Morocco GS Knowledgebase

[Tim Cullis]

This thread attempts to consolidate collective GS knowledge about Morocco. It's a work-in-progress and is intended to be added to over time both here and in the mirror thread on the GSClubUK forum.

So please feel free to add to the thread with any information you think will be helpful to others. Your reply will subsequently be merged (with acknowledgement) within other posts in this thread.

If you are recommending a hotel or a place, please say why you think others would like it (rather than just "we went there").

__________________________________________________ _______


WHY MOROCCO?
Morocco is the most exciting GS riding venue that's within relatively easy access of the UK. The roads are generally good quality and great fun, there's not much traffic, and the scenary is awe-inspiring. Accommodation and food are good value, a twin room is typically £10 to £30 per night. There is a wealth of well-documented tracks (pistes), the weather is fairly predictable and it's a brilliant combination of safe, exciting and inexpensive.

GETTING THERE
Basically you need to get through France and Spain, then take a ferry to northern Morocco.



There are a variery of ports covering the Spain to Morocco section, see www.cemar.it for a map and route details. Most people use the crossing from Algeciras in southern Spain to Ceuta or Tanger in northern Morocco. Other options are Tarifa to Tanger, Malaga to Nador. I've also used the Almeria to Melilla route. Bert used the Sete (southern France) to Tanger ferry in Dec 2005, it takes 36 hours (two nights and a day) and including accommodation and food cost around €400.

Your options in getting to Algeciras are to either ride through France and Spain (1,400 miles from Calais, 1,250 from Caen), or to take one of the overnight ferries to northern Spain which means you then have 700 miles to ride to Algeciras. Brittany Ferries does an overnight from Plymouth to Santander which takes 18 hours. P&O Ferries has a 34-hour service (two nights on board) from Portsmouth to Bilbao. P&O is normally cheaper, but Brittany Ferries uses a higher quality 'mini cruise' ship and is quicker. Acciona Ferries has now withdrawn from the Portsmouth to Bilbao route. Brittany has announced a new 24-hour Portsmouth to Santander service will be starting in Spring 2009.

WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO
Morocco has four main mountain ranges; from north to south these are the Rif Mountains, then the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas in the furthest south. The best bike roads in the mountains are probably the Middle and Anti Atlas; the High Atlas is something to ride over, rather than through, and the roads in the Rif are often less well surfaced.

To the east of the Middle Atlas and the south of the High/Anti Atlas lie the hamadas--stony semi-arid 'desert' with excellent pistes (tracks for 4WD cars and bikes). There's a small area of sand near Erfoud and another near Zagora.

The coastal plain to the west of the country is generally flat and uninteresting, however the coastline itself is often pretty.

WHEN TO GO
Morocco is an all-year-round destination, however in the winter the smaller mountain roads can be blocked by snow, and the summer months (mid-June to end August) are normally extremely hot. My personal preference is for April/May--the country is incredibly green and the days are much longer than September/October. Having twice experienced Morocco during Ramadan I suggest you try to avoid it. Ramadan dates slip by approximately two weeks each year and depend upon the sighting of the new moon (1 Sep to 30 Sep 2008-- 21 Aug to 19 Sep 2009 -- 10 Aug to 8 Sep 2010). Ramadan finished with a three day national festival called Eid el-Fitr.

Eid al-Adha, a three-day feast and National Holiday, marks the time of the pilgrimage to Mecca and begins 9 Dec 2008, 29 Nov 2009 and 19 Nov 2010. The Prophet Mohammed’s birthday is celebrated and is a one-day National Holiday on 20 Mar 2008, 9 Mar 2009, 27 Feb 2010. The Islamic New Year is a one-day National Holiday on 9 Jan 2008, 29 Dec 2009, and 19 Dec 2010.

For the last twelve years, Morocco remained on GMT throughout the winter AND the summer, so in summer time was two hours behind Spanish time. This changed in 2008 with the introduction of a short period of summer time (see later post). You can get sunrise/set times as well as expected temperatures for a variety of Moroccan locations at weather.co.uk (choose a town, then climate statistics). See also http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/Morocco.htm

Although it's an Islamic country, the Moroccan business week is Monday to Friday, with Saturday and Sunday as the weekend. The western calendar is used (i.e. 2006, not 1427). Placenames on signposts are written both in arabic and western scripts. Distances are measured in kilometers.

[Tim Cullis]

ROUTE PLANNING

MAPPING
Morocco doesn't have a huge road network, so a single country-wide map with a scale of 1:1,000,000 is sufficient. This will show most unsurfaced roads suitable for 4WD traffic. With a map of 1:1,000,000 it's easy to get suckered into days that involve huge distances, so it's as well to have an equivalent scale map of the UK to give you an appreciation for what you are planning.

Michelin 742 is probably the best all-round map as it shows scenic routes (in green) and those roads that might be closed due to winter snow (blue). A new version of the UK edition was released in May 2007 but there are only a few differences from the old version.

The IGN map is useful as it has gridlines to enable GPS waypoints to be roughly calculated. The Rough Guide map is also good as it's printed on a plastic-like surface that is more practical for tank bags.

There are larger-scale maps available but these are extremely out-of-date and, given the rate of road sealing going on in Morocco, are practically useless for ascertaining road conditions. Stanfords is an excellent mail order resource for maps of Morocco.

