2014 - MOROCCO .. All posts here now please..

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Swallows nest come in!!!!!

Hi Funsters,:Cool:
Trying to contact Jim and Liz who are known as Swallows Nest.They were at Tafraoute with us and I have lost their email address,if anyone knows them or are parked near them please point towards this postMany thanks.
Regards,
Al:BigGrin::BigGrin:
 
Ounila Valley Route from Ait Benhaddou to Tizi n'Tichka Pass via Telouet

Morning All

Ounila Valley Route from Ait Benhaddou to Tizi n'Tichka Pass via Telouet. :thumb:

Just to say we took this route on our way from Ouarzazate to Marrakech - absolutely fabulous alternative to travelling all the way on the N9. There are some roadworks underway around Telouet (about 5 miles of rough road) but otherwise the road is Tarmac all the way albeit mostly single track with hard shoulders. Our Argos had no problems with it. There is a bailey type bridge just north of Ait Benhaddou with ramps, again no problem for us but we did see an Italien van with low extension rack on the back just 'scrape' over it........ :Eeek:

Anyone thinking of staying at the Auberge Camping Defat Kasbah (112 in the Vicarious book) please note the entrance arch height is around 3.15 metres, NOT 4 metres as it states in the book! :Angry: (We're now missing the cap off the cooker flue despite being 'watched in' by the camp Guardien... :Doh: )

Arnica's recommended Camping Atlas View is on this route and there are alternatives (we stayed at a restaurant - Restaurant Agdal N31. 15.514 W007 19.712 -west of Telouet). Cost was 40 Dh for each van but if we had eaten there think it would have been gratis. Unfortunately our fridge had failed and we had a lot of food that needed eating........). We were about 1900 metres with fabulous sunset and sunrise views over the Atlas Mountains.

Currently we are staying at Manzil - la - Tortue near Marrakech, N31 deg 36 min 50.2 sec W007 deg 53 min 21.9 sec. Very up-market: excellent facilities, infinity pool, 16 amp electrics !!!! restaurant and bar........ Oh and 180 Dirham a night :Eek!: ( but Sue tells me she's worth it ! :Blush: ) You do need to trust that it's here though, the route in off the main road is a bit 'Beirut'. :Eek!: Weather yesterday was clear and hot, today supposed to be the same. We could be here a few days........ :Cool:

Have Fun. :thumb:


Barry and Sue
 
lerache - Brand new Majane

Heading back to Asilah and decided to follow the non toll road... Got to the Junction of the Toll rd turnoff for Lerache and "Bingo". brand new Marjane just been built and looks to be recently opened.. There is also an Africe fuel station but thats still under construction..

Bonus.. make a note for your return or future trips as it's just 1 minuite off the motorway...

35.14820 -6.14247
 

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Watch your dogs !!!!

Having just witnessed a dog attack here at Asilah, a reminder to those with dogs to keep a watch out.... Sure that you do but guess no harm in a prompt...

French guy had his little dog on a lead and was stood in the middle of the parking area chatting to another Frenchie.. Stray single dog walked across car park a long way from them but must have doubled back out of site.. Came to the small dog and let rip !!! Mr French booted the stray but then the dog had hold of his foot.. ! Finally let go after being whacked with the loose end of a dog lead..
Blood drawn on the little dog and guy's shoe in tatters..
The stray dog approached and left in a calm manner...
We have seen lots of loose dogs on our travels and be- friended some at campsites etc... As with all animals you never know.....

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Hello back in taghazoute

Hello everybody
Back in taghazoute from marrakesh the weathers great at the moment my tom tom give me the wrong direction on leaving ourika camp but after that it was great thanks Colin we hope to stay here for awhile there is about 5 Brits at the moment:BigGrin:
Marjohn 21-2-2014
 
skipper64 said:
Hi Funsters,:Cool:
Trying to contact Jim and Liz who are known as Swallows Nest.They were at Tafraoute with us and I have lost their email address,if anyone knows them or are parked near them please point towards this postMany thanks.
Regards,
Al:BigGrin::BigGrin:
Click to expand...

