Morocco 15/12/12 to 13/01/13

Hi everyone,

newby here saying hi.

Planning a trip to Morocco in my Land rover 110 on the dates above.

If anyone has any particular recommendations for places to see / stay / avoid or might be out there around that time and fancies meeting up, let me know.


My landy is a 1986 which I converted to a 200tdi a couple of years ago with lots of other work done to it as well.

All the best,

Martin

Welcome to the forum Martin!

There is quite a bit of knowledge about Morocco around here, for my part I'd advise you to avoid trying the little winkle-sized white and brown striped snails often offered in eateries. Unlike the cultured farmed snails the French love so much (farmed snails are bred in meticulously clean, almost laboratory-like conditions), these local versions are simply 'harvested' or should I say 'gathered' up off the walls of the restaurant or surrounding properties, this after having devoured all the local rotting detritus that lays around in abundance over there - the snails, not the café owners ... then again.

Apart from that and the 'guardians' who for a few bob will kindly 'look after' your vehicle while you play tourist and stroll around the local souk (basically callous small time crooks who are telling you that if you don't pay them what they want, you'll end up with a smashed window before you return), then it's a great country to visit.

Me cynical? NEVER!!! Lovely country, amazing scenery, but I've met more pleasant races of people. Sorry, but I speak from bitter experience. The snails BTW were quite tasty as it happens, just gritty, then again everything you put in your mouth in North Africa seems to be gritty ... that's life!

Hi and welcome,

Hi and welcome to the forum, keep us updated on your Morocco trip planning

Hi Martin,

Welcome! I am a relative newbie too ...

We will likely be in Morocco around a similar time to you, as part of our bigger trip. We don't have exact dates at the moment, but let's keep in touch!

Keep us updated on your preparations!

kind regards
African GirlChild

Awesome!!

Would be great to meet up over there. Really rough plan with quite a bit of flex in it :-)

A few of the stages are from Chris Scott's book on the sahara

Departure date / time (aim for 15th December)

Home – Portsmouth

Portsmouth – Bilbao or Santander
Arrival time: (aim for 16th December)

Santander to Algeciras (avoiding Madrid)
Arrival time: 17 /18th December
Depending on time, look for camping spot en route

Algeciras – Cueta (Spanish time zone)
Ferry – Approx £200 for vehicle and 2 people (return ticket)
Departure time: (aim for 18th December)

Cueta (spain) – Fnideq - Customs
Fnideq - Tetouan (Morocco – diff timezone, up to 2 hours)
Tetouan – Bab Taza (Parc national Talassemtane)
(evening camp here?)

Bab Taza (Parc national Talassemtane) - Koucha (East Atlas national park)
19th Dec

Koucha (East Atlas national park) - Guercif
Hotel Atlas (£30pppn)

Guecif – Ain Benimathar (route M1)
20th Dec
175 miles
½ - 1 day

No hotels??

Ain Benimathar – Bouarfa
Bouarfa – Boudnib (route M2) – Tough!

Boudnib – Merzouga
22 dec

Merzouga – Tagounite (route M6)
1 ½ - 2 days plus overnight camp in middle
Hotels at Mahmid

Tagounite – Foum zguid (route M7)
24 dec
90 miles
1 day

Foum Zguid – Taliouine (Route M9)
25 dec
1 – ½ days (plus overnight camping)

Taliouine – Marrakech
27 dec
1 day

Marrakech
28dec
2 days – nice hotel – explore

Marrakech – Casablanca
30 dec
1 day

Casablanca
31 dec
2 days – nice hotel – explore

Casablanca – xxx
2nd jan
Xxx miles
1 day

Xxx – cueta
3rd jan

Ferry – Algeciras

Algeciras - Bilbao
4th Jan
5 days leisurely drive / camping

Bilbao – Portsmouth
9th Jan
24hrs

Portsmouth
10th Jan

Home
10th Jan

Work
14th Jan

Would be good to hear a bit about your / others plans.

Martin

Don't forget to allow time to pop in and see Tuggy en route. He has a 4x4 repair/mod business close to Algeciras and he's done morocco a few times now, so have a cuppa and get some tips.

One potential hiccup, he speaks fluent Staffordshire, so depending on what part of the country you hail from, you may need an interpreter!

www.tugs4x4.com ... full of useless (opps, bit of a typo ) useful information.

Brilliant, I'll look him up :-)

Hi Martin,

Your planning is looking good! I have to confess, you are much further ahead in detail than we are!! We are still at the stage of "we'll leave the UK, spend approximately a month driving via Sweden to get to Nordkapp, and about 2 months to drive via Oslo on the way to Algeciras".

We do have the luxury of time for our travels, but in the next months, we'll spend a bit more time on the route planning (in addition to everything else that needs doing!!!)

Keep the info on your Morocco trip coming!

