Visiting Morocco is a destination which requires a bit more of everything;
time, money, will, condition and on the top, knowing a little French will make easier communication, especially if you are planning to go deeper into center of morocco and in to the south part, as few people there speaks English.

You probably ask yourself right now, why anyone would even want to go there.

The last place in Spain, before you enter Morocco is Algeciras.

You could also taka a different route, via France – there’s a ferry going from Sete in France, to Tangier (but it’s pretty expensive route).

I must not forget, that there is another way to get to Tangier, it is from Tarifa, the most southern place in Spain, and it’s also called paradise for surfers.

It’s amazing place, with lot of nice little surfing places.

It’s not so crowded, and that’s way it makes it so nice.

But who know how long is going to stay this way.

Nevertheless, today I will write a bit about my traveling around Morocco.

I will leave traveling around Spain and Portugal for some other time.

And let’s my trip begins.  So, there is still question why? Perhaps, the answer is hidden in this post.

Morocco is Africa, and on the other hand, it isn’t. It’s Arab country, and again, it isn’t.

As inhabitants are so different; you can find different people, such as Arabs, Berber, Bedouins, Tuareg people and more.

Morocco really feels a bit eccentric, and at the same time feels unimaginable beautiful.

In my today’s post, I will write about all about surfing, inhabitants, the highest mountain in North Africa, places like Essaouira, Marrakesh and Casablanca and of course much more.

It has been a unforgettable trip through Africa.  Firstly, let me tell you a bit about general information of Morocco.

The official country name is Kingdom of Morocco, and with a help of Prime Minister Country is under the reign of King.

Due to such national organization, Morocco should be extremely safe country, as King Mohamed VI. should provide a protection any safety to Kingdom.

Morocco is one of the Maghreb countries in northern Africa, and Gibraltar is the southern country which is the closest to Africa, Morocco and at the same times it separates it from Europe.

The capital city of Morocco is Rabat, the official language is Arabic, the official religion is Islam and currency is the Moroccan dirham.

A picturesque and diverse Kingdom of Morocco offers a diverse mosaic of each visitor and with its coastline, high snow mountains and green oasis in the desert remind us of the mysterious land of the Thousand and One Nights.

In fact, it is so varied in many great ways, so its features, conflicts, habits of people it’s hard to get to know in a short time.

All the varieties and conflicts are due of mixing different cultures, as well as the interplay of modern and traditional, which is also visible at every step.
It’s also very interesting the meaning of the word of »Morocco«; in Moroccan language means the place where the sun sets in.

The sun sets in and around us is only desert, which glows in glowing red. This is something I’ve seen only in the film.

And sunset for a change is not shoddy. Sunset is therefore not shoddy, but people living in Morocco are all of different kind, sorts, with different qualities.

This is also a due to turbulent history of this country, which has been for some time a European colony.

Berber people living here, are original inhabitant of this area, then are also Arabs, Jews, black Africans, and also some are Europeans, particularly French, as a result of colonial times.

It was not until 1956 when Morocco attainment its independence from under the colonial power France.

We can also find few Spanish people, living in Marocco.

Crispy bread, honey and miracle argan oil; it’s the best breakfast to stay young for a long time.

For century the indigenous Berber tribes of Morocco are more and more convinced about this.

Berber people called themselves “free people” and there, in the picturesque villages of Ksar, between untamed proud Atlas proud valleys and soft winds desert dunes, nature imagination has no boundaries.

Against the rural simplicity, there are standing anthills of human imagination, bright royal Moroccan towns with great and a lot of times amazing palaces and mosques.

The old Moroccan tradition says that perhaps one of the best places to look for a wife is in Fes.

Also you’ll certainly fall in love in the bustling Moroccan city! In the old Medina (Medina in the name of old city center) and its colorful heart, for it seems that is there and beats there from always – together with all the professional storytellers, snake tamer, street artists, markets sellers, and all stalls with delicious tajin and numerous spices.

