Morocco 2023 Trip
 

Hello everyone

Just though I would post up a thought balloon and get some feedback from some seasoned Morocco travellers.

I am giving serious thought to heading to Morocco with a "tour group" in October of 2023.

Now before you all call me a woussy,let me share my thoughts.

I have done 2 "events" with this organisation, the longest one was "O caminho mais longo" in Portugal where we basically drove off pavement from the very north to the very south of Portugal.

I will admit I though this was going to be a sort of american style "follow the leader" type of plod through the country, and it was anything but! Excellent event,fantastic people,amazing places we stayed at and the food was terrific.

I did more hard core,technical terrain than I have ever done in my life on this event,and would do it again in a heart beat.

Now these folks are heading to Morocco (they do go there a few times as well as Tunisia ect),small group of 10 cars, not a follow the leader type deal, you sort of hook up with who you want and there is always a sweeper vehicle with a "mechanic" that brings up the rear along with a doctor/medical person should something go completely pear shaped.

Now as I would be heading out alone (my wife cares not for this sort of vehicular activities),it would at least give me some folks with common interest to speak with,hang out and tackle any sort of obstacles/spot ect with.

I dont believe we will be doing any sort of hard core offroading in Morocco, it would be silly to do stupid stuff so far from home, but you can always have a mechanical breakdown or simply hurt yourself outdoors and going with a group would help me get a feel for what its like live on the ground in Morocco and still have the benefit of having a "buddy" you could rely on if the bad stuff happens.

I think we will be staying in hotels each night with secure parking so that solves any issues with that, and we would share meals at breakfast and supper at the start and end of each day,with all the time in between to travel at your own pace.

So thoughts welcome

Cheers,

Paulo

If you already know the company then its a good choice for the reasons you state. I've been with organised trips, tavelled solo and run tours, they all have advantages and disadvantages. (I wouldn't call 10 vehicles a small group myself though).

There are few dodgy outfits doing Morocco trips now where they either follow a guide book or mostly stay on the tarmac.

I think joining a tour in what might be a radically culturally unfamiliar country is a good way to start.
Of course it will cost you loads more than DIY but you can sit back and get a feel for the place and how easy it might be to come back next time under your own steam.

I would find out a bit more about the route, terrain and what you will see and do before deciding. Just how well does the company know Morocco?

Peter Buitelaar offers a similar sort of service and you may find his photos inspirational as he knows all the good places to visit and bivouac.

If your tour company can offer a similar experience I would definitely go with them as it takes years of exploration to discover all these sorts of places and you were happy with their previous offering.

Still sitting way way on the fence on this one.

I did reach out to peter, and I look forward to his reply also.

Obviously on wikiloc there are literally hundreds of trails and trips one can take,and along with Chris's book,I know I have more than enough information available.

i think its more ,someone to share the experience with and talk about the days sights and places visited. I am sure there would be folks to bump into on the road as well,so maybe thats a non issue.

I need to go over Chris's book again,perhaps look into something that can be done within 8 or 9 days in country that covers the overall feel for the place.

Cheers,

Paulo

Morocco off road solo
 

Hi ,your post is exactly the situation I’m in this sort of trip is certainly not my mrs’s cup of tea and I don’t really want to spend the money on a tour tbh I’d rather spend that money on fuel instead ,I have travelled Morocco many times on foot and a couple of times by car on paved roads ,so basically I’m going for it my vehicle is well prepared I have spare parts 2 spare wheels ,so fingers crossed I have an enjoyable experience I plan on going at the end of the month shame really I would of been interested in hooking up .

I also love to travel I want to go there this year.

Hello everyone & thanks to rydz for starting the thread!

I am also planning to go to Morocco this year, and would appreciate advice from the community.

Been reading up on the different threads and the advice given have helped me a lot, even if I haven't left home just yet.

I've ridden for a good ten years+ and done some off-roading as well. Not much, mostly on gravel roads. Since I don't have an off-road bike at the moment, I would need to rent one. And since I don't trust my own roadside mechanics abilities, I would assume joining a tour would be my best option, for my first trip to Morocco.

