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Terrorism safety and security in Morocco
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This thread is intended for potential visitors to acquaint themselves of the safety threat level in Morocco and to understand how the Moroccan security forces are reacting in the worldwide battle against terrorism. Apart from an initial mention of safety and security this thread isn't intended for low level issues such as theft or hassle. In order that visitors can quickly scan the thread for news it is vital this thread does not get bogged down with comments and questions, so PLEASE DO NOT POST ON THIS THREAD unless it is a major incident, and if you have questions, PLEASE POST THEM ON A SEPARATE THREAD that you create. This thread has had to be recreated due to the number of numpties ignoring the requests above. If someone does post on this thread, by all means report it as inappropriate but please DO NOT post a comment about their post as you will be making the issue even worse.
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Terrorism safety and security in Morocco
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TERRORISM INCIDENTS: Morocco is generally seen as a secure destination and terrorist attacks are thankfully rare in Morocco compared to France, Belgium and the UK. In the last 16 years there have been four incidents. In 2003 and again in 2007 there were terrorist attacks against domestic targets in Casablanca. In total 19 perpetrators were killed along with 34 victims including 8 Europeans and 1 police officer. In April 2011, 17 people, many of them Europeans, were killed in a bomb explosion in Marrakech at the Argana Restaurant in Djema el-Fna Square. Nine Moroccans were subsequently convicted of the attack. In December 2018 two Scandinavian women were murdered while hiking near Mount Toubkal. Moroccan authorities have arrested more than 20 people either directly or indirectly connected to the attack. There is an ongoing threat due to the number of Moroccans sympathetic or belonging to Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL). A 2018 report 2018 that since 2002, police elements of BCIJ (Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation) have managed to dismantle 174 terrorist cells and have thwarted a total of 352 terrorist attempts aimed at threatening Morocco’s security. Protective security measures, including uniformed security personnel, may be visible in certain areas including hotels and sites popular with tourists. There are also plainclothes security personnel. We are providing this information so that you have all the facts but it’s important to stress that Morocco receives TENS OF MILLIONS of visitors each year who go on to enjoy a wonderful holiday without incident. ________________________________________ SAFETY AND SECURITY: Violent crime is rare in Morocco however there have been incidents where newly-arrived visitors on foot with suitcases have been cornered in the medina areas and subjected to intimidation and extortion. To avoid this you should make your transit arrangements directly with your hotel. Major cities have a specialist tourist police force known as the Brigade Touristique, many of whom patrol the city in plain clothes. If you have been the victim of ANY type of crime we ask that you report this to the tourist police, otherwise they will be unaware of the true level of crime. In Marrakech the tourist police headquarters is located in the medina on Djemaa el Fna square next to the orange juice sellers. In Fez the headquarters is located next to Bab Boujeloud medina gate. A wide variety of scams are perpetrated on visitors. These can all be easily avoided once you are aware of them, so please read the relevant Top Questions section entitled ’Scams, Touts and Trickery’. You need to be using a desktop browser to see this but EVERY visitor to Morocco should read this before their trip.
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Terrorism safety and security in Morocco
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The posts below have been copied over from the previous Terrorism/Security thread… August 2016 (originally posted by TimCullis): Nothing has changed much in the last few months on the security and safety front. The Moroccan security services have successfully broken up some potential terrorist rings, much the same as is happening in other countries. The Moroccan population remains peaceful and cooperative with the authorities and the overwhelming majority of the population not only do not support extremist views but are eager to report any suspicions to the authorities. But unfortunately there are nutters in every country and it is never possible to guarantee safety anywhere in the world. His Majesty King Mohammed VI has been outspoken against terrorism and in his role of ‘Commander of the Faithful’ he is a major influence in Islamic affairs as well as head of state. In his recent speech on ‘King and People’s Day’, the King stressed, “Those who engage in terrorism… are not Muslims. Their only link to Islam is the pretexts they use to justify their crimes… their fate is to dwell forever in hell.” And “How could anyone of sound mind believe that the reward for jihad is a number of virgins?” The King condemned recent atrocities in Europe, saying, “I strongly condemn the killing of innocent people. Killing a priest is forbidden by religion; murdering him inside a church is unforgivable madness… Islam commands us to take good care of the people of the Book.” [People of the Book are Jews, Christians and Muslims who all share the ‘Old Testament’] For a full text of the speech, see http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/08/194754/text-king-mohammed-vis-speech-king-peoples-revolution-day/ [The above is not meant as a religious or political comment, but rather one that shows the King, Government and Security Services of Morocco are united against terrorism.] _______________________________________________________ December 2016 (posted originally by MishMish): Morocco shows that it is once more abreast of things, even ahead of the West in some respects when it comes to terrorism. Paris-based web portal Monde Afrique on Friday claimed the Moroccan intelligence agency had twice alerted German authorities to Amri’s “fervent” support for Islamic State and his contact with two of their representatives in advance of Monday’s attack in Berlin, once on 19 September and again on 11 October." https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/23/berlin-anis-amri-shootout-european-arrest-warrant _______________________________________________________ January 2017 (originally posted by MishMish): Another success for the Moroccan police with a terrorist cell dismantled in El Jadida. What struck me was the crowd, jeering and catcalling the terrorists and clapping the police. The population doesn’t want these vile Daesh people any more than we do. _______________________________________________________ March 2017 (originally posted by TimCullis): According to the US Department of State, Morocco is amongst the safest countries in the world for US travellers, with a better safety rating than the entire 28 countries of the EU. Safety map and full report at https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/11/202019/morocco-among-safest-countries-world-u-s-travelers/ _______________________________________________________ January 2018 (originally posted by TimCullis): There's not much happening on this thread as there's not a great deal to report. Morocco is considered as safe as you could reasonably hope. Yes, there are some in Morocco who would like to do harm just as there are in most countries, however in recent years Morocco's Counter Terrorism Bureau has intercepted hundreds of potential terrorist incidents. _______________________________________________________ At the beginning of February 2018 Moroccan authorities dismantled a seven-member Daesh Related Cell in Tanger and