Visiting Morocco; Do's & Dont's and Where to go

Thinking about visiting Morocco but unsure about visiting an Arabic country? I get asked all the time what is Morocco like and do I advise it? Well it's an experience. And a cultured one at that! If your looking to go for a few drinks every night on the strip like in the Costa del Sol and have a chinese/pizza for your dinner- then unfortunately Morocco isn't for you (though you can find a mean pizza in Casa!). It's an African-Arabic country with many muslims present and the people of Morocco certainly lead a different life to one we might have in Europe. However, if your up for something different and keen to learn about different cultures, then go for it and book right away...the people of Morocco are super hospitable (I know I am half Moroccan, so slight bias, but I really do mean it!), it's a cheap vacation, plus you visiting Africa in a 3.5 hour plane journey!



Don't- expect to be drunk every night. Firstly, alcohol is VERY expensive in Morocco. Secondly, it's a Muslim country- be respectful of the rules and customs and don't treat your evening out like a session in Coppers!(Tip- Ryanair do sell Duty free <1 litre of spirits are €12! So stock up for those who can't part way with their booze for more then a week!) 

Don't- come if you want a party holiday. Go to Ibiza or Salou!

Don't- dress like your on the pull! While Morocco isn't as strict as some of the middle east countries, they do expect women to dress sensibly. I will still wear levi shorts, but maybe with a kimono! The way I see it, if you dress like your looking for attention...you'll get it!

Don't- book any old Sahara trip- some will result in you being stuck in a poorly ac'd jeep for 48 hours- nightmare! Do your research!

Don't- dive into the fruits and veggies all at once- otherwise you will spend your hols on the loo!

Don't- be put off by other people's experience. Some of my friends have loved holidaying in Morocco, some of my friends have hated it! It's a (cheap!) weekend away (ryanair fly thurs + sun), so try it out for yourself!

Do- avoid Holiday/religious events- don't go during Ramadan or Eid (even if it's cheap!- a lot of places are closed, structures of the day are altered and it will be very very busy!)

Do- make an effort with the language. Moroccan's love if you can say a few words like 'hello' (pronounced- sala-mala-cum), 'thank-you' (pronounced- shuur-cran) and please (pronounced- affeck. Morocco's second language is also French- so if you done all right in your Junior and can count to ten still, you'll be grand! Plus, broken english is spoken everywhere!

Do- barter. Especially in the markets. If you look like a tourist- your items value will be hiked up immediately. And big smiles if it's going no where.

Do- try all the food. There is nothing in the Moroccan cuisine that I don't like except maybe the snail soup (gross right?!). Don't go over looking for food you can eat at home- that's so boring...live a little!

Do- avoid giving money to EVERY beggar on the street- some have nailed the 'walking with a limp' to a fine tee!

Do- EMBRACE a CULTURAL EXPERIENCE. Arabic countries are so stigmatised in the press and with the recent terror attacks in Tunisia- tourism is dwindling. Personally, I think the only way to fight the evil is with a united front!Now where's my passport...



Where to visit:

Where to go- Marrakesh for the novice. It's perfect place for tourists that have never ventured outside Europe or America, Ryanair fly from Dublin for under €200 and it's very very safe. Tourism is a big part of the Marrakech community so they rely heavily on a safe environment for visitors. 
- Stay in a traditional Riad (old style houses where the centre of the house is a courtyard- the French have bought many of the Riads in Morocco and converted them into super chic boutique hotels or large homes- check out this cute riad here at Airbnb) or in my case, I like to live it up on holidays so La Mamounia (the art deco meets moroccan interior is so dreamy...) and Sofitel  (feast on the yummiest breakfast ever!) would be my favourite Hotels. 
- Visit the Majorelle Gardens (avoid lunch time!) designed by YSL himself, the souks and medina for trinkets, spices and rugs (if you have the luggage space!), and Jemaa el fna (recommended at night time!) where it's one big party full of henna artists, snake charmers and general hustlers. If you can take a day trip up to the Atlas mountains- especially Eureka- it's beautiful- bring appropriate footwear to make it to the waterfall! Food is cheap but flavourful- eat traditonal cous-cous, have brochettes or Kofta or enjoy a simple of Morocco's most loved soup- Harrira! Avoid Summer months- as temp has known to hit the high 40's- April/May is beautiful time to visit and not so busy!

