Any suggestions or feedback for our honeymoon?
Jan 18th, 2015, 11:55 AM
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Any suggestions or feedback for our honeymoon?
Hi wonderful people! My fiancé and I are about to book all of our flights for our honeymoon. We have figured out the details, and before we book I just want to make sure that you more experienced travelers don't see anything hugely wrong with our itinerary. Or places for improvement.
1.) June 28th 10:30pm LAX to Malaga:
land Monday June 29th 11:55 pm in Malaga
*Arrange for pick-up from Malaga airport to riad
*Book riad for June 29th and June 30th-
Check out July 1st
2.) July 1st: Suprabus from Malaga to Seville (9am- or later as to stay in Malaga another half of a day)
Stay in Seville from July 1st- July 4th
*Book riads/hotels for July 1st-3rd-- Check out on July 4th
3.) July 4th: Ryan Air flight from Seville to Marrakesh (5:30pm, 63 euro)
Stay in Marrakesh 4th- 8th
*Book riads/hotels for 4th-7th-
Check out on July 8th
4.) July 8th: Suprabus from Marrakesh to Essaouira (9 am?, 3.5 hours, 20$ each)
Stay in Essaouira July 8th- 11th
*Book riads/hotels July 8th-10th
-Check out the 11th
5.) July 11th: Suprabus from Essaouira to Marrakesh in am and stay until flight to Paris this evening
6.) July 11th: Easyjet flight from Marrakesh to Paris, France (7pm to the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, 43 euro each through
http://www.directline-flights.co.uk; takes 2.3hr)
Stay in Paris July 11th-15th
Book hostels/hotels for July 11th-14th-- Check out July 15th
7.) July 15th 9:15pm Paris- LAX 12pm (Flight 4314 & 7087; from Smartfares.com, Norwegian airline; $736 each)
A couple of notes about things we have previously thought of while creating our itinerary:
1.) The reason for only one full day in Malaga, Spain, is due to the fact that with the ways flights are, we had to either add 3 full days here, and lose a lot in Marrakech, Essaouria, and/or Paris, or just cut Malaga down to only 1 day. We have the option of leaving Malaga on an afternoon or evening train to Seville in order to give us a half a day longer, if recommended, and if we can keep our bags at the riad or hotel we will be checking out of.
2.) The notes stating that we'll be taking a bus are just there for now, but we'd like feedback on the best ways to get to and from these areas (i.e. Marrakech to Essaouira).
3.) When our flight gets in very late in the evening, but I put that we will be staying from that night until the day of checkout, i understand that it's not as if we are counting that day in our actual time to visit this place- it's just a note of logistics and when we'll be needed booked stay.
4.) I am considering applying for this credit card to use this year for these flights- it has great credits towards travel, and we'll be paying it off in full as soon as we redeem those credits. Any opinions on this or reasons we shouldn't/better option?
http://www.barclaycardarrival.com/ar...690144_1045447
5.) My fiancé and I are aware that this is going to be tons of traveling by plane, maybe train, bus, taxi etc. And it will be tiring. We also know that a lot of peoples opinion will be that it doesn't sound much like a traditional romantic relaxing honeymoon getaway- but we live on the central coast with beautiful beaches, hiking, and lots of time for soaking it up, right in our backyard. So for us, this adventure sounds like a ton of fun to do together and see astounding parts of the world!
6.) We know it will be Ramadan when we visit Morocco; we know we will have to be accommodating and open to the fact that certain places will not be open, certain places will close for large periods of time, and there won't be alcohol served anywhere for the most part. We feel pretty confident in our ability to see past this and find the positive in it, like being able to see this amazing part of the culture, and are ok with a few moody Moroccans famished from food and water until they break their fast. The other option is to not see Morocco at all, and that seems a crap option to us.
1.) June 28th 10:30pm LAX to Malaga:
land Monday June 29th 11:55 pm in Malaga
*Arrange for pick-up from Malaga airport to riad
*Book riad for June 29th and June 30th-
Check out July 1st
2.) July 1st: Suprabus from Malaga to Seville (9am- or later as to stay in Malaga another half of a day)
Stay in Seville from July 1st- July 4th
*Book riads/hotels for July 1st-3rd-- Check out on July 4th
3.) July 4th: Ryan Air flight from Seville to Marrakesh (5:30pm, 63 euro)
Stay in Marrakesh 4th- 8th
*Book riads/hotels for 4th-7th-
Check out on July 8th
4.) July 8th: Suprabus from Marrakesh to Essaouira (9 am?, 3.5 hours, 20$ each)
Stay in Essaouira July 8th- 11th
*Book riads/hotels July 8th-10th
-Check out the 11th
5.) July 11th: Suprabus from Essaouira to Marrakesh in am and stay until flight to Paris this evening
6.) July 11th: Easyjet flight from Marrakesh to Paris, France (7pm to the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, 43 euro each through
http://www.directline-flights.co.uk; takes 2.3hr)
Stay in Paris July 11th-15th
Book hostels/hotels for July 11th-14th-- Check out July 15th
7.) July 15th 9:15pm Paris- LAX 12pm (Flight 4314 & 7087; from Smartfares.com, Norwegian airline; $736 each)
A couple of notes about things we have previously thought of while creating our itinerary:
1.) The reason for only one full day in Malaga, Spain, is due to the fact that with the ways flights are, we had to either add 3 full days here, and lose a lot in Marrakech, Essaouria, and/or Paris, or just cut Malaga down to only 1 day. We have the option of leaving Malaga on an afternoon or evening train to Seville in order to give us a half a day longer, if recommended, and if we can keep our bags at the riad or hotel we will be checking out of.