Meknes, see https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2018/02/239713/morocco-dismantles-seven-member-isis-related-cell-tangier-meknes/ Later that month Morocco arrested three ‘dangerous’ suspects affiliated to Daesh, see https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2018/02/240657/morocco-arrests-three-dangerous-suspects-affiliated-isis/ _______________________________________________________ September 2018 (originally posted by TimCullis): Ben Wallace, the UK Minister of State for Security and Economic Crime has just concluded a four day trip to Morocco, observing Moroccan security arrangements in Marrakech, as well as visiting Rabat and Casablanca. This is seen as a follow-up to last year's meeting in which Cherki Drais, Morocco's Minister Delegate to the Interior minister, visited Ben Wallace in the British Foreign Office to discuss security issues as well as the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism, organised crime and cybercrime. _______________________________________________________ December 2018 (originally posted by TimCullis): After several years of 'non news' regarding danger to tourists, I'm sad to relate that the bodies of a Norwegian and a Danish women have been found near Imlil with severe neck injuries. [There is a dedicated thread discussing this at https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g488109-i9656-k12178963-Two_Scandinavian_tourists_murdered_on_Imlil_Toubkal_route-Imlil_Marrakech_Tensift_El_Haouz.html A second thread has been opened to relate progress on the trial of the suspects, https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g488109-i9656-k12375402-Scandinavian_murders_background_and_reports_from_trial-Imlil_Marrakech_Tensift_El_Haouz_Re.html#98543499 _______________________________________________________ In January the BCIJ dismantled a 13-member terror cell for alleged Daesh ties and in February dismantled a 9-member cell in Western Sahara who were planning to join fighters in overseas combat zones. The BCIJ counter-terrorism activities are at an all-time high following the murder of the two Scandinavian women. Morocco’s BCIJ is known for its international outreach, working in cooperation with several countries, including France, Spain, UK, Netherlands and Germany. During his participation in the foreign ministerial meeting for the 'Coalition to Defeat ISIS' held in Washington in February, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita said that Morocco is putting in place a unique approach to fight violent extremism. Morocco has a strict policy of imprisoning returning Daesh fighters to ensure they do not attempt to radicalise citizens. It also not allow extremist speakers to address mosque congregations, something European countries would do well to copy.
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Terrorism safety and security in Morocco
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The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office updated its travel advice for Morocco on 20 March warning of an increased thread of terrorism, stating, "Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Morocco. You should be vigilant at all times." and "The Moroccan authorities have warned of an increased threat linked to the number of Moroccans sympathetic or belonging to Daesh [aka ISIS]." Link to full advice: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco _______________________________________________________ A reminder: Please DO NOT POST COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS ON THIS THREAD otherwise it will become overwhelmed with non-essential information. Please leave it clear for travel advisory announcements.
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Morocco's National Security Directorate has announced plans to extend police numbers by nearly 8,000, looking primarily for applicants aged in their 20s and early 30s. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2019/10/284956/morocco-dgsn-police-recruitment/
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Terrorism safety and security in Morocco
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Some recent forum threads have questioned the potential for attacks on foreigners following the US airstrike in Baghdad that killed Iranian army general Qasem Soleimani. On 3 January 2020 the US Embassy in Rabat issued a security alert strongly encouraging US citizens in Morocco to maintain a high level of vigilance and practice good situational awareness, whilst at the same time stating there are NO KNOWN specific credible threats against US citizens in Morocco at this time. See https://ma.usembassy.gov/security-alert-u-s-consulate-general-casablanca-morocco-2/ Whilst both countries have majority Muslim populations, Iran is 95% Shia whilst Morocco is 99% Sunni. In recent years, Sunni–Shia relations have been increasingly marked by conflict, and the two countries do not enjoy good relations at the government level. On the other hand Morocco and USA enjoy a good relationship including joint military exercises, although this month's 'African Sea Lion 2020' exercise with the Royal Moroccan Navy has been cancelled as the participating US amphibious assault ship has been retasked to the Middle East. The UK Foreign Office travel advice for Morocco remains unchanged, see https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco
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Terrorism safety and security in Morocco
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I ve been travelling as a solo traveller in Morocco several times and i didnt find any insecurity. Only think to note is that men are quite qnnoying but you learn how to handle them...
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Terrorism safety and security in Morocco
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Yeah will don't forget the false guides who follow you and become intimidating and threaten to assault you even if You've already made it crystal clear that you do not want their services. You don't get this in France, Belgium or UK......
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Terrorism safety and security in Morocco
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Please DO NOT POST ON THIS THREAD unless it is a major incident, and if you have questions, PLEASE POST THEM ON A SEPARATE THREAD that you create.
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Terrorism safety and security in Morocco
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Even Twitter banned you. Shame on you.
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Please read this before using the Morocco forum
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On behalf of the regular contributors, a warm welcome to the Morocco forum on TripAdvisor. Morocco is a wonderful country to visit with an array of fabulous sights and there are many helpful volunteers on here to assist you plan your visit. A couple of important points before getting to the detail… Please DO NOT POST ON THIS THREAD: In order that visitors can quickly scan this thread for tips on how to use the forum it is vital it does not get bogged down with comments and questions, so please make these in a SEPARATE thread that you create. USE A BROWSER IN DESKTOP MODE: If you are using a smartphone or tablet, you will be restricted in what you can see on the forum, so it’s best to access the forum via a browser rather than an app and switch to 'desktop mode'. You will then see Top Questions and other interesting advice topics. When we describe how to use the forum we will assume you are using a browser in desktop mode. You can switch your iPhone browser into desktop mode as described below. Apple iPhone using Safari: click on the share button (square box with up arrow), scroll the bottom row of icons to the left to reveal 'Request Desktop Site' and click. Apple iPhone using Chrome: click on the three vertical dots at top right and select 'Request Desktop Site'.