African GirlChild

Tom Mc wrote:

Don't forget to allow time to pop in and see Tuggy en route. He has a 4x4 repair/mod business close to Algeciras and he's done morocco a few times now, so have a cuppa and get some tips.

Tom - you are truly a fount of knowledge!! I'll add him to our list too. Hubby wanted to have the vehicle checked over before we step onto African soil, and Tuggy sounds to be in the perfect spot!

rgds

African GirlChild

Lol,

the planning is pretty flexible. I built 5 days slack in to it, which is currently at the end of the trip, but can be used for detours / breakdowns :-)

What vehicle are you using for your trip

guys it would be good to see you down these parts,,,,,get your ferry ticket down here 180 euros thats open so you can cross anytime and come back any time,,,yes we can check your vehicle out before you hit north africa and check your kit,,,if you dont need it dont bring it,,,travel light you can get most things over there from food to spares,,,depending when your coming i might join you for a few days,,

,check out www.tugs4x4.com

maddog_in_a_tomcat wrote:

What vehicle are you using for your trip

Aaahhh maddog, isn't that always the question?!?!! Well, as a GirlChild from Africa, there was no discussion about the vehicle - it had to be a Landcruiser 80 series! The work is coming on nicely - we're currently designing and building the interior storage!

tuggy wrote:

guys it would be good to see you down these parts

Tuggy - you bet! I hope you permit non-Landy vehicles into your bay ... I realise some may think it lowers the tone of the establishment, but ... We'll remember to get the ferry ticket when we get there - it is only a one way for us, as we plan to come back via east Africa! (assuming the Middle East has sorted itself out by then ...)

African GirlChild

Lol, I checked out your website last night, nice :-)

Landcruisers are supposed to be good vehicles (just not as repairable as landys :-)

Not sure if I will do a website, lots on and need to spend the time on the landy and work, etc.

Might put a few photos up here tho later.

Tuggy, another customer here for a ticket and a cup of tea :-) ... mine will be a return tho (and I hope to be able to use the second part of it :-) )

There are not so many land rovers down here as jap stuff but quite a few discos,,,,there are a lot of old toyotas ,plenty of mitsubishi monteros ,nissan patrols are still big down here there are plenty of old stuff as they dont rust down here and there easy to recycle,,,,,

Avatar updated to show my landie :-)

Landy looking good Martin.

Don't know if you were aware, but Chris Scott whose 'bible of the Sahara' you're following, will be at my show in October - ADVENTURE OVERLAND at Whilton Mill, Northants 6-7 Oct 2012. He really is the authority on desert travel, so you may want to pop along and see the man in person?

Also, I have designated a special display area for members of this forum, so rather than leave your vehile in the Camping Meadow or Day Visitors Car Park, there will be a place for you in the showground itself. This invitation goes goes out to all members of this forum, so register your interest within the EVENTS section for a guaranteed place in the 4x4 Overland Travel Forum display area.

Hi & welcome to the forum! Have fun on your travels.

Thanks guys,

just checked out the show's website and it's looking very good.

It's almost perfectly timed for me as well a couple of months before I head off to Morocco so I will definitely try to make it (might need to leave my credit card at home.... the temptation might just be too great).

Cheers,

Martin

Just had half a dozen traders contact me, it seems they also take cash!

maddog_in_a_tomcat wrote:

Avatar updated to show my landie :-)

Lookin' good! How much space do you have on the roof rack behind your tent?

rgds,
African GirlChild

Tom Mc wrote:

Don't know if you were aware, but Chris Scott whose 'bible of the Sahara' you're following, will be at my show in October - ADVENTURE OVERLAND at Whilton Mill, Northants 6-7 Oct 2012. He really is the authority on desert travel, so you may want to pop along and see the man in person?

Ahhh - we were supposed to hear him talk at a travel show in London last year, but he was ill. I'd still be interested in hearing him speak!

Tom Mc wrote:

Also, I have designated a special display area for members of this forum, so rather than leave your vehile in the Camping Meadow or Day Visitors Car Park, there will be a place for you in the showground itself. This invitation goes goes out to all members of this forum, so register your interest within the EVENTS section for a guaranteed place in the 4x4 Overland Travel Forum display area.

See, now, that is almost a good enough reason to delay our start date by a few weeks 'Cept then we may be camping in the snow/cold in Nordkapp African GirlChild doesn't do cold ...

The answer to camping in the snow/cold is simplicity itself - cheat!

With a decent inverter on board, you can either run single electric under-blankets in each sleeping bag (the drain on the battery is so low, you'll hardly notice it all), OR if it gets really chilly, a double electric over-blanket works wonders.

Obviously test out the blankets before you go, as I say all you need is an inverter and an extention lead direct to your cosy blankets. Why not? Maybe its not the 'done thing' for hardened explorers, but sod the world, personally I'd rather keep warm than worry about conventions. Try it, you'll be as snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug!!!

mad dog ,,,might see you there,,,,hopefully i can get there if im not busy,,,,,and girl child,