Tourist Attractions in Morocco

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I'm sure you are all well aware of the tricks of the trade that hagglers in Morocco use to get us tourists to buy their wares. Most common is the trick where they say 'you just look' along with an assurance that you don't have to buy.....then the pressure is put on you once you show an interest in something. We were well aware of this trick and others before we arrived in Morocco.

We had decided before our trip that we were not going to buy a carpet and we had done well so far having avoided all the tricks of the trade in Marrakech. But we were totally duped here in Tinghir, in the Moroccan outback.

Unique Suggestions: Well actually we were duped in a nice way and consequently could not resist buying a carpet from Razouk in Tinghir near the Todra Gorges Morocco.

When we arrived at our Raid in Tinghir Habib our guide arranged for us to have a tour around with a local guide. We greatfully accepted and Razouk showed up with a lovely smile. Razouk took us along the creek bed and through the fields of crops and up a hillside for a view over Tinghir. There was a wedding in town and it sounded like they were having a huge party.

Anyway Razouk asked us to come to his house for some tea. We walked through a small alley way and were met at the door by his sister who showed us into their spacious lounge room where we sat down on the carpeted floor and shared some mint tea. Meanwhile, Razouk's sister was in the corner combing some wool to make a carpet.

Razouk explained to us the process and also what the various pictures on the carpets meant. This was most interesting and enjoyable. Then he brought out an array of different carpets and showed them to us one by one. Of course by this time we knew where this was going....but how could you just stand up and say..."Well that was nice....I'll be off now ;o)"

So we chose a small kilim carpet in yellow and red that was made from camel hair and cactus silk and we proudly show it on our wall at home - check out the pic of our carpet in this tip. We didn't haggle. We were happy to pay the asking price because we knew that the money was going towards these lovely people and their family :o)

It was an honour to see how the carpets are made and learn about the designs and their meanings and to share this lovely experience with Razouk and his sister and we have a story to tell when someone comments on our lovely carpet at home :o)

Fun Alternatives: Everyone has choices. The alternative would have been to share tea with Razouk and his sister and decline to buy a carpet. Another choice....now you know the above story is to decline a tour of the area with Razouk. But if not and you choose to take the lovely tour and enjoy tea with Razouk and his sister and buy a capet then the address is below -


Razouk El Mahjoub
Tissage des Tapis Berbere Nomade
Ph 212 0642 478 527

Being near the Sahara Desert, I just had to try a camel ride. These rides are offered in Marrakech, and can be reached by asking a taxi driver to go where the camel rides take place. The camel herders set up shop in a vacant lot near the old section of the city. The cost of the rides is not high, but haggling is necessary to agree on a price. The rides are not long--only about five minutes--but it is fun and worth the effort. While this is not an adventurous experience like riding camels across the Sahara Desert, I can at least say I rode a camel in North Africa.

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There are lots of them on the square of Jemaa El Fna and they insist that you take photographs of their snakes or of you holding the snakes but then they ask for large sums of money for the privilege.

Unique Suggestions: If you really want the photo then just pay a small amount no matter what they insist on.

As we were walking across the square of Jemaa El Fna a lady came over and before I knew it she had put a henna design on my arm so I gave in and let her finish it. However, once done she managed to talk me out of 500 DRH. I was totally robbed. After talking to our riad owners they said I should have paid 100 DRH maximum. It's pretty hard to say no to the ladies once they have put it on you.

Unique Suggestions: Just ignore the ladies, if they approach you say a firm no and keep walking. If they put some on you then wipe it off and keep walking.

If you drive in Morocco, often you will find people hitch-hiking. Some of them really want a lift somewhere. Many of them want to sell you something. While the real hitch hikers tend to be quite poor, the fake ones are dressed in very colourful traditional clothes, speak many languages and are well off. Also, the fake ones will stand literally in the middle of the road and virtually force you to stop the car. A typical trick is the 'broken down car', whereby one or two people pretend to have their car out of action and need a lift to a nearby village. This will lead to a visit to their carpet shop. It's totally harmless, of course, provided you know what the game is. Obviously, don't buy anything you don't want to buy, and the general bargaining rules apply: if you are interested in an item, always offer about one third of the price you were asked initially and, really, stick to that, unless you enjoy the pantomime of the "final price" duel.

