Originally, we were gung ho about a side trip from Spain to Morocco (Tangiers, then perhaps venture to Marrakesh)

Now, my travel partner is becoming apprehensive. He know it's probably safe and if we went there, we would love it. But as Westerners, in this age, we can't help but have these feelings. THere were attacks in Casablanca 2 years back. Now, with the bombings in London and Egypt, we just feel a little more nervous than usual.

Any thoughts?

What memories Marrakesh brings back! Haven't been there in decades, but it was certainly dangerous in the 70's when we went on a shore excursion from Safi. Everyone wore watch caps to look as androgynous as possible, and several bigger kids were assigned to our youngest student, a darling 11-year-old Canadian with blond hair and blue eyes. We'd been told he would fetch a good sum in Marrakesh, so the teachers stuck to him--and the girls--- like glue. I imagine the dangers are quite different now.

Disease was always a problem in north Africa. In Morocco and Tunis our deck watch in port consisted of standing guard at the hawsers with brooms, making sure the rats did not come aboard on the dock ropes, in addition to the more mundane tasks of checking the generator and freezers. Every 15 minutes or so you'd hear a splash and knkow someone had knocked one into the filthy water below.

we are scheduled to go to Morocco and spain in december..and chances are will still go..At the end of the day, no place is safe. We were in Thailand when the Tsunami struck, and as luck would have had it, we left Phuket the evening of the 25th. I guess, its a personal choice, but after all thats going on in every part of the world, we figure we're as safe as we're meant to be..

I went to Marrakech in the 1980s & hated it : my then boyfriend and I couldn't leave the hotel without being hassled non-stop by young men wanting to be our guides and/or sell us stuff. We couldn't find any way of getting rid of them, including pretending not to know any of the languages they tried. It was not threatening but it made our time there no fun. I would not consider going again unless we had a pre-booked proper guide with us, to fend off the other lot (and I have never felt the need for a guide anywhere else).

We went to Marrakech last summer and were not hassled at all, not even in the souks or on place Jemaa el Fna.

Having heard loads of stories similar to Caroline's above, I was expecting to be harrassed from all sides the minute we arrived at the train station, but nobody seemed that interested in us!
I've had more hassle in half an hour on the steps of the Sacré Coeur in Paris than we did during our 3 days in Marrakech.

Apparently, Moroccan police have really cracked down on touts and hawkers and "tourist-hasslers" - we were told by Moroccan friends that if anyone did hassle us, a threat to call the police would send them running.

Hi hanl. Oh, that's interesting to know. Maybe I should think about giving it another go.

Excuse me, but having lived in Maroc for about 5 years, I can say that the Moroccan people are a fine, hospitable bunch. And, I mean all the Moroccan people - Berbers, Arabs, Jews, ex-colonials, etc. Did any of you complainers bother to learn any Arabic ? French ? or Spanish ? Whoever was on a boat in Safi and Tangiers sure didn't know much about sailing and ports. I just came off a trip where cats were kept on the ship. Ask yourself why. When I worked for an American company there, that company had the water tested by a US lab, and it was found to be as good as that of NYC, which is famous for its purity. I rather wonder how well educated the people are who participate on this board. Adios. I am no longer a participant.

Bedar, my comments were reminicences from the 1970's. Obviously, Morocco has changed quite a bit since then!

And unfortunately for your fragile sensibilities, there were far too many rats on the wharf for any but a cat army to handle.

Our ships were not usually docked with other pleasure yachts in African ports, but rather with trawlers and ships of that nature. You may not be familiar with that part of the waterfront; it isn't pretty---in ANY country. One of our sailboats was 176' long, and the other was 156' with a draft of 18'. You don't dock those in the pretty section of the wharf.

We all spoke French, and many students spoke Spanish as well. It was an international school headquartered in Rotterdam.

And anyone who drinks water in a harbor--no matter where it is--- is crazy. Lighten up!

I've been twice and had a ball each time. Yes you have to learn to ignore the offers of 'help' and offers to buy you(!) but you get that a lot of places and it's part of the experience.

My favourite Morocco story is from when I went there first as a child of about 8. We were staying at the same hotel as the Egyptian national football team (soccer for those of you who refuse to accept that 'football' is the correct term) as they were playing a friendly against Morocco. However Egypt won and the Moroccans lost their 'friendly' demeanour and laid siege to the hotel - there was an armed stand off between them and the army! Alas this happened in the dead of night and was over before we woke up, so not all that exciting really - but I can say that I've been held hostage!

However, don't take that as indicative of the country, it really was a one off incident. Go and visit and have fun!

We went to Morocco (Marrakesh and Essaouira) last year and really enjoyed it. Although sometimes we felt a little overwhelmed by the unfamiliar environment, by and large it didn't feel unsafe. There were lots of other tourists there. Yes, there were approaches from street hawkers which can get tiresome, but they were generally of a friendly nature.

One tip if you do go: I learnt that it's best just to be straightforward and say "No, I don't want it" rather than to try "politer" excuses (which tend to come naturally to us Brits) such as "It's too heavy/I won't get it through customs", which only prolong the sales pitch. And don't bother pretending that you don't understand - many Moroccans are excellent linguists!

I'm really glad we went - it was an experience quite unlike anywhere else I've been.

As for terrorism - well, the threat is almost everywhere these days and the chances of being a victim remain very small.

First kittycatangel-I commend you for posing your question, in other words, for NOT wearing your bravado on your sleeve (which does you no good, obviously, if you become a victim) and wanting to be prudent about your travel choices, given the Casablanca attacks by an al-Qaeda-affiliated faction in 2003 and the others mentioned.