GARMIN GPS NAVIGATION
The coverage of Morocco included in the Atlantic basemap loaded in Garmin Streetpilot/Quest units is actually more detailed and extends further south than the coverage shown in Mapsource. Compare them side-by-side to see.

The best solution is the free-of-charge Marokko Topo maps at http://www.island-olaf.de/travel/marokko/gps.html I have travelled extensively with these maps and found the roads and tracks are accurate. The most recent version is December 2007. For best results on the road only download the street maps to the GPS unit (i.e. remove the topo overlay from the download) as otherwise you can get confused between contour lines and tracks.

The Marokko Topo map segments don't take up much storage space as they don't include routing information. Consequently, when you come to plan a route using roads, you'll find the GPS will only use the original basemap roads. Which leads to the second point, that GPS navigation in Morocco is best done as 'off-road' straight lines between known waypoints.

Don't bother buying tracklogs of Moroccan pistes, the vast majority of the pistes are already on Maroc Topo.

ROUTES
When planning Ceuta to Fes, please don't go via Ketama in the Rif Mountains. It would be your worse possible introduction to Morocco. Some of the locals in that area are unfriendly (it's a lawless cannabis-growing centre) and the roads are poor. This is the only area in Morocco I would advise against. If you really want to do it, wait until the return trip.

Originally Posted by Timolgra

Last year we took the road east from near Chefchouen to Ketama and yes a dodgy place, but I'm glad i did it. I thought the roads were interesting with an almost lawless feel to the towns on the way. Possibly a bit too daunting an introduction to Morocco for a group on their first trip. But Morocco gets so much better further south, so possibly I rode that area as much out of interest as anything.

TRAIL RIDING
Gandini's series of six books on Moroccan pistes is the best resource for piste information. The High/Middle Atlas edition was updated in 2006. Written in French but not too difficult to understand
Voyages 4x4 is a french website with a variety of suggested pistes and waypoints.
Chris Scott's Sahara Overland 2 is another acknowledged resource for advice and information about pistes throughout the Sahara area and includes 12 pistes for Morocco.

Edit: Chris is currently working on a new book, Morocco Overland, with 40 detailed tracks for Morocco which is due to be published early 2009.

Google Earth
If you have a recent version of Mapsource you can check the validity of waypointed routes by parsing them through Google Earth. To see what this looks like (needs Google Earth but not Mapsource), click here to download (save, then unzip) Chris Scott's M6 route in .kmz Google Earth format. You can zoom in on the route and in some cases follow it on the ground.

WEATHER
Morocco has been described as a 'cold country with a hot sun' and temperatures can vary suprisingly. The all-time coldest temperature recorded in Morocco was -24°C (-11°F) at Ifrane in the Middle Atlas. On the other hand it regularly soars to 50°C in the area around Figuig. Summer night temperatures can be awfully sticky in non-mountainous regions.

In 2006 Morocco has received large amounts of rainfall and the effects in terms of plant growth and water table height are likely to last a couple of years. In June very heavy rains in east and south-east Morocco (from the Mediterranean coast to the Tafilalt region) killed 6 people. Merzouga (in what is regarded as a semi-desert region) had 105 mm of water (over 4 inches) in 2 hours, and the Hassan Addakhil reservoir received 39 million cubic meters. 2008 has been another wet year and some of the more remote tracks may not be in particularly good repair.

FUEL
As of April 2009 leaded fuel has practically disappeared in Morocco and all fuel stations serve super unleaded and Eurodiesel 50. Afriquia is the best chain of petrol stations in Morocco with modern services and normally with an onsite cafe. Other chains are Total, Ziz and CHM. Petrol costs about 10.5dh/litre which is about 75p/litre.

Getting small change is often a problem in Morocco, so I often fill up asking for 120dh at a time (cent vingt dirham, SVP), this way I get change of a 50 and a 20 dh notes plus a 10dh coin.

Until recently it was practically impossible to get unleaded petrol south of Tan Tan. This may well have changed but I don't have any reliable information. Fuel prices in Western Sahara are roughly half of those elsewhere in Morocco.

'Loco for Motos' points out that Marjane Hypermarkets in major cities will take credit cards, however this can add ten minutes on to your stop. Marjane is also a good place to stock up on European items, wine and beer.

Mobile phone coverage
Morocco has jumped a technology generation and the market penetration of mobile phones is something like eight times than of landlines. This market penetration could only be achieved by the phone companies installing cellphone masts along all the normal traffic routes, whether tarmac or piste. Consequently you can be in really remote areas which in the UK would be signal-less and get all the bars on your phone. Make sure you have roaming enabled on your UK phone before leaving.

Jan 08: Vodafone and Orange don't have roaming agreements with suppliers in Western Sahara and Mauritania but O2 is said to be OK.

To make the best of the Moroccan coverage (and overcome the problem above), take a spare mobile with you to Morocco and buy a local SIM card (~£2). If the mobile isn't unlocked there will be someone who will do that for you. Now top the card up and use it to keep in touch with your fellow travellers, make hotel bookings ahead, and so forth.

[Tim Cullis]

DOCUMENTS AND PROCEDURES

DOCUMENTS
Your passport will need to be valid for at least six months after your entry into Morocco. A visa is not required for British nationals. You don't need an international driving licence, but should take your British driving licence. You don't need a carnet but will need your vehicle logbook (V5) and check the address matches that of your driving licence!

