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Photo by Paul Stewart, of Egle Gerulaityte - Must love Donkeys!

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Must love Donkeys!
Photo by Paul Stewart,
of Eglė Gerulaitytė with friends.



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  #16  
Old 18 Apr 2021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brclarke View Post
Sounds pretty good - but a tad more difficult for those of us across the big pond to travel to.
Not at all difficult - Royal Air Maroc operates non-stop flights from Montreal to Morocco on a frequent basis (when pandemics are not in progress), and ticket prices are not particularly expensive. It's fairly easy to rent a motorcycle in Morocco - or, if you wish, you can fly to Southern Spain and rent a moto there, or join up with an organized tour that supplies motorcycles.

I've visited Morocco several times with my Canadian-plated motorcycle, and enjoyed each visit. It is a very safe country to travel in, and the residents of Morocco are pleasant people.
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  #17  
Old 18 Apr 2021
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Hello

Quote:
Originally Posted by badou24 View Post
If you live europe easy to get to
Quote:
Originally Posted by markharf View Post
Living in North America, Mexico checks all the same boxes (along with others, like a wide variety of scenery, cultures, ecosystems) plus it's easy to get to.
Marocco is as close to Europe as Mexico is to North America.
Depending where you live it's a long ride to get there with the own bike.
To me Marocco is as far away as Iceland, been in both but would only revisit Iceland again.
Spent the same amount of money in both countries per day.
In one enjoying camping and sleeping well, in the other hotelrooms with good and bad sleeping due to bad/unfamiliar beds.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheWarden View Post
Fly in, rent a bike or 4x4 and enjoy
Once you fly and rent, every place in the world is close by.

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  #18  
Old 18 Apr 2021
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Originally Posted by sushi2831 View Post
To me Morocco is as far away as Iceland, been in both but would only revisit Iceland again.
Spent the same amount of money in both countries per day...
That is an unusual comparison (Morocco vs. Iceland)!

I've also been to both countries several times, and I can't think of any two countries that are more different from each other than Morocco & Iceland. Both are delightful places, but for entirely different reasons.

Iceland is a fully developed country, on par with CH for quality of life. It is a beautiful country, no doubt about that, and offers great riding opportunities, but other than hot springs & volcanos, it's not particularly different from Western Europe.

Morocco is a lesser developed country (though progressing quite quickly), and everything there is very different from Western Europe - food, economics, culture, religion, geography, etc.

Cost-wise, if you compare like for like (e.g. hotel prices to hotel prices, restaurant prices to restaurant prices, cost of getting there from CH, etc.), the overall cost of a trip to Morocco starting from Zürich, which is my usual base when in Europe) is about half that of a trip to Iceland.

I'm not criticizing Iceland or promoting Morocco - I'm just a bit perplexed at your comparison of the two.

Having said that, in the overall context of this discussion, I would be happy to live in either Morocco or Iceland (or CH, for that matter).
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  #19  
Old 18 Apr 2021
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Quote:
Not at all difficult - Royal Air Maroc operates non-stop flights from Montreal to Morocco on a frequent basis
5 hour flight from YVR to Montreal, stopover, another 9 or 10 hours to Morocco... I'm sure it's a lovely place to ride, but not quite as difficulty-free to reach as for someone in Europe.

All I am saying is that the original poster has probably not heard of Betteridge's law: "Any headline that ends in a question mark can usually be answered by the word 'no'."

I've done a fair bit of motorcycling in Mexico, and loved it. I think it's a terrific place to go for a ride, but I wouldn't suggest it's the best all-around destination for anyone from outside North America.
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  #20  
Old 18 Apr 2021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brclarke View Post
5 hour flight from YVR to Montreal, stopover, another 9 or 10 hours to Morocco... I'm sure it's a lovely place to ride, but not quite as difficulty-free to reach as for someone in Europe.
You say that but you haven’t met my wife have you? That sort of flying time can be described as a safe distance.
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  #21  
Old 19 Apr 2021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PanEuropean View Post
That is an unusual comparison (Morocco vs. Iceland)!
Hello

Quote:
Originally Posted by badou24 View Post
loads of off road to do
My only reason to go to marocco.

