Destination Morocco Podcast

We've talked about scams in Morocco a few times on the podcast, from one of our early episodes (Scams! How to Understand and Avoid Them) to one of our recent Live Q&A sessions, (Latest Scams: Staying Safe While Traveling in Morocco).

It's a topic we often circle back to, because we want to make sure that all tourists, whether they travel with Destination Morocco or on their own, are staying safe and confident while visiting Morocco.

Some scams though are far more involved and intricate than overpaying for a taxi or a rug. They are the product of years of nurturing, patience and trust, trust which turns out to be a dangerous façade.

These scams prey on vulnerable tourists, people in moments of change and desperation in their lives, who can't, or refuse, to recognize the signs. They meet someone and form an emotional bond, and if that bond is made under false pretenses, it's not just money but so much more that comes under threat.

Today's episode is designed to help you know what to look out for, how to recognize the signs, think about your situation and listen to those close to you, who are giving you warnings from a different perspective.

And if you're listening and know of someone who might fit one of the scenarios we talk about, we want to give you the tools to help them be safe, and extricate them from that relationship.

Siham Essahiri, whom you'll remember from the impactful conversation last year, "Henna and the Strength of Moroccan Women," joins Azdean and Sam on this episode to share some of her first-hand experience in recognizing these dangerous scams. These moving stories will help you recognize just how deep these scams and false pretenses can go. 

We recognize that this may sound like a very doom and gloom episode, that might put you off travel to Morocco. But as Siham points out, the vast majority of Moroccans, 99+%, are genuinely friendly, courteous and kind. Love stories and friendships do exist that are absolutely real and sincere. But we have seen enough of the opposite to want to make sure that all visitors to Morocco are simply aware that yes, it can happen, and we don't want it to happen to you.

Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.

This is an excerpt of the Live Q&A recording of Friday, May 8, "Finding a Morocco Tour at an Affordable Price."

Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel for even more details and tourist ideas, and particularly for the visuals that accompany our conversation. Maps, photos and more await you there!

Finding Morocco Private-Style Tours at an Affordable Price (YouTube)

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If you enjoy the convenience and security of group tours, but find large coach tours of 50 people a little less appealing, this live session replay is for you.

Or, if you enjoy the freedom and control of travelling solo, yet are looking for the safety and service that comes with a private tour, but at an affordable price, then this live session replay is also for you.

Destination Morocco has put together the best of both worlds to give you some amazing tour options in 2024: convenience, comfort, flexibility and personal attention, all at an affordable price.

Quick Sprinter vans enable you to skip the crowds and make the most of every minute. You'll come home with a greater understanding of Morocco, its culture, its people and its stunning landscape.

Each itinerary includes all accommodation stays, certain meals, local tours, a certified private driver, an award-winning nationally-certified tour leader, airport transfers, 24/7 in-destination support from our local office in Morocco, as well as further features.

We want you to see Morocco in 2024, before the crowds really increase. The World Cup is on the horizon, major airlines are adding new flights from North America and Europe, and Morocco is becoming more popular than ever.

Now is the time to experience the best Morocco has to offer, and we can take you there.

Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.

Hop down after the episode description for an update on our podcast schedule and our new donor link!
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You've heard that Morocco is a modern, plural, largely Westernized country and, well, that is largely true. Dress or behave, within reason, as you would in most of Europe or North America and you won't feel out of place at all.

But as always, there are exceptions, and this episode of our "travel fails" series draws attention to the places where modesty and propriety are expected. Tourists who pay attention to and respect these customs will in turn discover a wealth of hospitality and welcome.

Topics covered in today's conversation include:

• cultural awareness, 
• appropriate clothing, 
• respecting religious sites, 
• photography etiquette, 
• local customs, 
• communication barriers, 
• visa issues, 
• avoiding currency exchange scams, 
• shopping for souvenirs (and budget planning!), 
• managing travel documents, 
• and the importance of travel insurance. 

When you're on a Destination Morocco tour, your knowledgeable guide is not just there to explain history or keep things on schedule, but also to make sure you're prepared and informed to avoid any potential faux-pas and sticky situations. 

Even our Small Group Tours are small enough that you get that personal attention and assistance, while sharing the experience with new friends.

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As we head into a busy summer, our programming is adjusting to follow suit.

For starters, you can now join our monthly Live Q&A sessions on the first Friday of every month, at 1 pm Pacific/4 pm Eastern/10 pm Central Europe.

This means the next one is coming up this week, on Friday May 3rd! We'll be sharing more about how you can get a private tour experience without the expense, the best of both worlds, so bring your questions on logistics, practicalities, pricing and more.

Meanwhile, we'll be publishing two regular episodes per month, on the 1st and 15th, in addition to the replay of each Live Q&A.