Motorcycle insurance: ideally you should get fully comprehensive green card coverage from your own insurer, however please note that many insurance companies reduce the green card cover from fully comp to third party for the Moroccan part of the trip. Theft of large-capacity bikes isn’t a concern as locals can’t register them or get parts, but you would be liable for own-fault crashes. If you don’t organise insurance in advance you will have to purchase border insurance (third party) when you enter the country. The current rates are something like 60 euros for 2 weeks and 89 euros for 4 weeks.

Vaccinations
Essential: Tetanus and polio
Strong recommendation: Hepatitis A
Recommended: Typhoid, Diptheria, TB, Hepatitis B, Rabies

The vaccinations are only suggested, not mandatory (you won't be turned away if you don't have them). They are similar to those needed for other countries, so if you plan to travel a lot it's a good idea. Some of these injections can be combined, e.g. Hep-A/Typhoid, Diptheria/Tetanus/Polio. You would need a booster for Hep-A six months down the line. Then a typhoid revaccination after three years, the others after ten years. Malaria is practically eliminated, but avoid mosquito bites by using cream/nets.

Travel/medical insurance: check it covers motorcycling over 125cc. Take the policy document/booklet with you plus a note of your policy number. UNAT (tel 020-8662 8145) used to administer the BMW Travel Insurance and will provide motorcycle cover for an additional £15 per person. www.worldwideinsure.com provides motorcycling cover for Morocco (any country bordering Med), 10 days = £11.40 standard, £14.72 super cover.

Currency: You can’t buy Moroccan Dirhams (MAD) until you get to Morocco, and the exchange places at the border only take cash, so you will need some money in sterling or Euros. Once within Morocco the easiest way to get MAD is from ATMs (cash points). Most ATMs take credit cards rather than Switch. Make sure you have your PIN codes for the card(s) and if you don’t normally use them, check now that they work by withdrawing some cash before you go!

French for ATM is 'guichet' (counter). At Tanger there's a couple of ATMs and banks on the right immediately after customs, at Ceuta you need to ride on a couple of km to Fnediq where there's an ATM on the right by the second roundabout. Some ATMs will automatically switch to English when you put your card in, others you need to select the Union Flag.

1 MAD is about 6.3p. £1= 15.75 MAD. Petrol is slightly cheaper than the UK. Petrol stations and other places won’t take credit cards, and when they do there’s often a 5% surcharge.

PROCEDURES
Speed limits are 40 kph (25 mph) in towns and 100 kph (62 mph) in open country. As you approach a town the limits will go 100 -> 80 -> 60 -> 40. You MUST give way to traffic from the right, even though it’s a smaller road. Police impose on-the-spot fines in an attempt to reduce road accidents. Radar traps are increasingly used.

The town police (Sûreté Nationale) have a dark blue uniform with light blue shirts. The provincial police (Gendarmerie Royal) have light grey uniforms and you will often see pairs of gendarmes examining traffic on the main roads in and out of towns.

ASSISTANCE WITHIN MOROCCO
Recovery insurance: BMW European recovery services don't cover Morocco. If there's a breakdown and a bike is unrepairable locally, the only thing is to get it onto a van back up to Ceuta or Algeciras. The rider (and V5) will need to be with the bike/van to get it through the border and get the vehicle exit stamp in the rider's passport.

For assistance within Morocco, contact
Ouarzazate: Bikers Home (Peter/Zineb) +212 707.856.40
Ouarzazate: Wilderness Wheels (Peter) +212 24 88 81 28
Casablanca: BMW Smeia, +212 22 50 07 00 (BMW bike dealer) N33 35.881 W7 34.952
Casablanca: Moto Plus, 86 Rue Hadj Ammar Riffi, Mers Sultan +212 22 20 38 15

Construction has started on a Marrakech BMW dealership which is likely to be open in 2010.

EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS
112 is an internationally recognised GSM emergency number and, irrespective of which country you are in, calls should connect to the local emergency telephone number. From landlines the emergency police telephone numbers are
- 190 in urban areas for city police
- 177 in countryside for Gendarmerie Royal
British Embassy in Rabat: +212 37 63 33 33

TELEPHONE NUMBERS CHANGEOVER ON 6 MARCH 2009
Due to high demand for cellphone numbers, Morocco will move to a 10-digit numbering system with effect from 6 March. Fixed-line phone numbers starting with 02 or 03 will change into 052 and 053. Mobile phone numbers starting with 01, 04, 05, 06 or 07 will have a 5 after 0, while those starting with 08 or 09 will become 080 and 089.

To dial, from abroad, a Moroccan land-line number starting with +2122 or + 2123, add 5 before 2 or 3 (i.e. 21252 or 21253).

When calling a mobile phone starting with +2121, +2124, +2125, +2126 or +2127, a 6 should be added before 1, 4, 5, 6 or 7. For international calls to numbers starting with +2128 or +2129, replace 8 by 80 and 9 by 89.

The changes won't affect international calls from Morocco, special service numbers and emergency numbers.

