Day trip to Tangiers - mad?

[Ranger 6]

We'll be staying near Malaga and fancy something different - the fast ferry is not to silly as a foot passenger, but we can't take the hire car so only really Tangiers would be accessible.

Is this mad and if it was for one night where would you stay? and is the souk worth it?

[Mark.]

We did it in a day trip from Gibraltar once. Was a guided tour so saw souks, apothecary, 'traditional' restaurant.

Was a fun day out and easily doable.

[Ranger 6]

Cheers, I'll have a look at tours from there - good idea

[Bluebarge]

Much better done as a tour - as an independent you will get endless hassle from unofficial "tourist guides". Fine if you don't mind that sort of thing, but a bit of a culture shock if you've not ventured outside the 1st World before.

[daved]

We did this a couple of years ago. Had to be in Fuengirola very early for the coach and arrived back very late. It really wasn't worth it - let's just say Tangiers wasn't that nice. A typical port town with added chaos. It might have been better had it not rained all day on both sides of the water and long coach journeys in the dark and wet are not my thing at all. Unless you want to tick the Africa box I'd avoid it and maybe go to Gibraltar instead.

[g3org3y]

daved said:

It really wasn't worth it - let's just say Tangiers wasn't that nice. A typical port town with added chaos.

When we went to Morocco a couple of years back we spent a morning in Tangiers as we were getting a bus from there and tbh that was our impression as well. We didn't really give it a chance to be fair and you might have a better time.

Expect to be hassled. I didn't like that and was one of the major things that really put me off Morocco as a whole.

[Ranger 6]

Thanks for the opinions - keep 'em coming. I'm happy in souks as have lived in Oman and Nigeria in the past - wife was slightly freaked when we went to a market in Mombasa a few years ago.

The intention is to take the children to somewhere completely different and well out of their 'comfort zone'. We're actually looking at a possible long weekend in Marrakesh later in the year.

I'd also ask if not Tangiers, what about somewhere like Seville? The feeling at home is that it's 'just another part of Spain'

[Mark.]

I think the Tangier experience was great - as you say right out of the comfort zone but with a guide who knew the area sightly safe too. OK so it's hot, busy, sweaty, people try to sell you t-shirts, wallets, knocked off goods but I think to experience this other culture is important for kids and good on you for not just sitting by the pool all day.

I guess my daughter was about 9 when we went and I wasn't once concerned for her safety.

An extra bonus was I was offered a great number of camels in exchange for wife and daughter, but I turned them down, I just couldn't see how I'd get them all back on the coach.

[Ranger 6]

Can you remember which company you went with? I've found Blands in Gibraltar as an agent and a few from other resorts along the coast.

[Bluebarge]

Ranger 6 said:

Thanks for the opinions - keep 'em coming. I'm happy in souks as have lived in Oman and Nigeria in the past - wife was slightly freaked when we went to a market in Mombasa a few years ago.

The intention is to take the children to somewhere completely different and well out of their 'comfort zone'. We're actually looking at a possible long weekend in Marrakesh later in the year.

I'd also ask if not Tangiers, what about somewhere like Seville? The feeling at home is that it's 'just another part of Spain'

Seville is "just another part of Spain" as Rome is "just another part of Italy" - it's a fantastic city with lots of beautiful architecture and would be top of my list for places to visit in Andalucia along with Granada and Cordoba.

[Ranger 6]

Bluebarge said:

...would be top of my list for places to visit in Andalucia along with Granada and Cordoba.

Thanks, I agree with you! - another couple of good suggestions

[Ranger 6]

Digging deeper on options I've found an overnight trip to Chefchaouen - looks far more interesting than Tangiers

[BrabusMog]

Ranger 6 said:

Bluebarge said:

...would be top of my list for places to visit in Andalucia along with Granada and Cordoba.

Thanks, I agree with you! - another couple of good suggestions

Another vote for Granada here. I studied at university there for a term and it was a real wrench coming back to London! I miss proper Andalucian tapas that you don't have to pay for, they just give you it each time you order a drink. And the more you drink the better the tapas offered becomes.

[g3org3y]

Ranger 6 said:

Digging deeper on options I've found an overnight trip to Chefchaouen - looks far more interesting than Tangiers

Recommended++

Extract from a write up I did for another forum regarding my Morocco holiday:

A little village in the north of Morocco up in the hills. Noticably cooler than Marrakech and quite friendly. Famous for the painted blue walls, to me certainly had the feel of a Greek mountain village. The overlooking waterfall where the women clean their clothes was worth a look, as were the winding little streets. Couple of nice restaurants too.



















Brochettes


Tagine (again - got really sick of this by the end of the holiday!)




Mint Tea


Book sale!

[Ranger 6]

Cheers! Looks excellent.

Can you remember where you stayed? The company has three choices and I'd like to get a good one. Trip Advisor has the usual opinions, but I always like to supplement those if I can

[g3org3y]

Ranger 6 said:

Cheers! Looks excellent.

Can you remember where you stayed? The company has three choices and I'd like to get a good one. Trip Advisor has the usual opinions, but I always like to supplement those if I can

If I'm honest no, not off the top of my head. Was one of the recommendations in the Rough Guide (which is in Camden on the bookshelf and I'm in Colchester at the mo).

If you can nip into Waterstones on the way back from work, it would be worth looking in the book for the options they suggest.

[Ranger 6]

WFH at the mo, so finding books is limited. Thanks anyway

The one I'm looking at has a pool so I think the kids will be happy after a hot day

[Ranger 6]

Thanks for the input.

Finally booked to go here: http://www.darechchaouen.ma/eng/chaouen.html for a couple of nights. Private transfers from Tangier and a guided tour. Hopefully it should be a good trip