Digital Nomad Travel Guide: Morocco

Hey again, friends! Here's another digital nomads' travel guide, this time for Morocco. I spent a month in Morocco back in 2019 and it was incredible. I hope to go back again someday, but for now, here are a couple of tips, tricks, and resources to help make your trip extra fab. Again, these are just some notes and info I jotted down back then to share with other travelers, but if you have any specific questions feel free to message me.

Safe travels and enjoy!

xx Esther

General info

Money

1. Currency: dirham (MAd/DHM)

2. Currently worth just under 10 DHM/ 1 USD

3. Cash-based society. You'll need a lot of cash. Don't expect people to have credit card machines, and even if they do, don't expect them to work.

4. Exchange at the airport right when you land bc you'll need cash immediately. Rate wasn't bad.

5. Haggle. Everything will be incredibly overpriced bc you're a tourist.

6. When you get to your riad, ask the manager what prices for things are. ie, ask how much a taxi ride in the city should cost. If you know the price before hand, you wont get taken advantage of (well, not as much, anyway).

7. Always use meters in taxi. Average taxi ride should cost you around 10-15 dirham.

Airport

1. We landed In Marrakech. A taxi from airport to city should be about $10-$15. Maybe $20.

2. Your riad should offer taxi pickup. Take them up on it bc it might be hard to find your riad/ communicate with taxi driver.

3. We didn't get SIM cards bc we have international service, but everyone says to get SIMS at the airport. Apparently they're cheap and give good service.

Safety

1. The first day we were there, a fellow riad guest was pickpocketed. People here really do steal. Keep your bag zipped, in front of your body, etc.

2. Be vigilant always.

3. People will be aggressive. They'll stop you and yell "you're going the wrong way! The square/mosque/ synagogue (whichever is the nearest tourist site) is the other way!" And try to guide you in exchange for $. Ignore them. (Unless you want to pay someone to guide you).

4. Nothing is free. They'll tell you it's free, but literally nothing is free in this country. Look em in the eye and you'll owe em 20 bucks.

5. They'll be aggressive and try to grab you/convince you to come to their shop or whatever. Just be firm and confident and refuse when you're not interested.

6. If you're women travelling alone (without men): men WILL harass you. You're considered easy meat. You'll be constantly catcalled at and harassed. If you do become friendly with hotel managers/guides/the like, beware they might be reading more into it than you think bc in Morocco it isn't common for men and women to mingle and be friendly the way it is for us. This happened to us quite a few times. It is a very different culture and they view women very differently, not at all the way women are seen in the western world.

7. Location: when it comes to staying in the medina, choose anyplace near an entrance of the medina, or if not an entrance, at least near a main road, square, or landmark. Near an entrance is best bc the medinas are very labyrinthine and you can easily get lost in the alleyways, which are also not super safe for tourists. The Fez medina has almost 10,000 streets! Choosing a location near an entry means you have less chance of getting lost and an easier time giving taxi drivers your address. It also means your driver can probably take you all the way to your accommodations (cars often can’t drive into the narrow inner roads, so if you're in the middle of the medina, you'll have to carry your baggage from the nearest main road to your riad).

General:

1. Carry toilet paper with you

2. Coins here are useful.

3. Main language is Arabic, then French. There's also berber, and lots of people here speak a bit of Spanish bc Spain is right across the water.

6. Riads: traditional Moroccan homes that are turned into mini hotels. Usually good prices (there are more expensive ones that are really nice, if you want). Cool experience. They all serve free breakfast. Ask your local Rabbi, but a lot of the things are okay to eat. We always got bread, fruit, veggies, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, tea, etc.

Driving

1. We didn't drive bc were both inexperienced drivers, but what we heard and observed:

2. Do not attempt to drive in the medinas. The parking and the driving are both absolutely insane.

3. The roads seem to be in decent condition otherwise--lots of roadwork going on.

4. For the most part, outside of the cities it's quiet 1-lane highways, seems simple.

5. Police stop you really often and make up a reason to give you a ticket. They just want a $15-$20 bribe. You can argue with them and bargain down the prices.

6. The rental companies here are notoriously difficult to work with. They won't be on time, will charge your card, find reasons to charge you extra and screw you over, so document everything and be super vigilant and ask lots of questions. Dont be afraid to argue. Be confident and stand up for yourself.

Our itinerary

1. Marrakech (riad monir, riad losra)

Day 1: landed, chilled, worked, vegetable shopping

Day 2: Shabbat. Wandered around town. Secret garden.

Motzash: Went to Dar Ima kosher restaurant in Gueliz (the modern part of Marrakech)

Day 3 Sun: half day tour of Marrakech. Bahia palace (cool, not crazy), tombs (okay), spice shop (interesting), drive around the fancy part of the city (do it!) argan oil co-op (nice), Majorelle gardens (beautiful).

You don't need a guide, Marrakech is easy to navigate. But it's easier + you get all the info with guide.

