The tour costs about $700 and includes hotels in all cities, tour of the cities, breakfast and most of the dinners. It doesn't include lunches, trip to the Sahara desert, tour around the Fez Medina and other optional tours. You also have to allot tips for the tour guides, tour director, driver and assistant. This would probably cost around $200 to $300 if you're generous.
Rabat is the capital of the city. The influence of the french is very aparent in this city. Here you will see the Royal Palace of Rabat and the Hassan Mosque. I like the Hassan Mosque and his tomb more. You can actually play hide and seek in the wide grounds just hiding behind the columns. The Chellah Ruins is also located in this city.I'm not very interested with architecture but the design of each palace and the details that go in every square inch of the construction is something to really look at. The Morrocan mosaic is very distinct. Make sure to look closely at each hand made architecture of the buildings.
Meknes is the place of the grainery. If you like taking photos in yellow lights, the grainery is one place you should visit. The dome like architecture is intriguing and the yellow lights make it dramatic. While you're here don't forget to vist the Roman Ruins of Volubilis. Its not part of the tour but its worth the 1 hour trip.
Fes, this walled city is a very important city in the history of Morocco. Once the capital of Morocco, you can see that the city has preserved much of their history and culture. The streets are also lit with yellow lights at night. The medina is a maze and just walking around it is an adventure in itself. You will be greeted by donkeys at the corners. Just be careful coz they might be right behind you. You will see live chickens for sale, dates, clothes, imported products... etc... There are a lot of stuff to buy here but you might want to hold off until Marrakech because carrying your shopping bags for the rest of the trip is not fun.You will see kids playing soccer in every corner of the street. Its like a blend of the new and old. Kids playing soccer on the walled streets. Very interesting sight.
Erfoud is one of my favorite cities. Being the gateway to the sahara, it had its charm added by the Men from the Berber tribe. We had a chance to go around the market where they sell sheep and donkeys. And... the much awaited trip to the sand dunes of the desert! We rode a 4x4 to reach the edge of the sand dunes. It was raining though and very, very cold while we were there. It didn't stop as from riding our camels and enjoying every minute on the dune. Our guide, Midi, is also very personable and can talk English pretty well. Your guides will try to sell you some stuff that they make if the tourist season is over. Its not the real thing but I'm sure the money will help them and their families during the difficult seasons.
Quarzazate... one way to describe this place is enchanting. Dubbed as the hollywood of Morocco, it's not a surprise that this place is often picked as settings for period films. The backdrop of the mountains and the sun is marvelous. No wonder movies like Gladiator, Jesus of Nazareth, Arabian Nights were filmed here.We were able to visit the location where they shot the movie Gladiator and Jesus of Nazareth. It really felt biblical going around that area. The pathway that Jesus walked on, the donkeys and sheep... they all seem so real and not just something we read in books. Before we can get to this place, we had to be thrown over a donkey (seriously!!! they don't wait for you to get on. The donkey owners just carry you and put you on the donkey! Hahaha! Its super fun though.)!
Marrakech... another of my favorite cities. This city is fast growing with beautiful pink houses being built in the best places in Marrakech. The streets are lined with palm trees and yellow lights. Its so beautiful and romantic. Thus, a carriage ride going around the city is recommended.
The Marrakech square is also one place you shouldn't miss. Make sure you go there at night time so as to avoid the heat of the sun. Also, the square is more alive at night rather than in the mornings. Best thing to do is to go there before sunset, go to a cafe, order cafe au lait or orange juice and watch the pink city turn into a darker shade while the sun sets.
If you have an adventurous tummy, you can eat at one of the food stalls in the square. They offer a variety of kebabs and other dishes. Just make sure that your tummy can take it or else you will have a hard time going in and out of the bathroom on the plane or worse, on the way back to Casablanca.This is also the place to shop. For Filipinos, its not super cheap in this place either but you can bargain for a much cheaper price so this is one of the places to shop. They sell everything in this area... from hookahs to djeelavahs to tea pots... everything! Think Divisoria of Morocco.
I was sad to leave Marrakech but it was time to head back to Casablanca and tour that city. Casablanca is a mix of old and new, poor and rich. Very similar to the Philippines. The area I loved in this city is the cornice area. Its lined with different cafes and ice cream bars near the beach. This is where the rich and powerful people of Casablanca meet. The cherry ice cream in Venezia ice is really good. Its a must to try it!By the end of the trip, we were just tired of eating Tagine so we explored the city to find something different. For lunch, we tried the Mc Donalds ala Morocco. It tastes so much better than the Philippine or US burger. They have Mc Arabia and L280 which are very tasty! A must try too.