I am writing to warn about a tour guide who is apparently licensed by the Ministry of Tourism.
A friend and I took a three day excursion with a guide named Salem Azizi (of Salem Aventure). I had a terrible experience with the guide, and I wish to complain about our experience.
Salem Azizi, whom we had hired for three days, refused to take us to any shop, store, or establishment that was not operated by his friends. I constantly wondered whether he was always taking commissions on the side. When I confronted him (on several occasions) about taking us only to places that his friends owned, he insisted that I did not trust him and also that I was "not intelligent". He became aggressive and quite abrasive on occasions when I refused to purchase anything from his friends.
This dynamic occurred on often, and yet he still refused to take us anywhere we asked him to take us. When I demanded that we visit other establishments, he said we were running behind schedule and did not have the time. He often called me a cheapskate and said that I had no idea what I was doing. Needless to say, the dynamic between the two of us was constantly strained.
On one occasion, he demanded the remainder of the agreed-upon price for the excursion immediately before we were going to the desert, leaving our possessions in his car. When we refused, he accused us of distrusting him.
In fact, if we were not 7 hours away from Marrakesh and needing to get back to the airport on schedule, I would have stopped the excursion and found my own way back to Marrakesh.
He was often unavailable, running his own errands. Once, we were forced to ride in his vehicle with one of his own personal friends.
In addition to serving his own personal ends, he refused to veer from our rather slim itinerary and never offered any information other than for locations where he initially agreed to take us.
He also refused to remember that I am of Chinese heritage. He never ceased calling me "Japan" over the three days. When I reminded him I was NOT from Japan, he would mock me by calling me "Chinaman". He called me a "ruffian". When the issue of money came up, he insisted I was a foreigner and always reminded me I was on vacation, as if it were his place to tell me how to spend my money. He became upset when my friend purchased an ashtray from a vendor he did not know.
Within the first three minutes of our excursion, he asked to "borrow" 10 dirham for spare change, which he never bothered to return.
He told us we did not have to pay for anything on the trip, but we consistently needed to pay here and there for things that "were not included".
And although he rushes you along to keep "on schedule", he frequently (many times each day) stops to spend time talking to friends he sees along the way. These occasions add up to hours in the car, waiting for the tour guide to finish his personal business. This is absolutely absurd.
All in all, Salem Azizi is an extremely rude, self-serving jerk who has done a disservice to my otherwise wonderful trip to Morocco.
I am strongly advising everyone I can against hiring him as a guide.

....sleeping around of tourists with the locals - especially out in the desert area and auberges of the Merzouga sahara area.

Theres a mixture of women particularly who go there because they know the young local guys who work out in the desert area are always on the look out for 'opportunities' and younger or older women who are naiive enough to believe their stories that they are special and that they are or will be the only one.

The ones who are just travelling through and dont mind one night stands are bad enough because they dont think about the ongoing effects of these young guys forming attitudes and ideas that this is normal western behaviour - their own women have to stay chaste until marriage and once married, particularly in this area, are bound within society to conform to expectations of their roles to stay at home with the family until their husband comes home - nor do they think about the fact that these men may have wives and children at home.

Yet these guys are off out enjoying the freedom of being out away from the eyes of the townsfolk - doing whatever they can with the independence that women or men travellers have.

The naiive women travellers will be preyed upon for potential ongoing relationships - because these are rather lucrative - talking them into taking them with them on their travels around Morocco for a further free supply of what they might pay for in town - free holidays away from town - and of which their egos are kept pumped up especially when meeting fellow friends on their travels with their foreigners - and even better being able to ply them with the poor desert/poor Rissani story and getting whatver they need supplied - such as some money to take home to their family to show theyve been away working, clothes, cameras, phones, even cars and auberges - whatever the relationship will behold. Many actually end up with marriages and visas out the country and eventually passports to freedom. Many of these guys Ive known to be engaged with fiances from other countries while being seen out travelling around Morocco with their other girlfriends or short term 'travelling companions'.

The Lonely Planet talks about the juggling that goes on - I couldnt believe it really but Ive seen it with my own eyes and on a very grande scale - it defiinitely goes on - and I mean Ive seen many guys who are friends of my friends and acquaintances who I know have longterm girlfriends or fiances or even since got married and waiting for their visas - but have say 3 of them and then when I stay at their auberges they have had a night stand with a different person each night and then a girlfriend arrives to stay for a week or so....

But its not only women tourists - its also men who go looking for young guys who will do anything for money that is offered.

And once you get into the click of these people you get to hear what are their drives in life - they are sweet and charming and enjoy good companionship and meeting people and learning languages and being involved, are entertaining and vibrant but with that comes an attitude that sex is just as food and money is - from whoever it is obtained from does not matter as long as it is obtained and the more the better. and with that the meaning of honesty has a whole totally different concept.

Unique Suggestions: Be aware you are not the only one. A spanish guy up in Chefchouen said it so well - Moroccan guys are so different to European men - dont ever expect them to be faithful if you are not right there beside them all the time because they think that because they are men they are entitled to be with any woman they want.

Fun Alternatives: Go and enjoy the beauty that is there so profoundly and so abundant around Morocco - but respect the locals - think of the local women - listen to your instincts - if you want a relationship with integrity then think twice about one here - as you will very rarely ever be the only one.

So many carpets are made in Morocco - they are mass produced in places such as Tazenakht and distributed to carpet shops all over the country - many are made though by women with their own hands and in cooperatives and can be very beautiful, colourful, cultural stimulating and rewarding, and a good quality product to have at home to add to your taste or warm your feet!

It would seem that 3/4 of the population are looking for ways to make some money any way they know how - and involving tourists or visitors to Morocco - so guess what if youre doing a tour or gaining any friendship with hotel staff - you will be taken to an 'exposition'! - you might think this sounds an interesting introduction to local arts and crafts or tribal peculiarities of the area - but though a first-time intro visit is worth doing to learn the symbols and traditons of carpets amongst the various tribes and living environments - it really just means a carpet shop - and mercilessly they will try their cheaper commercial carpets on the non-knowing first - at as big a price as possible.

Unique Suggestions: Do sit in and experience the rigmarole even just once and in most cases learn a thing or two about carpets - just Dont be too kind or naiive - they are mercilessly after your money at any cost - imagine that carpet that they tell is worth 5000 dirham - its probably only worth 500 dirham or if worth more than that its been bought from a hard working woman for a meagre 700 dirham!!