Ramadan Morocco

Have just seen 2007 trip falls in Ramadan - can't be helped as so does my birthday!

We'll be staying in hotels, which I guess would be better pre-booked.

Would welcome advice on likely disruption. - expect drivers will be a bit crabby late on!


I would take a guess western hotels would be OK booze wise at night (?) but expect we shall have some trouble eating midday out in the kuds.

Ramadan in Baghdad was reasonably relaxed pre Bush but things may have changed.

any thoughts?

Simon

Hi,

Hit Ramadan (or enforced detox) this year in Morocco, and west Africa. Spent very little time in big cities but anytime I did food was available at lunchtime. On the road and in smaller towns very little available so you need to do some planning and buying for picnics. A lot depends on where you are too. Tourist areas quite a bit available, strictly Muslim communities I didn't find anything available during the day. The same is true of alcohol.

7p.m onwards and lots available. As you might imagine a big rush for harira cafes, bakeries, eateries of all descriptions.

How people manage is somewhat unbelievable, not so much not eating but not drinking during the day. Occasionally some short tempers but I experienced very little.

Great celebrations at the end. Well worth seeing and, if you're lucky like me, getting involved.

Peter.

Guess I could Google it but when does Ramadan fall in 2007? - going in April

Kritou said:

Guess I could Google it but when does Ramadan fall in 2007? - going in April

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http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89848&highlight=morocco

Sorry to highjack your thread But

Bugger I’ve just notated that I was planning to go to Morocco at the same time as you so I will be there during Ramadan as well unless I can get my holiday dates changed
How bad is it going to be if I have to go then? Would it be better to try and go after it has finished?

Hi,
wouldn't worry too much, allowances are usually made for non- Muslims (except Saudi Arabia ). It's polite to be a bit discreet when eating, drinking (not booze) or smoking during the day. According to Islam travellers are excempt from restrictions. Be careful on the road just before sunset as the rush to the Mosque causes some awful driving. The evenings are usually very festive affairs and eating places become very busy. This was my experiance in Syria anyway.

have a good trip

Waiting patiently for the sunset siren (soup is 17p)

We were in Maroc during ramadan this year. When sunset falls everyone falls upon the first meal since dawn, and this normally consists of boring breakfast-type stuff plus dates and harrira soup. It's a good time for Moroccan families as the feasting then continues most of the night. Some people then set their alarms for a final meal just before dawn. Consequently much of the population is sleeping through some of the day.

Most pavement cafes are closed during the day, those that are open have people sitting around listlessly without drinks. It seemed somewhat insensitive to seek refreshments whilst others around are fasting, so we ended up observing ramadan as well. I wouldn't delberately choose to go at that time again.

It takes 30+ years for ramadan to move through the calendar. When the fast falls in summertime most people become totally nocturnal. Plays havoc with business.

Tim

"It seemed somewhat insensitive to seek refreshments whilst others around are fasting, so we ended up observing ramadan as well. "


I am very happy to respect the views of others and after a good breakfast guess I can last 'till sunset. I would need to drink water though and gather travellers get some compensation.


In the NHS I have many muslims work for/with me and have built up great relationships over the years and genuinely do respect what they do (this is not PC bullshit!).
Also can't see the point in travelling to a country like Morocco and not wanting it to be different from home. Pity about the buggers who blow themselves up in the UK though, can't see the sense in travelling 5000 miles and 6 time zones to live in a country you hate!


Bob UK - What ferry would you be taking? - we are on Plymouth Santander on the 16th September .

Simon

>>travellers get some compensation
was that dispensation?

You can buy still basic foodstuffs such as bread, fruit, water, etc. during the day from shops and then eat/drink out of sight. Nobody would object if you ate/drank in front of them (children, pregnant women and anyone who is sick are not expected to observe ramadan) but it seemed a bit unnecessary for us to do that.

Towards the end of the day people's breath got rather stale.
And tempers frayed.

Thanks for the advice every one
We have had a think about it and if all goes to plan we are still going to do it

As long as we can buy food we will be OK we normally have a picnic lunch when we are touring anyway so we will just try to find our self’s a nice spot out of the way with a bit of shade and do our own food and join in the fun at night
I take it that the souqs and the like are all still open during the day?

My plan is to get the Portsmouth La Havre ferry on my own and blast down though France and Spain then as we live in Bournemouth my wife is going to fly from here to Malaga to meet me this saves her the long drag down and I can cover more ground on my own I will be on an R100GS so no light speed travel but if I keep moving I can cover lots of ground


I haven’t finalised any dates yet but I think I will be going in about the second week in September and hope to be away for about 2 1/2 weeks so would like to get about 10 days in Morocco

if we are there the same time as you Simon maybe we could meet up for a Drink Non alcoholic of course

Plan A - 2 days is down to Marrakech stay there a day or 3 then N9-N10 to Tinerhir
Try to get down to the Erg Chebbi to build a sand castle then back to the ferry over the Gorges du ziz via Meknes or Fes I think that will be a good 10 days worth what do you think ? #

Plan B- is going to be as it’s a new country for us just see how far we get and how well we and the bike cope with the heat and dust and the roads
But I would like to get to Marrakech any thing else after that will be a icing on the cake

And going by past trips plan A is the first thing that gets thrown out


Tim are you still doing the DVD of your trips to Morocco

BOB UK said:

if we are there the same time as you Simon maybe we could meet up for a Drink Non alcoholic of course

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There is a bar in Marrakesh, not a hotel bar, but a real proper Bar, where you can sit at the bar and have a cold beer. And it also serves food