Morocco 2017

Thanks for that Anna-Gabor, pre warned is pre frightened!! Hope we get clear weather, but perhaps that may be more frightening!!!
 
We took the P1007 at Imi Mqourn North towards Lamhade, crossing the P1714, and the P1714 at Sebt Guerdane to join the N10 east of Lakhnafif.
Good road!
 
jwells said:
Anyone done the Tizi - n - Test pass from Taroudant to Marrakech recently? Probably going for it tomorrow!!
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We have done it ..no problem 7mt mh .

Set of early 8am to get up and over before the busses from Marakech get to the top of the pass .

The road is ok fabulous views.

We really enjoyed it.

You can stay over night at the top as we did but would recommend going a bit further and you can park on the left overnight and it has best view for the sunrise .
 
jwells said:
Thanks for that Anna-Gabor, pre warned is pre frightened!! Hope we get clear weather, but perhaps that may be more frightening!!!
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Dont let people scarmonger you....

We have a friend who's wife cries on scenic roads in the yorkshire dales....

She covers her eyes going over the humber bridge. .
 
Thanks Suggy, it's only apprehension! If that one goes well we have more on the list!!

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Jwells, the family whos video I sent also said Tizin test was an easy drive. The last 7km-s was not very good road apart from that they said it wasnt challenging. What in fact was challenging was the Road R704- with Morocco's highest mountain passes. It was a 9 hour journey for them!
Has any of you done this Road?:) Its crazy!!!:))
 
MHAMID question

Which road is nicer and with less high mountain passes if we want to go to Mhamid?
We either take the Agadir-Ouarzazte-Zagora-Mhamid way
OR
Tafraoute-Tata-Foum Zguid-Zagora-Mhamid

Thank you:)
 
If you want to see the sand dunes right in front of your motorhome, then Merzouga is the place to go. MHamid is OK, but you have to sign up for a fairly expensive 3 hour 4x4 trip and overnight stay in a Bedouin tent to see the sand dunes.
At Merzouga there are numerous hotels right at the foot of the massive sand dunes most of which will allow you to stay overnight at very reasonable cost. You can have a night in the desert here too but its a very short trip normally undertaken on the back of a camel.
Re your question, the road from Agadir to Ouarzazate via Taroudante definitely has fewer hills to climb and can be quite boring. However the route via Tafraoute and Tata is far more scenic and none of the mountains are particularly high nor very frightening.
 
Awesome thank you Makems :) we still havent decided which desert experience to go for. We want to go back to Tangier on the coastline, and if we have driven all the way to merzouga then its silly to go back to the coast. thats our problem. Mhamid is closer to the coast, not so much but each way its another 400K..
 
Anna-Gabor said:
MHAMID question

Which road is nicer and with less high mountain passes if we want to go to Mhamid?
We either take the Agadir-Ouarzazte-Zagora-Mhamid way
OR
Tafraoute-Tata-Foum Zguid-Zagora-Mhamid

Thank you:)
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You haven't said where you are now ....

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We are in a smaller gardian area a bit further from the big one, we were sick of people emptying their cassette 50m from where they actually park... Here there is a well that provide fresh water and a local lady offers cassette emptying option for 20D 200m further the place. Its similar to the big valley, with rocks and lots of palmtrees but more intimate. Worth a visit:)
Got the wedding dress too, thanks for asking:) Very happy :)
 
Hi Anna, hope you and Gabor have enjoyed your Maroc experience. We crossed back a week ago and are now in Portugal. We had a great time and will deffo return. Have you still got the cat?

Keith and Sue
 
I am sorry to pull this question out, but today I walked by the big valley in Tafraoute and I got so mad again. What do you think of people emtying their cassette right into the nature in Tafroute? I saw 5 people just in the 2 minutes I walked by. Imagine the amount of waste is there from all the vans.
Its just so disrespectful and so disgusting! This country, this town is welcoming us with the possibility to wildcamp in the most amazing setting for 1 euro, and in return what do the european civilized people do? Pour their waste in the desert. It wont break down people. Even if they cover it. Also theres chemicals in most peoples cassette, and not to mention it stinks awfully!! It degrades both the quality of the environment and the quality of life in the community. If waste is not properly disposed of, animals can bring it close to the home and children can come into contact with disease vectors and pathogens! It provides a breeding ground for disease vectors, such as mosquitoes, flies and rats. I just dont understand how can people do that. Especially when theres campsites nearby to empty cassette. Yes, for that they have to bring the cassette there (carrier or bike makes it easy), or have to run the engine and go there. And so what?! Is this sacrifice too much?
We are human beings or not?
Do these people shit on their own garden too? Or just in someone elses garden?
And its not the towns task to provide a proper place to empty waste! Its the towns task to empty rubbish which they do, and keep the area safe and clean. But everybody is responsible for their own shit.

I am curious about your opinion.