Although in Iceland you have to stick to the tracks, a lot of "adventure" waiting for you.


And no risk of hitting children on the road.
Thanks to all the idiots who think "high-fiving" while passing with the bike is cool.
No where in the places I visited so far I've seen this.
That's why I will go back to Iceland again and never again to marocco.

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  #22  
Old 19 Apr 2021
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Unfortunately a problem caused by the bad behaviour of some travellers.

Get away from the popular routes and its not a problem
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  #23  
Old 19 Apr 2021
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I dont understand how you can compare Morocco with Iceland !
You can go to Morocco in the winter and have all the snow you want in the mountains ! ..... and next day be on the edge of Saraha desert ! or go to the coast and have nice beaches.
Most people go there for two weeks and have no idea about the people and the country , and are just "tourists " and get ripped off by the locals ( same in most places ) They never get to see the real Morocco !
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  #24  
Old 19 Apr 2021
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Originally Posted by badou24 View Post
Most people go there for two weeks ... and get ripped off by the locals (same in most places ) They never get to see the real Morocco !
It's much the same wherever you go in tourist areas, the locals 'take advantage'. I've been ripped off by some of the best over the years - Venice, Rome, London, NY etc. I don't even often go into the nearest big town to where I live - Oxford - because of the 'tourist culture', but the Moroccans hold a special place in my heart for their 'sales ability'.

In fact I'd advise anyone at the planning stage of a long trip and thinking about what skills they might need to upgrade to add a solo trip to Tangier or Marrakesh to the list ahead of departure. You don't need to sign up for anything or even have a plan; just take it easy, walk around, sit in a cafe, browse in a shop. The experience will be the character development equivalent of learning to ride offroad.

I only realised how much I'd benefited from my time there when I spent some time in Shanghai. A bunch of rank amateurs by comparison is all I can say. Call that negotiation. Where's the grabbing you by the shirt, the six of them pickpocketing you at the same time, the pulling a knife, the fake police uniform (actually, thinking about it, that was Senegal). No, there's no doubt. Graduate from the Moroccan school of consumer survival and you've got a skill with real market value. Just as long as it's not a Moroccan market.
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  #25  
Old 19 Apr 2021
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The secret is to dress in your old clothes and do not look like a 2 week tourist. been a " few " times and very few problems !( if your there in your new white jeans and expensive gear on you ............... sitting chicken ! or DUCK
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  #26  
Old 19 Apr 2021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by badou24 View Post
The secret is to dress in your old clothes and do not look like a 2 week tourist. been a " few " times and very few problems !( if your there in your new white jeans and expensive gear on you ............... sitting chicken ! or DUCK
This is great advice for shorter trips. Dress down. But if I am taking my bike through a continent, I want good gear!
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  #27  
Old 20 Apr 2021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mark manley View Post
I have not been to Morocco yet but it would have to go some to beat the Indian sub-continent for me, between Pakistan, India and Nepal there is so much, although many parts of overpopulated you can still find the bits in between that are great.
A quick deviation please, as you brought it up. Mark, is bike travel in Pakistan safer or more dangerous than five or ten years ago. I really want to pass that way.

Mack to Maroc: fantastic country and it has lots to offer. I hope to go back as soon as COVID loosens it’s grip. I agree with the comments about India/Nepal and Vietnam. Asia is awesome, but not a quick ride away.
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  #28  
Old 20 Apr 2021
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Best advice for Morocco .......... i always pretend to be on my phone when there is a "hot spot " and it works for me ! ( must buy a battery !! )
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  #29  
Old 16 May 2021
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I was reminded about this thread...

I have been riding up home towards Finland from Malta through Italy.

Oh my god. I had no idea. Italy is absolutely amazing for riding. Been going up the west cost and the roads are indescribable. Probably the best tarmac riding I have ever done.
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  #30  
Old 16 May 2021
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Originally Posted by badou24 View Post
Best advice for Morocco .......... i always pretend to be on my phone when there is a "hot spot " and it works for me ! ( must buy a battery !! )
Or talk to them in Welsh, or talk to each other in Welsh. We can't speak Welsh
But we can string enough random words together to confuse anyone enough for them to move on to the next victim
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