Anyone been to Morocco recently?

PhilTheFragger

PhilTheFragger

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HID fancies a holiday in Morocco next August , I've been to Tunisia about 30 years ago and whilst it was ok, the food was iffy, got food poisoning and found the locals quite intimidating regarding hassling you to buy things. So I'm not exactly jumping for joy

So has anyone been recently, she's looking at a private beach hotel south of Agadir , it's got good trip advisor reports.
What's the security situation, poss day trips to Marrakech and Casablanca

This will be us and 3 daughters, 20,18,16
 
PhilTheFragger said:
HID fancies a holiday in Morocco next August , I've been to Tunisia about 30 years ago and whilst it was ok, the food was iffy, got food poisoning and found the locals quite intimidating regarding hassling you to buy things. So I'm not exactly jumping for joy

So has anyone been recently, she's looking at a private beach hotel south of Agadir , it's got good trip advisor reports.
What's the security situation, poss day trips to Marrakech and Casablanca

This will be us and 3 daughters, 20,18,16
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Absolutely no security issues or concerns a year ago. We were in Marrakesh for a few days and in the High Atlas for a few.
 
Not been personally but friends of ours have. They said they would not go back, resorts are very nice but go outside the boundary forget it, dirty and street sellers pestering you every few yards and some kids threw stones at them. Other than that it's o.k:)
 
we (2 adults, kids 17,14,11) went at Easter this year.

A few days in marrakesh, a drive across the Atlas to the desert, camel trek, drive across the Atlas to Fes, a few days there and flew back.

Fantastic trip. One bout of food/tummy trouble. It is not like travelling in Europe, but that's why it's so interesting. It helps to speak a bit of French to get by. Lots of people are VERY poor, so extracting cash from rich tourists is often the best way of feeding the family.

Didn't go to Agadir or stay in a big hotel, so can't comment specifically on your plans. I would suggest that it might get a bit hot in August, I think it's probably a much more pleasant experience away from the middle of summer.
 
Had a 10 day winter break in Agadir a couple of years ago - they've developed the entire sea front as one long promenade from the hotels at the south through the "bars & clubs" area in the middle up to the marina and "posh end" in the north. When we were there it took about 45mins to walk one way - and there have been more hotels built to the south since then.

Always felt very safe walking along the prom - yes there were people trying to get you to drink in their bar, but always very friendly & no huge pressure. There were a lot security staff walking and Segwaying on the prom to discourage street vendors / beggars - so we had no problems at all.

Beach was adequate - waves coming in from the Atlantic so could be quite big (there was some surfing going on) - hotel we stayed in (one of the Riu's) was clean and friendly, food was good. A member of the family went to one of the newer Riu's last year and loved it.

Trips to Atlas mountains and Essouiria were interesting & soukh is an experience - didn't get to Marrakesh as we didn't fancy another long day out.

All that said - if you're looking for the "real" Morocco, Agadir isn't it - it's a tourist town built following the destruction of the original town by an earthquake in 1960.

Bottom line - for the right price (I think we paid about £420 pp) I'd happily go back.
 
3 mates of mine have just got back from a golf break there and they said it was nice. Good weather and good golf. Their only gripe was that their 5 star hotel was just average and the food was poor.

They also said that the poverty is pretty grim and unavoidable.
 
Women are treated like scum there, life in general isn't held in high regard.

Cleanliness, sanitation, hygene... all words you will use daily as they are not used there!

I wouldnt take 4 women with you and certainly wouldnt be going for a 'holiday'.

Your choice of course but other vacation resorts are available:whistle:
 
We loved it. And once you get used to being hassled to come in to a stall to have a look (and even that is fine when you accept that all you are seeing are cultural differences) we experienced no issues. All the stuff CMAC mentions? really? Are we expecting to be treated like colonial rulers? And who are we to criticise the way of life and habits of people in their own country - and btw we never once noticed women being treated as scum - however that mkight manifest itself.

If you want a 'western' holiday - go somewhere western is what I say. Go and enjoy Morocco for what it is - an African mountainous and desert country with Med and Atlantic coasts - understand and embrace it's differences. You'll love it if you take that attitude.
 
Phil, I haven't been but friends have (two women).

They hated it. They were harassed, abused, intimidated and, indeed, generally treated like scum. My partner and I had been considering going and they dissuaded us from doing so.