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Please read this before using the Morocco forum
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INVEST IN A GUIDEBOOK: The volunteers on here are unpaid and are definitely not a travel agency, so we ask that you perform initial research yourself and then use the forum for specific questions. The best investment you can make is in a guidebook, both for planning a trip and also for reference once you are in the country. You will have a MUCH easier time with a guidebook at your fingertips and a much better understanding of the country you are visiting. Lonely Planet guidebook is good for travel information, Rough Guide is good for the more remote places. Visit your local bookshop and have a browse. Lonely Planet is available in chapter-at-a-time downloads which is useful if you are only visiting one area. READ PAST FORUM THREADS: If you read the trip reports on the forum you will notice the amazing trips are where the traveller has read up a lot, asked specific questions, and is aware of the hassles to avoid. The reports of disappointing trips are often from those who are now posting for the first time on the forum, having done no pre-trip research. READ TOP QUESTIONS: Before posting a question have a check to see whether your question has been asked and answered before. Top topics include passports/visas, changing money, weather, security issues, airport taxis and so on. You will find these and many more listed under top questions. USE THE SEARCH FACILITY: You can also use the search facility to find previous threads. For example, if you want to find out about buses between Essaouira and Marrakech, switch to the Essaouira forum and stick ‘marrakech buses’ into the search box. You can sort the resulting threads into date order if you prefer, so the most recent threads are listed first. READ HOTEL REVIEWS: If you have a question about a hotel you are more likely to get an answer by reading the reviews of TripAdvisor (many hotels have in excess of 1,000 reviews). DON’T SEND QUESTIONS BY PRIVATE MESSAGE: If you have a question, ask it on the forum so that everyone can see it and everyone can contribute answers. Please do NOT send PMs to Destination Experts or other prolific contributors asking for ‘private consultation’.
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Please read this before using the Morocco forum
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POST IN THE RIGHT FORUM: Are you posting in the right forum? If you have a question to do with Agadir, switch to the Agadir forum before posting. Similarly if you are interested specifically in one town or city, switch to that forum to read some of the back threads to help acquaint yourself. USE MEANINGFUL TOPIC TITLES: Choose your your topic title carefully to reflect your question, you’ll get more people looking at your post and potentially more answers. It’s amazing how many posts we get entitled just ‘Morocco’. ONLY ASK ONCE: If you are asking about a trip from, say, Ouarzazate to Zagora, don’t duplicate the post in both forums, just post it once. IDENTIFY WHO YOU ARE RESPONDING TO: The ‘reply’ button isn’t a reply to an individual post, it’s just adds your post to the end of the thread, so if you are responding to a particular post, mention the person’s forum name in your post. DON’T HIJACK THREADS: Don’t ask unrelated questions on a thread and try to change the subject, it’s considered rude. Start your own thread with your question. BE A CONTRIBUTOR, NOT JUST A USER: You may not be able to contribute before your trip but it would help terrifically if you come back afterwards and let people know how you got on, what worked well, what didn’t work so well. PLEASE BE POLITE: If someone is helpful to you they will undoubtedly appreciate a quick ‘thanks’. If you disagree with something someone else has posted it is fine to say so, but please do this in a polite and constructive manner.
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A reminder... Please DO NOT POST ON THIS THREAD unless you are a regular contributor with suggestions on how to best use the forum.
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Please read this before using the Morocco forum
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PLEASE DON'T USE ABBREVIATIONS: This especially goes for airport codes. Contributors cannot be expected to know the codes for airports all over the world, so questions asking about flights from XYZ to Morocco are meaningless and there is no way people are going to bother to look these up. Similarly for insurance schemes and the like. No one unfamiliar with the country would know that the CNSS is Morocco's state insurance scheme for health and employment. In the same way, contributors cannot be expected to know country-specific abbreviations for any service or item. Lastly, spell Moroccan place names correctly. Abbreviations of place names are not common in Morocco and visitors would not know the correct ones of those susceptible to abbreviation. Just an example, in the UK, Gloucester can be abbreviated to Glos in writing. But Birmingham can't be shortened to Birm. Wrong abbreviations sound ridiculous and they are. Please spell place names in full.
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Please read this before using the Morocco forum
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PLEASE GIVE PRICES IN DIRHAMS: please get used to thinking and writing in dirhams. This forum is used by visitors from many countries who won’t have any idea of the value if you quote pounds, euros, dollars or whatever. No matter which currency you’ve been quoted in, you will be paying in dirhams. Use xe.com if you don’t know the current exchange rate.
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PLEASE, BY WRITING A TRAVEL REPORT, avoid leaving information about the travel company i.e. the company name, URL-link, address, telephone etc. because it would violate TA rules - https://www.tripadvisorsupport.com/hc/en-us/articles/200614797-Our-guidelines-for-traveler-reviews Otherwise, you would create confusion and concerns about whether the report is genuine or if it is written by the company itself that wants to promote their services. And if you make a trip and the travel company asks you to provide information about them, refuse to do so.
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@khamlia: the link you have posted is for traveller reviews, rather than forum posts. However there is nothing in the traveller review guidelines that suggests anyone should avoid leaving information about a travel company. The correct link for forum post guidelines is https://www.tripadvisorsupport.com/hc/en-us/articles/200613647 Again, there is no restriction on mentioning which travel company, which hotels, which restaurants someone has used. Such information is extremely helpful to other forum users who are researching their upcoming trip. I am sure many service providers are keen for people to write reviews and whether or not a visitor chooses to do so is up to them. The only restriction is that these reviews must not be written in exchange for personal gain, such as gifts, services, or money.
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You maybe should start your own thread instead to hijacked this one which have nothing to do with your question in any case.
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Please read this before using the Morocco forum
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BALANCED VIEWS The best advice on a particular destination is often that which is gained from someone with fairly recent personal experience. It doesn’t really matter whether the person giving the advice is a one-time traveller, or someone who visits often, the advice they give will hopefully take into account their negative experiences as well as their positive experiences, and will provide what they see as a balanced view. OK TO POLITELY DISAGREE
It may be that other recent visitors, having had a completely different set of experiences, might disagree with what the first person has written, and this is where it is useful for others to chip in and give their (also personal) view of a destination. It’s fine to disagree politely, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
RECENT EXPERIENCE? So should you comment only if you have fairly recent personal experiences? Well no, all views are welcome, but in order for readers to give due weight to comments it’s important to qualify comments that are relate to personal experiences from years ago. For example, if I was writing about Casablanca, I might start, “It’s several years since I visited but….” The person then realises that things might well have changed since.
