8 days in Morocco

Hers a few photos of our trip to Morocco - left the UK on February 14th.


This was pretty much the story for the whole trip, the Range Rover constantly overheating, a steady drain of EP90 and flat battery from the 110, and us trying not to be too smug because my 90 just kept on going.


The weather that greeted us at the border from Spain to Morocco. The locals were out in it laughing and enjoying it - very different to the complaing we're used to at any sign of bad weather in th UK









Very differnet scenery in the space of two days



Probably the nicest lamb I've ever tasted, cut from the bone in front of us, and cooked on the street.



The whole team in the dunes at Erg Chebbi

Anyone thinking of going, do it! 98% of the people we met were extremely friendly. Only problems were a beggar banging on our passenger window because we would not give him our sandwiches, and being followed for a few miles into the desert by a motor bike and brand new Land Cruiser, who stopped us to convince us that they were not mafia, and would like to lead us to their hotel in the dunes -we declined their offer.

A few things that we often see discussed on the web - I wouldnt go camping again without the roof tent, the 3 in the Range Rover using normal tents had constant problems with wet floor, punctured air beds, and it just being a pain to put a tent up in the dark. The roof tent made life 100 times easier and comfier.

Our planning mainly consisted of watching youtube videos, and reading a few forums, Morocco is so easy to travel in.

We took the Algeciras - Cueta ferry, 70 Euros each way, and the border crossing was very easy, although it did take us 2 hours to get through.

In 8 days we saw a lot, but did a lot of driving. We wouldn't bother with Fez again (the only major town we went to). However, we all said we will return with more time, n.ext time

Pleased you enjoyed it, despite the mechanical problems. Don't you just love the smell of cat's pee first thing in the morning (that's what EP90 smell like in case you think I'm gone completely mad - only halfway there )

Morocco is a great place for off-roading. Very 'eastern' yet compared to so many other countries in the world, very safe and easy to get around.

Regarding tents, ground tents can be great if you go for the right options. An Oz tent if you can afford one – quick, robust and easy to erect in most circumstances (even at night) or simply go for an instant erect 3-man tent, that if you let it, will start to erect itself before it's even out of the bag! That's how quick they are, brilliant things.

Combine that with a decent quality groundsheet (just it chuck down on top of the thinner sewn-in version that comes as part of the actual tent), then an air mat which again is useable in seconds (not a pump up air mattress which takes time and can - NO, always seems to puncture), and hey presto, you've a good bed for the night that doesn't take any longer that deploying an expensive roof tent ... which incidentally adds a lot of extra weight, makes the vehicle top heavy, and acts as a wind break for however thousands of miles you will cover during the life of the vehicle ... and security-wise is not as simple as jumping in your vehicle and roaring off into the night. Okay, in extreme circumstance you may leave your tent behind, but you'll escape with your life!!!

Nah, a ground tent for me, or even better kip inside the vehicle if possible. Each to their own of course, but unless you're likely to be eaten by wild animals in the middle of the night, roof tents are totally unnecessary.

What by the way was the problem with the 'EP90 leak'?

The two Toms with us slept in the 110 - very cosy but worked very well. In terms of breaking/setting camp, we, in the roof tent, and them in the 110, took exactly the same time each day. I can see the advantages of both.

The EP 90 was from the transfer box, and also it lost the rear diff filler plug. This looked like it had been knocked out from the inside - very odd. Fixed with the bung from a hot water bottle. This survived a few thousand miles.

We think one of the head gaskets on the Range Rover failed -it was pressurising the cooling system from about the bottom of France. This was cured by sticking to 55mph, wedging the bonnet open slightly, keeping it shut with a ratchet strap. (Many would say it should have turned around in France, but where's the fun in that?)

Thanks again TomMc for your help with our front prop, one UJ of which suffered from the Moroccan dust and lack of grease by the time we got back to Spain. All contacts had to order one from the UK, so we now know that a 90 will quite happily cover Spain, South of France, across France, England and Wales in 2wd no problem!

I hope this doesn't offend anyone on here, but we didnt see how the trip could have been any better or easier by being part of an organised tour. Just get a map and start exploring!

Definitely no offence taken!

I can answer that one quite easily. In a nutshell, navigation-wise an organised tour operator will not only know the way 9 times out of 10 (I say that because almost every time you return to a region, something will have changed) but will know about various local attractions, fiesta and carnivals, the best campsites, places to eat, cultural visits, local customs, views and scenery that are easily missed by the independent traveller ... plus 1,000 more things!!!

That said, some of the best adventures can be had by getting lost, breaking down (I kid you not, in times of adversity it can be fantastic as locals can help out with repairs, open up their homes by offering you a meal with the family or a bed for the night, etc.) when illness strikes (again, it's incredible how helpful folk are) and all manner of mishaps along the way.

Each to their own I say, bfor oth independent travel and organised tours have their merits and pitfalls.

Sounds like a great trip...and I agree with Tom: some of the best trips are defined but what goes wrong and how you overcome it. A perfectly easy trip with no challenges, even tough ones, can just be a bit boring. Glad you had a good one!

Well Tom,That said, "some of the best adventures can be had by getting lost," you know we do that a few times.

Watching sunrise over the Sahara is something special