Marrakesh Travel Forum

We (2 female friends) travel to Marrakech on 5/1/09. I have the first 2 nights booked in a riad but nothing else arranged. I'd like to see something of the surrouding area or I'm prepared to stay in Marrakech a little longer. I'm prepared to hire a car but don't want to travel too far. Can anyone recommend any places we should visit and places we should stay (not too expensive). We are there until 10/1/09.

Also is Marrakech and Morocco ok for women visitors. When we went to Tunisia I hated all the male attention and the men couldn't seem to understand why we didn't want their attention!! Is Marrakech likely to be the same?

During our visit to Marrakech we made two day trips into the mountains ((Tizi-n-Test and Tizi-n-Tichka Pass); one by a ‘grand taxi’ and one by rental car. The scenery was sometimes breathtaking with snow covered peaks, winding roads and stunning views.
Along the road we passed small Berber villages, sometimes with a weekly market (we visited the one in Asni on a Saturday) and always with houses in the same colour as the surrounding mountains.

On the way to the Tizi-n-Test Pass we visited the (former) Mosque of Tin Mal, in an isolated setting at the foot of the mountains. This fortress like Mosque is now partially restored. The other day we made it up to the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass and Telouet with its Kasbah of Pasha El-Glaoui.

Both trips were highlights of our visit and I highly recommend exploring also the High Atlas during your Marrakech visit.

For more info see my Marrakech page with tips/pics.

Happy travels
Jaap

Hi, yes along the lines as Jaap/VTveen above - I would recommend Telouet and I have a lot of tips and esp some good accommodation recommendations there - when you have a car one of the biggest advantages is that you can get to places that rarely require preboooking - unless you plan on turning up late at night or something - but theres a few places at Telouet esp Jackies House as per my tip and theres quite a few things to see and beautiful scenery and most importantly the kasbah before it finally falls down or gets blocked off.

you could happily have 2 nights there and drive around the valleys or go for nice walks.

yes men do give you unwanted attention - they love women but also they are all dreaming of the chance to get hooked with a foreigner as that usually means money and stuff and hopefully ultimately a ticket out of Morocco - many will never get out otherwise or have to work harder to get anywhere without a handout or a handup. and many that give attention are not monogamous they will give it to the next woman and the next woman and so on so generally its the naiive ones who end up with Moroccan guys or ones who are happy for a mutual agreement of whatever advantages.

but they can read people very easily. they can tell if you are strong and self assured and not interested or not easily had the wool pulled over your eyes. so that way Moroco is fine for women travellers - it is generally safe and I feel safer there than many countries around Europe and here in London. they may hassle and call out and demand too much money for too little but be aware of that and its all on the surface - underneath they are genuine and basically good people. especially the women. 2 women travellers if you are out walking around Telouet say, you are bound to be eagerly invited indoors for tea and so on! which is great of course!

but if you got a car you could make an effort to make a 3 or 4 day trip and include the stunning sights of the Dades Gorges and the Sahara desert at Merzouga - so over TiznTest to Telouet and then on to Ouarzazate, on to the Dades and Rissani and Merzouga, back via Alnif and Agdz - which is the lovely Draa valley - to Ouarzazate and back to Marrakech. you could still have 2 nights in Telouet and have time to do this circuit from 7 till the 10th.

but have a look around my pages - I do know Morocco pretty well and love it very much. All the best.

"They are all dreaming of the chance to get hooked with a foreigner as that usually means money and stuff and hopefully ultimately a ticket out of Morocco"...I'd say: It's never wise to generalize! :)

Hi Khattabi/Abderrazak - you should know me by now! probably too late to tell me not to generalise as I think its comes from experience rather than generalisations. But no of course I dont mean everyone is in the same box. But outside looking in maybe its easier for us to see it.

Thanks vtveen and angiebabe.
Do you know if the roads will be ok in January (next week)or is there likely to be snow. I don't want to take any unnecessary risks.
Also do you have any recommendations for car hire or do you think it's better to pre-book from the uk

Theres always a risk of snow and thats what in my opinion makes it more beautiful - like anywhere these days theres no guarantee and hard to precisely when and when not there will be snow - but the road is a major access road for the southern part of Morocco with many trucks and so on wanting and needing to travel so usually the snow plough trucks are very quick to get there to clear any blockages.

I usually book myself a car in Morocco as I have connections there but you can look up prices to compare - eg www.auto-europe.com which usually contract to europ car so you usually get good cars - or www.holidayautos.com which are good internationally but from time to time the lower priced selection means that. My last flight into Marrakech in Nov I haggled with the manager of Europ car at the airport and he dropped his prices down and I would almost have taken his deal - next time I would - but decided to stick to the deal Id already made with a company I use there. They let me down a bit this time with a not so good car as shouldve been.
so get some deals to compare though you dont have much time. or actually any time. just get to the airport and haggle. tell the guy at Europcar that you were recommended to get a car from him etc - say anything to give you leverage to get the price down otherwise they make too big profits from tourists and counterbalance it with lower prices for their mates. but you will get a better car with insurance and service.

drive the route weve recommended via tizntichka to Telouet - its beautiful this time of year. and your car will keep you warm. take plenty of light fleece layers for warmth and a good jacket/coat. and an umbrella if youre going to be renting a car.

Hi, notice you were online today and you were to be coming back on the 10th. so how was it!? it would be great to hear how youve got on with your trip!!