Versatile Morocco – A blog about the beautiful Moroccan country and its culture.

Veelzijdig Marokko (Versatile Morocco)

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

With a trip to the north of Morocco is the town worth a visit. Take a walk on the main square Place Massira El Khadra. The square has a relaxed atmosphere in the summer unless you’re visiting the city. In this period, the town flooded with tourists from Europe who have their origins and some of whom half house in this region possess. For local handicrafts and souvenirs you bring a visit to the souks, the local market. You want some of Spain’s past shows go to the Spanish university where you have some of the Spanish colonial influences and architecture to see.You can find beautiful coral in this area and it’s worth to dive. Culinary field falls very much into the ocean. The fish you can eat here is very tasty. Bottom of the hill and caught the fish on the hill is to prepare a delicious dish. Al Hoceima is nationally known for its seafood.

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!

The World Is Her Playground – The travels of a woman with a toddler, in Morocco and beyond.

The World Is Her Playground

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

We returned to Marrakech last week, during a heat wave (if such a thing exists here) and smack dab in the middle of Ramadan. The concurrence of these two events has made August a challenging month for the many people fasting here. Imagine, for a moment, spending day after day in 120-degree heat, with no relief from clouds, rain, or as much as a swig of water. People seek comfort from wet towels and spray bottles. Parched mouths evoke the scorched earth that swirls and coats the streets of this city in a fine film of dust, when the wind decides to make an uncustomary appearance.

I have fasted off and on since our arrival. It is a contrived practice, I realize, a mere abstention from food and drink without the prayer, devotion, and submission that are at the root of this month. I would not even attempt to speak about Ramadan with the profundity and insight of a Muslim. I am a visitor here, in so many ways. I can only observe, and make meager attempts to empathize with and understand the 98% of people here who do this, year after year, for an entire month. There is power and meaning in the rituals, in the daily prayer, and bathing, and meals, that no amateurish anthropological observation could encompass.

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!

Air Arabia offers a no frills flight from Casablanca to Istanbul for just about 750 dirham each way! If you’re a Moroccan national, you don’t even need to have a visa, they stamp you on arrival. Those from the UK, US, Australia, and other countries will need to get a visa upon arrival which ends up costing about $20 U.S.

Once you arrive in Istanbul, you can visit famous sites such as the Blue Mosque and the Aya Sofya in Sultanahmet and enjoy yourself in a culture that is different from Morocco’s but still familiar enough to make it a great travel destination for both first time travelers and old salts alike.

Our recommendation is to book a room at the Hotel Ayasofya. The owner Gaye Reeves has Moroccan family in Fez and comes to Morocco several times each year to visit. It’s a great place and is close enough to all of the major attractions that you can walk with ease.

So what are you waiting for? Give yourself a post Ramadan treat and visit Istanbul for a weekend or longer! The price is right and the timing is perfect!

For airline tickets go to AirArabia.com
To book a room go to http://ayasofyahotel.com/

2) Stroll through Chefchauen. The funky town of Chefchauen is painted blue because it has always been a refuge for those who move to the beat of a different drum. In this case Jewish refugees from Europe. It’s like being in a different world.

3) Ait Benhaddhu in the Draa Valley is a desert fortress that will make you think of Hollywood films, mainly because it has been in so many of them and yet this set is the real thing. There’s a reason Hollywood loves it so much.

4) Eat couscous with a Moroccan family. Sure, you can get couscous in a restaurant but it’s not until you are sitting around the table on a Friday watching the old folks make couscous balls that the experience truly has any meaning.

5) Get lost in the Fes Medina. Sure, everyone does it, but that doesn’t change the fact that almost getting run over by a donkey in a three foot wide stone alleyway that was built in 700 AD is an experience you’ll never forget.

6) Listen to the Call to Prayer at Sunset from a mountaintop looking over a fair sized city. One call to prayer is magical, but when you hear fifty all coming at slightly different times, it is otherworldly.

7) Wander around Tangier and imagine what it was like when the likes of William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and others were drugged out of their minds there back in the days when the ‘interzone’ drew desperados, drug addicts, homosexuals, and pedophiles.

8) Haggle good naturedly. Too many visitors don’t get the point that haggling can be fun. Pick a price you will be happy with and then see if you can get it for less. If you can’t, just don’t go over your target price. One thing is certain, keep smiling and never let them see you sweat.

