Castellanese

Hi (again),

I know this is my 3rd post and I apologize for the way I've been posting messages about my trip to Morocco.

I've always wanted to go to Morocco, but I certainly wasn't planning on doing it this year until the opportunity to go this year's September came up this week.

I think I have a good itinerary planned (thanks to many of you and other posts) and now that I was very excited about this trip, I found out that the Ramadan will be started on September 12th. I keep reading a lot of mixed opinions about whether to visit or not Morocco during this holiday. Some say that pretty much everything will be working as usual, but some other say that only tourist-oriented places will be the only ones open. I want to experience both the touristy and the non-touristy (specially the latter), but now I'm concerned whether I should postpone it or not. I'll be on vacations in September, that's why I'm "fixated" with that date.

Thanks for sharing your opinions and experience concerning this topic.

jenmaroc

I've answered this question in previous posts, so you might check those out if you havent already.

In cities that receive a lot of visitors (Marrakech, Essaouira, Fes, etc), the souks, some cafes & restaurants, hotels, etc will all be operating normally. In smaller towns and villages, you might notice that things are quieter by day. However, after sundown, everybody is out strolling and visiting - the cities become very lively. You wont "miss out" on local culture - it'll still be there, but it'll be more "happening" after the breaking of the fast.

The key to a successful trip during Ramadan is to alter your schedule to fit with the local schedule. Do your sightseeing/shopping from 10am until about 3pm and then retire to the hotel to rest until sundown.

A lot depends on your point of view: you can view Ramdaan as an inconvenience - or as an opportunity to visit a Muslim country during the holiest month of the year.

Understanding the meaning of Ramadan helps too. It is not simply about a physical fast (no sex, food, drink, tobacco between the hours of sunrise and sundown). Ramadan is also about a spiritual cleansing of impure thoughts and focusing on the divine. "Impure thoughts" can be anything from gossiping about a neighbor to getting angry and raising your voice with someone (particularly challenging when one's hungry & thirsty).

Good luck with your decision vis a vis whether to visit during Ramadan or not.

Castellanese

Hi again,

I'm definitely going this September.

Castellanese

Hi again,

Jenmaroc, I forgot to thank you for all the valuable input you've given me.

are there organized tours that combine a Volubilis/Meknes day trip from Fes?

In some way, I'm regretting not having included Meknes and Rabat in my itinerary, but I've read some threads claiming that those two cities have no comparison to Fes anyway.

The thing is, I don't want to do a marathon of places that end up all resembling each other.

Thanks!

jenmaroc

Hi,

Glad to hear you'll be coming! I think Sebti's advice in your other post is very good.

With regards to Fes- Rabat- Meknes, Fes & Meknes are so similar that many people call Meknes "Fes-lite" or "Diet Fes". Rabat is nothing like either of the two.

I love Rabat and recommend highly. The Kasbah Oudaya is lovely, as is the seaside stroll near the Tour Hassan. The medina is small, but cute, and the new town is lovely, clean, and laden with good restaurants and shopping.

Luisah

<<I love Rabat and recommend highly. The Kasbah Oudaya is lovely, as is the seaside stroll near the Tour Hassan. The medina is small, but cute, and the new town is lovely, clean, and laden with good restaurants and shopping.>>

Perfect description. Rabat was a highlight for me.

Castellanese

Hi (again),

Now that I've read more about the cities I'm interested in, this is what I would like to visit in each.

Casablanca (1 night): Hassan II Mosque and rest after 13 hours on a plane.

Fes (4 nights): Old Fes, the souks and a day trip to Volubilis.

Marrakech (3 nights): the Koutoubia and Ali ben Youssef Mosques, Djemaa El-Fna square and Souks.

Essaouira (3 nights): the medina and rest of the time on the beach resting.

1. Are the souks in the medina or apart from it?

2. Are there organized tours of Volubilis from Fes?

3. Am I spending too much time in Fes and not enough in Marrakech? There's seems to be much more to do in Fes.

4. I checked the train website and it lists a connection between Essaouira and Casablanca, but I keep on reading that trains don't go to Essaouira, am I wrong?

Thanks.