@Pikeman, thank you we are great, enjoying Morocco like mad. Cat is of course with us just like the dog :) They love the country too, we do a lot of hiking with both of them so they are very happy :)

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Well said Anna. I am busy at the moment, but i will add my voice later.

Keith
 
From the guardian

The pit has been used for around 10 years every so often they cover the poo with Donkey poo and straw the more poo is added to it and more Donkey poo and straw.
It is then left to break down and then used as fertiliser.

The guardians get more upset if you empty your grey water and washing up water at the base of the trees as it kills them .

Did you know that. .?

i hope none of our people do that. ?
 
We certainly dont Suggy, we bring the grey water to a place where there is no plants just rocks.
Regarding the pit, its still source of all the above things. Its okay to do that in a place that is meant to be like that, but not in a place 50m from where the people live in their van, children play and dogs/sheep/goat walk...
 
I agree with you Anna. There are far too many people who are so called 'pilgrims of Maroc', who are treating it like a shit-hole. Your shit is your problem, not theirs!
 
Anna-Gabor said:
Here there is a well that provide fresh water and a local lady offers cassette emptying option for 20D
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Where do you think the lady empties the cassettes for 20D? Certainly not in the campsite, maybe behind a rock or down a hole.

.

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The well water isn't drinkable. You need to filter or use purification tablets.
It's probably the same water they tank into the aire.
 
We're now in Spain, having crossed yesterday before the stormy weather hit.

Sorry we didn't get to meet many of you but we had an agenda as we don't expect to be coming back to Morocco for a little while. In fact we met hardly any Brits this year

We hope everyone who is either still there or have now left are enjoying/have enjoyed Morocco.
 
@Sparkly, the lady offers her own home and own toilette. You just bring your cassette to her home, knock on the door and empty it in a proper toilette in the bathroom.As she said in french its to respect the palmerie and the people who live nearby.

@Theonlysue, we only use the well water for shower, and washing dishes. Our british neigbours have been drinking (filtered) for 2weeks and they are all ok of course. But we only drink bottled water anyway here, its cheap. :)
 
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The " camping area " is huge capable of holding 500 mh ...

There was / is no need to park within 200 metres of the pit .

The town council provide the bins and the bin lorry to keep the place clean and we pay the 10 mad ( £1 ) a night to help with the upkeep .
As has been the case for many years.

They also send the Donkey poo truck .

The palmerie camping was banned this year by the council so am surprised that the Police have not moved every one.
The motor homes in the Palmeries spoil the approach into town especially during the music festival.
A good way to annoy the locals and visitors coming into the town not exactly discreet.
 
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We happened to park nearby the pit not knowing why is that part emptier than the others. But its not about the 50m or 200m. The town council has no money to solve this problem properly. They desperately need the money that vanners bring to the town and its people and they cant afford to ban emptying cassettes there. They do the most they can.
But its our responsibility to keep the enviroment clean and tidy after leaving a place. not theirs. Why would locals need to walk by our shit ponds? (And us too.)
Or should we just say go and walk 200m further?
I saw locals making pictures of people emptying. It obviously upsets them too. But they cant do anything. Not that they should.. We should do it in a civilized way. Hundreds of vans emptying their cassete every 3-5days is a serious amount. Its not like when you are hiking and you do your number one or two in a forest.

Campings offer possibility to empty cassette. Locals do too. Then its the minimum respect that we can do to protect the area and the people.

@SUGGY I dont understand what you mean with the palmerie and the spoiling. Its also 10MAD. The difference here is people dont pour their shit but walk to the nearby camping or to the lady. Just the way it should be done in the big valley too.

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Terry and Auntie B.

Thanks for the intro to Maroc. We had a great time and will return.
We are now half way up Portugal and heading for home in 3 weeks. It will be six months on the road by the time we get back. Time flies!! :cool:

Keith and Sue
 
Anna I admire your spunk. You go girl! We are with you 100%.

Keith and Sue x
 
Anna-Gabor said:
The town council has no money to solve this problem properly. They desperately need the money that vanners bring to the town and its people and they cant afford to ban emptying cassettes there. They do the most they can.
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How patronizing is that statement. Tafraoute is a vibrant town in its own right and does not need motorhomes to survive, have you not seen all the work that's gone on in the last year and is going on by "the town council" :-(
 
Yes, there are roadworks in Tafraoute and so what? What does it have to do with people pouring waste in a wildcamping spot?

If they can afford do roadworks it means they can build a proper pit to empty waste so its all their fault eventually - thats what you mean?
So lets blame them?
Do you see on wildcamping spots in europe properly built emptying facilities? No. Do you empty your waste in the Cote d azur to the beach just because there is no? I hope not.
You find a manhole or a public toilet or an airie nearby.
In Morocco there are different rules to apply?
Why? Because its Africa. We can do anything here.
This thinking disgusts me. And I dont say its you @Busman, its van people in general who come to Morocco. There are always exceptions. I hope this group and its people is one of them.
 

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