SECONDHAND INFORMATION And it’s even more important if what you are relating are things you’ve read or heard elsewhere, rather than your personal experiences. Again, try to provide a balanced view rather than cherry picking all the positive comments about a place and ignoring the negative, or visa versa. When the experiences you relate are not your own it would be helpful if you make this clear.
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Covid test location for US return flight
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Can anyone please provide information on where we can get a Covid Test in Marrakech for our return flight to US in April? We would need a 24 hour turn around time. All the websites I found are in French so it is a bit challenging. A direct email address or WhatsApp # of labs willing to take foreigners would be ideal. Thank you!
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Covid test location for US return flight
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Pharmacies Dar El Baroud close to the Koutoubia (This isn’t in the Gueliz) however very professional and results next day . 700dh need to take your passport and flight details Or Labo al Manar opposite the CHU hospital in Amerchiche is 500dhs. Also good with a quick and reliable turnaround time. I think they just open in the mornings though, so maybe call them first. Also a bit more awkward to get to than Gueliz and the koutoubia.
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Covid test location for US return flight
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Thank you! Do you know how much in advance I have to make appointment?
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UK Govt. saying No holidays this year
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UK government advising people not to book any holidays this year and also implemented very strict returning rules. Although, Morocco is not in 33 red list countries so far but situation can change any time and holidaymaker end up paying £1750 bill. I think I would keep my flights for October 2021 just in case situation gets better otherwise may be next year.
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Understandable in the current climate, however there are a great number of people who wish to travel abroad, not for a holiday, but to visit close family who live in other countries. It is now 18 months since we have been with any of our close family and sincerely hope 2021 is not a repeat of 2020!
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This current year in the uk is a write off. Repeated lockdowns represent virus control failure and unremitting misery. The question is not " to be or not to be" but " will Morocco permit British people to enter their North African space". After a year of failed governance and freedoms removed unlawfully by an executive I cannot see travel to Morocco being possible this year
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I have not seen it said anywhere that there will be no holidays this year - just stories suggesting it is currently too early to say if summer overseas holidays will be permitted: https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-too-early-to-say-whether-britons-can-make-summer-holiday-plans-12212912 It is good news to hear that Morocco is not in the 33 'red list' countries although I guess UK is on Morocco's equivalent of the red list so still there are no flights the moment - hopefully this can change soon for those who need to travel for essential reasons
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UK Govt. saying No holidays this year
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@Azam: "no holidays this year" That's NOT what was said. Here's a link to the BBC report, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56008363 Grant Shapps advises people not to book holidays YET (my emphasis) as we don't know where we will be by summer with cases. That advice is a world away from the "no holidays this year" headline.
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UK Govt. saying No holidays this year
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People need to use their common sense. No one knows what will happen or when. Newspapers, the BBC etc are constantly bombarding politicians with idiotic questions and demanding answers on pain of another shock horror article, the airlines are expressing outrage every 10mins and of course we all want to get back to normal. Book if you want, just don't be surprised if you end up unable to go anywhere. But stop believing the endless rubbish in the media about what politicians said or didn't say.
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UK Govt. saying No holidays this year
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I agree with Tim on this. I don’t think the government means no holidays this year, but don’t book anything at the moment, wait and see. Hopefully as the situation is getting better in the cases and deaths coming down, summer holiday should be back. Also I think to save the travel industry from total annihilation, they won’t enact any laws etc to stop people traveling. People are even travelling now during lockdown to countries where they can travel.
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"""" they won’t enact any laws etc to stop people traveling. People are even travelling now during lockdown to countries where they can travel"""". Bashaar - the UK Government (and many others) DID pass these laws last year. It is currently ILLEGAL to travel anywhere from the UK for leisure purposes.
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If there are laws, I don’t see it’s implementation. People are jetting off all over the world still, albeit in less numbers than before. Don’t forget all the hoohaa about the so called social media influencers jetting off to places like Dubai. No one is being stopped from leaving the country nor being questioned either.
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UK Govt. saying No holidays this year
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Laws are only good if they are enforced.
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Bashaar - perhaps you've lost the plot completely! Apparently you live in London - so I suggest you go outside and look up at the sky - and you'll see there's substantially fewer of those plane things flying about up there. And the few that are still flying also have substantially fewer people on them too.
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UK Govt. saying No holidays this year
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It's true that enforcement of the law in UK stopping people from going on holiday is patchy at best Obviously there are less flights at the moment but this is actually more because many countries (Inc Morocco) won't allow UK nationals in I spoke to a travel agent just today who told me that many are still travelling for winter sun, the list of 'essential' reasons is open to interpretation
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With all due respect, that's still a bit like saying that murders, rapes and other serious crimes are being committed because of patchy enforcement. Society depends on the vast majority of people doing the right thing and being law abiding by choice.
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Luckily the UK is not a police state, but is policed by consent...... which means we Brits have a responsibility to do the right thing and be civilised grown ups about it. There is a small minority of airheads and dingbats who don’t realise this and decide to be selfish, but luckily they are being bitterly judged and berated in the press and being publicly shamed........ better than draconian rules and enforcement by gun.
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Well said Kate! I seem to remember somebody on here suggesting you for the government role of Minister of Vaccinations. I don't suppose you fancy being appointed the Home Secretary as well? I don't think many of us have much faith in that Preti Patel to do much other than accept free holidays, tell a few lies, and shout at people. lol
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UK Govt. saying No holidays this year
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Mozartbailey said it all, I too have written off the possibility of my regular Morocco walkabout this year, it's becoming too complicated having to fly/coach/ferry from Scotland to Morocco via Spain, the impedimenta is unrelenting and can adversely change at short notice and catch out the unwary traveller. So, I'm keeping my holiday dirhams firmly entrenched in trouser pockets until next year, buy in haste repent at leisure.....
