The Travel & Leisure Magazine Morocco Feature

getting to know

Morocco bound Only an hour away from Spain, Morocco feels like a world away from Europe, says Robert Seymour. But if you want to experience a different way of life, this could be the perfect choice. orroco, especially Marrakech, was for many years a muststop on the old hippie trail. Although the magic that brought the tuned-in and dropped-out crowds in the 1960s and 1970s is still here, things have changed, not least that instead of spending several days in a crowded minibus travelling overland, you can now fly direct from the UK not only to Casablanca but to Fez, Agadir and Marrakech itself. It’s also very good value for money, though it would sound strange to describe it as a budget holiday destination. Despite decades under Spanish and French colonial rule – which produced the new town quarters to mirror the old Medina districts in the major cities - this is still obviously very much a traditional Islamic culture with the vibrant indigenous Berber way of life in no sense under threat. My own first introduction to Morocco was as a 19-yearold student when I spent the whole of a summer wandering around the country. It was a marvellous experience, one that I’ll never forget (especially as it was my first introduction to the art of haggling: see below for some hardwon advice!). You could easily spend six months travelling around the country and only scratch the surface – on that first visit I spent most of my time in Marrakech and the High Atlas mountains and while I didn’t regret a minute of it, the brief time I then spent in Tangier, Casablanca (which feels more French than

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Moroccan in many ways) and Fez gave me an appetite to return.

World Heritage Site Fez – a former capital of Morocco - may not have the international fame of Marrakech and is rather more traditionally conservative, but it is more than a match for it architecturally and is arguably the country’s intellectual centre, home to probably the world’s oldest university and nearly 800 mosques: the Al Qarawiyin Mosque, Morocco’s oldest, retains its original minaret, built in 956. The city has over 8km of fortified walls but it’s the medina, the whole of which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is absolutely unforgettable, not least because it’s so narrow and mazelike that first-time visitors are almost guaranteed to get lost within it.

‘...that Tardis feeling of hidden depth and light is truly astounding...’ It’s also a bustling and very much working area where transport is by bike or donkey, never car, and you can happily stumble around for others, enjoying the specialities of each district, whether they be dyers, potters, woodcarvers or weavers. As in the rest

of Morocco, if you get the chance of quick peek beyond these labyrinthine walls into the patios behind, make the most of it – that Tardis feeling of hidden depth and light is truly astounding. As well as being famous for the high standard of its handicrafts, Fez is also home to one of the world’s most important music festivals, the annual weeklong Fez Festival of World Sacred Music which attracts internationally famous musicians such as Ravi Shankar and Youssou N’Dour. A great blog about Fez is The View From Fez at http://riadzany.blogspot.com. Tangier, like many of Morocco’s famous cities, has a strong eccentric and cosmopolitan feeling to it: once it was famously an international zone which was home to writers such as Paul Bowles and particular popular among artists such as Matisse, as well as being religiously very multicultural. It’s still good to factor in a visit to the city today, especially as it is so close to Spain. But the focus of many travellers’ attention is Marrakech and the first stop is almost always the Djemaa el Fna. During the day, this square in the epicentre of the medina is fairly quiet. It’s pleasant to do a bit of people watching from one of the many café terraces around the square

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with a nice hot and sweet mint tea or try an orange juice from one of the sellers on carts. Later on you could try out one of Marrakech’s bathhouses or ‘hammams’ (your hotel will be able to give you details of the best local ones as well as opening times). But as the night begins to draw in, it becomes a real festival spectacle space with musicians, dancers, acrobats, storytellers, snake charmers and dentists (complete with pulled teeth in a massive bag to indicate how successful they’ve been…), all enclosed within circles of spectators as they pull off their finest tricks. There are also endless food stalls where you can pick whatever you like and see it cooked fresh right in front of you – eating out is a great way to get genuine feel for the city. Once it’s properly dark, look out for the Gnaoua musicians who play trancelike hypnotic music on drums, flutes and threestring guitars. These are a revelation. Take it all in from one of the rooftop terraces, such as the Café de France’s or the Hôtel CTM’s.

