I'm going to Morocco this fall! The trip is with a tour group but we'll have time on our own. Tips, must sees in Casablanca, Essaouira, Anrar, and/or Marrakech? We only have a day and a half in Marrakech, should I consider adding a day or two there on my own? Would it be safe for me to stay in Marrakech alone? So excited!

Hi!
I actually live in Marrakech, and it's very safe here! It's the biggest tourist destination in Morocco and the authorities really take their jobs seriously. We don't (thank god) have any tourist violence or kidnapping or any of that stuff. Definitely super safe! If I may ask, where are you from?
And feel free to drop me a pm if you have any questions, i'd be happy to help!

Hi! I'm going to send you a pm right now :)

I've been to Casablanca & Marrakech. I loved loved loved Marrakech. It's an absolutely beautiful city--tons to see, lovely people and excellent food.

I didn't think Casablanca was that great to be honest. It's a port city, and where we docked, so I wasn't too impressed. If I were you (if it's possible), I'd skip Casablanca, and head over to Rabat instead. It's amazing.

Originally Posted by jillybean307

I've been to Casablanca & Marrakech. I loved loved loved Marrakech. It's an absolutely beautiful city--tons to see, lovely people and excellent food. I didn't think Casablanca was that great to be honest. It's a port city, and where we docked, so I wasn't too impressed. If I were you (if it's possible), I'd skip Casablanca, and head over to Rabat instead. It's amazing.

I think we are only in Casablanca for like half a day. I was a little disappointed, ut sounds like we won't miss anything!

Originally Posted by memete

Hi! I actually live in Marrakech, and it's very safe here! It's the biggest tourist destination in Morocco and the authorities really take their jobs seriously. We don't (thank god) have any tourist violence or kidnapping or any of that stuff. Definitely super safe! If I may ask, where are you from? And feel free to drop me a pm if you have any questions, i'd be happy to help!

Hi! Is Morocco a family/child-friendly destination in terms of activities/ things to do etc? We have 3 kids under 6yrs.

Thanks

i thought marrakech was great, don't forget to go to the medina!

but my absolute favorite town in morroco was Chefchaouen... so beautiful... whitewashed buildings and blue blue blue everywhere. simply amazing.

Carlinha: Yes, chefchaouen is definitely very charming! Be careful in the summer though, because it gets sweltering hot there! More of a spring destination.
Pinay28: Morocco is child friendly in the sense that we are big on "family values" and that kind of thing. But if you're thinking amusement parks and such, I'm afraid we don't have a lot to offer on that front. Plenty of cultural visits, monuments and museums, though, which are accessible to children too, and could be very interesting for them to see. A lot of the resorts offer child clubs, but that's pretty generic and you can find that anywhere in the world, so it's not specific to Morocco! Hope I was helpful :)

Thanks memete! I'm actually referring to children's museums and other historical places We've been to Bahrain during Eid Al Fitr 2010 and we visited the museum, souq and old houses :)

Well in that case you'll love Morocco for the whole family, we really pride ourselves here of having a lot of history, and the landmarks that go with it :) If you come to Marrakech, you have to visit the Jardin Majorelle, which was Yves Saint Laurent's Villa here. His ashes were scattered there, too.

And to have dinner,I love the the restaurant "Le comptoir" !!!!

Memete - thanks so much for your input. I'm in the beginning phases of planning a trip to Morocco in the coming months. Marrakech is where I plan on staying the longest, perhaps with a side trip to a city on the coast.

I"m traveling to Morocco in May 2012. Now that your trip is complete, any thoughts to share??

Originally Posted by LeaD

I"m traveling to Morocco in May 2012. Now that your trip is complete, any thoughts to share??

I had the time of my life!

The people were warm and friendly (But, not in a 'look tourist, let's get her money' kind of way)
The food was fantastic
My hotel was more than I imagined, def. 5 star
Weather was great (in October it was about mid-90's, in November and December it was around 60's)
I loved learning about the history and art of Morocco, the Berber people, saw where and how Argan oil is produced, wonderful textile and leather making.
and best of all, the USD goes a long way!
Traveling along, I felt very safe.

Any specific questions, let me know...

Originally Posted by LeaD

I"m traveling to Morocco in May 2012. Now that your trip is complete, any thoughts to share??

Fez is the best city in Morocco! Stay in the medina and wander around, haggle, drink tea, shop, people watch, etc. Cafe Clock has a good view...lots of tourists, expats and artsy Moroccans hang out there.

I also highly recommend Chefchaouen & I'd skip Casa

Marrakesh is a tourist trap and too overloaded with foreigners for my tastes. There is lots of wonderful stuff to do but that comes with a higher prices and an overall lack of authenticity in the touristy areas. It's super cheesy but I guess people like that. I had a wonderful time there couchsurfing with my parents and living with a Moroccan family, but the highlight was the people and definitely not the place

If you have any questions feel free to PM. I spent 6 months living in a few places in Morocco and have traveled all over Morocco