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There's two elements to this—the situation in the UK, and the situation in Morocco. In order for governments to remove travel restrictions and for visitors to travel safely there needs to be low transmission rates and high levels of vaccination. The two will increasingly go hand in hand and PCR tests are likely to be with us for a while. I've been modelling the vaccination campaign in the UK since it started and providing vaccine supplies hold up I reckon all over 50s (top nine priority groups) to have first jab by end March, all over 40s by end May and second doses for all over 40s by mid July. And then the entire adult UK population fully vaccinated by mid August. These projections are way ahead of the government's targets and are best case. Morocco's vaccine campaign is also going great guns and despite being only 17 days old, has vaccinated a higher percentage of its population than France has achieved in 45 days! If Morocco maintains its vaccination trajectory, the government is projecting herd immunity by July. I can't predict when Morocco will open its borders to UK visitors but I would be surprised if it is much later than June. The government has the difficult task of deciding which does most harm, a relaxation with risk of more cases, or the financial/mental damage to the population of continued restrictions. Spain unfortunately is a different matter due to vaccine shortages so I currently have fully flexible bookings on ferries to Spain in both July and August. I'm hoping the earlier one will be viable. Insha'Allah.
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A family friend in her 80's who lives in France told us today that part of the issue there is that France is having to distribute their vaccines through the murky world of local Mayor's (!!) who are personally deciding who gets it first, which is not only delaying the whole process, but also introducing an element of "choice" by the individual mayor. This has created a total sh!t shower............she has only been offered her fist jab today, but it's 150km away across rural France.....a 5 hour round trip at best.
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France is currently reliant on just Pfizer vaccines which have extremely low-temperature storage needs, hence people have to travel to the vaccine, rather than visa versa. The first Astrazeneca vaccines are due to arrive Friday and will be dispensed by local pharmacies amongst other routes. However, France has concerns at the efficacy of the Astrazeneca vaccines for elderly and plans to only use it for the under 65s, which will be mainly health workers at present plus vulnerable 50-64 year-olds.
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Timbo - I suggest you re read my post and not just my name. If your having difficulty understanding simple English, please take some English reading lessons, no better time than the present. Anyways, back to the discussion at hand. Surprisingly for an African country, Morocco is doing really well in the role out of vaccines. I think the travel is going to be restored to some extent between UK and Morocco sometime end of April or starting of May. Kudos to UK Minister Zahawi whose run a very successful vaccination programme unlike the the health secretary’s chaotic response to everything that this pandemic has thrown at us.
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UK Govt. saying No holidays this year
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Was that another ridiculous and unnecessary deletion? Posts on this forum are sometimes deleted automatically - immediately upon an extremely small number of people choosing (for any reason what-so-ever) to very simply ‘click’ to report it. This form of self-governance is usually very effective if used correctly, but it can also result in biased and inconsistent moderating. Some people clearly use this option as a way to silence or gag thoughts and opinions that differ from their own. Perhaps they are incapable, or simply can’t be bothered, to voice their own thoughts and opinions. Maybe they fail to understand the entire meaning of the word ‘forum’.
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Morocco's vaccination campaign
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HM King Mohamed VI inaugurated Morocco's vaccination campaign on Thursday 28 January by receiving the first non-clinical trial vaccination in Morocco and chose to take the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine. The first phase of the campaign will cover people on the frontline in the COVID-19 fight, including doctors, security services, teachers, and those in the high-risk categories. Morocco plans to vaccinate 30 million people—80% of the Moroccan population—and has ordered 66 million doses of vaccine. To date it has received two million Astrazeneca doses from Serum in India, and half a million Sinopharm doses from China. Further supplies are expected in February, March and April. It is currently following a two-shot short-gap procedure with 21 days between Sinopharm doses and 28 days between Astrazeneca doses. Progress to date has shown 90,000 vaccinations carried out by 30 Jan, 126,000 by 31 Jan, 200,000 by 1 Feb and 257,000 by 2 Feb.
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A couple of corrections to the above. Firstly, the initial phase campaign also covers those who are 75+. And whilst particularly vulnerable younger people might be included, nobody under 45 is supposed to be vaccinated at the moment. Secondly, the dates are all out by one day, so the records above should read 90,000 by 29 Jan, through to 257,000 by 1 Feb. Since then vaccinations are progressing at pace with 308,000 by 2 Feb, 352,000 by 3 Feb which on a per-capita basis is almost twice the rate achieved by the UK in the first four weeks of its campaign. The UN Mission in Western Sahara has reported that Morocco is making 20,000 doses available to the Sahrawis detained in the Tindouf camps in Algeria. The delivery of the doses will be overseen by MINURSO, the UN agency.
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Great news Tim. What an example it is that Morocco, the UN and the Sahrawis are working together......more than can be said for other parts of the world! Thanks for the update.
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Morocco's vaccination campaign
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The latest statistic on the vaccination campaign is 464,000 doses given by 5 February. Following the initial 2 million Astrazenca doses collected from India, a further 4.5 million doses are expected to arrive 13 February. And a second shipment of 500,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine is expected 16 February.
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Morocco's vaccination campaign
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The second shipments of vaccines arrived on schedule and the campaign has stepped up a gear with more than 2.35m first dose vaccinations given in the last three weeks. This represents 6% of the population which on par or above that which France and Spain have achieved in nearly 7 weeks, see graph at http://www.morocco-knowledgebase.net/tim/ma-fr-es.png The campaign started giving second doses last Friday with 13,476 on the first day. 5 million additional AZ doses are expected in March, then another 20 million in April. Morocco is also negotiating with Sinopharm for a larger delivery in its April shipment to further increase the rate of vaccination. Discussions are additionally happening regarding approval of the Russian Sputnik-V vaccine. In the meantime, the pandemic statistics within Morocco continue to drop. Rolling 7-day average new cases reached a peak in mid November of 5,206 per day and have dropped now to 402. Deaths peaked late November at 80 per day and have now fallen to 13. To put the latest figures into perspective, the UK with approximately 80% higher population than Morocco is running at 10,406 daily cases and 494 deaths. Adjusted for population size the current UK death rate is over 20 times that of Morocco. (It might be argued that Morocco with less than 6 million tests carried out to date isn't detecting all the cases.)
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Yes, it's all amazingly good news about Morocco's incredible vaccination roll out. Exactly how they are getting hold of those quantities of the Astrazenca vaccine is anyone's guess. Vastly more wealthy and powerful countries are still struggling to get any supplies at all of the WHO fully approved ones. I did read somewhere something about somebody quite high up in the Indian factory supplying it being Moroccan? lol
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Morocco's vaccination campaign
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And yes, absolutely all of pandemic statistics within Morocco continue to drop - including the all-important number of tests now being carried out, and the all-round reliability of statistics gathering and reporting.
