Travels With Kylie -The adventures of a teacher who has taught in London, UK and Marrakech, Morocco.

Travels With Kylie

Here is a look at why this blog was nominated for the 2011 Bombies.

Some sights are found every where in the world. Some, I am certain, are specific to Morocco. We start off in the villle nouvelle, Gueliz, where most of the other teachers live too. Here it is common to see mopeds carrying non-helmet wearing drivers and passengers, speeding on the wrong side of the road and men starting their day with thick black coffee while watching the world wake up. When we exit Gueliz and make our way past the medina, the sights really begin. A poor kitten convulsing in the middle of the road after being hit by a speeding car, a slender stray puppy playing with a waste paper basket while a trendy young man walks his healthy dog by, and aged homeless people taking shelter outside the unkempt graveyard. There are weathered men and women selling their wares – popcorn, colorful baskets, candy and rattan stools.Next to the graveyard is a dried river, and graves sit precariously on the dried banks. On more than one occasion I have seen the banks being used as a toilet for the humiliated homeless. Opposite the graveyard is the ‘chicken souk’ selling live chickens, turkeys and rabbits, jellaba wearing men crouch down over some mint tea. Traveling on the route de Ouarzazate we come across an old large pipe that was made into a rustic see-saw for local children, Moroccan children wearing white coats walking to school and the large gated Jenna community for the wealthy.

To nominate a blog for the Best of Morocco Blogs, just make sure it fits the criteria at this post and then let us know about it!

Morocco Travel Blog – A Sensual Journey Into Morocco: The Perfect Morocco Travel Guide.

Morocco Travel Blog

Here is a look at why this blog was nominated for the 2011 Bombies.

“Ouarzazate has one main street, about fifty yards long, and two thousand people, of whom two hundred are French. The temperature can reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. “ So says world-renowned journalist John Gunther in 1952, of his visit to Ouarzazate, during the reign of the Pasha Glaoui, whose honored guest he was.

“The sight I enjoyed most,” he says, “next to the kasbahs, was the general store, run by a Greek. It resembles closely the general store in Twin Corners, Montana, or Greensboro, Vermont. The frigidaire has cold beer, ham is sliced by a machine made in Toledo, and you can buy anything from a can of sardines to a monkey wrench.”Ouarzazate today has grown into a city of over 60,000. One of the most popular places to go at dusk is Place Al Mohadine which is home to Ouarzazate’s largest, local outdoor market that sells everything from spices to rose water and a charming cafe named Habous.Inhabited by Berbers, in the past Ouarzazate was a point for African traders passing in and out of Morocco. During the French era, it was a garrison town. Ouarzazate today is the center of the Moroccan film industry, and the starting point for most Sahara Desert tours, as well as being the closest city to the kasbah Ait Benhaddou.

To nominate a blog for the Best of Morocco Blogs, just make sure it fits the criteria at this post and then let us know about it!

Hey Morocco:Morocco Travel Guide – Travel Guide and Information about Travel to Morocco.

Hey Morocco!

Here is a look at why this blog was nominated for the 2011 Bombies.

Municipal Amazigh Museum is a small two level museum in heart of downtown of Agadir which exhibits a small collection of old Berber items from 18th and 19th centuries. It was opened in February of 2000 by a joint effort between a French team and the city of Agadir with idea of preserving the Berber heritage and culture. The museum displays carpets, pottery, old Berber architecture and construction materials, and information about how the construction was completed. In addition, you can find old Berber music instruments, Berber jewelry, traditional clothing, old manuscripts and local handicrafts from all over the southern region of Morocco. It also hosts an art gallery in the lower level of the museum which generally displays collections from local artists. Check museum schedule for upcoming live Berber music events.
Municipal Amazigh Museum is a good place to experience Moroccan and Berber art history.

To nominate a blog for the Best of Morocco Blogs, just make sure it fits the criteria at this post and then let us know about it!

31 Best Riad – The Best Riad-Marrakech Travel Guide to Riads, Guest Houses, Hotels and Tours in Morocco.

31 Best Riad

Here is a look at why this blog was nominated for the 2011 Bombies.

31 Best Riad Marrakesh features a wide variety of Guest Houses and information to travel in Morocco. Since December 2006, 31 Best has empowered travelers to get detailed information about where to stay in Marrakesh & Fez, Essaouira and Ouarzazate. 31 Best‘s original emphasis and it’s current strength is showcasing a variety of Riad’s – traditional residences for Morocco’s old-elite or renovated houses inside Marrakech Medina, Essaouira, Fez and Ouarzazate.

To nominate a blog for the Best of Morocco Blogs, just make sure it fits the criteria at this post and then let us know about it!

Morocco – A Travelbug’s Blog – A real travelbug’s chronicles of journey and adventures in Morocco in crisp and interesting detail with amazing photos.

