What's the hostelling scene like in Morocco? This will be my first travel after 6 mos in SEA and I wonder how similar the backpacking infrastructure is. I don't need to party but I do like the whites-only safe zones that hostels basically are. Any city-specific hostels you guys can recommend? Which city to choose if I were to stay in one place for a couple weeks?

I don't know

Morocco has just advanced from "medium human development" to "high human development" as of 2025. It still falls behind Indonesia and the Philippines. I've heard Morocco is full of German hash addicts, and that the people in the big cities can be really scummy. Keep in mind that MENAs have much higher testosterone than Southeast Asians, so they don't lay off their pestering for a simple "no thanks". You have to put them in their place.

>>2802161 (OP)
>What's the hostelling scene like in Morocco?
not that great
but also not really a problem

>backpacking infrastructure
>don't need to party
what you want are budget "Riads"
traditional guest houses
kinda like Hotels but usually it's just one family who operates a bunch of rooms
you can get a bed for ~5€/n

>Which city to choose if I were to stay in one place for a couple weeks?
if you want to stay in one city only
your best option is
>Casablanca
biggest city by far
and direct train connections to Fes, Marrakesh, Tangier and a bunch of other cities

Casablanca itself is somewhat boring (still things to to for a few days)
but you're basically in the middle of everything interesting and very well connected

>>2802227
>It still falls behind Indonesia and the Philippines
because in terms of HDI, it is

the rural areas are not that different
probably would give Morocco the edge here because more tourist money everywhere
but the cities feel more developed in SEA

>Morocco is full of German hash addicts
kek
that was just one region
and not anymore, Germany legalized cannabis

>people in the big cities can be really scummy
only where tourist masses are
and even there, it's really just on markets, a few shops and restaurants / bars

regular moroccans are really nice, hospitable and genuine helpful
just get out of the popular Medinas
do a road trip through Morocco and you'll see

>>2802161 (OP)
>Which city to choose if I were to stay in one place for a couple weeks?
small: Taghazout
medium: Essaouira
large: Tangier

>What's the hostelling scene like in Morocco?
I didn't stay at them, but I think they usually have quite a few liberal/westernized Moroccans as well as foreigners and are a good place to find hash

Hijacking the thread a bit to ask a few Morocco questions, looking to go in the winter.
Are the trains worth using to get around? From what I'm seeing they get delayed even by hours.
If I don't take the trains, how is driving compared to other parts of the world? I'm talking about road conditions, moroccan drivers etc. Probably won't drive within cities so this is more for getting around the country.
If I go for a week am I better off keeping to around Marrakech/Agadir or Rabat/Casablanca/Fes? I like trying to cram my schedule with a variety of sites and activities, not dwelling on places for too long.

>>2802368
>Are the trains worth using to get around? From what I'm seeing they get delayed even by hours.
All the trains I took were fine, as good or better than most in Europe, and unlike France they weren't packed full of loud Africans

>Marrakech/Agadir or Rabat/Casablanca/Fes?
Agadir doesn't have a train and isn't that interesting unless you're there for beach and girls, Casablanca doesn't have much to see other than the giant mosque and is very sprawling and not easy to get around. Marrakech is fine and has things to see, but I would get accommodation outside the old part and just go in when you feel like it, I haven't been to the others

>>2802368
>Marrakech/Agadir or Rabat/Casablanca/Fes
Depends on if you want to see old cities or nature, respectively.

>>2802432
wait i meant to say "nature or old cities, respectively"