If you enjoy our podcast and would like to support us, you can now easily do so on our new donation page. Thank you for your generosity! We'll continue to inspire your dreams and plans to see Morocco yourself and enjoy the country has to offer.
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Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.

In our recent Live Q&A session on secret places in Morocco off the tourist path, one such location is a stunning lake located east of Marrakech, a roughly three hour drive from the city. Perhaps because of this distance, and the fact that it is not on the main tourist routes, it is still largely known only to locals and the occasional informed tourist.

You are about to become one of those in-the-know travellers.

The lake is in fact a large reservoir, held back by a mini-Hoover Dam, creating one of the largest bodies of water in Morocco: Bin el-Ouidane.

Mountains and rolling hills line the shore, in an area still largely undeveloped and untouched. A nature paradise, but with some stunning accommodations available too.

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One of the most impressive places to stay, not just at the lake but in all of Morocco, is the Widiane Luxury Hotel and Spa. Built on a hillside overlooking the lake, with access to the water, the resort is a combination of relaxing getaway and a multitude of adventure activities. When you're ready to get out of the busy cities and discover amazing hiking, watersports, spas and hammams, 5 star food and accommodation, and most of all tremendous service, this is the place.

Azdean and his team stayed at Widiane last summer as the final stop on their two month tour around the country, and he sat down with hotel ambassador Mr. Nabil to talk about this stunning part of the country, and how the resort fits in to the environment.

Widiane places a particular emphasis on local: local cuisine, local ingredients (often reinterpretations of international cuisine), local artisans and local staff. This is not a member of a chain of resorts and hotels, it is Moroccan-owned and supported, and a great way to give back to the local economy.

Check out our conversation today, recorded live on location, to learn more about this beautiful area. You can add a stop here to your tour itinerary, which gives you transport and guided stops along the way.

Visit our website to learn more: www.destinationsmorocco.com

Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.

This is an excerpt of the Live Q&A recording of Wednesday, April 10, "Getting off the tourist path in Morocco."

Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel for even more details and tourist ideas, and particularly for the visuals that accompany our conversation. Maps, photos and more await you there!

Getting Off the Tourist Path in Morocco (YouTube)

List of sights mentioned (doc)

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We spend a lot of time talking about the great sights of Morocco, from Marrakech to Fès, Chefchaouen and Tangier, Ouarzazate and the Merzouga Desert.

If you are making plans for your first trip to Morocco, and indeed if it may be your only trip to Morocco, then we always say to make sure you visit these famous locations, to get a good overview and understanding of the country.

But if you are the type who likes to wander further afield, get away from the crowds, discover something new and different (and maybe be a trailblazer in that regard!), then this live Q&A session will be right up your alley.

We'll be focusing on some of the lesser-known sights of Morocco, the places that people typically get to after they've visited the more famous locales. Or, perhaps they have a few extra days on their big trip and can start exploring right away.

Whether waterfall or canyon, quiet neighborhood or hidden museum, there are lots of options to get off the touristy path while on your tour. And the best part is, it is easy for us to integrate those stops into your itinerary or, with enough notice, modify a full day.

With Destination Morocco, we can easily incorporate any such requests. On a private tour, you can make those decisions, you're the boss!

The best way to follow this episode is by watching it on our YouTube channel, where you can follow along with the maps and images.

Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.

"Travel Fails:" a popular theme in this era of do's, don't's and travel research, comes to the Destination Morocco podcast with today's episode, featuring Azdean, Hiba and Sam. They share their knowledge of travel in Morocco, as well as first-hand experience as travellers themselves in their country, to give you some useful tips of what to do (and what not to do) when you are exploring Morocco yourself.

Focusing on safety, we talk about security measures against pickpocketing and theft, avoiding scams, medical preparations, food and water safety, and dealing with the heat. The importance of understanding and respecting local street food practices is another big one, as we want to find a balance between encouraging trying out new food and flavors, while not taking any undue risks to your stomach.

Meanwhile, being aware of insect-borne diseases also comes up, as although Morocco is far from a tropical country, it can get hot, and add to that some puddles of standing water and you can have the right mixture for breeding mosquitos. It partly depends on the time of year, but if you are planning a summer trip then make sure you take account of both heat and insect precautions.

Certain topics are as common to Morocco as to any place in the world: drinking bottled water, avoiding unfamiliar areas after dark, and the benefits of carrying a basic medical kit. But we also talk about understanding local dress codes, and again finding that balance between being comfortably modern yet suitably modest.