Where to go- Essaouria for the more traveled. It's a fishing town, with fantastic weather all year round and a super laid back feel. You'll need to travel by bus to get to here and that's why I wouldn't recommend it to the novice traveller. If your not used to the hustle and bustle of lets say transport in Asia, you'll find this difficult. However, once you do get there- stay in The Heure-Bleue for luxury or Dar Afram for the back packer! Get into the water and go surfing, experience a hammamm (traditional moroccan steam rooms) or check out the funky architecture/artwork scattered all around the town. Knowledge is key when travelling around Morocco, things like travel tickets etc need to be often bought in advance. Lonely Planet have a great guide one what to do and some hidden gems too that I know i'll regret giving away...

Other places to visit- Tangier, Fez and Rabat...


My loves in Morocco- Mint tea, Figs, Argan oil and...the Sun!


Happy Travels! x

Azemmour

During my two weeks in Morocco this year, we took a short day trip to a once Portuguese ruled town called Azemmour, located exactly between Casablanca and El Jadida. Generally, holidays in Morocco are family based. Being half Moroccan, I spend a lot of time with my dads side of the family catching up and there isn't much time spent being a tourist- so this trip to this coastal town was especially refreshing.

We spent hours walking around the medina and kasbah- and because the town is a little of the beaten track, it's actually quite a sedate place to be. The Portuguese ruled this part of Morocco for some time and there is a fantastic mix of both countries architecture in the town.

There also seemed to be a huge amount of art work (urban + contemporary style) on the walls of the city which is rare to find in Morocco- I am not too sure if there was an art exhibition or if there was a group of artists who were practicing their trade for a few months, but it was such an added bonus for the day trip.

I am in the middle of doing up a Visit Morocco post and the do's and dont's as I seem to get a lot of questions asking me about Morocco- so that should be up soon!

I am off to China (Beijing) and Dubai this Sunday and sooo looking forward to visiting Asia and the Middle East for the very first time. If anyone has any recommendations please let me know?

Yas x

How stunning does my younger sister Grace look?

Outfits in Morocco for me are generally very understated and casual- I went for a (typical!) Monochrome look of black culottes from Pennys/Primark, my trusty Birkenstocks- yes they are jesus shoes (Amazon), a white tee from New Look and my beloved AW bag (NETAPORTER).

Summer Vacay Reads

I used to always have a book in my hand growing up. Libraries in my area in London were full to the brim of quality authors and titles- I guess I took it for granted. I would take 4-5 books out at a time and become engrossed in them. When I moved to Meath, we didn't have a local library, and the schools version of one, consisted of two shabby shelves that was supposed to cater a 1000+ student school. It was a disgrace. I then started to work more, and college took over and would only read when I was on a Summer holiday- and even then, travelling with Ryanair would mean I was so restricted on weight- that a heavy book was left behind in favour of another bikini!!!

I feel like I have lost a bit of my creativeness and imagination over the last few years, so I purchased four books from Amazon recently that I hope will fuel it back. Books allow you to get lost between the pages- and I'm quite looking forward to switching off from everything else around me.  I'm off work for the next five weeks (yey...joys of being a teacher!) and will bring two books each on the two holidays I am going on; Morocco with the family and Beijing/Dubai with friends. 

My Summer Vacay Reads;

'How to build a girl' by Caitlin Moran- a coming of age tell and a Sunday Times No.1 bestseller...I have heard good things about this book, so I am stoked to read it.

'The Rosie Project' by Graeme Simsion- a love story.

'The Collected Dorothy Parker' by Dorothy Parker- a collection of short stories, poetry and reviews written by Ms Parker (who I am rather embarrassed to admit had never heard of...) who was referenced by one of my favourite blogger- Audrey Rogers of 'Be Frassy' in one of her Instagram posts and I done a little bit of research and this seemed like a good book as it has collection of a bit of everything!

'The Girl with all the Gifts' by M.R.Carey- a thriller.

What's your favourite genre? Any books that you would highly recommend? I sort of read everything so would love to hear some good suggestions?