Morocco: Sleeping & Eating

802 Pages·2015·63.4 MB·English

by  Lonely Planet

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Morocco Cover
How to Use This Guide
Morocco Map
PLAN YOUR TRIP
ON THE ROAD
UNDERSTAND MOROCCO
SURVIVAL GUIDE
Behind The Scenes
Our Writers

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Plan Your Trip
Welcome to Morocco
Top Experiences
Need to Know
If You Like...
Month by Month
Itineraries
Activities in Morocco
Trekking in Morocco
Travel with Children
Regions at a Glance
Top of section
welcome to
Morocco
Morocco is an exotic gateway to Africa; its mountains, desert and coast are
populated by Berbers and nomads, and its ancient medina lanes lead to souqs
and riads.
Mountains & Desert
From Saharan dunes to the peaks of the High Atlas, Morocco could have been tailor- made for
travellers. Lyrical landscapes carpet this sublime slice of North Africa like the richly coloured
and patterned rugs you’ll lust after in local cooperatives. The mountains – not just the famous
High Atlas but also the Rif and suntanned ranges leading to Saharan oases – offer simple,
breathtaking pleasures: night skies glistening in the thin air; views over a fluffy cloudbank from
the Tizi n’Test pass. On lower ground, there are rugged coastlines, waterfalls and caves in
forested hills, and the mighty desert.
Traditional Life
The varied terrain may inform your dreams, but it shapes the very lives of Morocco’s Berbers,
Arabs and Saharawis. Despite encroaching modernity, with motorways joining mosques and
kasbahs as manmade features of the landscape, Moroccan people remain closely connected to
the environment. The nomadic southern ‘blue men’ brave the desert’s burning expanses in robes
and turbans, with mobile phones in hand. Likewise, traditional life continues – with tweaks – in
the techniques of Berber carpet makers; in date cooperatives; in medina spice trading; and in
the lifestyles in ports like Essaouira and mountain hamlets.
Moroccan Activities
Meeting the Moroccan people involves nothing more than sitting in a cafe and waiting for your
mint tea to brew. The trick is to leave enough time to watch the world go by with the locals
when there’s so much else to fit in: hiking up North Africa’s highest peak, learning to roll
couscous, camel trekking, shopping in the souqs, getting lost in the medina, and sweating in the
hammam. Between the activities, you can sleep in the famous riads, relax on panoramic
terraces and grand squares, and mop up tajines flavoured with saffron and argan.
Ancient Medinas
Often exotic, sometimes overwhelming and always unexpected, these ancient centres are
bursting with Maghrebi mystique and madness: the perfect complement to the serene
countryside. When you hit town and join the crowds, you follow a fine tradition of nomads and
traders stretching back centuries. Unesco has bestowed World Heritage status on medinas
including Fez, the world’s largest living medieval Islamic city, and the carnivalesque Djemaa el-
Fna in Marrakesh. The terrorist bomb on the square in April 2011 was a tragic episode in its
history, but travellers should not be discouraged from visiting this welcoming, tolerant country.
The kasbah of Aït Benhaddou, south of Marrakesh.
BRIAN CRUICKSHANK / LONELY PLANET IMAGES
Top of section
Top
experiences
Djemaa el-Fna Street Theatre
1 Circuses can’t compare to the madcap, Unesco-acclaimed halqa (street theatre) in
Marrakesh’s main square (Click here). By day, ‘La Place’ draws crowds with astrologers,
snake-charmers, acrobats and dentists with jars of pulled teeth. Around sunset, 100 restaurant
stalls kick off the world’s most raucous grilling competition. ‘I teach Jamie Oliver everything he
knows!’ brags a chef. ‘We’re number one…literally!’ jokes the cook at stall number one. After
dinner, Djemaa music jam sessions get underway – audience participation is always
encouraged, and spare change ensures encores.
TIM BARKER / LONELY PLANET IMAGES ©