Aelfgifu Travels

Hi Aelf Crew,

We have a very exciting new series coming for the next few posts.

As you may have noticed from either the content of my posts or the lovely map situated on the front page of my blog, I have been to every continent in the world bar Antarctica and Africa. Today this changes, for I have just spent time in Morocco, marking my first step onto the African continent. I will caveat that Morocco is perhaps a slightly different introduction, given its strong Islamic and cultural ties to the Middle East. But alas, we all have to start somewhere.

Over the next few posts I’ll be covering:

• Tangier
• Chefchaouen
• Fez
• Casablanca
• Rabat
• Marrakesh

I went as a solo female and I had heard some fairly negative reviews from other travellers to this region particularly regarding harassment in markets. However I must say I was very pleasantly surprised on this account. With one notable exception (which deserves its own post: Marrakesh), I found interactions manageable and often respectful.

I did visit during Ramadan, which shaped the experience quite a lot. Along with fasting from food and water, I was advised relations with women are not allowed during the day which I believe impacted the amount of harassment I encountered as it did get noticeably worse as soon as the sun went down and the fast had been broken.

During the day, most restaurants were closed apart from a handful of places catering to tourists. The daytime felt quieter and slower, while evenings became much busier and louder as cafés and restaurants reopened.

As a result, I quickly learned to stock up on food the night before so I wouldn’t go hungry during the day.

Food in Morocco

The food in Morocco I encountered was hearty, filling and very enjoyable. Some of the dishes I came across included:

• Tagine: slow-cooked stews, often with lamb or chicken
• Couscous: usually served with vegetables and meat
• Pastilla: a sweet and savoury pastry, often with meat inside
• Tride: less well-known, traditional dish of chicken and lentils served over a bed of shredded trid pastry (like flatbread)

That said, I can’t pretend that I wasn’t sick to the back teeth of cous cous by the end of my trip. If you’re visiting for a longer period, it’s worth seeking out variety where you can.

Drinks

One thing you’ll be offered constantly is mint tea. It’s served everywhere and is a big part of hospitality culture but a word of warning: it is very sweet. Often in restaurants or when in company you will be asked whether you want it served sweet (with sugar) or without and sometimes you’ll be given the option to add the sugar yourself. If you do get the choice, I’d highly recommend adding it yourself so you’re in control, otherwise it can end up overwhelmingly sweet. 

Getting Around Morocco

Overall, I found transport to be easy, affordable, and fairly reliable.

Buses

The main company I used was CTM. Overall they were a straightforward and budget-friendly option for travelling between cities. You can book tickets online in advance and the ‘economy’ seats for short distances are absolutely fine.

Trains

For medium-length journeys, such as Tangier to Fez, I opted for the train through Rail Ninja.

The prices were very reasonable for economy, first class, and flexible fares (although admittedly, almost every rail fare is going to feel cheap when compared to the UK rail network).

The app and website were both very easy to use, so I’d definitely recommend them.

Taxis & Apps

A few key things to know:

• Uber is not officially used in Morocco
• There is an alternative app called inDrive, which was recommended to me by other travellers but I never personally used it

However, for each city there are designated taxis, which are easy to identify because they are colour-coded depending on which city you’re in, for example:

• Tangier → light blue taxis
• Casablanca → red taxis
• Marrakesh → yellow taxis

Whilst these are the “official” city taxis, prices can vary (and you’ll often need to agree beforehand) depending on your negotiating abilities. I will be going into top tips for haggling in a later post, so do stay tuned for that in the future.

ATMs and Cash

Cash is king in Morocco, and the vast majority of taxis and smaller accommodations won’t accept cards.

I withdrew a small amount of money at the airport, as I suspected the exchange rates and commission fees wouldn’t be particularly favourable, which turned out to be correct. Whilst there, I was also told that there were no fee-free ATMs anywhere in Morocco, which I suspect was an attempt to encourage me to withdraw more cash on the spot.

However, you have to wake up pretty early to fool me. I trusted my gut that this wasn’t true and thankfully it was right. 

Top Tip from Aelfgifu: Al Barid Bank ATMs (Poste Maroc) don’t charge withdrawal fees, so they’re definitely worth seeking out – I used them for the entirety of my trip.

Final Thoughts

Morocco really took me by surprise – the food was consistently good, the transport was easy and accessible and as an introduction to Africa the learning curve wasn’t too steep.

That said, there were definitely small things to figure out along the way which I’ll cover throughout the rest of this series.

If you’d like more honest travel notes like this, you can subscribe using the yellow button at the top or bottom of the page – no spam, just new posts when they’re published.

New continents but familiar chaos,
Aelfgifu