Here's my roundup of Moroccan cities, from north to south:
>Tangier
Sun-kissed and unbeatably filthy. Good place to eat seafood on a terrace and larp as a beatnik writer
>Tetouan
Weird conclave of European wannabes, comfy place to end up if you got on the wrong bus somewhere
>Chefchaouen
Pretty sublime, but try to avoid Spanish school holiday times. Close to beautiful nature. Fucking cold in the winter. Doesn't feel real. Old people still count money in the old Spanish currency.
>Rabat
Historic kasbah area is spectacular, as well as the Hassan Tower. Souk feels authentic and great seafood. Otherwise a bland modern city.
>Casa
don't
>Meknes
Not as old as Fes but a wet dream if you enjoy Moorish architecture. Not much street hassle. Some good museums. Not sure why more people don't stop here.
>Fes
Pretty much what you expect from a medieval Arabic city. Lots of fun. Lots of pretty nature nearby that gets overlooked.
>Marrakech
Less shitty than it used to be. People complain about the tourist crowds but it's been a tourist city for centuries. Set yourself a treasure hunt objective in the medina. All food here is bad except for the tangia, and some places even fuck that up
>Essaouira, and all the other coastal cities like Asilah, etc
Exactly what it looks like in the photos, if that's your cup of tea. Almost ruined by German backpackers, like so much of the world.
>Ouarzazate
If you pass through here it means you are on your way to somewhere interesting, have fun
>Agadir
New and boring. No reason to stop here unless it's to hop off the bus at Inzegane station to buy a snack for the next 3 hour leg of your journey
>Tiznit
Comfy, no hassle, nicest people in the country, a little medina where you can enjoy
>Tafraoute
Hub for adventure sports and taking deep dives into the prettiest part of the country. Just don't go mid-summer.
>Layyoune and Dakhla
Modern and pleasant, albeit nothing to do except kitesurf. I am genuinely excited Ryanair is starting flights to Dakhla.

>>2802248
>only where tourist masses are
>and even there, it's really just on markets, a few shops and restaurants / bars
>do a road trip through Morocco and you'll see

I went on a bicycle trip across Northern Morocco and I swear in the Rif mountains everybody was trying to get money out of me, selling me shit at inflated prices, offering me weed, begging, trying to strike up conversations with, presumably, ulterior motives. Ketama and Issaguen were particulary rough but men of all ages (no women to be seen) loitering around in the villages and fields and along the road all the way down to Bab Taza would try to engage with me (hola amigo! hello my friend! salut mon frere!). It was absolutely insane. Never experienced this much unsolicited attention anywhere else. Drivers would also honk the shit out of me, which I understand was a form of acknowledgement/respect/saying hi or whatever but man was it annoying after a while.

I also had police escort me for two stretches of the ride in the Rif. No idea what that was about. Pretty damn awkward having a police car follow you ride up the mountains at 10km/h but I was kinda happy it kept the locals at bay.

Elsewhere Morocco was largely chill, people either being friendly and curious or minding their own business. I experienced some genuine hospitality as well. My host in Ketama was exceedingly based. It's an exciting country for sure.

>>2802464
>across Northern Morocco and I swear in the Rif mountains everybody was trying to
generally the coast between Casablanca to Tanger to Nador gets mass tourism
probably the reason why

when I did a ~25day road trip through Morocco
albeit by car, not bike
felt like a different country once you get out of the cities / off the coast and land inwards
didn't have much contact in northern morocco though
spend most of the time in High / Anti Atlas mountains
our shitty car broke down twice near Tata
and locals were exceedingly nice / helpful there

>>2802493
>generally the coast between Casablanca to Tanger to Nador gets mass tourism

Huh? Morocco's Mediterranean coast gets very little tourism actually, much less foreign one. There's some mostly local tourism around Al Hoceima and between Ceuta and Tetouan but most of Morocco's Med coast is a hilly and rocky mess, with few good beaches and little tourist infrastructure.

>>2802464
hassle I received in morocco was worse than Egypt. I thought it would only be bad in the tourist trap areas but no, the ceaseless scam attempts were never ending. I actually preferred the loud guys to the ones who used guile to try and worm their way into your confidence, because at least you know the first kind are just trying to rip you off

>>2802464
>bicycle trip across northern Morocco
can you share more? What city did you start in? Did you rent/buy a bike and then just bike it from city to city staying at hotels along the way? Sounds interesting. Would like to do something like that.
>Rif mountains
That's where Chefchaouen is right? What's the weed scene like there? Would love to check that out as well.

pump

>>2802647
Were you clean-shaven? I'm gonna bet that 99 out of 100 guys who complain about being relentlessly hassled in MENA countries are smooth-chinned European cuckolds, while bearded travelers get respect and kindness.

>>2805409
>travelers get respect and kindness
>Morocco
they even scam and hassle Moroccans from other cities anon