Traveling to Morocco from Spain for example with low-cost
lines is more than convenient. To visit Marrakech you can leave for only €15
each way (almost as a ticket to the cinema). The price of the accommodations,
meanwhile, can range from € 7, in a shared room, to € 2,500 in a luxurious
suite at the legendary hotel La Mamounia. In my case, I decided to stay at the
Riad Amra for only € 26. There is a good quality price relation.
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| photo credits : Pixabay |
Is it safe for a girl to travel alone to Morocco?
The answer is simple: YES !
Before leaving for Marrakech, there were innumerable voices
that warned me about how unwise the idea of going alone to a country like
Morocco was. The Arab and Muslim theme, as well as the African continent
itself, often create a lot of distrust and excessive overprotection when it
comes to security, and even more so if it is about women alone. Fortunately, I
had no one to accompany me, not even my inseparable life and travel companion
my husband because in this way I was able to experience all kinds of sensations
without losing anything. On the contrary, I had the opportunity to live the
experience of moving alone in this city in the center-south of Morocco and I
can say with absolute conviction that it is a safe city. In fact, they have a police
force that is exclusively in charge of tourist protection.
One night, returning from having tea with a Catalan couple
that I met while dining at the Jemaa el Fna Square, I got lost in the medina
and did not know exactly how to get back to my Riad. For those who have not yet
experienced the experience of going into a medina, I tell them that it is
something like a labyrinth that can often go awry, especially at night when
everything is closed and there are no points of reference in sight. There were
only a few men here and there, some wanting to "help" me to get to my
hotel, but I tried to keep the guy with the face of I know exactly where I'm
getting and I do not need help and I kept going forward with direction to
nowhere.
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| Photo credit : Pixabay |
Suddenly I started to enter a dark street with people with
less friendly faces and I decided that it was better to ask in the only souk
store that was open. Only one of the boys knew more or less where my Riad was
and when I thought he had saved me, he told me he could not take me.
Incredulous and almost on the verge of despair I asked him why not and he told
me that they were forbidden to talk to tourists, let alone accompany them. The
police try to control this very well in order to avoid crime through the
deceptions that may arise between the premises and the visitor. Only if they
are guides or if they have an authorization previously issued by the police in
case they receive someone from outside in their homes this contact may exist.
Personally I think the measure is excessive, although I must also say that not
all comply. However, just when I needed it the least, I found the most
respectful of the law ... Uff!
After much insistence, I managed to get one of them to
accompany me and go if he did. First, he gave me the guidelines to follow: if
they stopped us I could not say that I knew him; In places with more people I
made myself walk a little more distant from him. When we finally found a taxi,
he came with me and did not leave me alone until we were in front of the door
of the Riad. And to top it off, and this is sooo strange, I did not want to
accept the money.
All this does not mean either that Morocco and,
specifically, Marrakech are the safest country or city in the world and that
nothing can happen to you. What it means is that you can travel quietly taking
the precautions you would take in any other city or country in the world. My
suggestion for men and women is to be calm without going through fools. Try to
have your things controlled, avoid looking scary, fear only attracts just what
you are fearing, and do not confuse being nice with excessive confidence, that
there can be messed up and you can get it in a hare.
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| Photo credits : PixaBay |
Travel by free or travel with agency from Marrakech
Normally we usually travel on our own avoiding any type of
agency that may increase or alter the pace with which we like to travel.
However, every rule has its exception, and in the case of Marrakech it turned
out to be even a luck. Having found Marrakech Travel marked the beginning of
what would be a magical journey in every way. Even before leaving home. The
contact with laura from Spain, was already giving clear signs of the warmth of
the people with whom I was going to meet.
Once in Marrakech, once past the queue of an hour to pass
through immigration, I leave in a hurry to find a blonde, whose most part of
the hair was wrapped in a super cool turban, and who waited for me with a huge
smile. The first contact was established through a strong welcome hug that made
me feel in some way that I was at home.
With Laura I spent my first day in the medina. In our walk I
was explaining interesting aspects that were illustrating how life was in that
city for which this Catalan left her homeland. He took me to eat the best lamb
tajine with plums and almonds that I have ever eaten and ended up chatting on a
terrace with a delicious mint tea in hand with such spontaneity, that no one
would have thought that we had just met two hours before.
With the agency of Laura and Nabil, her husband, I had the
privilege of knowing the Cascadas de Ozoud, Essaouira and the Ourika Valley and
I must say that it was worth the pain. The staff with whom they work: drivers
and guides, are first class professionals. They will do everything that is
within their means so that you do not miss anything and to make the trip an
unforgettable experience. Regarding the cost, do not think that hiring an
agency is going to be excessively expensive. On the contrary, in many cases, it
can get you even more economical, especially if you travel with several people.
Because of my experience in terms of time, money, quality of
service and the fortune of having met my new marrakechà family, I would not
hesitate to travel with them again.
