A trip to Morocco

I've been willing to visit Morocco ever since I did a presentation about the country for my English Class. When I watched Casablanca, I felt the need to visit this city as well. The country had many secrets for me. I didn't know much about it, about it's culture or it's tradition. Some people, whom I've talked to, wondered if it was a dangerous place, the fear of the unknown is what makes people wonder whether is good or not to travel somewhere. Therefore, I'll share my experience in this country with you; hoping you'll want to go too.

Personally I think is a country very similar to Mexico. If you haven't been there, maybe you have the same questions about safety that you have for Morocco. I'm a Mexican, and it's not that I've survived Mexico, it's that is not the war zone everyone believes it to be. Same applies to Morocco, just because their religion is Islam, it doesn't mean they are terrorists or rapists. It's about common sense, when you walk in certain neighborhoods in many cities around the world, you know you must be cautious, it doesn't have to do with religion.

Cities to visit (Chronological order on my trip)

Fes.

Average hostel price: 100 MAD (See exchange rate at the bottom)

Entrance to Fes' Medina.

It's one of the busiest cities in Morocco. At the Medina people would want you to buy something. You'll feel overwhelmed, they'll try to get you inside their store. Many will try to become your tour guides, most of the times their excused will be that you will get lost on your own (probably true, it's like a labyrinthine inside), but they might get you deeper and ask for more money to get you out. The hostel I stayed at, Funky Fes, offered me a tour guide. He showed me and a group of travelers places to eat and shop. It wasn't one of the best places I've been in, staff there is not very friendly but at least is a safe place near the Medina.

Leather industry.

I don't recommend this as your first city. For me it was too much to take in, specially because a few days before traveling, a lady told me to be very careful, that I might be kidnapped since I looked a bit Moroccan. However, after speaking with several people, among them Moroccan women, other travelers, local guides and local people, I found out that the main industry is the tourist one, therefore you're completely safe. It might be that some men might confuse kindness with flirting, but I've experienced that in Mexico and other countries as well. My advice is to show confidence while walking, something I do when walking alone in Mexico.

Scarf making.

Chefchaouen

Average hostel price: 100-120 MAD

Medina in Chefchaouen.

It's also known as the blue city. This was a paradise comparing to Fes. People are more relaxed. If you answer you're fine finding your own way, no one will insist. I stayed at Riad Baraka, very quiet hostel, with friendly staff.

I also did some exploration to a place in the mountains. It's called Cascades d'Akchour and God's Bridge. It's funny that those places were very similar to some back home.

Map to Riad Baraka.

Rabat / Casablanca

Average hostel price: 220 MAD

Avenue in Rabat.

Rabat is the capital city in Morocco. This was the first time I did some Couchsurfing, I stayed with a Brazilian girl. I also met another Couchsurfer who is a local, whose couch I surfed on my following visit. Hostels are a bit more expensive, therefore I decided to do so this way. I was traveling with an Argentinian I met in Fes, so it was easier to use the site.

Medina in Rabat.

Casablanca is a very European city. There's not much to see. I was curious since I watched the movie... It was one of the reasons I wanted to visit Morocco.

Biggest Mosque in Morocco, Casablanca.

Essaouira

Average hostel price: 100-120 MAD

This was another one of my favorite cities in this country. It's on the coast, so there's a beach but there's too much wind that won't let you have a nice sun bath. You might catch some nice waves and practice some Surf or WindSurf. I did it for the first time and it was amazing.

Sand Castle in Diabat, near Essaouira.

I used Workaway here for the first time, I spend a week working in a hostel. It wasn't a very good experience so I decided to quit and go enjoy my stay. People recommended me Green Milk Hostel but it was closed during that season due to maintenance or something. I stayed in Atlantic Hostel. It was a really nice place, they have Jam Sessions at night, so you can either play or enjoy the music on the terrace.

Marrakesh.

Average hostel price: 100-120 MAD

Snake charmers.

I only stayed one night in Marrakesh, at Kaktus. This hostel gives you a discount price if you come from Atlantic, they are partner hostels. There's a big market square, you can see snake charmers, buy some food and drinks, or get henna tattoos.

Food.

The cheapest meal was something like a sandwich and a juice for 13 MAD. This was in a local restaurant in Rabat, guided there by a Moroccan guy. It might have costed something like 40-50 MAD in a touristic area.
There was another occasion when a restaurant was selling a small portion of Tagine for 80 MAD, however we negotiated and it turned out to be a shared plate (4 people) and soup for 50 MAD total. There was no price list, so that's how we manage to get this.

Mint tea and pancakes.

Cooking pastilla.

Pastilla.

Homemade meal in Rabat.

Transport.

There are many bus lines, CTM is the first one I used, most hostels will tell you there's nothing else or that the local lines are not good. It's more expensive than the local lines, but also most comfy. From Fes to Chefchaouen I payed somewhere around 100 Dirhams, same as to Rabat. Another line someone recommended was Supratours. I didn't use this one, but there are options to go to Essaouira from Rabat.

Bus schedule in Chefchaouen.

As I've said, there are local buses, not that much cheaper (5 Dirhams) and of course with no AC. There are no seats assigned, so you might stand up all the way. Same happens with the trains.

Bus drive.

As for the local transport, there's a Tram in Rabat and Casablanca, price is 6 or 7 Dirhams depending on the city. There's an option to use taxis, Petit or Grand. Petit is only for 3 persons, they can be shared so don't freak out if you see your taxi pulling over to pick up someone in the middle of your journey. Grand Taxis are for 6 people plus the driver (crazy but true). You could ask to fit only 5 o 4, but the fare will be fixed one, if you manage to fit 6 people, it will be cheaper.

Other tips and recommendations.

I didn't plan a trip to the dessert, many people recommended this as I was travelling but I did't have it in mind since the beginning and didn't have the budget for it. It's around 800-1,000 Dirhams for a three day trip. The best option is to book a trip at a hostel in Marrakesh or Fes, that way you'll avoid scams. It also helps if you are travelling alone, since you get to enjoy it more if you have company.

Camel in Essaouira.

As I kept travelling, people were recommending other cities like Tangier or Agadir, which I didn't have time to visit. As an exploration trip it was amazing. I got to meet many people, from travelers to locals. Many recommendations of places to visit on my next journey. As always, the best plan, was the NO plan.

Mosque in Casablanca.

Currency change was about €10 = 1 Dirham (MAD) but for me it was easier to convert to 1 Driham = $1.50 MXN.