Morocco 2020

[TerryL]

I had this problem last year and found when I withdrew cash using my Nat West visa I got hit with extra charges 1. Foreign currency transaction. 2. bank charge for transaction and 3. screwed on exchange rate.
I had euros on my Caxton card and phoned them as I was concerned I would get screwed if I used this card to withdraw MAD when I only had euro's in the account. Guy on the other end said your doing it all wrong. Just load up sterling onto your Caxton card and withdraw MAD from the cash machine with no bank or transaction charge what-so-ever. Just a straight forward inter bank rate conversion. This is what I did for the rest of my trip and it worked to perfection. Remaining sterling in my account used back in the UK. I think you can have 15 different currencies on your card at any one time. Give them a call, they will spell it all out for you there and then.

Phil, did you have Euros AND Sterling on your Caxton card at the same time? Usually just keep the Caxton card for Euros but no problem putting some pounds on it. I was going to get some more MAD using my UK debit card but that exchange rate Simon quoted is horrifying.

Going to have to look at other cards for the future as it looks like Caxton can easily be bettered.

 

[PhilandMena]

Phil, did you have Euros AND Sterling on your Caxton card at the same time? Usually just keep the Caxton card for Euros but no problem putting some pounds on it. I was going to get some more MAD using my UK debit card but that exchange rate Simon quoted is horrifying.

Going to have to look at other cards for the future as it looks like Caxton can easily be bettered.

Yes Terry, I loaded some sterling on my Caxton card whist in Morocco after finding out Nat West were hammering me for using my Visa card in the foreign cash machines. It worked a treat too and I saved a fair amount this way. Terry, Caxton have introduced Caxton Red. £55.00 annual payment or £5.00 per month. It provides the inter bank exchange rate (So same as Revolut) but with all the benefits of Caxton. I will be jumping over once the exchange rate goes north of €1.20, Can be done online too.

 

[canopus]

The exchange rate quoted at the hole in the wall was 1MAD = £0.0837 which in fact equates to 12.44MAD = £1 sterling approx. PANIC OVER

 

[BigRJ]

The market is held a kilometre out of town on the road to Tan Tan; it starts around 6am, and a couple of hours later the first tour buses arrive. Don't expect hundreds of camels. Most of those there will be sold for meat apparently

Thanks for the info ??

 

[billym]

Anyone know where exactly the camel market at guelmim is please?

We were very underwhelmed with the camel market last year.
We did love this campsite nearby though

Startseite

Adress:Douar Tighmert Ait Massaoud,Asrir-Guelmim(Maroc) Tel:00212/615506642 Email:aainanakhla@gmail.com site web:www.aainnakhla.jimdo.com aainnakhla bedeutet der quelle der Palme/ aainnakhla means the source of the Palm

aainnakhla.jimdofree.com

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[dabhand]

Anyone know where exactly the camel market at guelmim is please?

Just follow the sh*te, then you’ll know by the smell!

 

[billym]

We took the train from Mohammedia to Casablanca.
18 Mad each, each way. It takes 20 mins which was long enough.
We decided the city needs an Umwelt zone.

25 cl of Heineken at Rick's Cafe 50 MAD!

 

[jongood]

We took the train from Mohammedia to Casablanca.
18 Mad each, each way. It takes 20 mins which was long enough.
We decided the city needs an Umwelt zone.

View attachment 361153

25 cl of Heineken at Rick's Cafe 50 MAD!

View attachment 361155

have you done the tour?
We had a woman guide which was very enlightening, she shows us the women's section, which women haven't been allowed to use yet b because they dont really want to let women in!!!!!

 

[billym]

have you done the tour?
We had a woman guide which was very enlightening, she shows us the women's section, which women haven't been allowed to use yet b because they dont really want to le women in!!!!!

We did that last year.
It was very interesting and quite thought provoking.

 

[BigRJ]

Ok me again! Thanks for everyone’s info on guelmim market.We are planning on getting up to tafroute mid Feb. Does anyone know if we can get up on the R109 & R106 from Tata area? Our motorhome is 6.5m but our friends is nearer 7.5m. Anyone been that way or would it be best to head back up n1 & go in the tiznit way which we have done before?

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[PhilandMena]

Well as no one answered your quarry I will add what info I have. We were in your area last Feb and went to a campsite in Bouzizkarne and the owner said the road from there to Tafroute was ok R102 I believe. However we ended up going up the N1 and taking the R104 to Tafroute. Most years this is a good way in with an interesting hill climb. Other members may hae more up to date info.

 

[jongood]

Ok me again! Thanks for everyone’s info on guelmim market.We are planning on getting up to tafroute mid Feb. Does anyone know if we can get up on the R109 & R106 from Tata area? Our motorhome is 6.5m but our friends is nearer 7.5m. Anyone been that way or would it be best to head back up n1 & go in the tiznit way which we have done before?

We tried it 4 years ago and ended up turning back but the roads are steadily improving and who knows ? Maybe horshamjack ?

 

[SUGGY]

Yes Terry, I loaded some sterling on my Caxton card whist in Morocco after finding out Nat West were hammering me for using my Visa card in the foreign cash machines. It worked a treat too and I saved a fair amount this way. Terry, Caxton have introduced Caxton Red. £55.00 annual payment or £5.00 per month. It provides the inter bank exchange rate (So same as Revolut) but with all the benefits of Caxton. I will be jumping over once the exchange rate goes north of €1.20, Can be done online too.

