Morocco or Tunisia
 

Would like to hear from fodorites who have been to both countries. How do the countries compare? Which would you you recommend of the two I am interested in cultural and historic sights. Any comments or suggestions are welcome. I plan on spending a maximum of 10 days in either country.

ttt

Go to Morocco you won't regret it. I will be there May 2011, can't wait!

Have been to Morocco,didn't like it as much as I expected. (Click on my name for my TR.) Will be in Tunisia in March, will report back then.

Thursdaysd - that is a terrific trip report.

Would love to hear thursdaysd's opinion after she visits Tunisia. I have been to both places and while they are similar, Tunisia is cleaner and has less touts. The touts in Morocco are horrid. In Tunisia the French influence is more noticable than Mocorro, if I showed you a picture of the Ville Nouvelle in Tunis and told you it was taken in Paris you'd belive me, the area has alot of colonial architecture and outdoor cafes. I didn't care for Morocco and I do prefer Tunisia to Morocco. Have fun in whichever place you choose to visit.

I haven't been to Morocco, but have visited Tunisia and loved it. Lots of culture, the people were very friendly, the beach was nice, the price was right, fascinating history. I felt very safe and was never harassed. Even in the market, it was pleasant chatting with the vendors (I speak french) and at times they were just interested in finding out where I was from more than trying to sell me things. We saw and did so many interesting things - visiting ruins such as a colisseum, the market, Tunis, Carthage, the Bardo museum, riding camels in the Sahara, visiting the Troglodytes and visiting a cave dwelling, etc. Loved it more than I thought I would.

A few people that I know that have visited Morocco didn't seem to enjoy their experiences as much as we did. But whether that is individual taste or luck, who knows.

Ohh, what a good question! I've been to both and loved both trips. They both have good points, and they are very different kinds of places. To me, Morocco is one of the most visually beautiful places I've ever been. Colors are like the U.S. Southwest, but more beautiful and with stunning architecture. Tunisia, on the other hand, has fascinating history and wonderful Roman and Phoenician ruins. Tunis has a great manageable bazaar and a museum (Bardo) with great Roman mosaics -- things like entire floors with scenes on them. I think the scope of travel within Tunisia is more limited, although to be fair I did not take a tour there but was staying in Carthage and got to other places only occasionally. Morocco is a vast country and I did take a tour. I most enjoyed Fes, Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains. The people in both countries were governed by the French at one time, and share some similarities, IMHO. I didn't find them anywhere near as friendly or approachable as Egyptians, and I have more years of experience traveling there. For example, in Tunisia one woman I was traveling with was older and instead of respecting her age, the young men would push into her to grab a seat away from her when we traveled by the commuter train! I can't imagine this ever happening in Egypt, where people do respect age. But I also noticed outside the cities the people were different -- around the Atlas Mountains, you find Bedouin, who seemed more approachable and interested in you. But aside from this, both countries are well worth a visit. So I hope this helps you a little in making your decision.

"Would love to hear thursdaysd's opinion after she visits Tunisia."

Alas, I just canceled out on Tunisia. While things may be fine by March 1st, when I was supposed to get there, the prices were going up on the alternatives, and while I just got a good wifi connection in Singapore there's no telling what I'll have next in Georgetown, and I needed to get the new flights booked.

I met a couple in Sri Lanka who really liked Tunisia, you might find their blog interesting: http://mytripjournal.com/travel-502655

I was wondering...

Well, I too passed on Tunisia due to the political problems I hope to visit someday.

i have never been to Morocca so cannot say anything about that, but have been to Tunisia and must say has been my favourite holiday. brilliant weather, fantastic prices( a 3 course meal was about £15 including drinks for the two) very clean, loads of things to do and places to visit, people are very friendly. depended on where you wanted to go as i stayed in Hammamet but loved it. Only thing is as most places are like that the star rate for hotels is lower so make sure you get 4 or 5 star. and also would be a bit wary at the moment with the problems its having. i know someone who was going for 90days and come back after 9 days it was that bad.

i have never been to Morocca so cannot say anything about that, but have been to Tunisia and must say has been my favourite holiday. brilliant weather, fantastic prices( a 3 course meal was about £15 including drinks for the two) very clean, loads of things to do and places to visit, people are very friendly. depended on where you wanted to go as i stayed in Hammamet but loved it. Only thing is as most places are like that the star rate for hotels is lower so make sure you get 4 or 5 star. and also would be a bit wary at the moment with the problems its having. i know someone who was going for 90days and come back after 9 days it was that bad.

Just curious if it is even safe to visit that area when there is so much political tension. We will be in Spain and Tenerife in June and I was planning to go to Morocco, but am worried if it is too much risk for our family.

Definitely visit Morocco. It is a fascinating country and a night in a nomad camp in the sahara desert is an unforgettable experience. Moroccan people are very friendly and hospitable and you will be safe.

Real_MoroccoTours - with a screen name like that, what else would you say?