9) Sit on the street somewhere eating chicken and fries and watch the locals wander past. We know, you would rather have a tajine and pay 100 dirhams for it, but give it a try. A chicken meal with fries and a drink can usually be had for between 15 and 40 dirhams and you will get to see what real life is like in Morocco. Plus, the roast chicken is almost always better than street tajines.

10) Have dessert for breakfast. This one is especially aimed at North Americans. Did you know that it’s fairly normal to have a piece of cake for breakfast? Step into a Moroccan boulangerie and order yourself a big piece of chocolate cake and an avocado milkshake for breakfast. While the average American might be surprised at using avocados in a milkshake, the average Moroccan would be just as surprised to see avocado in a sandwich with cheese…we’re not saying who is the odder of the two.

This series will showcase their advice to visitors of their city in Fes, Morocco. All work is published with the permission and consent of the authors.

Of course, not all of them had wonderful things to say….

Dear Visitor,

I’m very happy you are going to visit Fez. As you know, it is the oldest city in Morocco and one of the fourth biggest cities here. It’s a wonderful place and you have to visit the old Medina. It’s an interesting sight to see.

Take pictures of this exciting place and the nice people who live here. Of course, you should visit the many great Moroccan restaurants if you want to try great Moroccan food like bastila, couscous, tajine, rfissa, and harira. They are very delicious.

You don’t need to bring a lot of cash with you because everything is cheap here. There isn’t enough public transportation in Fes so you are probably going to walk a lot. You might also want to bring a gun or a knife because there are really a lot of thieves.

When you finish your visit to Fez, I hope you will tell me how you found it. Then, maybe I can come visit you in your country or city. Have a nice trip.

Mehdi
15 years old

You can read her award winning entry below. Her prize is a two night stay in the Fes Medina at the luxurious Dar Othmane. Congratulations Miranda…if you ever want to write a guest post about Morocco or travel here, you are always welcome!

My favorite Moroccan destination isn’t so much a destination as it is a state of mind, though it does have a name and a place on the map.

My partner and I visited the ancient medina-city of Fes el Bali for the first time three years ago. Our love was still new and when we arrived it was like having travelled to the centre of someone else’s dream; we stood at the base of Bab Boujoloud, the gaping blue-green gate, our eyes hot, sweating diamonds onto a street paved with dust.

We held hands shyly as we explored; we learned the smell of each other’s sweat, the intimacy of shared anxieties and happinesses.

We spent our days walking imperfect circles, coming across sudden palaces, half-decayed, women scrubbing the rot of orange blossoms from the tiled floors. We never quite knew where we were and we never once felt lost.

From a good terrace we could see the curves of the city and look down onto the mysterious pear-shaped Medina and we could try to decipher it; but two thousand streets is too many to understand, and what would be the point anyway?

In the medina we were able to simply be; the air hanging always with a candid, unbridled pungency, the sky above open and honest and blue.

One night, full of meat and couscous from the Tajine, and cinnamon-spiced oranges, and chunks of hearty bread, we wandered with no aim but to quiet our bulging stomachs, and to enjoy the coolness that the dark brings. We took a turn away from the main drag, where late night merchants beckoned us into stalls full of leather bags and extravagant rugs, where children ran screaming past us and beggars rattled coins.

Suddenly it was quiet: we had come upon a small square, which once, perhaps, was fully enclosed, for along one side was a half-collapsed wall, and in one corner, a single, elegant archway. The ground was patterned with blue tiles.

We heard the echo of one last call to prayer; from our secret plaza, it sounded distant and foreign. We felt ourselves suspended in time.

Every day for a thousand years, I knew, the muezzin had sung from minarets for men to come and pray. Maybe this was the only way to mark the passing of hours here: by the clockwork of five Adhans a day.

Now it seems to me a sweet city of perpetual wandering. You are carried by the wind, driven by the whims of your own nostrils, by the way the light strikes a building; and the aimlessness of a day spent lost-but-not-lost in the medina is as beautiful as any mountain or medersa.

This series will showcase their advice to visitors of their city in Fes, Morocco. All work is published with the permission and consent of the authors.

Of course, not all of them had wonderful things to say….

Dear Visitor,

I don’t recommend you visit my city of Fes, Morocco. As you know it doesn’t have many view points and the night life is sooooo boring. However, if you want to come, you shouldn’t miss a tour in the old Medina and tasting some local Moroccan dishes.

One nice thing about Fes is that it has a very nice countryside around it. It’s located right in the middle of the Morocco and it is beautiful.

Mourad
Age 19