How to spend four nights in Morocco

Old May 26th, 2015, 09:05 PM
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How to spend four nights in Morocco

We are planning a trip to Portugal and decided to add on a few nights in Morocco since it's a reasonable flight from Portugal (a little odd we know but since we fly BA the open jaw ticket makes it not quite so crazy). While there is much more to see, we just want to spend four to five nights getting a flavor to determine if it's somewhere we want to return to for longer.

Thinking the following but any ideas welcome:

Marrakech - two nights in a Riad in the center
Sahara - two nights luxury camping (any thoughts on how these compare to South Africa which were great)
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Old May 26th, 2015, 11:56 PM
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Sallam 'lekum and Howzit TjinSOMA,
Well done on adding a little Moroccan taster to your travels.
Personally, I would stay in Marrakech the whole time, with perhaps a day trip up into the High Atlas mountains. Surely one of life's wondrous travel experiences is to slowly absorb the unique, chaotic, inspirational atmosphere of Marrakech over a number of days.
However, I understand that you're trying to squeeze a bit extra into your visit, hence wanting to experience the Moroccan Sahara. If you're set on doing that, then you need to consider the very, very long day's travel from Marrakech to the desert dunes (either Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga).
A couple of 'luxury' camps are available at Erg Chebbi, offering running water and the like (may I just pose the question of what happens to the sewage...dumped into out-of-sight dry river beds???) and there's another one offered near Erg Chigaga through Dar Ahlam. They're different to the luxury bush camps offered in sub-Saharan Africa, with a more temporary feeling (your tent flooring consists of carpets on the sand etc).
Have a think and we can chat some more.
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Old May 27th, 2015, 06:09 AM
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I agree that it will a long slog to get to the desert. I'm not a very big fan of Marrakesh, I'd consider time in Essaouira, although a day trip to the mountains isn't a bad idea either.
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Old May 27th, 2015, 09:24 AM
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I agree with the above posts. You don't have enough time to get to the desert and back. Choose Essaouira or a run up into the mountains. Or, just stay in Marrakech as Darren suggests.
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Old May 27th, 2015, 11:32 AM
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Thanks for the thoughts all. My other half is interested in the dessert but neither of us likes to schlep around too much so that you don't enjoy what you see. I very much like the idea of staying in Marrakech and maybe just a day trip somewhere closer.
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Old May 27th, 2015, 10:55 PM
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Hi again TJinSOMA,

Kasbah du Toubkal, located in the High Atlas village of Imlil and only a 90-minute drive from Marrakech, offers a great day trip. Depending on the time of year, the kasbah is shadowed by snow-topped mountains and offers one of the most scenic rooftop lunches one could ever experience.
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Old May 28th, 2015, 01:27 AM
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Hi TjinSOMA
i think arrinving to the airport of casablanca and heading to fes passing by meknes and volubilis and moulay idriss for the first day, then pass your night to rest in an hotel in fes, second day explore the beauty of the medina of fes, third day head to marrakech you will traverse the atlas mountains and enjoy the morrocan nature, arrive to marrakech by the end of the day and visit the city the next day. this will be one of the best 4 days experience in morroco you can have.
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Old May 28th, 2015, 05:31 AM
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"this will be one of the best 4 days experience in morroco you can have."

Substitute exhausting for best.
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Old May 28th, 2015, 09:01 AM
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Thanks all. If we end up in Morocco, I think we'll stick with Marrakech and the day trip to the mountains. If the desert stay is a must for my other half, then maybe we'll save Morocco for another trip and just spend more time in Portugal (maybe a Morocco/London itinerary would work better given our airline constraints). We recognize the Morocco/Portugal itinerary is a little ambitious but we aren't sure when we'll be back to Europe as Australia, Chile and a return to South Africa are moving up on our priorities list.

Mehdiscenic1 - we'll keep your notes for a longer Morocco stay but we are pretty lazy on our trips and I tend to not want to move hotels more than once every three or four days.
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Old May 28th, 2015, 07:43 PM
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Please, please go to Fes rather than Marrakesh! Everyone I met was disillusioned with Mk, myself included, but entranced by Fes. The souk is everything you have read about or seen in movies. Take a class in Morrocan cooking, take a guide (wages proscribed by the government) through the magnificent 15th century buildings), get advice on where to eat and sample the wonderful Moroccan dishes and don't sweat it if you get lost. Oh, and I missed it, but get up early enough to see the tanneries. The potteries are a bit of a tourist trap but still nice to take home a piece. And go back again for the desert as it, too is marvelous. CB and MK are the lowest. Essauouira is also lovely but not the true essence of Morrocan culture like Fes is. I went the first time in 76, and finally went back three years ago, and loved it just as much. I wish you the same joy I found there. TF (female)
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Old May 29th, 2015, 07:56 AM
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Wow. Nice suggestions TravelinFeet. I'm suddenly wondering whether we switch from four nights in Morocco and just split our two weeks evenly between Portugal and Morocco. While I'm excited to see Portugal, we've been to Spain and Italy several times so thinking allocating more time to Morocco which will be very new to us may be a better bet. This at least would provide more time to explore a couple areas.
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Old May 29th, 2015, 10:17 AM
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I second TravelinFeet. My hubby and I just returned for 2 1/2 weeks in Morocco. This is of course more time than most visitors spend, but we had that luxury. We love Fes. The souks are wonderful, the food great and the people so warm and friendly. We were also put off by Marrakech. It is much more touristy and there are more hawkers, etc. We planned a souk food tour, but of course one can wander on their own. It is worthwhile to hire a guide for 1/2 day to orient you and get a bit of the history and architecture. you can do this through your Riad.
If you need anymore info, please email me. Zin
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Old May 30th, 2015, 09:38 AM
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Hi SOMA
i d like to share my opinion with you and hope will rigth for you:
Marrakech :2 nigths
Merzouga ne nigth
Ait Ben Haddoune nigth
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Old May 31st, 2015, 01:58 PM
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Last question and the advice has been great. Since Imlil sounded nice from Marrakech or just do Fez which would people pick? I'm intrigued by Fes versus Marrakech.
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Old May 31st, 2015, 02:21 PM
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Fez.

I've been to Imlil. Very scenic, but nothing to do (except shop) unless you want to hike.
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