I've seen a few tips about what to look for when it comes to tour operators, and I haven't seen that many after doing some searches, so that will not be an issue. (although, if there are some I should consider, feel free if it's ok in this section of the forums) Where to go on the other hand!

I'd love to be able to ride some dunes, and do some twisty sections as well. Camping not an issue. Would rather be far from cities, than going from hotel to hotel. What parts of the country, or what routes do you recommend that I should be looking at?

I'm kind of flexible when it comes to dates, as long as it is Oct - Dec. Preferably Oct - Nov. How hot does it get in Oct? How cold are the nights in late Nov?

Cheers!
András

Unless you are a crusty, red-hot demon of dirt aboard an appropriate machine, it will take you < 15 minutes to get dune riding out of your system. It's not like the Dakar though I understand it's a big appeal if you've never tried it before.

Honestly, with 12-hour nights forget about moto camping with all the associated clobber and enjoy southern Morocco's cheap hotels, great food, ropey plumbing, wifi and other people.

Head over the Atlas and it's all there waiting for you. Oct can be too hot imo (greater water consumption), so was Nov last year though usually it's just right. But shacked up in a hotel it's all less of an issue anyway.

You will manage fine on a rented 310GS and a sensibly modest itinerary.

I really dont know what all the fuss is about ............. been to maroc 56 times (mostly on my own on motor bikes ) and just come back after 6 weeks backpacking. Only had one strange incident in Safi , when a big morrocon wanted to kiss me !
The secret is to dress like a well worn traveller ,and dont act like a tourist !
K

Cheers, Chris!

Do I read you right, that even with no experience with tools you would recommend me renting a bike?

By heading over the Atlas, do you mean fly in/out Marrakesh or similar?

Thanks again

Ridden appropriately and with an understanding of where you are riding alone and with what resources, well prepared and maintained bikes don't break, most commonly they have punctures (usually because tyres are old) or fall over and break levers (so choose handguards). Any greater damage and you are unlikely to be in shape to remedy it.

So best thing is to rent a bike with tubeless tyres - eg 310GS rather than Tornado (which are now well and truly clapped out in Morocco - be careful). TL flats can be fixed in minutes with a plug on a spike (see youtube videos) but you will need a pump or CO2. A bicycle pump will do to get you to a garage. TL flats can be ridden slowly, if necessary. It's all online or in my Morocco and AMH books.

A multitool + motion pro + the age-old 'zip ties & duct tape' will do you. Add a mobile phone and common sense; the best tools of all ;-). Or - ignore all this, throw yourself in and take the consequences. It's all part of the adventure and it's only Morocco.

In my opinion the interesting riding in Morocco in concentrated in the Atlas ranges and south of them. RAK is ideally placed to fly in and rent.

It's easy to say having been brought up on ratbikes, but this whole thing about having to be a 'mechanic' to rides bikes is an urban myth. Let others work it out. Certainly learn about common faults and troubleshooting, and then probably forget about them. Keep an eye on oil level, tyre pressures and chain tension.

I was surprised myself years ago, but Morocco is an exception by African standards: you can rent self-drive bikes and 4x4s with - in places - near European levels of service and support. I recommend Loc 2 Roues.

Thank you once again, Chris!

I've found your book, Morocco Overland. I really should be picking up a copy before I commit to this trip, I feel.

Since I'm not on Facebook, I haven't been able to take a peek at Loc2Roues. However, Wilderness Wheels have written back to me. Don't know at what price they rent and what bikes, yet. You know of them?

I don't do FB either (or don't get it) but Loc's www is:
https://bm-attitude.com/

WW used to be in Ouarzazate and rented KTM450s but only on their guided tours including a spare 450 in a pick up. I thought they moved to Spain but looks like they are back with new, younger owners? Looks like the same deal, though.

Also,try and see from their preliminary info how many kilometers you will be driving each day to achieve it.This ,in conjunction with a map will give you a rough idea of on or off road driving content.Most organized tours in Maroc tend to have high on road content in order to give tourist time in the fabulous towns and cities.