Oppdatert: 1/20/2020 | 20. januar 2020
Å besøke Marokko har vært en drøm for meg så lenge jeg kan huske. Jeg har alltid ønsket å reise en kamel, se ørkenen, sjekke ut labyrintlignende medinaer, samt drikke te med berbers.
Da jeg sto med utsikt over Sahara en morgen, og undret meg over de rytmiske, bølgende sanddynene i ørkenen, hadde den drømmen gått i oppfyllelse. Jeg hadde ridd en kamel til området der jeg ville se på en million stjerner den kvelden, og smilte av sannheten jeg til slutt var et sted jeg hadde drømt om under de samme stjernene utallige mil unna.
I to uker reiste jeg rundt i landet på Intrepid Travel’s fineste av Marokko -turneen, så vel som å slemme meg på couscous, drakk kroppsvekten min i myntte, vandret, samt absorbert severdighetene og det ser ut til Marokko.
Marokko var en utrolig så vel som givende opplevelse. Det kaster sansene dine så vel som full av overraskelser. Hvis du leter etter grunner til å gå, er du noen høydepunkter fra turen min:
1. Camel Trekking i Sahara
Mens jeg ønsker at du fremdeles kan reise de gamle kamelbilavansene fra Marokko til Egypt, nøyde jeg meg med en natt under stjernene. Det viser seg at det er ganske ubehagelig å ri på en kamel i en time, men det å se den vakre fargen på ørkenen på nært hold og personlig, camping med beduiner, i tillegg til å stirre på en million stjerner uten lysforurensning, gjort alt verdt. Det er en uhyggelig stillhet i ørkenen når vinden dør ned så vel som du føler en utmerket følelse av fred, bare sitter og er i naturen.
Morsomt faktum: Det regnet mens jeg var i ørkenen. Det var en gal, gal lynstorm – en av de mest intense jeg noensinne har sett. Brølet fra Thunder hørtes ut som en million bomber som gikk av, så vel som lynet ble natt til dag. Det hadde ikke regnet hele året, men den kvelden åpnet himmelen seg for et kort øyeblikk for å slippe ut alt sinne. Surrealistisk.
2. Vandring av Atlas -fjellene
Atlas -fjellene dekker det meste av Marokko, så vel som vi tilbrakte mye tid i den lave, midten, så vel som høye deler av sorten (det er vanskelig å ikke gjøre det). Min foretrukne del var da vi krysset High Atlas -serien, og klatret i en time for å nå et lite våningshus, hvor vi bodde natten med en regional husholdning (som kokte oss den smakigste tagine -middagen så vel som Berber -omeletten på turen).
Når vi ankom tidlig i tillegg til at vi dro sent dagen etter, hadde vi mye tid til å gå på tur i tillegg til å sjekke ut området rundt. Jeg liker en flott fottur, så jeg likte sjansen til å virkelig komme ut i naturen, gå med elvebunn, i tillegg til å se Mt. Toubkal (Nord -Afrikas største topp) i det fjerne. Ved siden av Camel Trek var dette min foretrukne opplevelse.
3. Spise på Café Clock
Denne vestlige påvirkede kaféen er anbefalt av mange mennesker så vel som med steder i Marrakesh så vel som Fez, og er kjent for sin gigantiske så vel som velsmakende kamelburger (som smaker mye som krydret shawarma). Maten er utmerket: burgeren, miljøvennlige smoothies, i tillegg til å smelte-i-your-mouth Buttery fjærkre couscous var så tilfredsstillende at jeg spiste her to ganger.
Og i de vanvittige så vel som kaotiske medinas i hver by, gir kafeene en oase av ro, hvor du kan lade opp, bruke Wi-Fi, så vel som stor ned med klimaanlegg. De tilbyr også matlagingskurs og holder rutinemessige hendelser på hvert sted!
4. Å gå seg vill i Medinas
Medinas er de historiske hjertene til hver by i Marokko: Del boligområde, delkjøpssenter, del av matmarkedet. Akkurat her vil du oppdage vri og snu gater der butikker, restauranter, markeder, samt hus alle linjer gatene i bygninger tilsynelatende så vel i nærheten, så vel som i tillegg til gamle å holde seg oppe mye lenger.
As somebody who likes to get lost, the medinas were heaven. I spent hours wandering with them, making right turns, doubling back, walking with plazas as well as streets that type of looked familiar, as well as discovering my way, only to get purposely lost around again. They were a labyrinth I liked trying to solve while likewise drinking tea, eating tasty as well as aromatic food, as well as seeing the sights.
Word of caution: Fez is a bit sketchy as well as unsafe, so do not go as well far off the beaten path. stay with streets with great deals of people. I had some close phone calls including pickpockets as well as prospective robbers.
5. checking out Volubilis
A major trading center as well as the southernmost settlement during Roman times, Volubilis is one of the very best preserved (and least frequented) such ruins in the world. I discovered it empty of tourists, not developed up, as well as open in a method that truly lets you get up close as well as see the structures without being behind ten feet of barriers as well as jostled by crowds. most of the city is still unexcavated so the site has a extremely raw feel to it. I’ve been to a great deal of Roman ruins in my travels, however I like this the best.
6. Seeing Aït Benhaddou
Though I didn’t get to spend much time here, checking out this place full of kasbahs (fortified houses) was quite amazing. It is the Hollywood of Morocco as well as has been featured in game of Thrones, Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, as well as many more films. It was the most picturesque ksar (fortified village) I saw, which is most likely why it’s in every movie!
