Humans of Wanderlust

Real stories from people traveling

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Moroccan experience in a day <3

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 Do you want to add more questions? Just write it down!

1 - How it feels being a woman traveling solo in Morocco?

I have to say that it was not easy, nothing compares like Europe. You have to be more aware, also plan hostels in advance to make sure that you’ll have a place to stay. Taking care of what you are dressing in some places is totally essential.

I’ve been harassed in some cities, but no one ever done something extremely like touching myself, or forcing me to do something.

Even tho traveling by myself most part of the time I always met people in the same situation, so I was never alone for real. ;)

2 - What about religion? Does it affects how people treat you?

Well, I’ve been in another muslim countries and I don’t think that the religion affects how people treat me, normally, moroccan people are very helpful with tourists. What this religion influences in a traveller’s life is about the clothes, and they pray 5 times a day which means you can hear from any place of the city (and it’s beautiful!). Friday they don’t work and it’s a couscous day, everyone eats it.

Being not a muslim means that we are not allowed to get inside of the mosques. We are allowed to get inside only in two mosques in Morocco, one it is in Meknes and another one it is in Casablanca.

Mosque in Meknes: the entrance is free

Mosque in Casablanca: entrance costs 50 dirham

3 - Did you have any problem with moroccan food?

No, I didn’t and I basically ate only street food. Of course you have to take care and make sure that your organism can handle different spices. I knew people who got sick by eating strawberries and they had a really hard time buying medicines to get better.

4 - Have you passed through any bad experience?

Twice, first when I was in Marrakesh and this woman just came very friendly to me asking where I came from, and telling me that she can do it some henna paintings on my arm. I said no, she started to paint (holding my arm) and I said to her that I didn’t have money to pay for it, so she started to scream bad words and push me and my friends to pay something. I have paid 30 dirhams but she was asking me 200 dirhams. She got mad, I got mad, I tried to call the police and they didn’t care because this kind of situation is pretty common there.

At the end I got half of my arm painted with some weird henna color and it lasted two weeks.

The second time it was really weird, because every hostel I’ve been staffs have asked me to write reviews for them, and this is definitely fine, but they actually force me to make good reviews to increase their ratings, even tho they don’t have a really good hostel. I felt a little bit afraid since I didn’t know what they could do if I’d write something not ‘that good’.

Hostels I’ve been and ‘forced’ me to write good reviews:

Marrakesh - Kiff Kiff - Freedom Hostel

Essaouira - Atlantic Hostel

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1 - Mint Tea

Ok, it comes with a lot of sugar, but seriously, it’s definitely amazing drink tea with moroccan bread or french crepes filled with cheese and honey. 

Average price: 5-10 dirham

*Just be prepared to eat a lot of sweet things, there is pastries everywhere!

2 - Tajine

Cooked in a moroccan way, it tastes delicious, and it’s actually super healthy! The right way to eat it.. is grabbing the food using bread.

Average price: 20-45 dirham

3 - People

Moroccan people are so nice and helpful, always with a smile, even tho when you ask for directions and they don’t know the right way or just don’t know how to answer it in the same language. They are very sensitive with music, loving to play and sing their own songs.

4 - Hamman

The typical moroccan shower where people literally throw your skin off by massaging all over your body. It’s an amazing experience, has to be in your ‘must do it’ experience. Just take care with the prices charged by people.

Average price: 150-200 dirham

5- Shopping at the souqs

Bargain it’s the word here. There is a lot of handcrafted things, colorful scarfs, moroccan oils, huge carpets, leather bags, sandals, everything(!!), keep an eye on your personal belongings and be ready to be patient and bargain a lot.

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Morocco 4 Top Destinations: 1- Medina Fez We definitely agree that it's the most cultural place in Morocco. Nothing compares like the Medina from Fez, small streets, infinite labyrinths, vegetable markets, carpets, tribal clothes, moroccan songs everywhere and lots of Riads to run through your curiosity. 2- Essaouira Very calm&relaxed beach place, famous by its port of Essaouira. One of our favorite cities, lovely coffee places and hidden bars! From Marrakesh: it takes 2 hours by bus and it costs around 75 dirham 3- Chefchaouen Located on the north of Morocco, in the middle of the mountains, Chefchaouen it's well known by the name of blue pearl city. Very cultural and influenced by the berbers has an amazing architecture and famous colored doors everywhere. From Fez: it takes 4-6 hours by bus and it costs around 75 dirham 4- Marrakesh The most touristic city in Morocco, which means dealing with crazy people shouting at you most of the time, asking you to buy everything. Be aware of people offering you to do the henna paintings, or kinda 'forcing' you to take pictures with exotic animals. Marrakesh is exactly the city you have seen at movies, it's crazy and exciting at the same time.

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Forget Maps: streets are crazy inside of the medinas, sometimes (most of the times) does not make sense at all, so get ready to be lost. Try Tajine: specially cooked in a moroccan way to make everyone happy! They have vegetables, chicken and meat versions to eat with bread. Definitely has to be in your 'must do it' list. Average prices: 20-45 dirham Ride a Camel: Go to Merzouga and spend at least 3 days riding camels and sleeping at the Sahara Desert, it'll be an experience in a life time! Average prices: 800 dirham from Marrakesh / Crossing the high atlas from Fez to Marrakesh it costs 1200 dirham (4 days)