Morocco is the oldest kingdom in the Muslim world. Despite the proximity of Europe, the coast of Morocco is only 14 km away from the Gibraltar.

The kingdom of Morocco seems to us as wrapped in mystery which makes us curious and at the same time inspired us.

It’s a strange, how Morocco was always very attractive to European people. Maybe because is so close, and at the same time so very different.

In a split second it seems as we travel couple of hundred years back in history.

Many famous people he has created a second home in Morocco.

Such as: Yves Saint Laurent, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Hutton, the Rolling Stones, Jean Paul Gautier, and Richard Branson.

Winston Churchill explained the phenomenon of Morocco with the words: Ah, Morocco, the country where the days are perfect and nights are cold.

Its true; the moment we step on Moroccan soil, feel that we have come in strange land.

Not quite African, not quite Arab, not entirely European, but just the right combination of everything.

Morocco is strained between two seas, two and three continental cultures, always unpredictable and always dramatic.

In which other country you could find Atlas mountains covered with snow, Atlantic and Mediterranean coastline, Sahara Desert, the king-sized town …

Sharm El Sheikh is the ideal place for scuba diving, for those who want snorkeling for golfers, for families who want holidays with sandy beaches and under the warm sun, which makes tourists very happy also in winter, and for those who simply wish to spoil them self in excellent hotels.

Sun, sea and sand, comfortable hotels with an interesting construction, water sports, shopping and entertainment. This is the Sharm El Sheikh, the most popular holiday destination in Egypt, and certainly one of the best diving centers in the world. It is very well organized and has a nice bay called Naama Bay, where you can find many bars, restaurants and shops on a lively promenade. Modern hotel resorts are already litle towns themselves.

People in general, are very happy and are smiling all the time, although their average monthly salary is about 1000 LE (120 €), even less in Cairo. The town is totally dependent on tourists; most of them are Russians, British, Italians and some Slavic. The work performed in the town is done by the staff at the hotel, cleaners, waiters, cooks, tour guides, vendors in the bazaar or shops, taxi drivers with a 30 year-old Peugeot in blue color… It is interesting that at this Old Market you are welcomed in Russian language. When you still ignore them after the third hello, they however ask in English: “Excuse me mister, where are you from?”. Although it is all very commercial, bazaar has its charm. Each shop is open until three am, so that you do not need to worry if you are in a hotel and your refrigerator is out of the last drink of Pepsi, Diet Coke or Sakara.

In case they see that they can sell you something, you will be served just by this drink(Sakara), or coffee, ice cold bottled water or hot hibiscus tea, a drink with five spoons of sugar, I have tried it with two and could barely drink it. It is interesting that you could spend all days with bargaining, which is a big challenge for them and also a necessity for every traveler in this sandy place. With bargaining “for a smaller price you will attract a little smile on their face, and if you proved to be a good negotiator, they will even shake your hand. It may happen that you offend them with a price that is too low and the calculator will fly through the air. You shouldn’t worry about that, just leave and already at the neighbors shop you will have the same opportunity with the same products.

You can spend every day with various trips or activities. Since we traveled with the agency they take care of all the trips themselves, but if you step out on the street, you can see on every bend invites to trips, organized by the locals. We decided that we go in the desert with quadricycles (Quad Runner 40 € per person at the agency, 15 € at the locals). The price was bargained against the agency for more than 60%, and we could still go lower, but we were running out of time for bargaining. We went with the agency to Ras Mohammed (45 € per person) or Head Mohammed, to the edge of Sinai, where we saw a dream sea, coral reef and white sand beaches. Trips are more expensive compared with Djerba up to 100%. But it is it true that they are worth visiting.