It plays into what people believe an old ksar should look like. I enjoyed roaming the streets as well as climbing to the top for the view.
7. enjoying the beach as well as seafood of Essaouira
My preferred city in Morocco, Essaouira is found a few hours from Marrakesh on the Atlantic coastline as well as is a prominent beach destination for tourists, particularly Brits. I liked the relaxed environment of the city, the lack of pushy touts, the sea air, as well as all the fresh fish.
Be sure to see the wonderful fish market in town, where all the little fisherman offer their day’s catch. Afterward, inspect out the little fish stalls close-by in the primary square where you can enjoy fresh seafood grilled truly cheap.
My good friends as well as I “splurged” on a meal here: for $75 USD total, the four of us shared a lobster, eight tiger prawns, two fish weighing over a kilo, as well as half a kilo of squid. All that came with drinks, bread, salad, as well as tea. (We ate there every day, as well as meals afterward were about $15 USD.) try stalls #5 as well as #11 for the very best fish!
8. visiting Marrakech
Marrakech was whatever I believed it would be: a contemporary mix of Moroccan as well as worldwide culture with the most diversity of tasty worldwide food (check out PepeNero for Italian as well as Latitude for a Med-Moroccan mix) as well as lovely design in the medina.
Though Marrakech lacked the grit as well as edge of the rest of the country, it was the most eclectic city on the trip.
The chaotic speed subjected a city as well as people always on the go. The famous Jemaa el-Fnaa square is truly the mess everybody describes: tens of countless people at night eating, shopping, getting henna tattoos, listening to bands as well as storytellers, as well as watching magicians (and snake charmers during the day). It’s one of the most stressful however interesting people-watching locations in the country. It still blows my mind exactly how huge as well as full it was! (Contrast that to the underwhelming Saadian Tombs, which is an attraction I would avoid — they are simple, the grounds are small, as well as overall, it was just bland.)
9. eating great deals of Couscous as well as Tagine
By the end of my two weeks there, I was a bit “couscoused out.” That said, I dove headfirst into eating as much of it as possible — I liked savoring the flavors, seeing the regional variety, as well as getting to truly appreciate exactly how long each meal took to prepare. Tagine (cooked with meat, dates, nuts, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, as well as saffron in a clay pot) was by far my preferred Moroccan dish.
Also worth trying is the Berber omelet, which is egg, tomato, onion, as well as herbs, likewise cooked in a clay pot.
10. Drinking Mint Tea
I’ve never drunk more tea than when I was in Morocco. In a country where “having a beer” is not a thing, locals substitute pots of mint tea. There’s even an art to pouring it: the higher the teapot, the better. I couldn’t get sufficient of this minty, sugary treat as well as sitting in the tea shops watching soccer with the locals. I must have drunk a pot or two a day. Man, that stuff is addicting!
11. hearing the contact us to Prayer
While I’ve been to predominantly Muslim countries before, in Southeast Asia, I’ve never experienced an Arab Muslim country or heard the contact us to prayer. There was something lovely about the melodic nature of the call, as well as it was a excellent alarm clock at 5 a.m. Seeing people flock to the mosque in their white prayer clothes was a unique cultural experience I couldn’t assist however observe.
Morocco is an incredible destination. At times, it was trying, stressful, chaotic, as well as overloaded my senses, however for all the stresses of travel, it was a country where I felt out of my aspect as well as like I was truly somewhere new as well as different. I liked that feeling as well as whatever else about Morocco.
Editor’s Note: I went to Morocco with Intrepid travel on their finest of Morocco tour. It was part of my continuous partnership with Intrepid Travel. They covered the expense of the tour, flight, as well as meals.
Book Your trip to Morocco: Logistical tips as well as Tricks
Bestill flyet ditt
Find a affordable flight by utilizing Skyscanner or Momondo. De er mine to foretrukne bla gjennom motorer siden de blar gjennom nettsteder, så vel som flyselskaper over hele kloden, slik at du alltid forstår at ingen stein er igjen.
Bestill innkvarteringen din
You can book your hostel wMed hostelworld ettersom de har den største aksjen så vel som fineste avtaler. Hvis du vil bo et annet sted enn et herberge, kan du bruke booking.com, da de konsekvent returnerer de billigste prisene for gjestehus så vel som rimelige hoteller. Mine foretrukne steder å bo er:
Riad Layla Rouge (Marrakesh)
Lhostel A Casablanca (Casablanca)
Dar Rabha (Fez)
Ikke klarer ikke å huske reiseforsikring
Reiseforsikringsdekning vil beskytte deg mot sykdom, skade, tyveri, samt kanselleringer. Det er omfattende sikkerhet i situasjonen noe går galt. Jeg drar aldri på tur uten det, da jeg har måttet bruke den mange ganger i fortiden. Min foretrukne virksomhet som tilbyr den aller beste servicen og verdien er:
Sikkerhetsving (for alle under 70)
Forsikre turen min (for de over 70)
MedJet (for ekstra hjemsendelsesdekning)
Leter du etter den aller beste virksomheten å spare penger med?
Sjekk ut ressurssiden min for den aller beste virksomheten å bruke når du reiser. Jeg viser alle de jeg bruker for å spare penger når jeg er på vei. De vil spare deg for penger når du også reiser.
Vil du ha mer informasjon om Marokko?
Sørg for å se vår robuste destinasjonsguide på Marokko for enda flere planleggingstips!