I think if you look up "theswallows" you may get them or put in a space between the swallow
Colin
 
skipper64 said:
Hi Arnica,:Cool:
Thanks but the sunglasses are not ours!!!We are parked at Tagazoute,only other Funsters here at present are Marjohn who arrived 5.30 last night.Quite busy here but spaces!!The weather is sunny and looks settled,fingers crossed!!

Regards,
Al:Smile:
Click to expand...



Oh no cause we are here as well lol. ... And a few other brits up nearer the road end .... X.
 
The Tonks trio are now on way to Tanger Med hoping to get the lunch time ferry back to Spain :cry::cry::cry:

We have had an amazing 5 week trip and experienced the different cultures of the Morrocans , to think we nearly bottled out on this trip , we recommend you try it for yourselves x

We hope to return again

John n Kath xx
 
Tanger Med

Waiting to board the 1.00pm Ferry drinking last of the beers! :Eeek:

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Tazzarine

Suggy's Squad now encamped at Village Touristique Bougafer at Tazzarine, which is a licenced 3 star fifty room hotel with, restaurant, entertainment and swimming pool.
We will be giving it some welly in there tonight being as its Saturday :Rofl1:

Its red hot here today and barley no breeze :Cool::Cool::Cool: Suggy will no doubt post the temperature from his weather station when he gets back. He's just out doing his mad dogs and Englishmen trick at the moment :Rofl1:

Called first at Camping Amastou but they should have called it Camping Cant Swingacat. To say it was pokey would be an understatement. All four vans had to do 98 point turns to turn round and go back to the crossroads. So anybody coming this way give Amastou from the CDM book a miss as its tiny.
 
Dazzlin now parked quietly in a corner of Hamada du Draa at M'hamid.
Too hot to do anything other than flake out for the afternoon and try and get the shade (31° in shade)
Good for a couple of days I reckon. Not seen the dunes yet - anyone done the 4x4 trip and if so what price? Considering doing it as we may not do this end again. Been quoted 2000dh for 2 for overnight trip! This is only the first price we have had, will shop around.
 
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Free Camping outside the tiny fishing port of Sidi Boulfdail last night with about 50 other vans. A beautiful spot and a stunning sunset last night.

The only problem is that the French are just throwing their rubbish bags over the cliff!!
An Ausi lady had a go at one yesterday who just shrugged and said "This is Morocco, that's what they do". I am not anti French, we live there after all, but that is so disrespectful of this beautiful country, just because the Moroccans do it, doesn't make it right. Unfortunately she couldn't speak French so couldn't have a good argument with him.
Anyway beautiful spot for a couple of nights. N 29.66733 W 9.98240
Steve
 
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SueBaz said:
Morning All

Ounila Valley Route from Ait Benhaddou to Tizi n'Tichka Pass via Telouet. :thumb:

Just to say we took this route on our way from Ouarzazate to Marrakech - absolutely fabulous alternative to travelling all the way on the N9. There are some roadworks underway around Telouet (about 5 miles of rough road) but otherwise the road is Tarmac all the way albeit mostly single track with hard shoulders. Our Argos had no problems with it. There is a bailey type bridge just north of Ait Benhaddou with ramps, again no problem for us but we did see an Italien van with low extension rack on the back just 'scrape' over it........ :Eeek:

Anyone thinking of staying at the Auberge Camping Defat Kasbah (112 in the Vicarious book) please note the entrance arch height is around 3.15 metres, NOT 4 metres as it states in the book! :Angry: (We're now missing the cap off the cooker flue despite being 'watched in' by the camp Guardien... :Doh: )

Arnica's recommended Camping Atlas View is on this route and there are alternatives (we stayed at a restaurant - Restaurant Agdal N31. 15.514 W007 19.712 -west of Telouet). Cost was 40 Dh for each van but if we had eaten there think it would have been gratis. Unfortunately our fridge had failed and we had a lot of food that needed eating........). We were about 1900 metres with fabulous sunset and sunrise views over the Atlas Mountains.