In their opinion, their treatment was worse as they were two women without a man present. Unless your daughters intend to hang around with you the whole time I'd fear they'd experience much the same.

My friends are no shrinking violets, they are intelligent, worldly, well-travelled, tough women. I was quite taken aback to hear them talk like this.

The only slight "mitigating" factor I could add would be that they were slightly off the beaten track for a surfing trip. Things may or may not be slightly better in the bigger population centres......
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
We loved it. And once you get used to being hassled to come in to a stall to have a look (and even that is fine when you accept that all you are seeing are cultural differences) we experienced no issues. All the stuff CMAC mentions? really? Are we expecting to be treated like colonial rulers? And who are we to criticise the way of life and habits of people in their own country - and btw we never once noticed women being treated as scum - however that mkight manifest itself.

If you want a 'western' holiday - go somewhere western is what I say. Go and enjoy Morocco for what it is - an African mountainous and desert country with Med and Atlantic coasts - understand and embrace it's differences. You'll love it if you take that attitude.
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Seriously? Seriously? :shakesheadsmileyneeded:
 
CMAC said:
Seriously? Seriously? :shakesheadsmileyneeded:
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Yes seriously - if you want a holiday in a place with western culture and values then don't go to somewhere like Morocco and moan when it doesn't deliver. And we didn't experience or witness women being treated as scum - it may well be the case but we didn't experience it. We had a great time and everyone was very friendly.
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
Yes seriously - if you want a holiday in a place with western culture and values then don't go to somewhere like Morocco and moan when it doesn't deliver. And we didn't experience or witness women being treated as scum - it may well be the case but we didn't experience it. We had a great time and everyone was very friendly.
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I think their is a huge difference between not expecting western values and witnessing women being treated like scum, so yes it should be criticised irrelevant of you thinking that its acceptable behaviour just because 'its the way of life in another country', it isn't only CMAC's observation now either, which you gave the impression you disbelieved, but that of Karen's friends also.
 
Fish said:
I think their is a huge difference between not expecting western values and witnessing women being treated like scum, so yes it should be criticised irrelevant of you thinking that its acceptable behaviour just because 'its the way of life in another country', it isn't only CMAC's observation now either, which you gave the impression you disbelieved, but that of Karen's friends also.
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I'm not disbelieving - I'm saying that we didn't see it or experience it - my wife got a bit fed up being hassled by folks trying to sell her stuff - but she didn't get upset. That's all. And surely if you don't want to risk seeing women treated as scum or witness poverty like you perhaps haven't seen before, then don't go to places like Morocco.
 
Been to marakesh, agadir and essaouira with wife and daughter. Agadir and essaouira is very touristy and if you stay in hotels you could be anywhere really. Yes there are some beggars around but never felt threatened and wife never did. Marrakech is more hectic and you will get hassled a bit more. I world really recommend Essaouira as it's a lovely walled city with a great beach.

Its very good value but be careful as it is a dry country, but alcohol is available in tourist hotels
 
For those that aren't keen on aggressive begging, hassling, hustlers and the like, I strongly urge you to remove Gambia from your short list.
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
We loved it. And once you get used to being hassled to come in to a stall to have a look (and even that is fine when you accept that all you are seeing are cultural differences) we experienced no issues. All the stuff CMAC mentions? really? Are we expecting to be treated like colonial rulers? And who are we to criticise the way of life and habits of people in their own country - and btw we never once noticed women being treated as scum - however that mkight manifest itself.

If you want a 'western' holiday - go somewhere western is what I say. Go and enjoy Morocco for what it is - an African mountainous and desert country with Med and Atlantic coasts - understand and embrace it's differences. You'll love it if you take that attitude.
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For what it's worth, my experience of the country pretty much chimes with this. Both my daughters and wife had a fantastic time. They did dress sensibly which might have helped. My sister and a friend also travelled here a few years ago, visited Marrakesh and went on a trek through the Atlas, I spoke to her before we travelled and she didn't encounter any behaviour she found unpleasant.

I've no doubt that all the negative experiences here are equally valid and first hand. You pays your money etc etc.
 
Do not go in August unless you want to spend your entire holiday inside as it's too hot and it's pretty much their closed season.

Great place to go though.
 
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