Recommendations While In Morocco

traveling3 in the Medina in Marrakech, January 11, 2006

Street Scene in Essaouira
Places to Stay
Le Meridien N'Fis
Le Meridien N'Fis, Marrakech
Neil and I stayed 3 places and were happy with all three.

Le Meridien N'Fis in Marrakech

The Sofitel in Agadir

Riad Zina in Marrakech


The riad in the Marrakech Medina provided a much closer experience with the local people. We are sure that if we had stayed at the Meridien during the Eid, no one would have invited us home for their parents celebration.

Larry and Spencer stayed 4 days at the Surf Morocco Camp found at www.morocsurf.com and enjoyed their stay there. The accommodations were a large house near the beach.

All were found and reserved over the internet. A small lesson I learned was tha if you spell the town "Marrakech" rather than "Marrakesh", you'll find more on the various websites.

Places to Eat
 Eating is always a big part of any trip for us and Morocco did not disappoint.  We had great meals at roadside stops and at the Piano Bar across the street from the Meridien.  We had  great meals and great experiences at:

Dar Al-Yacout., Hotel La Mamounia, Cafe de France, all in Marrakech, and Kasbah du Toubkal in the Atlas Mountains nearby.

Cars and Driving
Yes, I rented a car over the Internet through Alamo. However, the Concierge at the Meridien told me that I could hire a van and a driver for much less. That's the way we went (and Neil was much happier). The roads are well marked and heavily policed, but the driving is "exciting". Cars passing on curves, on hills, and while passing other cars. We passed a bus wreck in which 50 to 100 (fifty to one hundred) people were killed in a head on collision several hours earlier. It didn't make the news in Marrakech, but Neil's brother heard it on the news in Charleston, SC.

With a driver you also don't need to worry about directions or parking. Fix a price first. We had great success with Khalid Bouifraden - cell:067 05 64 10. He is available to drive throughout Morocco.

Books to Read Beforehand
Books Neil and I read, all recommended by Nels Nordquist, a friend and fellow world traveler:

The Sheltering Sky, by Paul Bowles
Morocco: From Empire to Independence, by C.R. Pennell, and
A Year in Marrakesh, by Peter Mayne

The book by Pennell is short but provides a very good history of Morocco, the knowledge of which made the city tours more interesting.

We also used our copy of "1,000 Places to See Before You Die", by Patricia Schultz. This lead us to Essaouira, Yacout, Place Djemma El-Fna, and the Hotel La Mamounia.

Finally, everyone should take a copy of "Morocco - Eyewitness Travel Guides" We have used these Travel Guides in India, Egypt, and, now, Morocco.

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