I have been to Morocco many times and truthfully with all the "Arab Spring" stuff going on right now, believe that there are better places to visit.

Ever been to New Zealand? South island is heaven on Earth...

Joe A

My wife is the shopper & she loved the bazaars in Istanbul so I am sure that she will love the souks. I just tag along to make sure that she is safe. She is already talking about their copper ware . . .

And carpets? We have 2 Turkish Sumacs we brought back from Goreme & Persian carpets: an Isfahan, a Tabriz & recently - a Nain from the Habibian workshop & a Nain Tabas. I think that is enough, thankfully.

Ian

No, I've never had a desire to go to Oz or NZ - even when my son was in Melbourne for 2 years.

It looks like Morocco has remained mostly stable. There was one bombing in Marrakesh last April & some minor protests around the country. The King is well-liked & he gave a little when Tunisia & Egypt went south. But yes, I will keep an eye on the news.

Before we went to Turkey last year, we had the same warnings from many but it turned out to be a great destination with the friendliest people we have met in all of our travels. Our only incident was a scam from a taxi driver in Istanbul.

Ian

Go to BC. Take some valium. It's just like NZ then. And you save the airfare.

try to time the desert jaunt to avoid the red mite outbreaks

I can make that for you out in the california desert and you can avoid the pesky TSA

(besides Dottore) Read Lonely Planet and Rick Steves for reviews.

You're on.

But you have to supply: deserted desert - 35 miles from the nearest paved road, king size bed, chairs, food & beverages, hot showers + toilet, server dudes with good Moroccan food - lunch & breakfast, camels with trainers for 3 hour ride. And a 4x4 with driver for the rest of the drive in/out. For $250/night for 2 people.

Ian

camels originated in North America, so I bet you could find some fossils and take a 3 hr ride

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...inal-route.jpg

We leave Thursday night. We will be in Marrakech early Friday night. Here is the final route. We hired a driver. The dotted part is 100 miles of off-road on the old Paris-Dakar Lake Iriki route & involves tents. :D

It is a leisurely pace with mostly multiple night stays. I will attempt to post some pictures along the way.

Ian

Ian, that looks like a very interesting trip plan to me. Quite off the beaten tourist track. time spent out in the country with a good guide should offer insight into life in the desert and hopefully some of the history of that crossroads between cultures.

My one brief visit years ago to Tangier was eye opening. The street kids could speak 3or4 languages, vendors are really up for some bargaining on prices. the old town market was great, with product from every where. Their culture has used Kief mixed with tobacco, and Hash for centuries (wouldn't try it if not used to the smoke) but that is more commonly used and more accepted than than alcohol. Most of the arcitecture is designed inward. Plain walls on the exterior, interior courtyards with rooms opening onto it.

It was great, intense, crowded with multicultural influences. Oh and great food!

Have fun! looking forward to your report and pics.

Cheers Richard

+1

I thought Morroco was a ****ehole. Coming from a guy thats traveled extensively in rural India, thats saying something.

I felt like ever second was taken up with yet another person trying swindle me. No thanks.

If you stop in San Luis Obispo Ca eat @ Oasis for dinner~ Karim left Morocco in the early 80's

He's a great cook!

As we say around here, "Mate... You takin' the piss."

Anxious to hear about this trip, be safe and have a great time! I'm very tempted to go to Morocco this summer, I'll be in Europe and a good family friend is the U.S. Ambassador to Morocco these days. They are in Rabat. This would have been an incredible resource in my younger, drug-fueled days but it's still the only way to see a country like that. :)

My brother and SIL are living in Cairo, that's also on the list for a future trip. I've actually always wanted to go to Egypt, not even sure why?

in marrakesh stay at La Mamounia hotel. its gorgeous likely 4 -5 star. its an old presidential palace converted to hotel. the bars look and smell like paul bowles and the beat writers.. the hotel has superb set of guides for the souk you can hire at a very reasonable cost. they are all licensed and vetted by the hotel so are the best no swindling or come-ons. money well spent

La Mamounia was way out of budget @ $700 + per night . . . while we like ritz, it was too much. We are staying in Riads everywhere. Small boutique hotels in old central courtyard homes & we have the best suite in the house in all. 3 nights in Marrakech - where we will wander on our own. Then we break free of the city touts with a driver/guide for a 6 day High Atlas/Anti Atlas drive with 2 nights in a palmeraie, a night in the desert tents & 3 nights rurally just outside Taroudant –a small walled market town that should be fun exploring without the intensity of city mania. Our last Moroccan stay is 4 nights in the ex-hippie haven of Essaouira – on the coast – to really chill. I even signed us up for a cooking class. Then we finish with 3 nights in Paris – our favorite city btw - before heading home.

I self-planned it all to avoid most of the usual tourist drek & I will be firm with the driver to stop where we want rather than at his cousin’s carpet store or the argan co-op where he gets a kickback etc.

This is our first iPad-enabled trip & we have Wifi in all of the riads so pictures from the road should be possible.

Ian

i hear the mood has changed quite a bit in recent years, when was the last time you were there Dottore?

my niece just did a stint for school..
she loved it..
she wise & street smart..
myself passed thru (and out) the place after HS..
had a great time....

Rika