In your opinion.

I've been visiting Morocco regularly for the last 40 years and in those decades have spent an accumulation of at least four years in the country travelling all over. I also spent an extended period in the country learning Arabic. I have a great interest in Moroccan customs and whilst the men are 'in control' in the street, when it comes to the home Morocco is definitely a matriarchal society.

My comment was not thrown into the ring lightly. And suggesting that it's a western male view of the situation is inaccurate.

Good report about your trip in Morocco. Certainly you spent a great moments in different places with new culture and tradition.

I am sure that a male reporting on the position of women in western society a couple of centuries back would have used similar terms. That did not mean that women were happy with the situation.

Sandals are not taboo in Morocco, but you'll be more comfortable, and cleaner, in closed toe shoes. As Darren said, loose, long skirts and pants are best. Shorts for a camel ride ? Yuck.

Sorry for the delay in answering, Schnauzer. Life got crazy. As far as the bus ride to Chefchaouen, that's a hard question to answer. In researching Chefchaouen, there was such a wide range of opinions. Some found it boring and not worth the long bus ride. It does seem crazy to drive 4 hours for the color blue -- but not to me. The bus ride was scenic and part of the experience. The town is quaint and charming and recently painted to welcome the visiting king. On the other hand, after such a long trip, you may not feel like a long bus ride.
As far as four days in Fez, there are other shorter side trips you can take. I'm pretty sure Dar Seffarine could arrange that for you. Or you can look on Plan-it-Fez's website.
Now, at the risk of giving an opinion that I'm sure many will disagree with, I was slightly disappointed with Fez. In all fairness though, the weather turned cold and rainy, which can take away from the experience. It would have been wonderful to relax on the rooftop terrace after all the craziness outside, but we weren't able to do that. There was also a lot of construction going on all over, and that took away from the atmosphere. There were also a lot of tour groups, which makes a hectic, crowded place even more so. It was also the last stop on our trip so maybe we would have felt differently if it were at the beginning of our trip when we were more fresh. I'm glad we went and wouldn't have missed it, but I just wanted to warn you about all the construction.
As far as the men in cafes and the women I saw working in the fields, I'm only stating what I observed. I wouldn't dare to pretend to even begin to understand a culture that I just visited for two weeks.
Happy travels!
Laurie

Hi Laurie, thanks again for the info. I guess only I can make that decision eh? I have heard mixed opinions of Fez, I am looking forward to it anyway. We're you happy with Plan it Fez? I had a look at a couple of their activities, they appeared quite expensive but were they worth it in your opinion? Would you recommend Perleta or should I try somewhere else? Sorry to keep asking but it would be handy to know. A friend went to Chefchouen and after I had seen the photos I really wanted to go there, as long as the journey is quite interesting then it would be alright.

Thanks in advance for further help.

Hi, Schnauzer
I agree, Plan it Fez is quite expensive. I don't know if it would necessarily be worth spending so much for day trips or guides that you could arrange for probably a lot less through the hotel. But the experience of cooking with a family was so unique that we decided it would be worth the expense. I always like to do something special the last day of a trip. It kind of colors my whole memory of the trip, if you know what I mean. So for us, it was the perfect way to end the trip and was an experience we will never forget.
As far as Perleta goes, it was nice but our room was extremely small. We didn't spend any time in the room, other than sleeping, so it wasn't a big deal. I'm sure there are other comparable places if you check the reviews on Tripadvisor.
Take care,
Laurie

Cheers Laurie, I will keep thinking.....plan it fez wanted about $190 Aud for a three hour architecture tour which did seem awfully expensive.

Schnauzer

Oh, I guess I should clarify.....I wore biking shorts under my pants.

Blackmons: Thank you so much for this comprehensive, useful and very interesting Trip Report. The following posts were also helpful.

You have provided excellent ideas, and good cautions, for me and my friend: we are a French American and a French Argentine, both female with agreeable husbands left at home :-) Our plans are for a July visit for about 1 week. We are now narrowing our plans to fit a reasonable, unrushed visit to Marrakesh and Fes. But we are not narrowing our anticipation of visiting places that you described. Merci.

You want to go to Morocco in July??? The temps in Marrakesh are already hitting 90 (32 celsius). It is likely to be consistently over 100 (38 celsius) in July. Take a look at the historical data on wunderground.com.

Thanks Laurie for a wonderful trip report, and everyone for your interesting commentary. Your description of camel trekking and camping in the desert is intriguing but a bit intimidating. If it's not too personal can I ask your general age range? we are a couple in our fifties and the last few times I tried horseback riding my knees killed me - how do camels compare? and is there any way to do a desert overnight without camel riding? It does sound amazing

I'm in my sixties. I have ridden a camel in China, Morocco and Jordan. I have never found it comfortable, and I have no desire to do it again, but it never affected my knees (no stirrups).

Hi, Laura
I just turned the big 60 and had no problem with the camel trek. I was really worried about it (hence the bike shorts under my pants) as I had read so many reviews saying how uncomfortable it is. I had also opted for the longer ride (just under 2 hours) and thought I might come home a single woman as my husband was totally trusting me on this one. I don't know if it was because I had been so worried about it or if it was because I was so caught up in the quiet, beauty, and magic of it or if it was because our saddles were particularly comfortable, but we had no problem at all. Or I should say, my inner thigh muscles were slightly sore from being stretched, but not bad at all.
On the other hand, I know it's not for everyone and there are much shorter treks, or even tents right on the edge of the dunes with no camel ride but you still feel like you're in the dunes. I think there are even treks by 4x4. There's a lot of variety out there.
Laurie

Thanks so much Laurie and Thursday - always appreciate the insights

Bookmarking. Thank you for sharing - your insights are invaluable for us as we plan a trip for next May.

I'm heading to Morocco this Sunday and promise to do a trip report. There just isn't enough detailed info about Moroccan travels on this board! Stay tuned....

Bon Voyage, Schnauzer! Safe travels!
Laurie

Looking forward to your trip report schnauzer and some learnings that I can apply to my own trip next April.

Blackmons,

Thank you for your excellent trip report, we'll be following in your footsteps soon!

Does Dar Neghrassi in Azrou ship internationally?

Thinking about making a stop there, it looks fabulous.

Thanks!