For dinner, we walked to the port area and had dinner at Ostrea. They server really good oysters but you should try their Paella too. Its good for two people. Morocco sells good safron so their paella is very tasty. Just walk Humphrey Bogart street all the way till the end of the Port area and you'll see the resto there.
Oh, Casablanca also has one building of Zara and Mango. The modern women of Morocco are very fashionable. Blame it on the French influence. We just hope that they still retain the mystic of their culture even if they have now been invaded by the technology of the television.
Our tour ended in Casablanca. No reason for us not to go back to this beautiful country. Next
time, we'll explore the northern part.
To book with Cosmos tour, we coursed it through Bridges Travels here in Manila. Marcy, our travel agent, is very effecient. She found us the cheap flights to Casablanca and coordinated our tour and hotels with ease. You can get in touch with Marcy at tryus@bridgestravel.com.
Some tips when travelling to Morocco.
Food:
A. They sell the best freshly squeezed orange juices. Don't forget to try them
B. They have good olives! Black or green, it doesn't matter.
C. Their Tagine is good but it can get tiring after 5 days of eating the same thing. Order keftas or kebabs whenever you can. Tagine is always available.
D. A small water bottle costs around MAD3 and the big one costs around MAD5. This would depend on which city you're at but make sure you don't go way above these costs.
E. If you don't like sugar with your tea, make sure you tell them as you order. Generally, they server their mint tea with lots of sugar.
F. Mint tea costs around MAD10
G. For those who needs rice everyday, you can have either couscous or long rice with raisins. No place to order plain rice, sorry. Enjoy the Moroccan dish as much as you can.
H. Make sure you eat in a cafe and look out, observe people. When you're in Morocco, do as the Moroccans do.
I. When eating lunch and they say that they serve a package of 3 or 4 course meal, always ask if they can serve you ala carte. It would be cheaper to get the main course for MAD 40 than to eat the whole 4 course meal for MAD 120.
J. For those on a real budget, you can bring your water discreetly in the restos. A big bottle of water costs MAD20 inside the restaurants. It doesn't seem much but if you're ordering every meal, it adds up.
Visa and Travel Info:
A. You don't need a visa if you're from the Philippines but you need to book your tours before leaving the country
B. Don't miss out going to Volubilis. Its not part of the tour package but your tour director can arrange transportation to go there.
C. For those taking the Jewels of Morocco tour, they will give you optional tours. If you're choosing between the Fez dinner or the Marrakech one, choose the Fez dinner. Its more fun and there's more variety in food. In Marrakech, you can enjoy the square at night. That's more entertaining.
D. If you're taking a Cosmos Tour, make sure that you don't have a pulley. They won't accomodate it on the coach. Extra hand carry costs around US3 a day.
E. Bring a book or something to read. There are long drives which can get boring if you can't sleep. Bring something to read or something to listen to.
F. Don't miss out on the carriage ride in Marrakech. Its nice to do it during sunset or night time.
G. Not all cafes serve food. A lot of the cafes serves only espresso or cafe au lait. No food!
H. For women, its normal that men would call out for you on the streets. Don't get scared. They are just saying hi to tourists and happy that you're bringing in much needed money in the region.
Shopping:
A. Bargaining is a must. If you are going to shop in the souks, make sure you bargain half of the original price quoted.
B. Buy the nougats sold in the Medina. There's also some being sold at the entrance of Casbah Oudiais but don't buy there. The nougats come in different flavors, chocolate, caramel, white chocolate, etc... they're good pasalubongs.
C. Buy safron coz its cheaper.
D. If you are tempted to buy carpets, wait until you reach Erfoud. Their carpets are cheaper and nicer. Plus, it's less of a hassle to carry it around.
Clothing:
A. You can wear sleeveless shirts as long as you are with a group and not entering a mosque
B. For those traveling in November, bring thick jackets. The desert gets really cold in the winter.
General Info:
A. Don't take photos of women directly. Its against their beliefs. They believe that its bad luck to have your photos taken.
B. IMPORTANT: Learn a bit of french or arabic. You would need this to get by. Don't do as we did. We had juz de orange and cola light for 3 days!
C. You would need to buy an adapter there for your electrical needs. You have to get two rounded prongs which cost MAD5. The voltage is 220V so you should be ok if you're from Manila.
If you're staying in Ramada Almohades in Casablanca, there's an electrical shop near the hotel. Just make a right when you get out of the entrance and walk a couple of blocks.
D. Dont be surprised to see women dressed in black with covered faces. That's a tradition.
Hope I've helped you somehow. If you have questions, just post your comments and I'll try to answer them. :-)
For more photos of our trip to Morocco, go to http://www.pbase.com/lysh/morocco.