Tim

[Tim Cullis]

ACCOMMODATION

Although there are some organised camping grounds, there's little saving to be made, given the low cost of local accommodation, and the weight of the additional equipment involved makes bikes rather heavy for piste riding. If you really want to sleep under canvas, many hotels offer permanent 'bedu style' tents set up in the gardens or roofs as a cheap option which is certainly viable in the summer months.

Camping 'wild' (away from towns without a tent) at the time of the new moon is a great experience and as well as more stars than you have ever viewed, you will see satelites and maybe even the space station pass overhead. Just take a thermarest and sleeping bag.

If you still want information on sites, check out Gandini's 'Campings du Maroc' with details of 160 sites: http://www.editions-gandini.com/reftitre-2930.html or this campsite list ( in German): http://www.marocvoyages.de/flash/CAM...%20MAROKKO.pdf

Low-price local hotels in towns seldom have alcohol or swimming facilities, however most have the basics of western-style toilets, hot water and clean sheets with typical rates in the region of 120-200 dirham (£8-£13) per night for a twin room.

If you want a rest from local culture--something predictably 'western' with pool and bar that you can book over the Internet--the Ibis hotels in Meknes, Fes, Marrakech, etc are conveniently located in the modern quarters of towns, often next to MacDonalds! Go to http://www.accorhotels.com/ and stick Morocco in the search box. Typical rate of 420 dirham (£28 ) for twin room.
Tanger: N35 42.888 W5 54.215
Fnediq: N35 51.384 W5 20.904 (Moroccan side of Ceuta border)
Oujda: N34 40.894 W1 55.339
Meknes: N33 53.739 W5 33.242
Fes: N34 02.771 W5 00.246
Rabat: N34 01.107 W6 48.913 (est)
Casablanca: N33 35.412 W7 35.460 (Gare Voyagers)
Casablanca: N33 35.898 W7 36.764 (City Centre, no pool)
El Jadida: N33 14.717 W8 29.434
Marrakech: N31 37.782 W8 01.111 (City Centre)
Marrakech: N31 40.703 W7 59.972 (Palmeraie)
Ouarzazate: N30 55.237 W6 54.243
Agadir: N30 24.620 W9 34.970

Often you will be approached by locals on the outskirts of a town offering to show you a hotel (and coming with you to collect their reward from the owner). Their objective of maximum commission might not align with your objective, and a more informed choice can be made by asking a local traffic duty policeman. He's likely to direct you to a fairly upmarket hotel, but at least won't be coming with you.

Recommended accommodation (sorted north to south) - thanks to Timolgra, Activmoto, Jochser, Petercul and others. If you are recommending a hotel or a place, please say why you think others would like it (rather than just "we went there").

Algeciras - Hotel Reina Cristina: N36 07.391 W5 26.696
Custard Tart/Stormchaser: grand Victorian-style hotel, reasonable rates

Asilah - Al Khaima: N35 28.493 W6 01.527
Tim: Close to Tanger, seaside hotel with pool and bar. Tel: +212 39 41 74 28

Larache - Hotel España, Av. Hassan II No 6. Tel +212 39 91 31 95/Fax 39 91 56 28.
Petcul: Right in the Middle of Larache near the seafront and the old quarter. Comfortable, clean and ensuite/shared bathroom facilities. From 122dh a night. Estimated N35 11.703 W6 09.185.

Sidi Kassem - Hotel el Magreb: N34 13.568 W5 42.788
Tim: basic but fine for overnight stop and only 70DH single ensuite

Fes - Hotel Batha: N34 03.621 W4 58.916 (NEW)
Tim: Graceful building next to Bab Boujeloud (western edge of medina). Beware: hotel has a track record of overbooking, so make sure yours is confirmed. Tel: +212 55 74 10 77

Azrou - Gite Ras El Ma: N33 27.803 W5 08.814
Tim: set in lovely countryside with English speaking couple and great food. 300 dirham half board

Khénifra - Riad Zayane N32 56.099 W5 39.757
Tim: clean and modern but rather boring. Tel: +212 35 58 60 20

Marrakech - Hotel Ali: N31 37.477 W7 59.396
Tim: right next to Djemma El Fnaa square, 250 dirhams for twin incl b'fast, Internet and hamman. A trekking hostel that can organise anything!

Marrakech - Riyad Nora: N31 37.340 W7 58.941
Old town, close to Djemma El Fnaa square, quiet elegant retreat.

Ouarzazate - Bikers' Home: N30 53.864 W6 54.083
Tim: run by Peter (dutch guy) and Zineb (moroccan wife). Also offers recovery service. 300 dirham half board. Tel: +212.707.856.40

El Kelaa M'Gouna - Itran Kasbah: N31 15.501 W6 08.146
Tim: perched on a cliff in the beautiful Valley of the Roses. Tel: +212 62 62 22 03

Gorge of Todra - Auberge le Festival, aka Chez Addi (N31 37.297 W5 33.677)
Tim: a small auberge/campsite situated 4km north of the high part of the gorge. Solar panels feed batteries for 12v lights at night. Great b'fast. Tel: +212 61 26 72 51

Tinerhir - Hotel Tomboctou: N31 30.913 W5 32.029
Timolgra: A beautifully restored riyad

Tinerhir - Hotel Bougafer: N31 30.199 W5 32.476
Tim: modern hotel with bar, pool.