2.) The notes stating that we'll be taking a bus are just there for now, but we'd like feedback on the best ways to get to and from these areas (i.e. Marrakech to Essaouira).
3.) When our flight gets in very late in the evening, but I put that we will be staying from that night until the day of checkout, i understand that it's not as if we are counting that day in our actual time to visit this place- it's just a note of logistics and when we'll be needed booked stay.
4.) I am considering applying for this credit card to use this year for these flights- it has great credits towards travel, and we'll be paying it off in full as soon as we redeem those credits. Any opinions on this or reasons we shouldn't/better option?
http://www.barclaycardarrival.com/ar...690144_1045447
5.) My fiancé and I are aware that this is going to be tons of traveling by plane, maybe train, bus, taxi etc. And it will be tiring. We also know that a lot of peoples opinion will be that it doesn't sound much like a traditional romantic relaxing honeymoon getaway- but we live on the central coast with beautiful beaches, hiking, and lots of time for soaking it up, right in our backyard. So for us, this adventure sounds like a ton of fun to do together and see astounding parts of the world!
6.) We know it will be Ramadan when we visit Morocco; we know we will have to be accommodating and open to the fact that certain places will not be open, certain places will close for large periods of time, and there won't be alcohol served anywhere for the most part. We feel pretty confident in our ability to see past this and find the positive in it, like being able to see this amazing part of the culture, and are ok with a few moody Moroccans famished from food and water until they break their fast. The other option is to not see Morocco at all, and that seems a crap option to us.
Jan 20th, 2015, 07:18 PM
#2
You have a number of things which I couldn't answer...
However, I can say that Suprabus is a comfortable way to go back and forth between Marrakesh and Essaouira. Assigned seats, padding, personal space and all that. No overcrowding. Not a terribly long trip.
ps - I've not been at Ramadan but quite a lot of places in both Marrakesh and Essaouira are owned by Europeans and not that many have seating right out in public. But not sure how your waiter will be though.
However, I can say that Suprabus is a comfortable way to go back and forth between Marrakesh and Essaouira. Assigned seats, padding, personal space and all that. No overcrowding. Not a terribly long trip.
ps - I've not been at Ramadan but quite a lot of places in both Marrakesh and Essaouira are owned by Europeans and not that many have seating right out in public. But not sure how your waiter will be though.
Jan 21st, 2015, 06:17 AM
#3
@Bedar - have you actually been in Morocco during Ramadan and seen such behavior? It sounds quite unlikely to me. Certainly, observant locals won't do those things in public - or in private - during daylight hours but that doesn't mean they expect non-Muslims to observe the fast. My Lonely Planet guidebook suggests picking up snacks to eat indoors, not because you will be attacked but because restaurants will be closed, and in towns like Essaouira and Marrakesh which see so much tourism even that advice may be unnecessary. I prefer not to be in Muslim countries during Ramadan, but that is because I tend to travel off the beaten track but need a good meal in the middle of the day. Plus it seems unkind to eat, never mind drink, in front of people who are fasting.
Jan 21st, 2015, 07:11 AM
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Thursday - why does it seem quite unlikely to you ? In fact, I lived in Rabat,Morocoo, for five years. And yes, I did witness such behavior during Ramadan. My point was that the OP shouldn't think that "moody Moroccans" will blithly accept eating, drinking, and smoking in public. There can always be someone who will react this way. It's better to visit at another time, but if there during the fasting month, it's smart to be considerate of what the populace is going through.
Jan 21st, 2015, 09:12 AM
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Yes, the Moroccans are fairly easy-going, but, as you say, it only takes one, and people are under a great deal of stress at this time. Many people stay up all night and party and then sleep all day, if they don't have to go to work. We attended a fabulous circumcision party one Ramadan. The only mosque open to visitors, that I know of, is the new showpiece Hassan II Mosque in Casa which opened in '93. When we took my SIL to tour Fez, we got trapped in the shrine of Moulay Idriss at prayer time. The alley we were in had doors which opened into rooms and they all became a huge mosque with us in the middle of many, many men prostrating. It was sort of scary. We got out of there pronto, and I was glad my SiL had a baby in a carrier on her chest ! It showed that we were harmless, stoopid tourists who had wandered into the wrong place.
