Morocco 2017 | FindPenguins

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December 22, 2017
Morocco 2017 Traveler
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Day 1
Friday, December 22, 2017
☀️ 14 °C
Altitude: 435 m
Morocco Hay El Adarissa 34.01812, -5.0078434°1’5” N 5°0’28” W
Fez
December 22, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
We loved Fez.

We landed in Casablanca and took a train to Fez. We had arranged for a car to come pick us up at the airport. Someone from our riad was waiting for us at the medina and they walked us to the place. It turns out this is absolutely necessary, because finding your way in the little streets and corners is almost impossible. In fact, even restaurants will get someone to pick you up and walk you if you need to.

We stayed there for a couple of days and visited some of the main highlights, such as the Blue Gate (Bab Bou Jeloud), the Medersa Bou Inania, and the Chaouwara Tanneries (truly impressive, and not as smelly as we had been warned!)

Of course we also spent quite a long time walking up and down the streets (Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira are the main ones) and exploring the little stores and markets. You have to haggle everywhere though, which ends up being exhausting if you're not that much into it, but we did end up getting some beautiful leather bags.

We slept:

Dar Gnaoua
https://www.booking.com/hotel/ma/dar-gnaoua.html
We stayed in the room on the top floor. It was beautiful and confortable. Breakfast was amazing and the views from the terrace were spectacular. Location was very convenient and the owner and manager were really helpful and friendly.

We ate:

Nur
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/02/…
This place had been featured in the NYTimes and it looked like a great restaurant to have a fancy dinner. It's beautiful and the tasting menu was good, but not that good for the price, so we were a bit disappointed.

Cafe Clock
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g…
We loved this place. It's a casual cafe and restaurant with a cute terrace and friendly vibe. Quite touristy, but whatever. Their specialty is the delicious camel burger.

Ruined Garden
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g…
The place is cute and charming and staff is very friendly, but service is slow. We enjoyed the food but it wasn't the best we had during our trip.Read more
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Day 3
Sunday, December 24, 2017 at 12:00 PM
☀️ 11 °C
Altitude: 1,464 m
Morocco Dayet Aaoua 33.6519, -5.0330533°39’7” N 5°1’59” W
Dayet Aoua
December 24, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
We left Fez and started our road trip. Dayet Aoua was our first stop, but the lake was dry! We walked a bit around the area, were some people were riding horses, and left.
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Day 3
Sunday, December 24, 2017 at 3:00 PM
☀️ 12 °C
Altitude: 1,663 m
Morocco Ifrane 33.52281, -5.1109633°31’22” N 5°6’39” W
Ifrane
December 24, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
The French built Ifrane in the 1930s. They were trying to recreate an alpine-style resort. It is kind of weird, with its red roofs and North European look. Probably not worth going unless it's on your way.Read more
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Day 3
Sunday, December 24, 2017 at 4:00 PM
☀️ 24 °C
Altitude: 1,228 m
Morocco Azrou 33.434731, -5.23188833°26’5” N 5°13’55” W
Azrou
December 24, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Not much to say about Azrou. We arrived after 3PM and the places that looked best were already closed.
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Day 3
Sunday, December 24, 2017 at 4:00 PM
☀️ 24 °C
Altitude: 1,693 m
Morocco Jebel Ischouarret 33.42644, -5.155533°25’35” N 5°9’20” W
Cedar Gouraud Forest
December 24, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Ah, this was fun!

We went to this forest a little bit before sunset, and that was probably for the best, because there weren't too many people in the area. We had been told we would easily see monkeys, and it was so true! As soon as we passed the large cedar, they were everywhere and it was amazing.

Unfortunately the forest was quite dirty. Still, this was a highlight.Read more
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Day 3
Sunday, December 24, 2017 at 8:00 PM
☀️ 24 °C
Altitude: 1,475 m
Morocco Irhzer Arhenbou 32.679942, -4.73292732°40’48” N 4°43’59” W
Midelt
December 24, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
There's not much to do or see in Midelt itself, but it's the natural stop on the way to the desert. We stayed at Villa Pomme d'Or. It wasn't amazing, but it was fine and probably the best option in town. We also got dinner and breakfast there, and it was good.

Villa Pomme d'Or
https://www.booking.com/hotel/ma/la-pomme-d-39-…Read more
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Day 4
Monday, December 25, 2017 at 2:00 PM
☀️ 13 °C
Altitude: 983 m
Morocco Maski 31.85514, -4.2892831°51’19” N 4°17’21” W
Ksar Meski
December 25, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
We continued our way to Merzouga and we did a couple of stops on the way there. The road was good, the views were beautiful and there were tons of tiny towns that looked somehow like ruins but they weren't.

