Discussion
Try:
http://www.lesjardinsdelakoutoubia.com/uk/navigati...
Can be good value if you hunt around for a deal. It is right by the souks and is a fabulous oasis of calm in the middle of mayhem!
http://www.lesjardinsdelakoutoubia.com/uk/navigati...
Can be good value if you hunt around for a deal. It is right by the souks and is a fabulous oasis of calm in the middle of mayhem!
heebeegeetee said:
Has anyone ever driven to/in Morocco?
Both. About 5 times over the last 3 years. Missing this year though, and really missing it to be honest.Driving to Morocco - absolute pain in the arse boring ass motorway all the way. 2 days on the road. Vowed that last time will be the last time I drive it and next time I'll fly-drive it.
Getting into Morocco is interesting by car. A test of nerve somewhat.
But the roads in Morocco are absolutely brilliant.
The motorways are superb, but are toll roads and they only take cash. Don't rely on visa at petrol stations - it is all cash for the most part.
Get to Marrakech, and head south into the High Atlas, and the driving is absolutely first class. Anti Atlas then sees you onto the edge of the Sahara and again the roads are first class.
Then do the Rif on the way back north, and with the exceptions of a few pot holed sections, again the driving is bang on the money. Driving a 150 mile section of the Rif like a race car and I was absolutely knackered at the end of it. Imagine a 90degree+ corner every 100-200m for 150 miles and you get the idea. (That's not a joke either).
Very few cops in the countryside, good road surfaces (and I mean good - most would put a UK council to shame).
As driving experiences go, I would rate the High Atlas and Riff above Switzerland. Way above Switzerland.
One word of caution though - don't take an expensive car into these country areas cause you just look like a cock. The difference between have and have nots is too great, and unless you want to spend the night in a hotel watching your car, it simply isn't worth it (I did that once with the Mustang).
Feel free to ask questions.
Kirk said:
Planning a surprise visit to Morocco for the other half, 2 days in Marrakech, 2 days in the Atlas Mountains. Those of you who have been there - and like it - do you have any hotel recommendations? Looking for comfortable and boutiquey, but not luxury price levels. Thanks.
Head south out of Mkech to Tiz'n'Test pass. Can't remember the road name, but head for Ijoukak. As you enter Ijoukak there is a bridge, before the bridge is a track on your left. Follow that track for 2km and you will discover a Berber village on the right on the other side of the river. The 2km is up when you find a row of garages on your left hand side and a small parking place just after them.It is also just as you lose hope and think that this forum post is a hoax. In fact, it's about 200 yards on from where you will be cursing my name.
Find a chap called Majoub. The gite is called El Majoub.
At the garages, park up, and follow the path across the river, over the wooden bridge and into the Berber village. As the path into the village curves to the left, Majoub's is the house directly to your right.
I have his mobile if you have a French speaker to hand.
Forget boutique hotels at this point, this is a stay in a 200 year old Berber village. Their house becomes your house, you have the pick of bedrooms most night, and you have the run of the house, including the roof terrace. Majoub is your host for the evening. All in its about 10quid per person per night, including evening meal and breakfast and afternoon tea if you arrive early.
It is rough. Really really rough, but clean. It is as far from boutique as you can imagine.
It is also memorable for all the right reasons as well. Good reasons not bad reasons. Majoub is a wonderful host. If you do drop in their please tell him that I recommended you (drop me a mail). He's someone we've stayed with a couple of times and we'll be back next year hopefully.
Following day, head to Agdz and find Dar Qamar hotel (http://www.darqamar.com). This is the opposite end to El Majoub - this is boutique for about £60 per night for a double + £10pp for the evening meal. Absolutely fecking fantastic.
Do those two stops, and you will have the trip of your life. The two stop are memorable, and the driving is stunning frankly.
Drop into Ait Benhadou on the way back to the Mkech.
A total stranger I met on the plane a few weeks back did exactly that trip as I recommended it and couldn't thank me enough.
Make sure you take warm clothes for the Atlas, it gets very cold at night (We had snow in May, although admittedly at 3000m+). And don't bother climbing mount Toubkal, the guide books get all excited about it but it's just a huge slag heap.