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Morocco's vaccination campaign
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Morocco getting credit for the vaccine roll out even in UK press! EU humiliation: Morocco beats bloc on vaccines...despite rollout starting three weeks ago https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1399516/eu-news-vaccines-Covid-delays-Morocco-pfizer-astrazeneca-data-statistics
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Morocco's vaccination campaign
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Gibraltar is higher even than Israel at 87%. I suppose our conspiracy theory expert will accuse the vaccine suppliers having Gibraltarian management.
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Morocco's vaccination campaign
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Hmmm.... that supposition sounds exactly like a conspiracy theory.
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Morocco's vaccination campaign
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There's a rather self-congratulatory article about the Moroccan vaccine campaign at https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/02/335640/covid-19-morocco-boasts-94-of-africas-vaccinated-population/ I am uneasy at the triumphalism expressed in the article, crowing about Morocco's success compared to the rest of Africa. These things have a habit of coming back and biting one on the bum. LOL, There's also some unfortunate wording. There is no vaccine 'hoarding' going on around the world—doses are being stuck in people's arms as fast as the manufacturers can deliver. The UK doesn't have 'surplus' vaccines, it's only one-sixth of its way through its vaccination campaign. Two-thirds of the vaccines the UK has ordered (and help fund, and in some cases built factories for) haven't even finished their clinical trials, let alone entered bulk production. Some, like the French Sanofi vaccine and Curevac, might never even get approval. If you are wondering why Africa didn't move faster on buying Covid vaccines, several governments even now don't even acknowledge the existence of the Covid virus, or have been promoting tribal herbal remedies. With others, perhaps their attention was on the million-per year HIV deaths, half a million malaria deaths and the repeated re-emergence of Ebola. In addition, I'm pretty certain the Morocco government would have received advice to 'get moving' from Moncef Slaoui, the Moroccan scientist who led the US government Warp Speed program of Covid vaccine procurement, see https://eu.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/health/2020/12/01/operation-warp-speeds-moncef-slaoui-guided-covid-19-vaccine-creation/6375043002/ So where are we now? Africa has reported 100,000 Covid deaths in the whole continent. Several of the reasons for the comparatively low toll in Africa might be the relatively young populations, low comorbidities, low population density and ample vitamin D3 from sunlight. By comparison the UK alone has reported over 120,000 deaths. And the whole of Europe is approaching 800,000. Were it not for the existing orders, the logical way to fairly distribute limited vaccine supplies would be to take a step back and ask, where in the world do you find the highest level of new cases (as percentage of population) occurring and the highest level of deaths? And what you would find is that USA and UK are pretty near the top of the list. In fact, the vast majority of Covid cases around the world are in Europe, North America and South America. The top three countries currently affected are Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary. They are all EU member states and it would be a welcome move from the EU if it were to prioritise their needs from within their supplies.
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It's fair to say that Morocco World News (or any other Moroccan 'controlled' media) will never even be shortlisted for any well researched or impartial journalism awards.
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Of course there's absolutely no doubt that Europe has suffered vastly more Covid cases and fatalities than Africa. So far. In the UK we have a funny old-fashioned saying that "the show is not over until the fat lady sings" Sadly it's looking like many many months before she even clears her throat.
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Casa Voyageurs to Casablanca Airport
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Hello, my wife and I are trying to get from Marrakech to the Onomo airport hotel, but there are no connecting trains to the Casablanca airport at our travel time. We have to take the latest train from Marrakech to Casablanca due to my work. What is the best way to get from Casa Voyageur to the Casablanca airport at 8:30 PM?
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Casa Voyageurs to Casablanca Airport
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If there is no train then you take a taxi
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Casa Voyageurs to Casablanca Airport
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You never did respond on your previous posting. You effectively go 'past' the airport on your way to Casa Voyageurs. If there's no connecting train, then take a grand taxi, either from Casa Voyageurs or get off one stop earlier at Casa Oasis which will be slightly cheaper.
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Casa Voyageurs to Casablanca Airport
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"What is the best way to get from Casa Voyageur to the Casablanca airport at 8:30 PM?" You might want to get off at the L'Oasis station over Casa Voyagers as it is closer to the airport. I would think only way to go would be to get a taxi. You would need a grand taxi I would guess it would cost you 200 or 250 DH unless you can haggle well. You might get a better price looking for a transfer service. Worth a try. I would add it looks like they are running on a very reduced schedule at the moment. So, if your trip is not soon , you might have a connection by train.
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Casa Voyageurs to Casablanca Airport
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Thank you so much for your response. We are going to get off at Casa Oasis and take a taxi the rest of the way. I apologize for not responding on previous posts.
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Casa Voyageurs to Casablanca Airport
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I take it you have an early flight? Or is the airport hotel free? Otherwise there are much nicer hotels near Voyagers then the airport hotel. Then take the train in the am.
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Casa Voyageurs to Casablanca Airport
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Good advise
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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So initially I was excited about the over night desert ?? Camp but the long drive and stop offs is a deal breaker. Is there any way I can book an overnight but drive directly and avoid the long delays , pointless commercial stop offs. Really just want the overnight or nights experience. Accommodation must be for a family unit also , not seperated.
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If you want to avoid the long drive to the desert, suggest taking the domestic flight on Royal Air Maroc from Casablanca to Errachidia. Then from Errachidia, Erg Chebbi is only a couple of hours drive. The flight doesn’t run everyday so check the schedule. If you time it right, you can even be in Errachidia the same evening that your international flight arrives into Casablanca.
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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You could always just rent a car for that part of your trip and drive to Merzuga. Your camp site people will meet you there on the main street and take you to the secure parking they use. They will then take you to where the camel jockeys are waiting for you to ride you to your camping. But it is a very long drive . You would have to overnight along the way, Flying is a good option as already advised. You could also fly to Ourzazate. You could drive to the desert if you had an early flight and rent a car in Ourzazate then drive back to fly to where ever you are going. When really cool sites are in the middle of nowhere , you have a lot of traveling. Last option is to use La Mamonia's (or others that offer this) desert trips . The helicopter trips . They have a day trip to the desert and I think an overnight one too. This trip is very very expensive. So usually a last resort.