Morocco – A Travelbug’s Blog

Here is a look at why this blog was nominated for the 2011 Bombies.

Today we left Morocco with memories of a really enjoyable trip. Our flight took off at 12.05pm and we reached Gatwick ahead of schedule at 3.10pm. We took the coack back to B’ham at 5pm and arrived back at home ar around 9.30pm.
For us, we didn’t feel like it was just the two of us but felt like Dad was with us the whole time.
We were touched by the kindness and the generosity of the local woman who helped us on a first trip into the Old Town and the friendliness of the locals.
I really didn’t think much of Morocco before I went there and was surprised by the beauty of the various landscapes that we saw.

To nominate a blog for the Best of Morocco Blogs, just make sure it fits the criteria at this post and then let us know about it!

Visiting Morocco – The blog on transportation of all kinds in and around Morocco.

Visiting Morocco

Here is a look at why this blog was nominated for the 2011 Bombies.

Public transportation plays a major role in connecting moroccan cities and cargo transport. The ONCF (Office National de Chemin de Fer) has recently added more trains,more lines and shortened the liaison time between major cities.

Wherever you are in the country,you can be sure to find a nearby train station to take you to any destination. Train fares are cheap and compartments are comfortable. Trains are also protected by security agents who travel aboard them.

If you happen to be in Tangier,you can take the overnight train to Marrakech at 9pm. Direct lines also serve Rabat/Casablanca. Trains going to Fes,Mekness and Oujda used to swich rail paths at Sidi Kacem(2 hours before Rabat).

It is a good idea to book your train ahead a day or two whilst you’re in the country. Although you cannot book trains ahead from outide Morocco, you can certaily check all the train schedules and fares at the ONCF website (The National office of train services) and here.

Sometimes you may need to use buses since trains do not cover all places. For example,there are no railways to serve Agadir,Essaouira,Beni Mellal,ouarzazare,merzouga and most of the Moroccan sahara region.

To nominate a blog for the Best of Morocco Blogs, just make sure it fits the criteria at this post and then let us know about it!

From Amanda at Marocmamma

When visiting Morocco don’t be intimidated by the language and insist on having a native speaking guide with you all the time. You’ll be able to get better deals when shopping without a guide and are more likely to make real connections with the people!

From Michele at Yomikhamorocco.com/

here’s my tip:

you place yourself in allah’s hands when you are on a train and accept an offer of help from a moroccan whose cousin’s son’s friend’s uncles’s brother own’s a tent and a camel in the sahara that can show you a good time….

The folks at Pingo liked this idea so much, they said that the next 20 people to submit any travel tips at MoroccoBlogs.com can have a free card too! No contest, just submit a tip using our contact form!

How’s that for cool?

Mobile users save 90% or more on international calls with Pingo!

Travel Junkie Julia

Sitting atop camels with knobby knees and yellow choppers, our group of young travelers trekked single file into Eastern Morocco’s Sahara desert. The scene was very Lawrence of Arabia: camel caravans, white gossamer head scarves and a setting apricot sun casting shadow puppets onto nearby sand dunes.

This was day one of a two-day camel trek through Erg Chebbi, a giant dune near the scruffy little town of Merzouga. Boasting some of the largest sand dunes in all of Morocco, Erg Chebbi draws adventurous tourists looking for an alternative to the bustling souks of Marrakech.

After a few hours commute by camel-back, we arrived at camp. It wasn’t much more than a few thin woven mats scattered in the sand but it felt good to be ‘home.’ A few hours on a camel and your inner thighs really start to hurt, so stretching out the legs felt like heaven. I myself plopped down on a leather ottoman and chugged back a glass of ‘Berber Whiskey’, a fancy name for what turned out to be simple (and delicious) steamed mint tea.

We hope this site will rev back up in the new year since we haven’t seen a new post in a few months now…

Travels with Kylie

Come away with me to Marrakech. Currently on a new adventure teaching Grade 2, I am living in Marrakech with my Canadian boyfriend, Jeff. Originally from Australia, I am spending some time travelling, teaching, writing and discovering new places and people.

Here’s a good example of why this blog is a must read. It paints the pictures and gives you the pictures too.

Peering from the window of the bus on the way to work, I see naïve chickens, feeling the cool breeze in their feathers as their heads jolt out of the cracks in the crate. They are passengers of a donkey sprinting down the road getting ready for the market.

I see nonchalant turkeys tethered to a bolt in the dirt, beady eyes scouring the air for commotion.

Fluffy bunnies huddled in cages, munching on limp lettuce, ready for the sizing up by hungry human eyes.

Fresh food takes on a different perspective in Morocco. Choose your chicken. Look for plumpness, healthiness and baraka. Watch as the skilled butcher drains the blood from the neck, de-feathers and delivers the comatose chicken to you by the feet.