First visit to Morocco
 

Hi
I have a cheap flight to Malaga on 30 January for 8 days and am thinking of going over on the ferry for my first visit to Morocco.

I am a 55 year old woman. Will I be OK on my own? I am very independent and usually stay in hostels. I thought of travelling around by bus and train. Anyone have any useful tips for me?

I've read on this site about guides for the medinas. Is this really necessary? I like being on my own and going at my own pace?

Thanks

Hi Lyndy,

You will have a wonderful time. Stay in a riad in the nedia rather than a hotel. They will take good care of you. You don't need a guide for the medina if you have good common sense and a sense of fun.

Have a look at my site for some eating and drinking reviews as well as my personal account of shopping the souks!

www.mcdougalladventures.com/category/morocco

um...Medina...not nedia! typo
:)

My experience of Morocco is that if you visit a medina w/o a guide, you will be subjected to nearly constant bombardment of irritating attention from touts, guides and shopkeepers. We hired a guide merely to act as a bodyguard to keep others away. Morocco is absolutely beautiful, but I don't think I'm alone in saying that it has some of the most persistent touts anywhere. So even if you don't need a guide for sightseeing purposes, it may be money well spent to ward off the irritants.

Two conflicting replies!! However thank you both for your interest and I will check out your site,luckykat.

Does anyone know which is the best ferry to go across on?

Also anyone any experience of the hostels in Morocco?

I agree with Thit_cho about the need for a bodyguard. While it is generally harmless, the intensity of the constant heckling is lessened when you are accompanied by a local.

I also went as a single female( for part of my trip) when I visited Morocco. I think as a single, foreign female, you have an even larger bull's eye hovering above you.

I hovered close to women and families when travelling (on the ferry), and I cannot tell you how glad I was when they came rushing to my aid in a time of need.

You haven't said what cities you are planning to visit.

Hi Femi
Thanks for your thoughts.
I haven't really worked out my route yet, but thinking of going to Tangier, Fes, Rabat and Marrakech.

Don't think I can do much more than that in 7 days and anyway If I like it there I can always go back at a later date to see more of the country.

Any advice you can give me would be appreciated. Thanks

With so little time, I would eliminate either Tangier or Rabat. While they both held some interest for me (the old town of Rabat, and Tangier as a base while visiting Chefchaouen), I would focus on the Morocco essentials of Fez and Marrakesh.