Day 4 mon: moved to riad losra, went to beit Knesset and Jewish cemetery, then hammam. highly recommend Hammam! Really cool experience.

Day 5 Tues-day 7 thurs: Sahara desert tour

I personally didn't like the tour. Either do research to find a good one or pay for a more private one. First day was lame, the 2nd day Is cool bc you explore the gorges and the local town and all that. The Sahara is gorgeous but we had a weird experience. I would definitely recommend going, but either go with a private tour or rent a car and go alone and book a sahara stay yourself bc the commercial 3 day tours spend a lot of time at overhyped, commercialized manufactured places and very little time at the beautiful nature places.

Jewish things marrakech

1. sal azamat shul

2. Jewish cemeterey

3. Dar ima restaurant in gueliz

4. Ohayon family

5. Rafi Elmaleh-Jewish man who helps people there

6. there’s a jewish woman in the marrakech medina who hosts shabbat meals. I dont have her info but you can ask around

Next up: Essaouira

1. We took a collective taxi (100 dhm per person) direct from marrakech. About 2.5 hrs

Other:

1. There’s a bullet train between cities. It’s super fast! You must book it in advance tho bc the seats do fill up

2. Tangier is really cool. Highly recommend. There's a kosher restaurant there called L’Cercle du Tangier with delicious food

3. Chefchaouen has tons of vegan places

4. Essaouira is beautiful and fascinating, You can buy whole, fresh caught fish at the port and take it to any restaurant where they’ll grill it for you

5. There are loads of kosher restaurants and shuls and Jewish stuff in Casablanca, and the community is so warm and welcoming. We stayed at hotel Idou Anfa, which was okay. Location was great. Be careful tho, there’s a lot of crime in Casa.

Info from Chabad of Casablanca (Rabbi and Mrs. Banon):

Dear friend,

Thank you for your email requesting information regarding Morocco!

Morocco has a wonderful large Jewish community in Casablanca which boasts numerous Shuls, restaurants, bakeries and small kosher grocery. Some other cities have smaller communities with Jewish sites to see.

As Shluchim in Casablanca we take pleasure in hosting tourists that pass through Casablanca for Shabbat. For security purposes please reply to this email with a scan of your passport and a reference to your local Rabbi. (Below is a list of hotels close to our home and community synagogues).

Chabad can also provide Glatt Kosher meals for groups only in Casablanca. This can be convenient for conferences etc.

In Marrakech daily meals and Shabbat meals can be ordered or organized at the Ohayon family (for a few). The Kosher style restaurant in Marrakech does not have Kosher certification.

Contact information for Kosher establishments in Casablanca: (Meat and chicken is not up to the Glatt Kosher standard)

Local milk and bread is generally authorized however they are not Cholov Yisrael / Pas Yisrael

David Ohana (all cities)

Caterer +212 6 99 53 05 48

DEJJ restaurant +212 6 99 53 05 48

Bagel Bar Dairy Restaurant (Cholov Yisrael cheese on request) +212 6 58 75 34 35

SOC Restaurant ‪+212 6 61 32 53 10‬

Cercle de L'union ‪+212 6 15 90 47 71‬

Cercle de L'alliance ‪+212 6 61 29 75 00‬

Fhal Bakery ‪+212 5 22 22 19 16‬

Elbaz Bakery ‪+212 5 22 43 07 08‬

Sucre Sale Grocery ‪+212 6 61 28 42 68‬

Cookies catering ‪+212 6 71 98 25 98‬

Marrakech:

Mrs Ohayon: ‪+212 6 62 17 44 76‬

Mrs Halioua ‪+212 5 24 37 60 64‬

Fez:

Mr. Mahlouf Eliel +212 676-286099

Rabat:

Mr toledano

‪+212 661-161017‬

Hotels near the Rabbi's home:

Luxury hotels: The Casablanca (5 minute walk) Four seasons (40 minute walk)

Five stars: Gray Boutique (4 minutes), Palace d'anfa (4 minutes), Onomo Hotel (7 minutes) Barcelo Anfa (15 minutes) Kenzi Towers (15 minutes)

Four stars: Barcelo Casablanca (10 minutes), Idou Anfa (10 minutes)

Tour guides who can organize car rentals, driver, tours throughout the country:

Rafi Elmaleh speaks English, French, and Hebrew.

‪+212 6 61 31 26 73‬

Please do not hesitate to contact me with further questions.

Warmly,

Chana Banon

PayPal cduchman@gmail.com

You can donate through our website:

https://www.jeunessechabadmorocco.com/donate

Info on Jewish stuff that some Israelis sent me:

ברוכים הבאים לקהילת מרקש

הודעות למטייל🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦

🕍בית הכנסת בית-אל

ליד סנטר אמריקאן בשכונת הגליז':rue pacha -Face au Centre Américain,

מנחה וערבית ערב שבת : בכניסת השבת

שחרית: 08:30

מנחה: שעה וחצי לפני צאת השבת. לאחר מכאן סעודת שלישית

ערבית צאת השבת: במוצאי השבת.