To Go Exploring The Djemaa is a great place to start your exploration of the area. Close by is the marvellous Koutoubia Mosque (nearly 70m high and a useful landmark if you get lost, it was begun around 1150 and is atmospherically illuminated at night) and Avenue Mohammed V, the street which takes you up into the newer areas of the city known as Gueliz. And of course, it’s right next to the souks. Although you can visit these ancient

Eating and drinking You can eat and drink well in Morocco on a low budget in places around the older parts of town in the medinas although it’s worth splashing out to try out a more upmarket restaurant or two.The country’s signature dish is tajine, a kind of stew, often with lamb, prunes and almonds, eaten with couscous, and traditionally with your hand rather than a knife and fork: remember, eat only with your right hand in someobody’s house. Also delicious is the spicy bean soup harira and there are always delicious pastries available. Personally, I enjoyed the pigeon pies but can see why these might not be everybody’s first choice of dinner.You mustn’t leave the country without several mint teas inside you either.This is brewed simply – a massive bunch of mint and an equally vast amount of sugar – but is lovely. Orange juice is widely available, but it’s often wiser to ask for it without ice or water if your stomach is delicate.Tread carefully with alcohol – it’s not possible usually for example to find it in medinas. However if you get the chance to try some of the country’s red wines, you’ll almost certainly enjoy the taste.

markets any time of the day, and it’s maybe wiser to try them in daylight hours for the first time to get your bearings, in the early evening they become a whole new world without end. They’re loud, they’re colourful and they’re terribly tempting (a good blog about Marrakech and shopping in general there is My Marrakesh at http:// moroccanmaryam.typepad.com). There are maps of the souks and it is well worth consulting them before you go in for a general feel, but the joy of them is simply wandering around (don’t worry about getting lost – the ubiquitous ‘guides’ will seek you out and give you a helping hand). Each area specialises, so look out for: ● Souk Smarine, if you’re interested in textiles which leads onto a section selling herbal remedies ● kissarias, the covered markets which tend to sell more expensive goods, interesting but not really what you’re here for ● Souk des Bijoutiers, for jewellery ● Souk Cherratin, for leatherwork

Haggling And when you buy in a souk, you are expected, almost encouraged, to haggle for everything. For the uninitiated, you should first choose your haggling spot carefully. In Morocco, the deeper into a souk you explore, the less likely you are to encounter inflated tourist prices. Above all, avoid middlemen like guides – their commission for delivering you to their ‘brother’s’ carpet

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with a nice hot and sweet mint tea or try an orange juice from one of the sellers on carts. Later on you could try out one of Marrakech’s bathhouses or ‘hammams’ (your hotel will be able to give you details of the best local ones as well as opening times). But as the night begins to draw in, it becomes a real festival spectacle space with musicians, dancers, acrobats, storytellers, snake charmers and dentists (complete with pulled teeth in a massive bag to indicate how successful they’ve been…), all enclosed within circles of spectators as they pull off their finest tricks. There are also endless food stalls where you can pick whatever you like and see it cooked fresh right in front of you – eating out is a great way to get genuine feel for the city. Once it’s properly dark, look out for the Gnaoua musicians who play trancelike hypnotic music on drums, flutes and threestring guitars. These are a revelation. Take it all in from one of the rooftop terraces, such as the Café de France’s or the Hôtel CTM’s.

To Go Exploring The Djemaa is a great place to start your exploration of the area. Close by is the marvellous Koutoubia Mosque (nearly 70m high and a useful landmark if you get lost, it was begun around 1150 and is atmospherically illuminated at night) and Avenue Mohammed V, the street which takes you up into the newer areas of the city known as Gueliz. And of course, it’s right next to the souks. Although you can visit these ancient

Eating and drinking You can eat and drink well in Morocco on a low budget in places around the older parts of town in the medinas although it’s worth splashing out to try out a more upmarket restaurant or two.The country’s signature dish is tajine, a kind of stew, often with lamb, prunes and almonds, eaten with couscous, and traditionally with your hand rather than a knife and fork: remember, eat only with your right hand in someobody’s house. Also delicious is the spicy bean soup harira and there are always delicious pastries available. Personally, I enjoyed the pigeon pies but can see why these might not be everybody’s first choice of dinner.You mustn’t leave the country without several mint teas inside you either.This is brewed simply – a massive bunch of mint and an equally vast amount of sugar – but is lovely. Orange juice is widely available, but it’s often wiser to ask for it without ice or water if your stomach is delicate.Tread carefully with alcohol – it’s not possible usually for example to find it in medinas. However if you get the chance to try some of the country’s red wines, you’ll almost certainly enjoy the taste.

