In this blog I will share with you 10 Things Not To Do in Morocco.
– Do not limit your trip to only Marrakesh.
First up do not limit your trip to only visiting Marrakesh which a lot of people do, Marrakesh is one of the most popular locations in Morocco and personally I love it, Jemaa El Fna, walking around the colorful market, the smell of the spices, the exquisite architecture and generally how everything is happening all of the time but don’t think that all of Morocco is like Marrakech, there are contrasting cities like Essaouira and Agadir which have beaches, there is so much more to see in Morocco not just Marrakech so make sure you give yourself a good amount of time there, I recommend a minimum of two weeks although three weeks would be better but to be honest you could spend longer than that if you wanted to.
– Do not forget to take sunglasses, scarf and warm clothes to the desert.
Do not forget to take sunglasses a scarf and warm clothes to the desert, one of the most popular things to do in Morocco is visit the Sahara and go on a camel trek, it can be very windy there, wearing a scarf can protect you from getting sand in your face and down your neck and the sunglasses will stop it going in your eyes as soon as you hear the word desert you will be thinking scorching Sun especially as the Sahara is one of the hottest deserts in the world but at night it’s totally the opposite so make sure you have enough warm clothes in your day backpack because as soon as that Sun Goes Down you are going to need them.
– Do not think that morocco is only desert.
Do not think that Morocco is only desert. Morocco has lotted more beaches, mountain ranges like the green Riff Mountains, the diverse high Atlas Mountains and rocky anti Atlas Mountains just to name some of them, there are also different climates I actually visited Morocco when it was snowing before in the high Atlas Mountains what an epic experience that was.
– Do not assume that the local offering to guide you is doing it out of kindness.
Do not assume that the local that is offering to show you around or guide you to your hotel is doing it out of the kindness of their heart, the chances are they could be trying to make profit from you by demanding a tip when they show you to the location, now this has happened to me before, these people are known as hustlers and they usually operate around the Medina’s in Fez and Marrakesh, so just bear this in mind it’s probably better that when someone offers to show you somewhere you just say no thanks I know where I’m going or you can ring up the hostel before and get someone that works there to meet you somewhere and they will be able to show you because those Medina’s can be really hard to navigate and the maps doesn’t always work because you don’t always get reception and these hustlers will spot you a mile off as you’re looking up of both buildings that look the same and so you’re completely lost and they’re there in the background and they’ll spot you coming so if this does happen to you and they sort of try to get aggressive you can threaten to call the police.
– Do not think that Chefchaouen is always sunny.
Do not think that Chefchaouen is always sunny, it’s not! Chefchaouen aka the blue pearl of Morocco is one of my favorite cities but if you search for pictures on Google or Instagram of Chefchaouen you will see most of them are in nice weather and the perfect light for photos sure Chefchaouen is located in the Rif Mountains and where there are mountains, there is a higher chance of rainfall so if it’s cloudy and does rain don’t be surprised.
– Do not forget to try the Moroccan mint tea.
Do not forget to try the Moroccan mint tea, I absolutely love it! it’s a big part of their culture you will see locals everywhere drinking it, socializing with each other, the way they pour it is pure entertainment to release the bubbles, they say it makes it taste better and strangely enough it does so do not forget to try, especially if you are a tea lover just like myself.
– Do not be surprised if the local bus breaks down.
Do not be surprised if the local bus breaks down, there are different classes of buses first class like Superatours which is actually really nice, it’s a smooth ride, it’s more expensive, it is more touristy and you will feel like you’ve just left Morocco but the times that they run are not as frequent as a local buses so their challenges are you would have to take a local bus but do not be surprised if it breaks down, it’s happened to me a couple of times and locals did warn me of this, the good news is there are other modes of transport you can take, collective taxis and that’s a popular choice and also there is a train line that runs through certain major cities so check that out.
– Do not forget to stay in a riad.
Do not forget to stay in a Riad, so when you visit Morocco you are going to want to get the most authentic experience you can and one of the best ways to do that is by staying in a Riad which is simply a Moroccan home with an indoor garden that has been converted into a guesthouse and you get affordable ones more expensive ones but they are all absolutely stunning inside, Morocco has the best interior designs I’ve ever seen in fact I recommend that you only stayed in Riad and don’t bother with any kind of normal hotels that you could find in any country.
– Do not forget to haggle in markets.
Do not settle for the first price that you are offered in a soup, there is a haggling culture in Morocco and to be honest the Moroccans are great at selling they will try and raise the prices a lot higher than you should really be paying especially in Fez and Marrakech due to those being more touristy, try to find out from a local first what prices you should be paying.
– Do not be surprised if the toilet is just a hole in the ground.
and finally, do not be surprised if the toilet is just a hole in the ground now most countries have a toilet bar with a lid, Morocco does too but not everywhere so you might just have to squat to do your business but hey it’s all part of the travel experience.