Adgz - Auberge Berbere D'Ouriz: N30 40.848 W6 25.668
Tim: an inexpensive and rather basic small auberge, great for atmosphere

Zagora - Sahara Sky: N30 14.204 W5 36.478
Kasbah-style hotel with observatory on the roof. Laid-back German owner.

Tafroute - Hotel Tafroute
Timolgra: watch the sunrise from the terrace

Tafroute - Hotel les Amandiers, N29 43.018 W8 58.528
Tim: modern, rather soulless, but clean. Tel: +212 48 80 00 88
Timolgra: very posh

Tafroute - restaurant Star of the South (L´Etoile du Sud)

Midelt - Timnay: N32 45.090 W4 55.145
Tim: About 25 km north of Midelt, specialises in 4x4 type groups. Tel: +212 35.58.34.34

Midelt - Auberge de Jaffar: N32 38.672 W4 46.351 NEW
Tim: 7km west of Midelt in the foothills on the Cirque du Jaffar road. Pool and sometimes evening entertainment.

Erfoud - Auberge Erg Chebbi
Timolgra: in the dunes

Erfoud - Desert Inn (aka Auberge Kasbah Derkoua): N31 17.390 W4 05.532
500 MAD half board. Tel: +212 35 57 71 40

Erfoud - Palm Club: N31 24.584 W4 14.941
Tim: edge of town, pool and beer

Erfound - Xaluca: N31 29.211 W4 12.790
Spanish-owned theme hotel. Some may think it's tasteful, others kitsch. Expensive, and food not so good, but nice pool.

Merzouga - Kasbah Mohayut: N31 07.887 W4 00.953
Jochser:

Merzouga - Kasbah Panorama: N31 06.873 W4 00.765

Taliouine - Auberge Souktana: N30 31.546 W7 54.309
Tim: Run by Michelle (French) and Ahmed who knows the surrounding area very well. French-inspired decor and good food. Tel: +212 48 53 40 75.
Petcul: Great Auberge to stay in. Inexpensive and very comfortable. Food is great. Ahmad Jadid is both extremely knowledgeable and helpful. He is a mountain guide. Highly recommended.

El Ouatia (Tan Tan Plage) - Villa Ocean Maison D'Hotes: N28 29.343 W11 20.638
Tim: Relaxed place on the beach run by French couple. Tel: +212 48.87.96.60

Laayoune - Le Roi Bedouin Campsite: N27 39.033 W13 04.750
Petercul: Idyllic site run by Belgian couple, Luc and Martine

WAYPOINT FILE ATTACHED BELOW (updated December 2007)
Right click and save target as

[Tim Cullis]

BIKE HIRE, TRANSPORT AND TOURS

This is a placeholder (post not yet finalised)

BIKE HIRE
GSHeaven has three 1200GS Adventures for hire in southern Spain and is happy with them being taken into Morocco. Contact Russell Howard on 0845 0046398, www.gsheaven.com

BikesHome in Ouarzazate can organise trail bikes. Contact Peter Buitelaar at www.bikershome.net

Bike hire in Marrakech
Loc2Roues: http://www.loc2roues.com/motos.php
Marrakech Deux-Roues: http://www.m2r.ma/
Loco for Motos (F650GS): http://www.locoformotos.com/
Marrakech Hotels: http://www.marrakesh-hotels.com/marrakech/carrent.htm
Agadir: http://www.atlantic-moto.net/

BIKE TRANSPORT
MotoMorocco
BikeTruck

ORGANISED TOURS
World of BMW
Wildcat Tours
Moto Morocco

[Bert]

A great place to stay- warm welcome & 'Marseilles' hospitality and great food too!

Contact : Patricia
GPS N31 27.297 W009 44.747
Km 7, route d'Agadir Ghazoua, Essaouira
Belle de Mai
email: quoideneufici@yahoo.fr

Arrived late with the stranded Brits in the landy and could not find anywhere- despite the hotel being full, we were allowed to set up our tents in the courtyard and use the showers too.

Heartily recommend it if you're headed down that way and she's got great dogs too! keep the gate shut!!

[Fanum]

Copied from another thread.....here are the three forms you'll need to complete on entry (and hand one in on departure, see below) to Morocco.

This is the Police one....often available on the boat where a police little bloke will sit with a laptop and get all the forms stamped up.
You can also get them from the place you get your tickets from usually.

NOTE...if you've been before, you will get a CIN number...written into your passport......if you have one, write it across the top and bottom of this form nice and clearly..it saves them work and also shows them you know what you're doing...they like that

(Write in French style numbers though or your '1' and '7' may confuse them)




PS we always write 'Fez' in any destination/address in Morocco boxes........just makes life easier all round so you're not working out how to spell Ouazazarte etc...if they ask if it's a hotel, say it's the 'Hotel Fez' (it's a genuine hotel )

Keep the 'coming from' simple as well.......'London' will do, and it's easily recognisable for them.

Just keep it consistant and simple




__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___

This is the Douane form (Customs) for the temporary import of a vehicle..it's as important as your passport to them, so DO NOT LOSE IT!!!!!

It's in triplicate- White (you keep, permanently) Green (They keep on the way out of the country ) and Yellow (they keep on the way into the country)

You may be asked for the white copy at any police checkpoint, and at some hotels as well...keep it with your passport.