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Country: Morocco Capital: Rabat Currency: DIRHAM Language: Arabic and French - How I got there: Got a flight with Ryanair from Barcelona to Fez (15 euros with taxes). - Flight tips: Flights from Madrid uses easyJet and if you fly from Barcelona/Dusseldorf/London Ryanair it's the right option. Some flights has connections at Casablanca, could be a good idea if you chose to stay for a week, choosing to stay in Casablanca for just a few hours it's not worthy. - Exchanging money: best tip ever is exchanging a few amount at the airport and then find a bank to do it, for sure it'll be the safest place to exchange euros/dollars and the rates are way better than 'exchange houses'. - Leaving the airport: if you flight arrives at night we definitely recommend to get a taxi to your hostel. When we arrived in Fez we wanted to go by bus, but since public transportation it's not the best in Fez, although, Marrakesh happens totally the opposite, we've been using public transportation without any problems ;) Taxi Prices from Fez Airport to Medina: 15 euros/150 dirham Taxi Prices from Marrakesh Airport to Place Djema El'Fna: 10 euros/100 dirham - Last but not the least: learn how to bargain. They will increase the prices everywhere, on average they increase at least 50% more in each item you ask, so be strong and do it.

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Have you heard about Morocco? If you don't it's time to get to know it! This week it's all about this amazing country, travel tips, cool places, and amazing food! ;)

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I mainly describe myself as a lonely traveler, there's a simple reason for that: I'm a not good at planning a trip for two or three persons. I'm usually unorganized and like to go with the flow. I'll enjoy every inch of a city even though I wasn't able to enter the main attractions. But once in a while, I enjoy a trip with friends. For this to happen I need to consider some things I'm sure will be helpful for more than one lonely traveler as myself.

Before the trip, ask your friend if there's anything specific he/she wants to see. Who's the most active friend? Will your friend sacrifice some sleep? Get to now forehead each other as a traveler and remember that there might be sides that your friends unknowns about himself as well as sides you don't know about yourself. This will be a friendship test and if you're up for it, you'll become closer by traveling together.

Be prepared for the unexpected. There might be moments no one can see them coming. Don't stressed yourselves about this, but if either of you does, don't fall into desperation together. Or maybe just give each other space to deal with the unexpected. Nothing like knowing to interpret a friend's silence as a way of saying "I'm stressed so don't talk to me or I'll explode".

Get some alone time. You don't need to be together ALL THE TIME. You are traveling together but it's possible each one wants to visit different places. It's better to go apart and meet somewhere than to accept visit a place you don't like and end up with resentment for your companion. Talk about the probability of separation before your trip if you wish to do something else. If you are up to be together all the time, go for it.

Keep control on your finances. Who's paying what? Who owes who money? Are you paying a dinner or drink just because you want or will it be split later? Not every restaurant has a possibility to split the bill. Keep this in mind, sometimes none of you will have change; you're friends not spouses. "Clear counts keep friends together for a long time".

Knowing about the destination is also important. Is there a language barrier? Does one of you speak some of the language? Anyone has already visited? What's the surrounding of the place your traveling to? Do you know how to get to the place you'll stay? Who will be responsible for guiding? Remember neither of you is a travel guide, you might get lost but there's no one to blame. Just ask the locals.

Talk to each other. I know you'll talk about your lives, gossip a bit and update each other on your actual or future plans. I mean, communicate. If you are tired, say so. If you are annoyed, say so. If you want to keep on going instead of resting, speak up. I haven't met a mind reader, hopefully I won't meet anyone who can read my messy mind. Sometimes body language changes from person to person. Also people react different to tiredness. Some may continue while others prefer to rest. Ask each other how are you feeling? There's nothing worst than assuming and acting upon these assumptions. Sometimes a good intention can be misinterpreted.

Maybe you already know all these but it's good to be reminded once in a while. It also varies on the number of friends traveling together. Nevertheless your friendship will grow. Sit back and enjoy the trip. The ups and downs are what keep life interesting. Remember you'll laugh yourselves after so don't stressed over something unimportant. More than getting to know a place, you'll learn to know each other better, and the next trip will certainly be so much better.

Gabriela Velazquez

Travel place: Mexico

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I am a travel addict…. What got me started in the first place?? It began more than a decade ago. I just passed the Medicine boards and so I was earning some money. I was thinking of a good way to spend it. Saving did not cross my mind yet, silly me, but I chose to fill my life with experiences! I started joining trekking trips and the best one so far was in Mount Pulag mainly because it was the first time that I was travelling with my best friend, Tien. But that time, we were with other mountaineers so it was not an intimate, friends-only trip.. The first ever trip with my now-friends was in Sagada. It was February 2005. I got reunited with my high school classmates---we were not good friends back then but that will change after several years of being on the road together and sharing a part of your life with them. We were together all the time and that was a bit daunting since I have not been around these people to forge bonds strong enough to travel with them. But what the heck, the adventurer in me gave it a try. I wanted to see the world so what better way than to start in your own backyard! So that was the beginning of the Viajeros. The group evolved as the years passed by but one thing remains the same—the love and passion for exploring new places with friends..

Travel Place: Uyuni Saltflats, Bolívia

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"I haven't figure it out yet what I suppose to do with my life. I mean, since I was a kid, I never accepted really well why people have to choose only one thing to do for an entire life.

I'm learning something new everyday, you know, new people means different ways of perceiving new places. For real, If I could, I would be in so many spots at the same time, being with my mom and my family in Brazil, and traveling through the craziest places on earth.

I was afraid for a while because people (even your closest friends) keeps saying that I'm not living a real life, like I should have a real job, buy an apartment, blablabla. I just don't care anymore, who said that I need to live my life for others?! Sounds a little bit selfish, but I mean, I'd rather prefer to spent my money on a lifetime experiences than buy material things, that I truly believe that I don't need in this point of my life."

Travel place: Mexico City