flywithlivI’m not exaggerating when I say Morocco was one of the best trips of my life.
After living in North America all of my life and visiting a ton of cities in Europe, Morocco was a completely different experience – it gave me a glimpse to the beauty of Africa, as well as the amazing Moroccan culture that I had not been exposed to before. It opened my eyes to a place beyond the western world that I was most comfortable with, and for that itself, I will forever encourage everybody to visit this country.
Morocco is a country that varies magically from region to region. If you are coming here for vacation, believe me, you will not be chasing monuments and infamous old buildings. You will be chasing cities and landscapes!
How long to visit:
From my own experience, I would recommend visiting Morocco for a minimum of 10 days. It takes several hours to travel from city to city, and a whole day just to travel to the Sahara. Therefore, you will probably spend at least 3-4 days travelling so take that into consideration!
When to visit:
If you are visiting inland Morocco (Marrakech, Ouzoud, Merzouga), you need to ask yourself, can I handle the heat? If +30°C is daunting, AVOID travelling to Morroco in June-September.
If you are travelling along the coastal regions (Rabat, Tangier, Agadir, Essaouira), you don’t have to worry too much about very hot weather due to the coastal winds. However, you must consider that there is a significant increase in rainfall from October to March. So, ideally, the best time to visit would be anywhere from April to September.
Where to go:
Every city in Morocco feels like it has its own identity, its own story. Tangier is a coastal city with beautiful beaches and caves. Chefchaouen, otherwise known as “blue city,” is a small town located in the Rif mountains that truly is completely blue! Marrakech is a city of red filled with chaotic goodness – bargaining at the souks, bustling streets, snake charmers in the square and markets galore. You could do a hike up the Atlas mountains, visit the Ouzoud waterfalls and do a 2-3 day safari through the Sahara Desert. You can read more about places to visit in Morocco here.
Most important things to know before you go:
- Languages: Arabic, French and Spanish
- Morocco is a muslim country so you should dress respectfully – shoulders covered and knees covered is most appropriate. A headscarf is not required, but it is really helpful in covering shoulders and the women really appreciate these being worn!
- There are very few people that can communicate well in English. French, Spanish and Arabic, however, were pretty widely known to Moroccans
- You cannot drink the tap water in Morocco. Please make sure to purchase water bottles and avoid ice at all costs
- As a woman, there is safety in numbers when you travel to Morocco. I would recommend coming to Morocco with at least a group of 3-4 women. Additionally, having a male join you helps take away the negative attention you might get when travelling here.
- You can read more about my travel tips for Morocco here.
Morocco is a world of adventure and I hope that one day, you get to experience it, too!