Currently we are staying at Manzil - la - Tortue near Marrakech, N31 deg 36 min 50.2 sec W007 deg 53 min 21.9 sec. Very up-market: excellent facilities, infinity pool, 16 amp electrics !!!! restaurant and bar........ Oh and 180 Dirham a night :Eek!: ( but Sue tells me she's worth it ! :Blush: ) You do need to trust that it's here though, the route in off the main road is a bit 'Beirut'. :Eek!: Weather yesterday was clear and hot, today supposed to be the same. We could be here a few days........ :Cool:

Have Fun. :thumb:


Barry and Sue
Click to expand...
hello from mar john the. campsite we stayed 13km from Marrakech was. 95dirh or with hook up 120 dirh it was great called ourika camp facing Atlas Mountains we are at taghazout 21-2-2014

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Landed in Spain, back at Lidl / Mc:Donalds...

Left Asilah at 8.45 for a steady ride up..
Last fill up at the services 30km before Tangier med port. Shell garage and they will take Euro's if your pushed.. REMEMBER you need some cash for the final toll.
Asilah to Port = 65dh.
As already mentioned by TerryL Drive into port and park up... The Accionia ticket office is on the left.. Touts are around but there are also official guys. Look like you know what you are doing and they should not hassle you. Go to Accionia booth and change voucher for a ticket/boarding pass.. We arrived a bit to early and had to wait till 11.15 ready for the 13.00 crossing. Drive down and do immigration, customs form for van and the scanner... Our ferry was about an hour late.. At Algerciras took about an hour to get out, vehicle checked several times by police/customs...

Have. good time all you back in Morocco.. 2 nights here then we fly home for a few days to see family and stock up with more bacon and cheese ready for bellavista.. :thumb:
 
canopus said:
Suggy's Squad now encamped at Village Touristique Bougafer at Tazzarine, which is a licenced 3 star fifty room hotel with, restaurant, entertainment and swimming pool.
We will be giving it some welly in there tonight being as its Saturday :Rofl1:

Its red hot here today and barley no breeze :Cool::Cool::Cool: Suggy will no doubt post the temperature from his weather station when he gets back. He's just out doing his mad dogs and Englishmen trick at the moment :Rofl1:

Called first at Camping Amastou but they should have called it Camping Cant Swingacat. To say it was pokey would be an understatement. All four vans had to do 98 point turns to turn round and go back to the crossroads. So anybody coming this way give Amastou from the CDM book a miss as its tiny.
Click to expand...

Hi Suggy Squad

Sorry if we gave you a bum steer, we got in fine with a couple of Italian vans and a party of French 'tenters', but glad you're sorted where you are now.

Have Fun

Barry and Sue
 
Dazzlin said:
Dazzlin now parked quietly in a corner of Hamada du Draa at M'hamid.
Too hot to do anything other than flake out for the afternoon and try and get the shade (31° in shade)
Good for a couple of days I reckon. Not seen the dunes yet - anyone done the 4x4 trip and if so what price? Considering doing it as we may not do this end again. Been quoted 2000dh for 2 for overnight trip! This is only the first price we have had, will shop around.
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Hi Dazzlin

I suspect it's worth sampling prices but we took a lazy approach. We stayed at the Hamada du Draa and took their offer for a day trip which was 1500 Dh for the 4x4 plus 100 Dh each for lunch (lunch was excellent) - there were 3 of us who went together. We didn't spend time comparing rates other than with a Dutch guy staying on the site who had been quoted in M'Hamid town 2000 Dh for himself and his wife i.e. something similar.

Erg Chegaga is interesting, when we went you couldn't quite get your head around believing the dunes rise to 300 metres in height - since we came back however the pictures bizarrely do let you believe it. (Wow! was a friends comment when I put some pickies on Facebook )

We went a few days after a sandstorm and it was all looking fairly pristine. There were a few traces of visitors and some past evidence of wheel tracks on the first dunes when we arrived. When we left however you could definitely see the evidence of our walking so we wondered, assuming a steady flow of visitors, if the 'easy' dunes might start to look a bit careworn fairly quickly and you might need to hike a few of them to see an untrodden vista. Whatever take some good boots and water!

