Advice About Holidaying In Marrakech, Morocco

[Lorzy Lor]

Hi! I am going away to Marrakech, Morocco in a few weeks time, for 6 nights. We are staying in a small Reid, in the old part of the city. Neither of us have been before, I have a few questions, hoping some one can help/advise:-

•Any idea of how much spending money to take?
•What clothing should I take? Loose, leg and shoulder covering clothes? Or could I wear vest tops and just a scarf round my shoulders?
•Any tips on places we should see, things we should do?
•just any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you!

Lor x

[Buenchico]

As always, Wikitravel is well worth a read:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Marrakech

The FCO website has some general advice for visitors to Morocco:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco

Advice on suitable clothing can be found on TripAdvisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g293730-i9195-k2548348-For_the_ladies_what_to_wear_what_not_to_wear-Morocco.html
and JourneyWoman:
http://www.journeywoman.com/ccc/ccc-m2.html
See also here:
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2014/07/134806/what-to-wear-in-morocco-a-guide-for-westerners/

If you need further reading, here's the website of the Moroccan Tourist Board
http://www.visitmorocco.com/index.php/eng/I-am-going-to/Marrakech/Unmissable
(Check out the links down the left).
plus Time Out
http://www.timeout.com/city-guides/20-great-things-to-do-in-marrakech/
and Lonely Planet
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/morocco/marrakesh

[Mosaic]

A lot of the answer depends on what you are prepared to deal with on a holiday.

Spending money - whatever you take, don't let people see how much you have on you at any one time. Keep small currency at hand in your pocket and a couple of bigger notes close to your body

If you carry a bag, make it a cross-body shoulder bag with a secure closure eg good big zip

Beware of going into shops unless you are confident of how to get out - a regular scam in many many places including Morocco is to prevent you from leaving until you part with money

If you are female you will be subject to comments and possibly to touching / ass grabbing, especially in crowds. You can minimise this by wearing a long cover-up shirt, cover your legs as far as possible. I'm not condoning a society where this happens, I'm just giving hints on how to minimise it and stop it spoiling your holiday.

A classic way to get your attention is for stallholders to shout in English as you pass by. Maybe a name eg 'Elizabeth!', maybe 'cheaper than Asda!' - your instinct is to look as it's in your language, then they can try to reel you in. So practice not reacting to being yelled at

Dark sunglasses help keep male attention at a distance

Beware people 'helping' by taking you the shortcut, showing you where the best restaurant is, cleaning your shoes the minute you stand still - you will be asked for cash

Haggling is normal, never pay the first stated price and be prepared to walk off. Most of the goods you see are now global tourist stuff, made in China

You may find that your accommodation owner has a pet tour guide, and TBH if you haven't experienced the chaos and anarchy of mideast/ north african cities, it might be worth (haggling first) then letting them take you around. You will have their skill in putting off the other sharks

And have a lovely time! These doom and gloom hints are intended to brace you so you don't go into shock and cower in your room for 6 days...as some folk have done. It wiull be a great experience.

[jno]

temperatures should still be in the mid to high 20s, nice and warm. I'd wear loose clothing but cover up; showing off limbs is impolite (while also overexciting some local lads). The main square is the biggest attraction; be prepared for demands for cash when you try to take photos of snake charmers and other people. But there are gardens, tombs and museums to see (as far as I know you can't get into mosques in Morocco except the one in Casablanca) and you can take day trips up into the Atlas mountains.

[MallyJ]

I lived in Marrakech for a few years ....
1 ... you can't get the local currency here ... use your debit card to get cash from banks ... easy
2 ... the local people are very unimpressed if you show too much.. eg shoulders and vast expanses of leg. Save sun bathing for the roof terrace. Wear loose clothing and be sensitive to local customs .. Morocco is not hard line as some Muslim countries but it is good manners. Take warm jumper/ cardigan/ jacket for the evening which can get very chilly. Have a break from the sun at mid day.
3... get a good guide and see what you want to see... the souks are great, artisan centres are easier as you are not expected to haggle (and don't haggle over really cheap things as th lads that sell them only get a pittance for their work. Take time to have coffee/ cold drink and watch the world go by. Get into the new town and see what is there. What you enjoy may not be my cup of tea or vice versa... worth getting onto a roof top bar in the newer part of town to watch the sunset. Try the English pub, Cafe Arabe... oh so many good places... eat in the main square ... good food and a real experience. Jma el fina...
Be relaxed and wander round.. try not to rush round... you can always go back ... when you get off the plane you will need to get money from a cash point for the bus or taxi! Above all enjoy it... it is not a dangerous place as local people have real respect for women ... assuming they are dressed reasonably modestly ...

[piggynose]

i was there 2 years ago, loved it, can´t add anything else, enjoy. You can change your pounds for dirhams at the airport. Unless you are planning on going on a spending spree, just change about 50 quid at the airport, theres loads of currency exchange places around the city, so if you do happen to run out of dosh, you can always change 10 or 20 quid, to get you by.

[Lorzy Lor]

Wow! Thank you so much for all your answers! Massively thankful to you all!
I can't wait and intend to immerse myself and explore as much as possible!!

[boxtops]

We loved it. We took a walking tour of the city - it was useful to have a guide with us, he steered us through the souks and we weren't too hassled. There is some lovely history in the city and the locals were great. Make sure to go to Djem el Fnaa at night - it's crazy and wonderful. Eat local food! Get your cash out of an ATM when you need it. Have a great time!

[atalanta]

Best food in North Africa. Tagines are delicious - my favourite was beef with prunes and sesame seeds. lamb with apricots was also superb.
Don't take pix of people in the street without their permission - they may take offence. Cabarets are good.

[chokkie]

Can't remember what the currency is, but you will have to change it at the airport before you fly home .. think it's a "soft" currency. Dress modestly. Take a compass - the souks can be like a rabbit warren and all the little alleys look the same. And don't forget (or be afraid to) to haggle - the shopkeepers will expect you to do so, and you can get some great bargains. Once you've done it a couple of times, you'll get confident enough to stand your ground and haggle the shopkeepers down. I remember that our tour guide took us to some "department store" - and I tagged along thinking it would be interesting - not in the slightest - got better bargains in the market.

Be very careful when crossing the road - there are zebra crossings, but they only seem to be for show! I would be careful when eating street food - such as they offer in the Djma el Fnaa market place - we stuck to restaurants.

If you're into cooking, then bring back some Ras El Hanout spice mix .... but get the stuff from the stalls where they grind it for you. so much fresher.

Hope you have a great time!