The biggest attraction is most certainly the pyramids in Giza with the mighty Sfing. From Sharm to Cairo, is about 500 km. We started in the morning at 2:00 am in front of the hotel escorted by police with a big gun hiding under his jacket. The journey lasted good 7 hours with a stopover for the tunnel under the Suez Canal, the entry into the Black continent. At the beginning I was expecting some differences on the African side, but there were none except from slightly lower prices. We continued our trip toward the capital city of Egypt, and already when we were approaching the city we could see by the road 99 tables with the ancient Egyptian gods. Upon arrival in the city, we saw a magnificent mosque of Mohamed Ali and went from there to the pyramids, where I experienced a different side of people.

When leaving the bus, I reached in to the bottom of my bag and grabbed my wide-angle objective, to capture this magnificent peace of engineering ahead of me. At the first push on my camera someone toot my headband, which I wore, away. I looked from behind my camera on to the left and there I saw a local boy who was talking to me in fluent English, that my headband is not properly tied around my head. He took then one from his bag, and tied it around my head and then said to me that he will take a picture of me in front of the biggest pyramid. Naturally, I was not afraid for my equipment (because safety is very high, and probably because of their religion no one would dare to steal my equipment. It may be, however, because they fear the severe penalties, which they would not be able to pay and jail is something very insulting in their culture. In addition, they are living from tourism and they could not afford bad publicity) and passed him my camera. When he took a picture of me, he pushed into my hands another headband and miniature plastic pyramid, which I bought later for 5 LE. I suspected that this excessive generosity will not end well, but I still asked politely how much does he want for all of this. His answer: “Anything little, whatever you want is good …”, for this I wanted to give him 30 LE, but I did not have them, so I knew that I have to give him 50 LE (about 7 €). But when I opened my wallet, he reached out and took out three bills of 50 LE, which were at one another, so that was 150 all together and he added: “… this will be OK ….” The first moment I thought, 20 € for something I never wanted to have, so I push him back into his hand all of things, but he still insisted that he can give me all that for just 15 € and that I have to take it, because he took my pictures. Okay, here I will end this story, as I have ended it with him in that moment turned back, walked away and was very angry. WTF, what kind of arrogant people are they? “Are Arabs like that, I thought. I do not know, probably only in the capital city because in Sharm, it was not the case, there were all smiling all the time, and they are all waving and they are welcomed, even if they think: “Yes, you just wave, but I will rip you with the price …”. But better that than such a negative experience. Well, but at least he made the picture like a pro.

People and their customs:
Egypt’s total population is around 75 million. 90% are Muslims, the remaining 10% are Christians. Egyptians are very friendly and hospitable. As a result, they say that Egypt has one of the greatest treasures – its people. They always await you with a spontaneous smile and they absolutely cannot hide their enthusiasm towards the children. The most typical are the bars where the Egyptians spend their free time drinking tea every day, “Shish” (water pipe) and chat all day long.

Bayram is their bigest holiday, which follows after the month of Ramadan. During this time, Muslims fast all day long and wait for the night to eat food, drink and walk. During this time, there are very large number of people on the streets everywhere. It was a coincidence that we were there at that time and we have seen an increased number of tourists from all over Egypt, who came to celebrate this great feast in the elite resort.

Bedouins:
Bedouins are the people who were born and live in the desert in tents or in caves. Living in contact with nature, that we urban people have long lost with the. They breed sheep, goats, donkeys and camels. They know different types of herbs and they know how to effectively use them as food, drink and medicine. Bedouins are able to appreciate and accept all that they have, they are not attached to material things and are happy to live and give life.

Here women are breastfeeding a very long time. One of the reasons is of course a natural contraception. In addition, they carry their children in the tracks, and later on their backs.

Of the approximately 25 000 Bedouins only few still travel with their camel herds across the Egyptian desert areas. Many have settled on a permanent basis and shall be working, mostly seasonal, in the oil or construction industry, but also in quite a lively tourism on the peninsula of Sinai.

Egypt is a country of countless opportunities: millenniums old unique cultural heritage, diverse underwater world, life in East bazaar and unforgettable quiet wilderness. For Millenniums Nile represents the life vane for Egypt. The largest part of the Egypt area covers the desert, which is not populated. The capital city is Cairo, which lies to the north of the country before the Nile River Delta. Egypt is in the north of the border on the Mediterranean Sea.