It's a fairly long day trip, around 120 Kms and 7/8 hours. Sue preferred to stay by the pool, the prospect of 'that much desert' did not appeal to her, but for the rest us we took the view that some things you just have to see for yourself .....

Hope that helps

Have Fun

Barry and Sue
 
SueBaz said:
Hi Suggy Squad

Sorry if we gave you a bum steer, we got in fine with a couple of Italian vans and a party of French 'tenters', but glad you're sorted where you are now.

Have Fun

Barry and Sue
Click to expand...


No problem Baz , it was a (oops better be carefull ) van with an F on its plate parked smack in the center of the road way, which meant it was virtually imposible to turn round to be able to park or get out without reversing all the way up the site and out of the gate onto the road , or alternately , reversing into the site and with there being 4 vans it was not practical .

But the F van did have a lovely sunny satelite friendly position :Angry:


Hotel Village Touristique Bougafer (Tazzarine) "AVOID AT ALL COSTS "

we are now at the above 3 star hotel with the worst toilet and shower facilties we have seen in Morocco :Eeek:

The ones in the Hotel reception area have got somone sleeping in them , ie there are beds in the toilets :Eek!:

we have just been robbed of 60d for the privelidge of parking in a dust bowl overnight ,:cry:

i asked where the grey water dump was and they gave me an old 10gallon paint tin :Cool:

just found out the Hotel is slated in the Camping Du Maroc book , :Doh:
 
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Dazzlin said:
Dazzlin now parked quietly in a corner of Hamada du Draa at M'hamid.
Too hot to do anything other than flake out for the afternoon and try and get the shade (31° in shade)
Good for a couple of days I reckon. Not seen the dunes yet - anyone done the 4x4 trip and if so what price? Considering doing it as we may not do this end again. Been quoted 2000dh for 2 for overnight trip! This is only the first price we have had, will shop around.
Click to expand...

We did it last year and really, really enjoyed the night in a Bedouin tent in the desert. However, we told them the first pride they gave us was too much, we couldn't afford it.
Went back to our van and half an hour later a knock on the door and the price had dropped significantly. Told them it was still far, far too expensive and a half hour later a knock on the door and the pride had become reasonable and we accepted. Can't remember what it was but from memory it was half the starting price.
Before you agree however ask how many others will be there. We were with a really nice group of French and Italians but a couple of Brits events the day after and were the only two. They didn't enjoy it half as much.
Ps we went with Hassan who owns the site, we didn't bother traipsing around the town.

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How is aux battery charged up from solar panel

Hello there can any tell me how the solar panel chargers the aux battery. Because it just below the 12volts we are the moment at taghazoute the weather fine about 20fah after the fogs gone
All have a good
Marjohn 23-2-2014at9.10am:BigGrin::thumb:
 
Well what can we say - ones mans meat is another mans poison.

Didn't use the toilets or showers that Suggy mentions. Stuck our heads in when we arrived and they looked like all the other Moroccan bogs we've encountered, thats why we use our own facilities :Rofl1::Rofl1:

Bob Ellie, Lynda and I had a meal in the hotel restaurant and I can honestly say hand on heart that it was the best meal we've eaten in Maroc since arriving. Huge mixed salad to start which included lettuce - a rarity in these parts. Main course was Kefta Tagine (minced meat balls with eggs) in the tastiest sauce, almost like a curry, accompanied by a huge bowl of sautéed vegetables. Sweet was token oranges.