If you lose your white copy, you may be liable for importation taxes on the vehicle when you leave...and MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THE WHITE COPIES AND TAKE THEM BACK EVERY TRIP!

(It's the only proof you took the vehicle out next time.....in November, it turned out they hadn't signed the Landy out a couple of weeks earlier....so they were asking me how I was bringing IN a vehicle that was already IN the country....luckily, I had the previous white copy, all stamped up, to prove it had left the previous month!!)

The front is for you to fill in, the back for them.



Back;

[Tim Cullis]

Copied from my previous thread about entry/exit procedures at the Fnediq border (next to Ceuta). The layout of the cabins changes regularly, but the concept is the same...

When purchasing your ferry tickets at Algeciras, ask for white Moroccan immigration forms. You need two varients of these, one for entry, one for exit. Use the time on the ferry to complete them. [If you get the boat to Tanger the immigration/passport procedures are done on board. Look for a queue of people holding passports.]

As you leave Spanish Morocco, you will be directed into a holding area for processing your entry into Morocco. You can safely ignore anyone not wearing either a gun or a pale blue customs uniform. There are lots of touts who are there to relieve you of money in exchange for smoothing your entry, but it's much more of an achievement to get through without 'help'. Also it's often quicker as the touts make everything seem very complex to show you how you need their help. The 'helpers' are often relatives of the officials, who then get a kickback on the fees. Personally, I never make payments and I make a game of getting through faster than the groups who do.

1. Find an office that has the green triplicate import form for the bike (Declaration d’Importation Temporaire de Moyens de Transport). Write down your name (first, family), your nationality, passport number, and number of nights you are staying. Then the bike registration and country (GB), the manufacturer and model, and the chassis number from your V5.

2. Go to the passport window and hand in your passport and white immigration form. You will get a stamp and a number in the passport. Add the number onto the green import form after your nationality (second line).

3. Go to the BMCE bank and change some money. If you don't already have green card cover go to the Assurance Frontiere office to arrange. This will cost 59€ or 558MAD for 10 days and about 80€ for a month.

4. Now go back to the office where you got the green form and hand in the passport, green import form, your V5 and either the green card or the border insurance. The forms will be stamped.

5. Now find the head honcho in the pale blue uniform (probably sitting down somewhere in the shade) to let him see and initial everything.

6. You can now ride forward to the actual customs post, but don't put anything away as you'll need to show everything again.

The return trip is much easier. You need to queue with your passport and white exit form. Then queue again to hand in the two remaining sheets of the temporary import form, one of which will be returned to you.

I prefer Tanger myself, it's a short ride to the dual carriageway leading out of town, and then to the motorway to Larache.

Tim

[Fanum]

Just as an update to the layout at Cueta now......

They're using the two huts under the covered area.
Confusingly, they are both marked up as being Douane (customs) but they seem to swap and change randomly- a cynic might suggest it's so the 'helpers' can get involved as they know the people and can identify which booth to go to first by the person in it.

The Inpsector who has to give you the second stamp once everything else is completed 'floats' in the area...just look for the smartest uniform or the bloke everyone else seems to be kowtowing to most and that'll be him.

The insurance office is set in the buildings to the left, IE the side closet to the sea- one big change though, the company providing the insurance now say you can't get it for a named number of days, it's got to be 5 days, a month or a year.....I suspect this is B.S though because you can still stipulate the number of days you want with the same company at their main office in Marrakech

On busier days, you'll now find the Police part of the procedure happens on the boat and is announced on the tannoy- you'll find a Police guy sitting with his helper over a laptop with his stamps on the table in front of him- quite convenient because you can do that part of the process in the 'dead time' on the boat.

In Tangiers it's different...you park up under the canopy and have to wait for them to come to you- this makes it a less confusing process but the 'helpers' are in more control- if you pay them, they'll expedite things, if you don't you'll be waiting until last before the officials get to you.

It's for that reason (and the risks of driving through crime ridden Tangiers city centre) that we use Cueta...there, as long as you know what you're doing, you are in control and can get through quickly because you're not waiting for them to come to you.

As has been mentioned though, don't park up just outside the compound in Cueta where all the taxis are waiting unless you want non-stop hassle from the beggars and kids selling single cigarettes and gum- make sure you glove up and ride out of the vicinity rather than stopping.

[Fanum]

Originally Posted by Tim Cullis

I prefer Tanger myself, it's a short ride to the dual carriageway leading out of town, and then to the motorway to Larache.

On a bike I'd agree...it probably is a less stressful route through, and certainly quicker to get south.

We had some fun in the Landy in October though.......luckily I've got a camera mounted to point down at the back doors (it can be moved up to watch the trailer when we're towing) and three times at traffic lights going through Tangiers, we had blokes jumping on the back of the landy and wrenching at the back doors trying to get in..we could see them perfectly on the screen on the dash......Tim slammed the brakes on the first time to make them fall off, then I got out at the next lights and chased them off....at the third set of lights we were getting a bit pissed off with it so MrIfan and I jumped out of different doors and charged round the back bellowing rather loudly.....

40 stone of angry, travel dirty blokes charging at them made them back off quite nicely

I must admit I've not gone through Tangiers on a bike yet, but I'd certainly not be wanting to stop there......it's a nasty, aggressive place (unusual for Morocco) and has been the only place we've seen blatant attempts at robbery on the street anywhere in the country.