markets any time of the day, and it’s maybe wiser to try them in daylight hours for the first time to get your bearings, in the early evening they become a whole new world without end. They’re loud, they’re colourful and they’re terribly tempting (a good blog about Marrakech and shopping in general there is My Marrakesh at http:// moroccanmaryam.typepad.com). There are maps of the souks and it is well worth consulting them before you go in for a general feel, but the joy of them is simply wandering around (don’t worry about getting lost – the ubiquitous ‘guides’ will seek you out and give you a helping hand). Each area specialises, so look out for: ● Souk Smarine, if you’re interested in textiles which leads onto a section selling herbal remedies ● kissarias, the covered markets which tend to sell more expensive goods, interesting but not really what you’re here for ● Souk des Bijoutiers, for jewellery ● Souk Cherratin, for leatherwork

Haggling And when you buy in a souk, you are expected, almost encouraged, to haggle for everything. For the uninitiated, you should first choose your haggling spot carefully. In Morocco, the deeper into a souk you explore, the less likely you are to encounter inflated tourist prices. Above all, avoid middlemen like guides – their commission for delivering you to their ‘brother’s’ carpet

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TOURISM EXHIBITION Moroccan Travel Market (MTM) is the new international tourism exhibition to be held annually in Morocco following this year’s successful launch in Marrakech which showcased the Maghreb and Africa. Extremely well organized by Zeyneb Ghoti, all visitors from the UK were made to feel very welcome at the first event. Tourism is a key part of Morocco’s economy: in 2006, visitor numbers topped 6.5 million and last year the number of overnight stays was well over 14.5 million, a record for the country. Enjoying the Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, MTM is part of the Kingdom’s tourism policy aiming to reach 10 million tourists by 2010. Although it traditionally relies on French visitors, Morocco is attracting increasingly international visitors and businesses from Europe and the Gulf. In response to the rise of the internet, the emergence of new distribution channels, the birth of new niche tourism, the culture, welfare and tourism itself, Morocco, not just for its own growth but also for those of the African continent had to create an international exhibition on tourism, hence MTM was born.

shop is added onto any price you eventually pay. Chat to the stallholder before you begin. You’re initiating a relationship, doing more than just buying. You are entering a ritual: consider giving him or her a postcard from home or an instant Polaroid photo of themselves to create a positive mood. If you’re with your kids, introduce them to make the transaction more personal. Once you’ve spotted what you want, ignore it. Pretend to be interested in something completely different. After a while, casually pick up whatever you’re really after. Ask the price and show astonishment at how high it is. Emphasise you want a serious figure before making an offer, perhaps one third to a half of the original sum. When the trader gives you their patter (‘You think I’m mad?

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You are crazy man my friend. Crazy. What is your last offer, your very last offer?…Ha, ha. Crazy price. I have many children,’ etc,) give him some back. Maybe a ‘friend’ of yours has bought the same thing much cheaper. Or perhaps you’ll come back ‘tomorrow’? Keep asking for the best price (they’ll ask you the same) to bring it down although don’t bargain at length unless you’re genuinely interested. Keep the haggling friendly but consider walking away to encourage him to lower his offer and hang onto your sale. If you buy more than one item, ask for a reduction for buying in bulk or offer something in part exchange. Finally, if you’re getting close to your target price, don’t be too forceful over the last few pesetas - remember that this is how the stallholder lives.