🕍בית הכנסת לעזמה

במלאח –רח' תלמוד תורה:

שחרית של חול: מראשון עד שישי: 07:30

שחרית שבת : 9:00 (קידוש בסיום התפילה)

ביתי מלון קרובים לבית הכנסת ולמשפחות המארחות ניתן לראות בכשרות באתר הקהילה.

🍲 אוכל כשר:

אוכל כשר ערב שבת שבת בבוקר/אמצע השבוע באירוח ביתי:

1.משפחת אוחיון טלפון: ברוריה ואיזק -

Whatsapp +212662174476 +212-524432514

(אנגלית, עברית וצרפת)

איזק אוחיון - 212668954413+

rue mohammed beqal 117 Gueliz,

משפחת חליאווה טיטי: +212524376064

Whatsapp:+212666573471

משפחת דהן טלפון: סוזן - 212.6637114+ Gueliz mohammed 5

🍗 בשר כשר: בשוק המלאח - יש אטליז של מר שלום אבוחצירא המוכר בשר כשר הנשחט על ידי רבי יצחק עמר מבקזבלנקה. טלפון: 06-64-12-79-39 שוק המלאח.

🥖 מוצרים כשרים : במרוקו ישנם למעלה מ650 מוצרים כשרים של איגוד OU של ארה"ב, בימים הקרובים אעלה רשימה של כל המוצרים הכשרים - ניתן לקנות מוצרים כשרים בסופרים הגדולים של מרוקו אתר אינטנרט שנבנה בימים אלו עבור כל המידע הכשר של מרוקו

moroccokosher.com

🍫שוקלד כשר: jeff de bruges marrakech - בשכונת הגיליז': rue de la liberte 17 יש רשימת שוקולדים כשרים עם תעודת כשרות של רבנות צרפת.

מסעדה🍟 : ב1.2.2016 נפתחת מסעדה פרטית בשכונת הגיליז' במרקש: DAR IMA פרטים: 05.24.43.68.93 המסעדה עדין לא קיבלה תעודת כשרות הבשר מגיע מאטליז כשר מקבלנקה והמוצרים בהשגחת OU - יש לבדוק נוכחות משגיח במקום.

מקווה🏊:

המקווה נמצא בבית הכנסת 'בית אל' בגיליז'. לגברים : יש לדבר עם השומר ולתאם הגעה מראש עבור טבילה לנשים : יש ליצור קשר עם הנשים האחראיות על טבילת נשים מאדאם גורג'ט אלקלסלאסי: 0524430842 (צרפתית) מאדאם טיטי חליאווה: 0666573471 (עברית וצרפתית)

טיולים 🚵‍♀:

מדריך טיולים בעברית ( אפשר גם אנגלית) : סיור יהודי בעיר העתיקה של מרקש בדגש על האתרים היהודים,ביקור ב4 בתי כנסת ייחודיים , רחובות ואתרים שעד לא מזמן חיו בהם קהילה יהודית של למעלה מ35,000 איש.

סיורים מסביב למרקש : אסוירה, אוזוד, אוריקה, ג'בל טובאל ווראזאזאת ועוד..

יעקב יפרח :

whatsapp: +972507492648

tel mroc: +212613720067

kobiif@gamil.com

מוזיאון הקהילה היהודית 'אלעזמה 1492':

מוזיאון אודות הקהילה היהודית נמצא בבית הכנסת סלאת אלעזמה ברח' תלמוד תורה 36 (דרב אלמנשורא 36) במלאח - מדינה מרקש.

הכניסה למוזיאון בתרומה של 10 דירהם

המוזיאון פעיל מהשעה 9:00- 19:00 ביום שישי עד השעה 17:00 ובשבת המקום פתוח בזמן התפילה בלבד עד השעה.

טלפון בית הכנסת: 0524381957

בית העלמין מרקש – 'בית מועד לכל חי'

בית העלמין העתיק של יהודי מרקש בו נמצאים צדיקי מרקש וסביבותיה כדוגמא: רבי חנניה הכהן, רבי שלמה תמצואת, רבי אברהם אזולאי, רבי פנחס הכהן ועוד.

הכניסה לבית העלמין בתרומה של 10 דירהם עבור שיפוץ בית העלמין.

בית העלמין פתוח מהשעה 9:00- 19:00 ביום שישי עד השעה 17:00

בשבת – סגור.

טלפון בית העלמין: 0524381959

תרומות לתת בקופה בלבד לא לשומר.

לפרטים נוספים:

על צדיקים בקרבת מרקש , מפות הגעה, כשרות, מקווה ועוד באתר אינטרנט:

www.Jmarrakech.org

f: Jmarrakech

@:juifdumarrakech@gmail.com

Whatsapp Chat for Israelis travelling in Morocco:

‏היכנסו לקישור זה כדי להצטרף לקבוצת ה-WhatsApp שלי: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HIWrMEEtQXp0qPjge7O9bT

Here's additional research I did from the Jewish Girls Travel Facebook forum in this document.