[Tim Cullis]

Update on Gorge of the Todra

Following the floods experience by Timolgra, Steptoe et al in November, I've received an update from the owner of Auberge Le Festival (Chez Adi)...

Hello Tim

The road is ok up to where we are. There is just about 40 meters distance off-road when you drive past the Hotel Yasmina up towards Le Festival and it is fairly good. I am myself driving on it on a daily basis with a normal car - a Mercedes 190. However the road to Tamtatoucht starting from Le Festival is a bit difficult for small cars as there is a distance of about 3 km on the river bed, unfortunately for the projects up in the village.

The weather now is nice though cold in the mornings. We hope it will continue as it is now, otherwise it would be tough for me to cover my expenses, especially with the finishing works in the troglodytes [Ed: caves]. Hope everything is fine with you. And with all my best wishes for the coming new year I say bye to you.

Adi

[Tim Cullis]

Be aware in the Rif Mountains

Many people planning a route in Morocco will have seen an apparently attractive series of roads (edged green on the Michelin map, which means scenic route) running along the crest of the Rif Mountains east of Chefchaouen towards Ketama, and then south to Fes.

Unfortunately, the Rif Mountains are the heart of Morocco's cannabis cultivation industry--the world's third-largest producer of cannabis resin after Pakistan and Afghanistan. And in the same way that you probably wouldn't deliberately choose the production areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan for your motorcycle trip, you might want to reconsider the Rif Mountains. The Rif has always been a fairly lawless area. In 1921 the Spanish lost 18,000 troops in a massacre at Anual and elsewhere, and in the end it took 500,000 French and Spanish troops to bring the rebels to heel. See http://www.balagan.org.uk/war/iberia/1909/index.htm for more info.

I first travelled through the Rif in the early '70s. Even then the area had a bad reputation, and anyone who was looking to acquire some kif was advised that this was not the place to try to do it. Stories abounded of rip-offs and fake police road blocks. In recent years King Hassan II withheld funds for public works (roads, electricity, water) from the area as punishment for the kif growing activities. I travelled through the area again with three friends in May 2005 and was dismayed at the poor state of the roads, the constant hassling from kif sellers and the general lawlessness feel of the towns. But maybe things have improved, so I traversed the area again in January 2007. It wasn't the tourist season, so perhaps the hassle level would be low. Ha!

I was travelling north from Fes towards Ketama, and the 'fun' started just after Taounate. I must have been offered kif 50 times before Ketama. I ignored most of the sellers, pretending to intensely study the scenery. The touts were left in my wake hopefully frustrated with their inability to even attract my attention. The views were actually quite good, but nothing you couldn't see elsewhere in Morocco. When I stopped for petrol I was approached by some really unsavoury locals who wanted to buy me a coffee. I pointed at my ears and loudly responded, "SORRY I CAN'T HEAR YOU WITH MY EAR PLUGS IN."

A car with four passengers had pulled into the service station after me, and waited for me to get ready to depart, then left a few yards ahead of me. I knew what was coming--an attempt to get me to stop in a more secluded place--so I just blasted past them and disappeared up the road.

Further on, I was overtaken by a Mercedes with passengers, who made hand signals for me to stop. The car slowed, and I slowed with it, then as it pulled in to the edge of the road I just blasted past again. The car started after me in pursuit but gave up after I overtook some more cars that they couldn't pass.

Ketama, when I finally reached it, was just as I remembered. Extremely dirty, massive potholes in the main street that almost unseated me, teeming with unfriendly looking men with hardly a woman in sight. You will understand that I didn't think it would be a good idea to get my camera out, so no piccies here. I'm not saying that I thought I was in danger in any of these situations, but I think it's highly likely I would have been hassled.

Rather than face yet more hassle from Ketama to Chefchaouen, I turned east at Ketama, then took the road north to El-Jebha. This as in dreadful condition, worse than many pistes, and the road west from there to Tetouen wasn't much better. A long stretch is currently just shingle, awaiting the completion of a new road paid for by the EU.

So in conclusion, consider avoiding the main roads through the Rif unless you have several very big companions with you. And even then, the main roads are so poor, it really isn't worth the effort visiting.

On the other hand there are some scenic side roads that are hassle free, for example the R419 south from Bab Taza.

Originally Posted by Bluesweeper

I first took this route in the Spring of 2004 with several mates, but from west to east then south from Ketama to Fes. I can confirm that it was as discribed by Tim. Sadly an area to avoid, roads were in a dreadful state.

Originally Posted by mystic

I rode through this area alone two weeks ago ....... from the south (Fes), and on towards Chaouen heading to Ceuta. Its much as described by Tim Cullis, though based solely on my one-off experience not so much of a no-go zone. Tim's comments about Ketama correspond exactly to my experience of the place. However, IMHO the ride through the mountains was worth every bit of the effort ..... I'm one of those people that love to do the opposite of what is generally suggested, just for the hell of it. Sure I was a little on edge occasionally .... particularly when stopping once or twice in small settlements .... lost count of the number of offers of Hashish along the roadside ....... but just look 'em straight in the eye, smile, shake your head and open up the throttle.

