Useful Tips For Those Planning A Marrakech Vacation
The pink city of Morocco, Marrakech, can only be described as being overwhelming. It is always an incredible sight and tourism in the area is quite big. There are numerous vacation opportunities available for everyone, ranging from luxury Marrakech vacation deals to affordable housing options. You will find something you will love but we are sure you will want to hear some tips that will help you make the most of the vacation. Below you can find some that are really useful.
Taxi Bargaining
In Marrakech, you will find many different scammers that offer taxi services. It is quite common to end up faced with having to pay 5 times more for a trip simply because you are a tourist. You might end up faced having to hassle and barter to get great rates. Even so, the possibility that you will receive the same rate as that of the locals is really small.
The best thing that you can do is to book your taxi ahead of time. Private firms tend to be cheaper. Also, you want to talk to someone that you do trust and know what the realistic prices are. If the deal you are offered by the taxi driver is not even remotely close, just walk away. Do not pay the inflated prices since this makes it much harder for people that visit Marrakech.
Receiving Advice Without Asking For It
In the event that you trust just one advice from what is written here, make sure it is this one. There are many people that are nice in Morocco. However, those that stand on the corners and that tell you different things like “this is a shut road” or “you can reach the main square when you go this way” should never be trusted. The best case scenario is ending up at the family shop of the stranger. You can also end up faced with aggressive insistence.
Whenever you get lost it is really important that you consider the local shop as a source of information. Alternatively, you can seek directions from a person that is elderly. Those that offer spontaneous help will most likely want to take advantage of the situation you are in.
Avoid Medina Trips Alone When Traveling At Night
There are many great options available for travelers since they are away from big city hassle and can be peaceful at affordable prices. However, this does not mean that you should walk alone during the night. This is because the area is pitch dark. You will feel uncomfortable even when you are a couple. However, walking alone as a woman can be dangerous.
Remember This About Currency
You are not supposed to take local currency when you leave and you cannot actually change it if you go through airport security. You can end up in the duty-free area and still not be able to spend everything. This is due to the fact that you normally misjudge how much currency you actually need with you. Also, once you get to the airport it is really easy to not have as many options available as needed to spend your money.
Finding ATMs
You normally end up with a lot of local currency in Marrakech because of the fact that it is not easy to find ATMs. There are many available in the new town area but in other parts it is hard. Those that do exist will actually rarely accept the foreign cards.
If you just visit Marrakech, try to get all the cash that you need while you are in the town. Cash is always really important. Credit cards are just accepted in the upmarket restaurants or in the fancy boutiques. You basically need to think about what you are going to spend money on and how much. Learn how much things cost in the country to be prepared.
Women
In the past years, Marrakech became a really popular tourist destination. Because of this, you might end up thinking that it is really easy to walk around in whatever you think, including crop tops and hot pants. This is not a good idea since Morocco is a Muslim country. Because of this, you will end up faced with a lot of unwanted and unpleasant attention. Do not wear anything that is too revealing. The swimwear should only be used at riad pools. When you travel throughout the streets you want to wear something that goes beyond knees, covers shoulders and offers more overall coverage.
Get Ready To Get Lost
In Marrakech it is not a matter if you will get lost, it is a matter of when. The streets are narrow so getting lost should just be seen as having a lot of fun. What you should know is that you will eventually end up seeing a tourist draw or a specific sight. In the event that everything else fails, you will need to take a taxi.
Paying attention to the signs that you see can get you lost. Many of these are incorrect and make you walk in an opposite direction. While this does mean that you might be faced with a really interesting and affordable shopping option since you could see a shop with some great things to buy, it is still not something that you want to do, especially if it is getting late. Marrakech is generally safe but this is true just for the main areas.
Boris Dzhingarov graduated UNWE with a major in marketing. He is the founder of ESBO ltd a brand mentioning company. He is also passionate about meditation and healthy living. You can find articles on such topics at his spiritual blog Dzhingarov.com.