Red Sea a paradise for divers

With its coral reefs and tropical fish you can say it is one of the most beautiful diving places of the world. Approximately 100 diving places along the coast of Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada provides facilities for training, diving and surfing conditions. The traditional tour through the desert with a camel or a ground vehicle is an unforgettable experience.

Location and Climate

The city lies at the southern-east tip in the Sinai Peninsula on the coastal strip between the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba with the mountains of the Sinai in the back. The climate is dry and in the summer months, temperatures of 35 ° C are common, in the winter time, it is significantly colder, but with an average of 12-16 ° C is still bearable. During the months of May to August is almost no precipitation. The ideal travel time is in autumn and in the spring months.

History

The first time, Sharm El-Sheikh was included in charts is 1762. Egyptian President Nasser blocked  the Strait of Tiran and the entrance of Israel to the Red Sea here in 1967. This sparked the Six Day War during which Israel occupied the Sinai Peninsula. After the peace treaty of 1979 between Israel and Egypt, the Sharm El-Sheikh was  returned to Egypt again.

Sharm El-Sheikh was a small fishing village before 1967. It  experienced a major upswing through the tourism in the 1990s. Sharm El-Sheikh today is based economically completely on tourism, and is now considered by far the most expensive seaside resort in Egypt. This is mainly because the ideal water sports and the warm and very clear water of the Red Sea. Especially among divers and snorkelers, the whole area (with the Ras Mohammed National Park) is known as the best area for these sports worldwide. Besides the large, international hotels and excellent restaurants there ware also several golf courses created.

On the night of 22 to 23 July 2005 three bomb explosions occurred in the city and nearby Naama Bay, in which at least 88 people were killed and, according to the Egyptian Health Minister Mohammed Awad Tag Eddin more than 200 were injured. The first explosion occurred around 01:15 clock on the square (old market) Sharm El-Sheikh. A few minutes later, the terrorists perpetrated an attack on the Ghazala Village Hotel and ignited at the same time about a bomb in the parking lot in front of the Hard Rock Cafe. ”

Located in the north of the city, the Naama Bay is the little Las Vegas of the Egyptians. Here, they feel open and free from any political doctrine. Not for nothing meets the international political elite here. This has existed for many years for fundamentalist groups often enough, this western reprehensible “to halt”. Veiled women, are not often seen here. Here there is everything that  is not popular in familiar surroundings – Hard Rock Cafe, McDonald’s, outdoor Cartbahn, Buddha Bar, Night Clubs, and several official casinos.

Traffic

Each day there is a fast and comfortable bus to Cairo.

From the port of the town there are regular ferry services to Hurghada and Aqaba. Cruise ships often dock here. The local marina berth and is focal point for numerous private yachts and sailboats.

The international airport of Sharm El-Sheikh is with more than 5 million passengers (2006) to Cairo to second place in Egypt. Originally, the airport opened in 1968 as an Israeli military airport, which after the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt received its civilian status with the return of Sinai to Egypt. In May 2007, a second terminal with an annual capacity of 8 million passengers opened.

Food and drink

Egyptian cuisine is strongly influenced by Arab, Turkish and partly by Mediterranian. The range of vegetarian dishes is extremely diverse. Mezz is a typical dish served in small trays, which immediately satisfies hunger. You have to try fresh Tabbouleh salad with plenty of parsley, with a meal of wheat, minced lamb and the rest. Coffee is prepared in the Turkish manner, with water, and is beneficial for digestion.
In addition, a wide selection of refreshing soft drinks, for example lemonade, juice or Tamarhindi – sour drink of fresh juice extracted Tamarinds. Egyptian specialty of the hibiscus karkadeh.

The best time to travel

Due to the subtropical climate of Egypt, you can visit anytime of the year, but we recommend the period from October to April, as it is in summer very hot.