Discussion
I've booked the ferry for a little tour of Morroco in April. Going on my own and going the rough plan is from Melilla across the country via Meknes, Marakesh, etc, to the west coast, then down over the mountains and back towards the east via the Toudra gorge, etc and to the ferry. Got about 12 days and no plans of off-roading.
Before I start booking things are there any must-see things and perhaps I haven't found on the normal websites? Any biker-friendly places to stay? Any advice for touring Morroco (I've only toured Europe before).
Before I start booking things are there any must-see things and perhaps I haven't found on the normal websites? Any biker-friendly places to stay? Any advice for touring Morroco (I've only toured Europe before).
I did Morocco with 3 friends a few years ago, hiring our some GS800's from Marrakesh and riding to the Atlas and ultimately to the edge of the Sahara via the Draa Valley. My take-aways are that the bigger and more touristy the towns, the less you want to stay there. Locals of Marrakesh will be on the take and you quickly understand that tourism is a mixed blessing.
Early on the tour we fetched up in a mid-sized town for lunch and some local kid was trying to get us to see his dad's KTM. I was so jaded from Marrakesh, we declined thinking we'd be tapped up for cash after, so made our excuses and left. Rode past a really trick looking desert racing outfit... with the kid outside, still smiling and waving. It was genuine, so probably missed a really nice experience there and began to feel guilty and frankly a bit of a miserable sod for cold-shouldering him. The next day I got a puncture and ended up in a little hilltop village seeking help. I called the hire company on my mobile using Morocco's surprisingly extensive mobile network and was told to sort myself out. Great. Anyway off I go into the village with my best school French. By the end of lunch, everyone had helped out, I was back on the road and the only money changing hands was at my insistence as an expression of genuine gratitude. I was pleased to be humbled by the friendliness, helpfulness and genuine warmth of the locals there. So different to the big tourist honey-pots.
So, avoid the tourist destinations and go local as much as your personal sense of safety allows. Enjoy - it was a holiday I will always want to repeat. Family commitments are in the way for a few years but later on from here...
Early on the tour we fetched up in a mid-sized town for lunch and some local kid was trying to get us to see his dad's KTM. I was so jaded from Marrakesh, we declined thinking we'd be tapped up for cash after, so made our excuses and left. Rode past a really trick looking desert racing outfit... with the kid outside, still smiling and waving. It was genuine, so probably missed a really nice experience there and began to feel guilty and frankly a bit of a miserable sod for cold-shouldering him. The next day I got a puncture and ended up in a little hilltop village seeking help. I called the hire company on my mobile using Morocco's surprisingly extensive mobile network and was told to sort myself out. Great. Anyway off I go into the village with my best school French. By the end of lunch, everyone had helped out, I was back on the road and the only money changing hands was at my insistence as an expression of genuine gratitude. I was pleased to be humbled by the friendliness, helpfulness and genuine warmth of the locals there. So different to the big tourist honey-pots.
So, avoid the tourist destinations and go local as much as your personal sense of safety allows. Enjoy - it was a holiday I will always want to repeat. Family commitments are in the way for a few years but later on from here...
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