ts YO U R M o ro cc o Fac

rocco is well linked at the major cities so Mo rts po air al on ati ern int ys, Royal Air Maroc, There are rs including British Airwa rie car s rou me nu h wit anair and Thomsonfly to the UK line Atlas Blue, Easyjet, Ry air st co low t firs ’s ica North Afr Algericas in Spain and ferries operate between of nty Ple . hts flig ect dir raltar to Tangier but offering ed ferry options from Gib pe h-s hig o als are re he get ferries to Ceuta Tangier.T bumpy.You can also easily bit a be s me eti som can these from Almeria and ically Spanish territory) chn (te co roc Mo in lilla ing from France. and Me take a car ferry too, includ ays alw uld co u yo d An a. Malag o.uk) and Southern s (www.directferries.c rie Fer t rec Di at ls tai de More ferries.co.uk). Ferries (www.southern ou could think about country is just as easy.Y the hin rail Getting around wit very good value, bus and s also a ver y good, and re’ the t bu car hts ing flig ep al sle ern h int swift wit ndable, comfortable and network.Trains are depe .seat61.com) has plenty ww (w site b t Sixty One we 48 hours on options. The Man In Sea London to Morocco in m fro get to w ho ing of information includ of taxis around and a rney.There are also plenty een towns, a a really pleasant train jou rcedes, for hopping betw Me y ed spe on ed bas , shared taxi system . rocco is Epic great way to meet locals trips to and around Mo ng eri off s tor era op ny ted to Travel Among the ma , mentioned above); Addic .uk .co co oc or icm .ep ng into what’s Morocco (www a good site for researchi om l.c ve tra to ted dic -voyages.ma; Hip http://www.ad Voyages www.caravan an rav Ca ed bas calan on offer; Casab om and at www.hipmorocco.c ds. Once inside Morocco/Hip Marrakech offer English-speaking ria ich wh m .co ch ke rra – one of the most www.hipma ns for seeing the sights tio op ny ma are re the ss of champagne the country over Marrakech with a gla n loo bal air t ho a in is interesting ://cieldafrique.info). with Ciel d’Afrique (http three, four and five of accommodation, from ice cho e wid y ver a is ticularly luxurious There .mamounia.com) is par ww (w ia un mo Ma e (th s star hotel lar riads and dars, to the increasingly popu e) urg spl to g kin loo e if you’r – often by foreigners which have been restored s use ho can roc Mo al tradition uil boutique hotels.They homes and rather tranq d on sec een tw be ss cro – as a start your rrakech. A good place to Ma in on mm co ally eci are esp ’s own site at Moroccan Tourist Board the is rch sea ion dat mo accom ensive. g which is pretty compreh www.visitmorocco.or you might also want to ve, lea to nt ch you don’t wa mu so s in it like u yo if d An GEM Estates are specialist d home in the country. on sec a . g yin m) bu .co r es de tat nsi co .gem-es their web site at (www Moroccan property – see rocco adventure options Mo of ge ran a .co.uk) has Explore (www.explore into the High Atlas and camping, Marrakech, a trip such as 11 days including photos from their trips. also has very atmospheric into the Sahara.The site

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Palace. The tombs are now restored after centuries of neglect and the garden and courtyard areas contain the final resting places of more than a hundred princes and members of their household. The gravestones are works of art in themselves with some gorgeous tiling work. The palace is ruined, but still gives an impression of wealth and power and what remains today to be visited is the area where ambassadors were received. Enjoying the cities of Morocco is only part of its appeal – to get to grips with the country, head for the hills. The High Atlas mountains are a showcase for the traditional Berber peoples and a stay in any of the small villages that are dotted around the hillsides is a memorable experience. Although you can get up into the mountains under your own steam, there are many companies which offer safari-type trips into the High Atlas, whether it be walking or cycling including Epic Morocco’s Walking with Nomads option, as part of which you follow a family in a migrating tribe through the mountains on their six-monthly move to fresh pastures in the Jebel Saghro range in the south of the country. Like so much of Morocco, it’s an experience as much as a holiday.

Agadir Morocco is not simply a feast for the brain, it’s also a marvellous place to kick back and relax, and there’s nowhere better for that than Agadir on the country’s south-west Atlantic coast The city, once a fishing village and now a major fishing port, has a genuinely beautiful bay with 10 kilometres of white sand and around 340 days of sunshine a year so it’s not surprising that it has also become the country’s major holiday resort. The swimming and watersports are great here but don’t expect to find the narrow old streets of the country’s other cities: after an earthquake in 1960, the city was comprehensively rebuilt. For a little historic trip, head for the hilltop Kasbah which gives great views. TL

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