Originally Posted by Timolgra

I agree about the ride through the Riff mountains despite my earlier reservations. We rode through it again a few weeks ago on the way back from Fes via Ketama, there appeared to be a greater police presence, the hassle we recieved from drug sellars when stopped was minimal and with good humour. I'm now wondering how much concern is down to paranoia...I still wouldn't fancy spending the night in or around Ketama though

Originally Posted by petcul

Do you know if the problems are the same travelling east-west from Chefchaoun to Oujda and keeping clear of Ketama, the capital of the kif industry?

It's a real shame that it has become such a problem heading across the Rif mountains. Sure, the roads are not great but the scenery is absolutely fantastic. I travelled across there on an RT1100 in the late 90s to from Chefchaoun to Oujda and enjoyed it enormously as I did the route south from Oujda. Yes, you have to avoid the kif sellers virtually lining up the route and the cars that try to wave you down but a friendly wave and a blip on the throttle sorted the problem. I didn't experience the level of hassling you described. To be fair I did avoid Ketama - the only reason to be there is to buy kif.

The latest Rohan catalogue waxes lyrical about walking in the Rif mountains!

So long as you keep clear of dope I don't actually think the Rif is particularly dangerous. At least, not compared to Eastbourne on a Saturday night. I've spent something like 15 months in Morocco so far, and I have yet to be in a situation when I am really concerned (though being kissed on the top of my head by a severely pi$$ed police chief came close).

People often stare in a seemingly unfriendly manner in Morocco, but a cheeky grin is normally enough to get a smile and a wave in response. But I'll reiterate that the roads via Ketama is poor, the hassle factor is ten or beyond, and if this is someone's first experience of Morocco it will put them off for ever.

Tim

Excellent site which will be essential viewing for Morocco and beyond.

You dont have to be gentle with me - I like a bit of rough.......

I recommend the CTM Hotel in Jmaa el Fnaa with secure bike parking beside hotel entrance.
In Essaouira try the Hotel des Remparts, and park your bike inside the hotel.

Big Fun!

[mystic]

Just returned from 4 week trip. I'd strongly recommend the following two places. Found them both to be very friendly, English speaking, excellent value for your Dirhams ....... and importantly full of 'atmosphere'.

M'Hamid (south of Zagora): Hotel Restaurant Sahara / Chez Habib Naamani, B.P. 1 M'Hamid 45400 Tel. +212 (0) 61 87 16 44 . Email: saharatrek@hotmail.com

Baddou, Tamtattouchte (18k des Gorges du Todra). Provision for camping, and rooms with or without showers. Food is EXCELLENT and good value. Atmosphere Funky / off beat! Place is managed by Ahmed Abaz (speaks English). Part-owned by German couple (often there), Irma & Guri Sils. 00212(0)72521389. aubergebaddou@yahoo.com Fax: 00212 35884405

pic: Baddou.

[Tim Cullis]

LINKS TO WRITE-UPS AND PHOTO LIBRARIES

Earthmover's 'You had to be there' tour, Apr 2007
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111668

Moto Morocco inaugural tour, Nov 2006: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89283

Tart’N’Bear Tours Soft core to Morocco and Back, Mar 2006: http://www.gsclubuk.org/forum/showthread.php?t=26011

Four French thumpers, Apr 2006:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=143267

Tim Cullis et al
May 2007 - Stairway to Heaven: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=231286
Jan 2007 - Sleeping beside the bike: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=200232
Apr 2006 - A piste too far: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134454
Jan 2006 - Carry on Dakar: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115626
May 2005 - Marrakech Express: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80408

Timolgra
Nov 2006: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89403
Apr 2006: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71086
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthr...&threadid=8279

Steptoe's Moroccan Dash, Apr 2006: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70585

Spanish Bob, Apr 2005:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80635

Snoopy, Apr 2006:
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70066

French GSers, Jan 2005: http://www.chesterkik.net/maroc2005/

Czech bikers: http://www.ultimad.net/html/morocco_2004.html and http://www.cruisers.cz/Foto-Maroko-04/ipage00061.htm

Mike Werner, Jan 2005: http://blogs.motorbiker.org/blogs.ns...1443MWEE29.htm

Greg Masters, May 2003: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthr...&threadid=7949

Paul (Wildebeeste): http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthr...threadid=31325

Swiss GSer: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8405

BMW K75S rider who’s a bit naive at times: http://www.munnwerks.com/morocco/title.htm

Renault 19 hits the pistes: http://www.podiatrypages.co.uk/moroc/index.html

Common hassles (and how to avoid them): http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/vanneck/

Worldly wise write-up: http://www.epinions.com/content_104833191556

Mainly by car, but good for atmosphere: http://www.moxon.net/morocco/index.html

Notes from a Belgian guy: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/country/morocco/

Picture library: http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/...arrakech_3.jpg

GSers on world tour: http://www.2ridetheworld.com/diary_morocco.htm

Originally Posted by timolgra

This six and a half minute film clip I've made was of two Moroccan trips with GSs in the spring of '05 and '06.

Turn the sound up and start planning for your next trip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcWhN65_qN4

[Tim Cullis]

New release of Marokko Topo v1.2 today
- new and updated tracks,
- waypoints now searchable on Garmin units,
- city maps of Marrakech and Sidi Ifni,
- better definition of road/track types,
- coverage of Western Sahara to Nouadibou.

More to come in a couple of months: http://www.island-olaf.de/travel/marokko/gps.html

Tim