Marrakech/Morocco

Well it might have improved since I last went there a good few years ago, but I doubt it.

there used to be a bungie jump thing on the beach though, so go do that.

there's also a little sandwich shop called Panny Quick, where you choose any filling you want in a big baguette, then they fill it with chips. Beautiful. Best sandwiches anywhere.

cool, our friend just started work at the cinematheque there so hopefully she can guide us too.

yes the water over there is terrible.
Tangiers is also a fairly busy port, so theres a lush layer of bunker oil floating up top, avoid.

Down the coast from Essoera to (insert names of other coastal surf place) is much much nicer, you still get a face full of the fresh occasionally on a random tide, but generally no worse than here.

out of all the spots I saw in morocco essoera was my favourite, packed full of cats, to keep the rats at bay, and men with guns & dogs, to keep the cats at bay. Strange place, but so laid back its actually horizontal, virtually no crime or hard feelings.

marrekesh is horrible by comparison, packed, everyone very eager to turn you over for £££, polluted as bad as the rest of them and not a whole lot to see.

Great tip, thanks. Sounds exactly what I'm looking for. I'm on a tight budget so any cheap places to eat/go would be nice!

marrekesh - different people like different things, personally I love m/kesh - the souk is an experience - my advise is to go there by day to get your bearings, then go back at night for the full flavour. Dont take any valuables/or more money than you are prepared to spend/lose/give away. As for food - be v careful - if you want a superb tagine go to Le Meridien N'fis Hotel - looks very unlikely, as it is a big hotel, but food was stunning and accommodation very nice (but £130-150per night).

Atlas Mountains are superb - be careful on your driver, as there are some hairy corners, with no barriers and big drops - but given a chance, I would definitely cycle the road from M/kesh to Ouarzazate (stay at the Berber Palace - if budget is not too much of an issue).

For surfing - fly to Agadir and take the coastal road to Essaouira - there are uncrowded perfect breaks everywhere.

Essaouira - last went there about 12yrs ago - lovely place - great souk - surfing can get full on - to the north it was up to triple overhead at Moulay Bouzerktoun - with some v big rocks exposed on the bigger sets at low tide. Sidi kouki (to the south)goes from a point break to beach break - again when I was there, there was a fairly heavy dump to get through, but after that it was superb - was there all week with just a few others on a beach that seemed to continue to the horizon.

^ head to imsouane for the best surf spot in morroco.
two breaks, 1 on the beach the 2nd wraps round the harbour for perfect rights all the way to the beach.
2 minute runs easy. and then a walk back down the beach and off the pier.

there's a surf school there which might be helpful finding it.

edit
one better here's the link
http://www.kahinasurfschool.com/index_gb.html

+1 for going to Agadir, amazing place. And driving through the atlas mountains is a terrifying experience. Sheer drop on one side, loose rocks the other and loads of trucks flying round blind corners.

watch out for speeding.
the police are dead hot on it.
i got pulled doing 62kph in a 60.
got off with a slap on the wrist having haggled the fine down from 30 quid to a cup of coffee.
even got a traditional kiss from the police officer as i left.

blag being a student, they get discounts for all sorts with no hint of an ID.

it's a bizarre place but great fun and on the most part lovely people.

Meknes FTW.

watch out for speeding.
the police are dead hot on it.
i got pulled doing 62kph in a 60.
got off with a slap on the wrist having haggled the fine down from 30 quid to a cup of coffee.
even got a traditional kiss from the police officer as i left.

blag being a student, they get discounts for all sorts with no hint of an ID.

it's a bizarre place but great fun and on the most part lovely people.

the rozzers accept bribes very very easily.

the rozzers accept bribes very very easily.

pay a bribe, pay the fine - still paying.
haggle em down to nothing.

:)

YouTube - Nash & Crosby Marrakesh Express

talk to 'naturally morrocco' if you want decent accom & a driver arranged.
there are plenty of bad and verging on death wish drivers out there (as there is here) but they supplied great guys with decent cars. 1 a new hyundai van with the 'grandad' driving as it were, extremely good, and the younger guy (35?) had 2 mercs, a recent E class (5yr old?) and a 1991 pre-s-class (320/430 series, the huge one). worked out only just more than the petrol that we actually used. did a tour up the mountains from the orgaine valley (stopped in a mini french resort type place, which was overpriced and terrrible food despite advertising as 'french gourmet chefs' with the guys in the mercs, was approx £12 each (3 of us in old S class) for about 6hours driving. right at the top of the tiss and tesh pass there is a shack, with shacks built on the side of it and a french panel van hanging over the edge of a cliff, they only have one thing on the menu, and its fucking amazing. easily the best food we had there (and the cheapest, £2.20 per menu of it) and almost deserted with epic views.

Had an amazing 2 days in the Atlas Mountains over christmas, MTBing. Awesome roads and incredible scenery. Epic Morocco is the name of the company that arranged it. We had a guide who rode with us and showed us the trails, and a driver who rode in a Land Crusier with all our kit. 2 days including our guide and driver, the car, petrol, accomodation overnight, dinner, and a ride back into Marrakech on the evening of the 2nd day we all ours for the princely sum of £320 all in. Amazing.
Here's the link if anyone's interested: http://www.epicmorocco.co.uk/
I'm not linked to them in any way - just had a great time!

Essaouira is one of the nicest place i've been to, i miss a good tagine with a mint tea

cheers for all the info guys, we sat in our office like losers drinking moroccan mint tea yesterday!

Love Morrocco. Not been to essouria for a few years but from memory they were building a fucking horrible all inclusive golf resort close by it so hope that doesn;t change the place too much.

Marrakech is brilliant, like nowhere else, have been several times and dont understand Brickman's negative comments above about it but guess it's horses for courses.

Fez is worth seeing, all other Souks fall into insignificance in comparison to that one. You need a guide but it is like going back in time.

I love the country and the people, only town I was even slightly disappointed by was Cassablance as there is very little there but even then I'd say the Hassan II mosque would make it worth seeing.

Do a camel trip. It might seem touristy but when you have ridden for 3 hours into the middle of nowhere you will not care.

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As we're doing pictures...

Nice pic. Are those decent waves I can see in the distance? If I went to Morocco I'd have to build a surfboard carrying bracket on to my bike some how!

Today's the day....so excited!

Have taken lots of long sleeve tops and ankle grazing dresses as I'm not sure how much I should cover up?!

I'm in love, it's official. Been offered a job there. Kind of freaking out about what to do! Can't wait to develop my photos tomorrow. All bazillion of them.

do it.