We have always uses Halifax Clarity card . I put some cash into the card account, ie preload it . not had any charges yet .

 

[PhilandMena]

We have always uses Halifax Clarity card . I put some cash into the card account, ie preload it . not had any charges yet .

Sounds good Suggy. Exchange rate set by Mastercard.

 

[horshamjack]

Ok me again! Thanks for everyone’s info on guelmim market.We are planning on getting up to tafroute mid Feb. Does anyone know if we can get up on the R109 & R106 from Tata area? Our motorhome is 6.5m but our friends is nearer 7.5m. Anyone been that way or would it be best to head back up n1 & go in the tiznit way which we have done before?

Yes that roads fine, the 109 to Igherm and the 106 to Tafroute, was few years back there’s a short cut by Tagmoute to Tazalarhite to Titeki onthe 106 that a few have done also

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[billym]

Ok me again! Thanks for everyone’s info on guelmim market.We are planning on getting up to tafroute mid Feb. Does anyone know if we can get up on the R109 & R106 from Tata area? Our motorhome is 6.5m but our friends is nearer 7.5m. Anyone been that way or would it be best to head back up n1 & go in the tiznit way which we have done before?

Let us know how you get on if you take that route as we would probably want to do it ( the other way) next month

 

[makems]

Ok me again! Thanks for everyone’s info on guelmim market.We are planning on getting up to tafroute mid Feb. Does anyone know if we can get up on the R109 & R106 from Tata area? Our motorhome is 6.5m but our friends is nearer 7.5m. Anyone been that way or would it be best to head back up n1 & go in the tiznit way which we have done before?

We did that route about 4 years ago in a 9 metre moho and my wife drove all the way! ?

 

[jongood]

We did that route about 4 years ago in a 9 metre moho and my wife drove all the way! ?

Maybe our trip was a previous year but when we did it it started off as a lovely 2 lane tarmac and got worse and worse and we even struggled to turn around because it was so rocky. Glad they've sorted it. The upside was that we found Amtoudi which was lovely.

 

[webby1]

Ok me again! Thanks for everyone’s info on guelmim market.We are planning on getting up to tafroute mid Feb. Does anyone know if we can get up on the R109 & R106 from Tata area? Our motorhome is 6.5m but our friends is nearer 7.5m. Anyone been that way or would it be best to head back up n1 & go in the tiznit way which we have done before?

I presume from this you are talking about taking the N12 from Guelmim to Tata and then back to Tafraoute.I don't know about the N12 part but we did travel from Tafraoute to Tata via the 109 and 106.

In our 7.5 van we did take the shortcut which cuts across from Aferni on the 106 to Issafn on the 109. The road was very worn in places but passable. We did not see a single vehicle the whole time and as we did not have a spare wheel it was rather nerve wracking. In retrospect it was one of the highlights of the trip.......easy to say afterwards.

We have a spare this year and will probably take that route again.........but a lot can change in a year.
Perhaps the first one to do the route could report back.That might be you BigRJ

 

[PhilandMena]

We did that route about 4 years ago in a 9 metre moho and my wife drove all the way! ?

You forgot to add she also drove all the way when we hooked up and on a spur of the moment thing went to Dakhla. What an adventure.

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[makems]

that was a great trip Phil, great memories.

 

[PhilandMena]

that was a great trip Phil, great memories.

My favourite picture of you Mike.

 

[PhilandMena]

And some more.......... Ken looks like he washed his face in boot polish !

 

[billym]

We spent a couple of nice days in Oualidia
The road in from the motorway ,which was bad last year, is being resurfaced and is nearly finished.
The official guardian parking is 30 MAD with black waste empty.

The first picture shows one of the King's now derelict Palaces still guarded by soldiers in full dress uniform.

The large Saturday morning souk was busy and interesting. It is not a tourist tat souk and was a bit grizzly in places so I took a picture of a nice donkey instead

 

[horshamjack]

For those heading to Tafroute, I read on fb today that the council had installed a european style service point to empty your black waste for free and apparently 10mins of drinking water and 1hr of ehu for 10mad,
about time in my mind, never was keen on the sludge pit opposite the new swimming pool 29.721566 -8.977183

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[horshamjack]

Meant to read it’s near the swimming pool and I was never a lover of the sludge pit !

 

[PhilandMena]

A Great move. How long before someone tries to hog the hook up. Cant see all the French trudging down to the pool with there cassettes. A good trade though for the town boys on there bikes. 10 MAD per time, they will make a fortune. There's money in shit shovelling LOL

 

[billym]

That's great news. We wouldn't go last year because of the black waste issue

We stayed a night outside of Essouria at the excellent Les Olivier's at Ounara ( 125 MAD) and it is obvious that motorhomes are still not welcome in Essouria.
The campsite will take you and bring you back at a pre arranged time for 70 MAD per person ( minimum 2 people) and there is a bus but we didn't bother with either.

 

[TerryL]

I'll give it 2 hours before it gets blocked up. Last year someone built a disposal point at the back of the guardian parking - I managed to use it once despite a little guy coming out in his van regularly to try and keep it clear.
But I'm just a cynic. Still I hope it's okay in a couple of weeks when we get there.

 

[TerryL]

Agree Essaouira is no longer a good place for m/hs. We had couple nights at Le Calme, not easy to get to Ess. Now on Kaouki Beach, apparently bus from village and site will also arrange a minibus.

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