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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On a previous thread you'd said about not being bothered to see any dunes so you were thinking about the Agafay 'Desert' Camps. If that's still the case then it's only a short drive from Marrakesh.
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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Timbo That’s what I’m thinking, drive ourselves there and back. Is it possible to just book the overnight separately . Any links would be a great help.
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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But Agafy desert is not properly desert, it is not sand dunes there, only stones and gravel, it is not so big area neither. But you can enjoy there anyway to stay in the tent overnight without to drive too far. But as said, you will not have more properly desert experience.
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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Holiday - I can't point you in the right direction as I've just driven through the area and never stopped there. I much prefer all of the 'proper' desert areas over the Atlas mountains. And no - I don't mean just the 2 or 3 sand dune areas - amazing though they are. To be honest I'd find the whole 'overnight desert camp' thing far too gimmicky, hurried and touristy. I think you'd have a much better 'Desert & Mountain' experience by simply driving down the N9 having booked one or two nights more comfortable accommodation somewhere near Ait Benhadou or Ouarzazate. Perhaps stay somewhere like Finnt oasis. Go on - have a look on Google.
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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Agafay gives you the night in the tent wilderness experience without the long multiday journey Although it is worth pointing out that there are great places to visit between Marrakech and Erg Chebbi sand dunes, so the journey is well worth it if you have the time to do it properly
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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Khamlia - yes, if you remember, we all had a very long detailed debate about desert definitions when the OP initially posted a month or so back. Lol.
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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@ Holidayhola If you are talking about the hard rocky like area outside of Marrakech called the Agafay "desert". Then you do not need a car unless you want the drive. You can get them to pick you up or take a taxi there . Just make it clear you do not want any stops. Easier the driving in Marrakech. These camps range from cheep and basic to expensive glamping. It is only a 30 min to an hour drive from Marrakech. You might want to look at an overnight in Ourrzazate. So you can see Äit Ben haddou. This us a 3.5 to 4 hour drive each way. Even a day trip to the Ozoud falls would be a better option. But if you search back using "Agafay" you will see 2 decent trip reports from 2019 or 2018 with decent details.
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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Have you been to the Burren desert that is much closer to you?
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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I'm guessing like lots of others who have read this - I've just 'googled' Burren Desert and it keeps giving me Barren desert instead. Or if I drop the word desert it gives me an amazing looking place in Ireland..... which I'm sure is far too wet and cold and green to be a desert.by any stretch of imagination. lol
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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OK, then you have my point, It is as much a desert as the Agafay is. There are no deserts in Ireland. OK the Agafay is at least a bit of a wasteland more so then other places. To the OP I would pay attention to the weather patterns as doing a camping in the Agafay on a day with a lot of rain would be a waste of good money. I was there maybe 5 years ago with rain all day. They do not get a lot of rain ( neither does Marrakech) but it does rain. If you do rent a car a side trip to Takerkoust Lake would be a nice addition. Great place to grab lunch.
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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@ Chetan P Solicitation for business is not allowed on TA. Reported for self promotion.
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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I’m very familiar with the Burren as it’s somewhere that I frequent often & have camped there also. I think maybe I’m not explaining myself very well. I fully realise that it isn’t actually a desert and doesn’t have dunes , why I’m considering it is because it’s a night under the stars, away from the hustle & bustle of resorts, hotels and the craziness of a holiday. That’s why I’m not interested in sitting in a packed bus and stopping in places to try sell me “ souvenirs “. The falls mentioned is in my list & I’ll certainly look at the other recommendations. Car hire is a thing for us so driving anywhere isn’t a problem. So I’ll reask the questions. Is the overnight camp ( if just booked as overnight) a nice relaxed evening under the stars , with possibly abit of local ( touristy) culture. ?
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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I'm sure you will enjoy a night in Agafay desert, there are a few camps to choose from so just read the reviews But also do note that you do not need to take a sardine minibus tour to the real sand dunes - you can self drive with some great sights to see on the way and no need to stop at shops etc, but you need 4 days for that journey so maybe you don't have the time
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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nibrika Thanks for your reply , your right this trip we probably won’t have the time to do a 4 day trip but it’s something I’m certainly looking into for the future.
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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@holidayhola: I did a write-up on the Agafay Badlands after visiting this time last year, see https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g293734-i9196-k13225880-Agafay_Badlands_desert-Marrakech_Marrakech_Safi.html The best impression you can get of the camps is to zoom in on the photo entitled 'Four of the camps on the horizons' which is high resolution and you can see the tents of some of the camps. And if you are interested in stargazing, have a read of my post on that topic at https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g293730-i9195-k13048892-Stargazing_in_Morocco-Morocco.html
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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"That’s why I’m not interested in sitting in a packed bus and stopping in places to try sell me “ souvenirs “." Many of the places come pick you up from your hotel or a meeting place in late afternoon. When you book state that you will not leave the transport on the way to see anything. Think of this not as a bus trip but more a limo or SUV picks you up and drops you at the camping. Many I know it was just their group and the driver . I would add a few were able to get the driver to stop along the way to take pictures. ................................................................................ A FYI Did you know there was a place to stay over night inside the falls gap? Think of the stars , the sounds of water falling and the clear clean night air. You are a long distance from the town. So should get some light pollution but not enought to spoil star gazing.
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Again thanks for your reply’s I’m going to look into both suggestions and an overnight at the falls is something that definitely interests me.
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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I would recommend an overnight stay in Ait Ben Haddou, there is plenty to see around the area, and it is very nice at sunset/sunrise. You can find plenty of hotels/B&B's in the area, which are reasonably priced. It is not too far away from Marrakech and can easily be done on a one night overnight stay. I have driven past the Agafay desert, but never actually stayed there, as others have already said, it is a wasteland, but if you do an overnight tent experience, then it might be nice, something I have on my list of "to do" things in Morocco, but never go round to doing.
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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There are direct flights between Casablanca and Errachidia. Errachidia is not far from ERG CHEBBI (1H30 drive).
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This route has been mentioned as a possibility several times. Can anyone recall a visitor coming back to the forum to relate how it worked out?
