scams. I know how to avoid them but having to negociate for 20 minutes every transaction is boring.
Casablanca was the best, except some gang of kids harrassing everyone. I bought the worse hasch I saw in my life from some retard. I didn't even smoke it.
I was a normal 25yo white guy and traveled a lot in other shit countries before that but that was really unpleasant. Would not go again.
Glad I found some really nice hasch for my boat trip though, spent 3 days high as fuck then Italian police dog found it when I arrived.
Does anyone have any stories or tips for staying in Casablanca? Ill be staying there for a week in mid- May.