We stopped in Ksar Meski, in Er Rachidia, to see the ruins. They're worth a stop on the way.Read more
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Day 4
Monday, December 25, 2017 at 4:00 PM
☀️ 13 °C
Altitude: 805 m
Morocco Saguiat Lahmiyda 31.43663, -4.2343831°26’12” N 4°14’4” W
Erfoud
December 25, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
We just stopped here to eat. We went to Des Dunes, in Erfoud. It was pretty convenient because they don't close between lunch and dinner time, and the food was decent. The sunset on our way from Erfoud to Merzouga, with the light behind the palm trees, was amazing.

Des Dunes
https://www.tripadvisor.es/Restaurant_Review-g3…Read more
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Day 4
Monday, December 25, 2017
☀️ 24 °C
Altitude: 696 m
Morocco Mazguida 31.08017, -4.0133631°4’49” N 4°0’48” W
Merzouga
December 25, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Finally Merzouga!

We spent one day here before heading to the desert. The riad helped us arrange a night in a camp in the desert and a camel ride. The owners were super friendly and helpful, and gave us a lot of options without pushing us into anything. There's not a lot to do around there unless you head into the desert, but we walked around the dunes and checked out the town.

Where we slept:
Riad Ouzine
https://www.booking.com/hotel/ma/riad-ouzine.html
This place was lovely and the owner was very friendly and helpful. Rooms were very clean and nicely decorated. We had some issues turning on the heat but we solved them. They arranged our night in the desert and offer us some other options as well.

Where we ate:
Restaurant Merzouga
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g…
Nothing exceptional, but it was good.

We also had dinner and breakfast at the riad where we were sleeping. It was good and very convenient.Read more
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Day 5
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: 740 m
Morocco Erg Chebbi 31.14583, -3.9677831°8’45” N 3°58’4” W
Erg Chebbi
December 26, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Riding camels and camping in the desert is one of the most touristy things you can do in Morocco, but that doesn't make it any less amazing. We left around 3.30PM, arrived in our camp before sunset, had dinner there, played music, and woke up early to see sunrise and head back.

There are tons of camps around the area, and your hotel or riad should be able to arrange this activity for you. Some of them offer luxury options (totally unnecessary, I think.) In our case, we went with a very small group (two guides, a Korean girl and her mom - who were really friendly - and the two of us.) This may be a great option for some, because you get to enjoy the desert without a bunch of other tourists, but others may prefer going with a larger group and party harder, I'd guess.

There are some things you should know if you plan to do this.

Weather
Weather is going to be a bit extreme. If you go in December, as we did, daytime temperatures will be great, but it will get very cold at night. If you go in the summer, I can only guess the heat is going to be brutal. I carried several layers, gloves and a beanie, and I was happy I did. You'll have blankets, but it'll still be cold.

Bags
You won't be able to carry much with you, but that's OK. You can take a small backpack with water, basic toiletries, extra clothes, sunscreen... You can leave the rest of your luggage in the hotel, and normally they will let you take a shower in the morning when you get back, before leaving. Be aware that you won't have toilets at a normal camp, and that it'll be dark at night, so plan accordingly. I brought a small headlamp and it was very useful.Read more
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Day 6
Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at 12:00 PM
☁️ 14 °C
Altitude: 870 m
Morocco Aït Ouazik 30.68333, -5.6333330°40’60” N 5°37’60” W
Aït Ouazik
December 27, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
We left Merzouga early and decided to head to Ouarzazate through the South instead of the North. We missed Todra Gorge this way, but we decided it would be more interesting and did not regret it.

We went through Alnif and Tazzarine and stopped at Aït Ouazik to check out the prehistoric site. It took us some time to find it, and many locals didn't speak French, but we finally made it to the top of a hill and found it.

Aït Ouazik is pretty interesting. The petroglyphs date from 5000 BC and you can clearly see elephants, antelopes and buffalos in the images. There was a man at the site who showed us the site and gave us some explanations in French.Read more
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Day 6
Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at 4:00 PM
Altitude: 940 m
Morocco Assif n’ Ouaôusmâst 30.70413, -6.4530130°42’15” N 6°27’11” W
Agdz
December 27, 2017 in Morocco
We went through N'Kob and Timidarte and made it to Agdz shortly before sunset. It was slightly late but we still got to visit the Caid Kasbah, which ended up being one of my favorite places.

It's a 170 year old kasbah that is being restored. You can stop at Casbah Caïd Ali, next door, and they will let you in and show you the place. The views from the rooftop are amazing, and the interior is very interesting to see as well.

Caïd’s Kasbah
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/morocco/agdz/attra…Read more
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Trip end
December 27, 2017