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How can we do the overnight in tents without the crap
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@Tim I'm listening :)
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Upcoming trip advice
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Thanks to everyone who assists. I am planning a trip with a friend to celebrate her birthday. I am trying to see much of the country, and still keep it fairly enjoyable. I am hoping you might help me avoid any super common error or ridiculous assumption of time due to this being a rental car roadtrip. If you think I am missing a must see, please advise, or if you think I am wasting time, I welcome that as well. Arriving in Casablancaon Feb 25, then traveling to Ouzoud Cascades. Still looking for a hotel. Tom had mentioned some nice ones allowing for time to visit a walking bridge, but haven't found them yet. Driving the 26th to Auberge Festival and staying overnight. Driving the 27th to Merzouga for an overnight in the Sahara. Driving the 28th to Skoura for an overnight. Driving the 1st to Marrakesh for Covid test and overnight. Drive to Essouria on the 2nd/ or stay in Marrakesh and overnight in Marrakesh. Drive to Casablanca on the 3rd for a flight out in the afternoon. Any advice would be appreciated. It's a special trip and I want us to have a fun time. My travel partner is definitely a bit more about nature than historical tours, although a mix of both, like maybe at Skoura would be great. Thanks again to everyone.
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Upcoming trip advice
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It is a very long drive from Ozoud to the Todhra gorge . Maybe 9 or 10 hours ( very dangerous to drive those roads after dark), Unfortunately you will be nowhere near the Sahara ( it is amazing there even if not the Sahara). Why the overnight in Skoura? Better in Ourzazate so you can visit the Gorges and then the next morning stop at Ait Ben Haddou on the way to Marrakech. Stay in Marrakech as you really do not have the extra time to waste for going to Essaouira.
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Upcoming trip advice
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You have less then 8 days. Maybe a better trip would be ... Day 1 Arrive to Casablanca , from airport get the airport train and connect for Marrakech. Day 2 Get rental car for trip and drive to Todhra gorge and Festival ( leave early AM so you make it there in time, Day 3 See the gorge in the AM then drive to Merzuga ( camel ride to camping ) day 4 Take a morning 4x4 excursion to see places in the dunes. Then drive to Ourzazate ot Ait for overnight. day 5 See Ait Ben then drive to Marrakech arrive in time for dinner. Day 6 See Marrakech day 7 You could book a day trip to see Ozoud falls or just see the rest of Marrakech. Day 8 Take an early train from Marrakech to the airport so you arrive at the airport before noon. Fly home.
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Upcoming trip advice
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Thank you comicman for the reply. Maybe 2 years ago there was a post where Tim Cullis sent a link to a map after mentioning that you and he were in agreement that google maps was hopeless in timeframes. In that map, it showed Ouzoud to Mergouza as 10 hours. I had thought that I could cut the trip in half by staying over night at Auberge Le Festival. I assumed it would be more than 5 hours, but didn't think 9 to 10 hours. The Sahara is something my companion desperately wanted to see for her birthday. We were considering just staying in Marrakesh and doing a series of day trips, but 3 hours to the falls and back, then repeat? I would rather be 3 hours closer to something else and overnight elsewhere. Basically I am trying to get a road trip from Casablanca to Mergouza to Marrakesh with about 6 overnights. I also need to get to Marrakesh with enough time to get a Covid test for our return flight. I like the idea of Ourzazate. I had only landed on Skoura due to the reviews of the Oasis. Thanks again.
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Upcoming trip advice
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Marrakech is closer time wise to Todhra then Ozoud is. It is 3 hours each way from Marrakech to Ozoud. You could fly to Dakhla or Laayoune if you need to be in the Sahara. A warning though the Erg near Merzuga is much more what you are expecting the Sahara to be. You might be disappointed with the Moroccan Sahara you would visit. Also Essaouira is a nice overnight from Marrakech a nice seaside village with a great vibe. I drove from near Ozoud to Merzuga once and could not make it there before dark so I have to stop along the way for the night.
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Upcoming trip advice
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thanks again comicman. I was writing my response while you were writing more detailed suggestions. I think I was trying to create a loop from Casablanca to Mergouza to Merrakesh with overnight stops roughly 3 to 5 hours apart, but obviously I don't know the "real" driving time as you do. I guess I will scrap the Casablanca to Ouzoud route and go to Marrakesh as you suggest to start the trip. With regards to the 8th day, I wish I could. I am arriving from the US, my companion from Russia. As such, I only have flights in and out on Thursday and Sunday, so it greatly hampers my flexiblity. Add to that the need to get a Covid test result in order to fly out, hah! But, the trip is a birthday gift for her and we are trying to stay positive and safe and enjoy what will hopefully be more than a once in a lifetime opportunity.
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" As such, I only have flights in and out on Thursday and Sunday, so it greatly hampers my flexiblity. " I take it you are using a FF award ticket. As there are flights to and from the USA most every day at the moment.
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Upcoming trip advice
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Not at all. I was doing a direct flight through Royal Air Maroc. I will look again at other options. And regarding Mergouza, I was looking at Erg Chebbi. Sorry if I am generalizing the area too much.
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Upcoming trip advice
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Please don't worry about Merzouga not 'technically' being the Sahara - it's still everything (and more) that everyone expects. She'll love it. Also - there's some lovely places to stay in Skoura oasis. There's a nice little fairly untouristy town with a bit to see and an interesting market. But apart from that there's mainly just (not surprisingly) loads and loads and loads of date palms.
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I would still follow your original route like you talk about, would rent a car in Casablanca and drive the whole way this way - https://goo.gl/maps/1ybfYUpSqTSiapDf6 You will see much more on along this route than this one comicman suggest to you, moreover you would go twice the same way as I can see. Distance is the same, time also.
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Upcoming trip advice
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Concerning my advices for your trip while you are in Marrakech, you can check a list of good things to do / t osee in Marrakech : https://inmoroccotravel.com/what-to-do-in-marrakech-morocco/ In the end of the article, you have the places location on the map. You can also check the article about places to visit in Essaouira : https://inmoroccotravel.com/places-to-visit-in-essaouira/ We hope you will enjoy your trip in Morocco :).
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I had a look at the site, there is some decent info and I don't actually see anything being sold at the moment
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