From the restaurant we went into the bar and there was a 'turn' on. A young fella in a suit and tie playing a violin vertically on his knee, two traditionally dressed drummers with turbans on, accompanied by a couple fat women and a thin woman who sang. The two fat women did what fat women do best - shake their boooooooty. They had us bumping and grinding to the screeching violin and drums and we had a right laugh. :Rofl1::Rofl1:

Bit fragile though this morning though, so we will leave a bit later :Sad:
 
Now at the Top of Todra Gorge , road not very good , alot of road works but we got through:Smile:

Just having lunch then going on up to Tamtattouchte , maybe come back here to wild camp in the Gorge tonight:Cool:
 
marjohn said:
Hello there can any tell me how the solar panel chargers the aux battery. Because it just below the 12volts we are the moment at taghazoute the weather fine about 20fah after the fogs gone
All have a good
Marjohn 23-2-2014at9.10am:BigGrin::thumb:
Click to expand...
Hi Marjohn,

Solar charging is done via a fused supply from solar controller, either through your Hobby's charging unit, or directly to the battery, pending installation. If you've been getting several hours of sun light on a daily basis, your leisure batteries should be charging up and showing readings of 12.7v or above. A multi meter connected to your battery, using the Volts DC setting, should give a reading of the number of volts coming in from the panels. If no reading whilst the panel is producing a charge, check the inline fuse.

Have you checked that there is nothing causing a constant drain on the batteries?

Regards,

Jock.
 
Lynda and I are now camped at Hotel Camping Le Soleil at Tinehir, near the entrance to Todra Gorge. Nice pitch but the jackhammer is going full chat as they are widening the road to get the buses up and down - full of Japs :Rofl1::Rofl1::Rofl1:

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canopus said:
Lynda and I are now camped at Hotel Camping Le Soleil at Tinehir, near the entrance to Todra Gorge. Nice pitch but the jackhammer is going full chat as they are widening the road to get the buses up and down - full of Japs :Rofl1::Rofl1::Rofl1:
Click to expand...

You missed us by a day!
Left there yesterday to go to hotel Tomboctou. However the coords in Suggys post lead us exactly to another hotel Soleil Sud which according to locals is 10 km away from Tomboctou!
We drove down a shocking stretch of piste then both Kiwi and my satnav lost the plot. Flagged down a local on a motorbike who led us to a place which had some facilities but no restaurant or pool. Suspect it belonged to a relative. The next place was Soleil Sud which has all the above features and is literally at the foot of the dunes.
We are parked behind the swimming pool with a good steady EHU and use of all facilities.
Enjoyed an excellent meal on the restaurant and were entertained by some locals drumming and clapping. I think they were the 4x4 drivers and camel jockeys having a night off and letting their hair down. A Spanish girl performed a really, really excellent belly dance (she had the right sort of figure it if you know what I mean).
Today we are doing nothing and taking all day to do it. Lying by the pool we are the only ones here as all the hotel occupants have either left or are out on desert trips.
Bliss!
 
Im sure we will bump into you Mike one of these days - where exactly are you at the moment and how long are you staying there?
 
Just had two excellent days at No60 Insouane. Surfers heaven and a bit of proper Morocco. Site a bit Grade B but that's good for here.

Now in No74 Tiznit. A car park. The big site is full.

The vans down here have to be seen to believe, I didn't know this many existed. Majane Agadir looked like a major MH dealer's forecourt.
 
Hello in taghazoute

Hello everybody
Has any one got any ideas why my aux battery is dropping volts and my leisure showing. 14volts also is anybody near going shopping at Marianne or Carrefour would you kindly get me to cases of beer it would be appreciated we are staying at least a week Marjohn 23/2/14:BigGrin:taghazoute camp site
 
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canopus said:
Im sure we will bump into you Mike one of these days - where exactly are you at the moment and how long are you staying there?
Click to expand...

Ken
We are currently in Merzoga at Sud Soleil. A bit like Tomboctou but smaller apparently.
And at the foot of a big sand dune in the middle of nowhere.
We tried finding Tomboctou using Suggy's coordinates but they brought us here. Apparently we are about 10km from where we wanted to be.
We may move on to Tomboctou tomorrow or next day as we will need supplies like hub caps and fruit, veg etc so need to find the village of Merzouga.
However it is SO peaceful here it will be hard to leave.

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