Top lessons learnt from Morocco - April 2017

This is long overdue but it must be said. Morocco is an amazing country to visit. We rented a car and drove all the way from Fez to Chefchaouen and then along the coast from Rabat to Casablanca and then to Marrakesh. We then headed off to the Sahara dessert in Merzouga via the Atlas mountains.

My favorite was Chefchaouen and the least favorite Marrakesh due to the high number of tourists and people seeing us as a walking ATM :)

Here are some key observations based on our short trip.

1. Men cafés - it is very uncommon to see women at cafés. Cafés are men territory in Morocco

2. Dacia car - all taxis seem to be Dacias only. Interesting to see so many Romanian cars in Northern Africa :)

3. Parking and guardian - parking is rarely free - there is always a guy called a guardian who will supposedly look after your car while you are away. You will need to pay for this service.

4. I know basic Arabic but i can't communicate in the language so i spoke French wherever I could. I was surprised to find people who did not speak French at all - that was mostly in Fez. And even then you can get by by using your hands only :)

5. Moroccan tea - this is a mint tea with a lot of sugar. I drank it everyday and bought a lot of it on our way back home to Spain. If you order a tea at a café you will be served a very sweet mint tea made from the freshest mint leaves. It is delicious and you will get a sugar high afterwards :)

6. Police checkpoints are very common. Driving from Fez to Chefchaouen (200 km) we passed by 5 checkpoints. Often times you got to pull over and answer a few questions such as where you are heading and where you are from.

Police officers would use speed cameras to measure your speed and if you go over the limit even a bit you will be fined. I was pulled over twice :) The first time i went over the limit 5km ad the second time 7Km. You can always negotiate with the police about the ticket if you know what i mean. I paid once and it was not more than 5Euro :)

7. Morocco is a muslim country. If you are not married you might have a problem finding accommodation; My girl friend and I were refused once to stay in a hotel. Other times the locals don't care as long as you are tourists.

Avoid the Grand hotel in Fez. This place is creepy and we heard women screaming. Might be haunted