Any 'Raff' fancy a trip to the 'Rif' to find out just how lawless it is?

[Marjorie Proops]

Just got back from another 4 weeks in Maroc and, having the family with me, I did the usual trick of avoiding the Rif Mountain area.

But the devilish side of me automatically lights up when people say you shouldn't do things, 'not recommended' etc.

Anybody fancy a 'deep insert' into the Rif to find out more - perhaps late summer / early autumn 2009

Steve.

 

[Fanum]

It's not that the area is verboten or anything Steve, it's just non stop unpleasant attention and an air of unease....I've been through it and so have many others here.....I wouldn't want to have the experience again though TBH 'cos it's a long way to go to be hassled all the time when you could be enjoying the far more positive aspects of Morocco- and there are some hidden away places that are off the beaten track that would be far more rewarding to visit IMO.

Unless you particularly enjoy the air of confrontation, cold welcomes, hair rising on the back of your neck when you're trying to relax and the knowledge that you can't turn your back from your bike or kit at any time, It's a big investment in time and money just to do something that others recommend you don't

That said, there are some very nice Roman remains, a lot of very Spanish influenced towns and some glorious beaches (apparently on the latter- I never visited any personally)

I've always wanted to go even further east though, into the Tell Atlas range near the Algerian border, that's somewhere I've not been 'cos it's just to far away from the beaten track

 

[Marjorie Proops]

Bill,
That's the line I've heard all along which creates the interest! It's simply too big an area for everybody to be like that and for there to be no gems to be found.
Most people when questioned admit that their impressions are from 'flitting through' - I'm talking about getting under the skin - I'm curios! :cool

 

[Tim Cullis]

In April/May I met up with Noel from HUBB who had stopped overnight in Ketama! And later in that trip I spent a rainy night beside the bike (when my battery failed) sleeping by the side of the road just five miles south of Ketama. We both survived.

There's some lovely places in the Rif, the main bits that are unpleasant are the main road from Bab Taza to Ketama , Ketama itself, and then the road south towards Fez. Cut through on pistes or side roads such as the R419 and it's normal Morocco but with some unusual plants.

Bill: I sailed from Malaga to Melilla in Sep 07 and did the Algerian border. At one stage the border was the river through a gorge with a road either side of the river. The road on the eastern side was in Algeria, the other was in Morocco. That was about the highlight of the trip.

The continuation of the Atlas range was disappointing. There were some OK-ish pistes but not worth going so far out of the way. However... if Algeria ever opened the border it would be a different matter.

Tim