So, is it reasonably safe to go to Morocco for tourists, ie., are tourists being targeted in bombing attacks?

I would say that, in many ways, it's safer than London right now, but it is an Islamic culture, so there is that unfamiliarity to deal with, different infrastructure, etc., rather than just being in a foreign western European country, for example.

One thing I can tell you: The Moroccans take a VERY hard line on security, in fact, they tried somebody in absentia for the Casablanca attacks, an individual named M. Guerbouzi, but you see, he didn't live in Morocco, he had lived for many years as an ex-pat in a European city.

And what city would that be? Why, do you even need to ask? "LONDONISTAN" of course!

The Moroccan authorities issued an arrest warrant to the British to have him extradited. The British, OF COURSE, refused, citing "lack of evidence."

Lack of evidence? In 2004, the terrible Madrid bombings occurred, committed by a militant Islamic Moroccan faction.

And Mr. Guerbouzi? A few days after the Madrid bombings, M. Guerbouzi disappeared from his London home-there is a continuing Europe-wide request for information on his whereabouts, as he is wanted for questioning and involvement in those attacks as well.

And, he just may well have information about the July 7 bombings in London-but until they find him and interrogate him, they just won't know, will they? (but his family is all right there in London-at least, they were).


Now that we got that background info. out of the way, there is no reason not to visit Morocco now, from a security perspective, -and there have been no repeated attacks on tourists/westerners that we are most unfortunately seeing in Turkey, and in Egypt (although the latter two countries also, are very security-conscious-for example, the persons responsible for security at Sharm have been removed from their post-Hosni Mubarak, Pres. of Egypt, brooks no tolerance on that score; he replaced all the people responsible for security at Luxor after those attacks. And Mubarak was one of the few to speak out years ago about the "London problem" as well).

So this is a roundabout way of saying that it is not unadvisable to go, -and I KNOW you will find Moroccan culture fascinating, colorful, the food-EXCELLENT, the textiles and furniture exotic and beautiful and the people warm and friendly- it is a modernizing, forward-looking society- French oriented-you'll find all the latest French couture fashions there, that's for sure. And you might want to avail yourself of some beauty/spa treatments, particularly if you were going to Casablanca-excellent French spa treatments at a fraction of French prices. (I know this, because my hairdresser is from Casablanca).

Also, try to learn a few words in Arabic- you'd be surprised how far just a simple "shukran" (thank you) will get you. But if you speak French, why so much the better!

And, last but not least, before traveling, you should go to http://www.state.gov and register your trip. That goes for ANY foreign travel these days. There are no PAs or Travel Warnings in effect currently for Morocco, but of course you will have to exercise heightened vigilance in this area, and in this day and age. You should go to State's website and read the consular information sheet on the country as well.

I love Morocco AND Egypt, have traveled them on my own and with others, never had a problem there or anywhere else I've gone in the Middle East- (unlike in Europe). So it pains me no end to see what has been happening now in Egypt.

I went to Morocco with another female friend less two months after 9/11. I'd been before and had fallen in love with the place. We had no trouble whatsoever (except from the family and friends who insisted we were out of our minds). I felt perfectly safe there, even at night wandering in the alleyways of the souks.

It's a beautiful country with very warm people, excellent food, and some dazzling sites. And it's inexpensive.

The King of Morocco has in recent years put a real clamp down on the young men who used to pester the crap out of tourists. There's some of that still going on, but I noticed a huge difference from my earlier trip. A few guys sidled alongside us as we went about our business, wanting to "befriend" us (and then be paid for taking us somewhere we didn't want to go), but it was very mild compared to the first time I visited, when you couldn't get out of your car without being smothered by boys wanting to be your guide.

That said, personally I'd bypass Tangiers and go straight to Marrakesh.

I don't know what your hotel budget is, but the place we stayed (http://www.lamaisonarabe.com/) was AMAZING!

StCirq, I believe that you posted a link to a wonderful trip report after your return. If so, would you mind posting the link again as I've lost my "favorites". Thank you!

Also, OP, would love to read your report if you go. Am thinking of doing a daytrip from Spain next May (my main concern is time and doing places I visit justice).

We'll be in Casablanca in Nov for a one day cruise stop. I'd like to see the Hassan II Mosque, the medina and the Museum of Moroccan Jewry. Anything else I should consider?

Can I get to places (and is it safe) using public transportation? I'm feeling pretty comfortable about it, but our travelling buddies are less so, worry that taxi drivers won't speak REnglish, so we won't be able to tell them were we want to go, and that buses are dangerous.

Chicago Heather: Here's the link to my Morocco trip report on SlowTrav:

http://www.slowtrav.com/tr/triprepor...98&index=4

Abram: I don't think I'd take public transportation (buses) in Morocco. They're usually very crowded, pretty dirty, and I wouldn't expect the drivers or passengers to speak English (French, yes). But taxis are plentiful and cheap, and I suppose you might find a few drivers who speak English. Everyone involved in the tourist trade in big cities in Morocco knows at least a few phrases. We actually hired a private taxi to take us from Marrakech into the Atlas mountains and then another day to Essouira. The cost was something like $30 a day. He spoke a bit of English, although we conversed entirely in French. If you want a taxi driver to take you somewhere you can always write it down. Taxi drivers will be able to read the Roman alphabet, at least most of them.

st. cirq do you have a trip report # the link does not seem to work for me.