Off the main roads the tracks aren't bad on the whole but headlight protectors are a must.
tinman0 said:
But the roads in Morocco are absolutely brilliant.
This. And the hirecar was a 205 Off the main roads the tracks aren't bad on the whole but headlight protectors are a must.Bill said:
tinman0 said:
But the roads in Morocco are absolutely brilliant.
This. And the hirecar was a 205 Off the main roads the tracks aren't bad on the whole but headlight protectors are a must.Although our Doblo has pretty decent ground clearance, a couple of cops asked us not to drive the road, and in their words "4x4 and old Renaults only". Apparently the road has washed away a few days earlier, and all the old cars in the region are built with beefed up suspension.
We then had a great chat with these two cops who thought my American wife was "are you a lawyer from New York?", and wondered where Mr Bean lived. I showed them a map of south east England, showed them where Dorking was. The guys face was great "so many roads......".
Really missing Morocco this year.
And for anyone driving a non Moroccan car in Morocco, make sure you have your papers to hand (V5 and passport) as you will be stopped occasionally. They have real problems with stolen European cars, so you can get stopped regularly just to check. If you have the papers to hand they aren't interested. If you start fussing for papers it piques their interest.
zac510 said:
Well can't go wrong with that advice, well done tinman0 
Do you always just get insurance on the border crossing?
Yup. Ah, the border crossing is a whole chapter of its own lol. Got the number for the head guide at Sebta. Friendly chap called Mo.Do you always just get insurance on the border crossing?
Some people get across unscathed, some don't. But there are ways to handle the situation. Subtle things you can do.
Worth going into Ceuta/Sebta as you get the coast road to Tangiers, which I have to rate as a pretty road. They've built a motorway section on part of it, but it really is a stunning bit of road.
Edited by tinman0 on Tuesday 1st June 18:57
zac510 said:
We used a fixer through the Ceuta crossing, but there were lots of French and Spanish campervans going through so they must have it worked out like you do after crossing a few times.
If you speak the language you have a serious head start. But then, it's not unknown for an official to suddenly lose the ability to speak French, let alone English, so unless you know Arabic, you are stuffed some days. And some people have thicker skins that others. That helps.So you can get through without paying bribes.
However, if you pay a guide (and choose the clean ones with no teeth rather than the scruffy ones with no teeth) you do get your paperwork done outside the queues.
Also, the guards know who has paid a bribe as well (we pay 20E iirc to ease things along).
I know one crossing that 20E was worth it's weight - there were 20-30 cars trying to get out of the pen into Morocco, and you have one final guard to clear. Imagine 8-9 cars in a 180 degree sweep all trying to nudge forward and get to the front of the queue to get through the gate. Now imagine me, in my little van, last into the mellee, so I'm right on the side at the worst angle to get out, I'm almost parallel with the fence.
I kinda figure I have a 10 minute wait to leave, but at this point, someone runs over, has a word with the guard, who promptly hold his hand up, stops everyone nudging at him, points at me, and pulls me through.
20E to see the German next me bust a gut was 20E so well spent. He was livid. Pure Hamlet moment.
Another thing, if you have never been to Ceuta, when you reach the pen, do not park up in the sun if you don't have to. Just overtake everyone and park up under the roof to keep the car cool. Unless you like slowly grilling your passengers in a hot car of course.
Getting through the pen though is really good fun. Took a lot of therapy to say that.
pay the blokes with the cards on brown ribbons around their necks- you don't need to give them much.
Its really quite easy as long as you keep smiling, and don't get overwhelmed by the confusion of it all.
The motorway on the other side is invariably empty amusingly enough.
Diesel and Petrol in Ceuta is pretty cheap- Gib is even cheaper though (if you can be bothered to Queue to get in!)
Its really quite easy as long as you keep smiling, and don't get overwhelmed by the confusion of it all.
The motorway on the other side is invariably empty amusingly enough.
Diesel and Petrol in Ceuta is pretty cheap- Gib is even cheaper though (if you can be bothered to Queue to get in!)
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