Preparation, awareness, and cultural respect are key to enjoying a safe and pleasant trip to Morocco, and this episode will help get you ready. In fact, we anticipate a series of further episodes along a similar theme, so stay tuned in our podcast feed. And if you haven't already, we have two episodes focused specifically on tourist scams in Morocco, so make sure you catch up on those:

Live Q&A Episode #5 - Understanding Scams in Morocco: How to Travel With Confidence

Ep. 3: Scams! How to Understand and Avoid Them

Destination Morocco is your safest partner in Morocco, helping you navigate through unexpected moments and sticky situations. Visit destinationsmorocco.com to learn about our tour options, including our new series of Small Group Tours!

Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.

Azdean and his local Fes guide extraordinaire, Moulay Hafid Alami, conclude their tour of the old city with a visit to the pottery and ceramic studio, "Mosaique et Poterie de Fes."

Located just to the east of the medina, this is more than a simple shop selling their beautiful craftwork (and there is a lot of it!). When you arrive, you get a guided tour of the facility, starting with handling the raw clay itself, learning how it's shaped, dried and fired, then glazed and decorated.

In our episode today, Azdean is taking this very tour, and you'll hear all the explanations, combined with the sounds of patting down clay, opening the kiln door, chiseling delicate vases and more.

Listen in to learn why Fes is such an important and influential artistic centre, not just to Morocco, but worldwide. We visit the kiln and learn about the firing process, the particular wood used, and a special natural ingredient added to the kiln.

Zalish mosaic tiles, famous around the world, are produced right here in this studio. Zalish is the root of the Portuguese word "Azulejo," the famous blue tiles, meaning "polished stone" in Arabic.

We learn more about funduqs (such as the converted Nejjarine Museum), the unique former accommodation for traders in Fes, and then we end the tour with a quick stop back in the medina, at the al-Karouyin University, the world's oldest.

You can view this special Google Map to find out the exact location of all our stops in Parts 1 and 2 of the Fes tour.

And don't forget,  all our episodes have transcripts, which can help to make sense of some of the accents and place names. Apple users with the latest update should see the transcript on their phones. Or, you can visit the episode page below to follow along with the .pdf file:

Fes Walking Tour Part 2: Visiting the Famous Fes Pottery Studio

Thank you for joining us during this past month of celebrating the magical city of Fes, Morocco. As Azdean says, if there is one place in the country you should visit, it's right here, and we hope this series has given you inspiration and momentum to book your trip!

Music credits:
Mike Franklyn / Scorpion Dance / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.

Experience the sounds and ambience of Fes in this live walking tour of the medina, during Azdean's tour in 2023. Accompanied by expert guide Moulay Hafid Alami, we start in Fes el Jdid, the 14th century quarter, learning about the Royal Palace of Fes and its seven golden doors (only created in the 1960's), and the importance of the neighboring Jewish Quarter, or Mellah, the first in Morocco. We pause to take in the quiet tranquility of the Jewish Cemetery, as Hafid tells us about the special bond between Muslims and Jews in Morocco, in Fes in particular.

From there, we head over to the Burj Sud, or "southern fortress," an army installation on top of a hill that looks out over the old city. A quick drive to the top of the hill allows us to wander around the perimeter, where Hafid explains the layout of the city and the differences between its three sections: Fes el Bali, Fes el Jdid and the Ville Nouvelle.

How many streets are in the old medina? How do people find their way around, and what happens when someone gets lost, especially a child? Hafid will tell you first hand from his own experience!

Part One of our tour concludes with the famous Chouara Tannery, where visitors can look down on the many colored vats containing various dyes and natural chemicals. We meet another guide from the tannery and shop, Mr. Mushor, who tells us how the tanning process works. Yes, there is a special ingredient and yes, it is not particularly pleasant but Mushor explains why it makes such a difference to the finished product, and why the process remains in its original form, dating back hundreds of years. Everything is done by hand, and from this tannery leatherworks are shipped out around the world.

You've heard us talk about the magic and charm of Fes in our episodes this past month, now you can close your eyes and be whisked away yourself. And all of our episodes have transcripts, which can help to make sense of some of the accents and place names. Apple users with the latest update should see the transcript on their phones. Or, you can visit the episode page below to follow along with the .pdf file.

Fes Walking Tour Part 1: The Royal Palace, Jewish Quarter and the Tannery

The tour continues in our next episode, as we visit the craftsmen of Fes, making pottery and ceramics, rugs, woodwork and more.

We hope you enjoy this immersive audio experience!

Music credits:
Mike Franklyn / Scorpion Dance / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.

This is an excerpt of the Live Q&A recording of Wednesday, March 13, exploring the vibrant city of Fez.

Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel for even more details and tourist ideas, and particularly for the visuals that accompany our conversation. Maps, photos and more await you there!

Exploring the Magical City of Fez, video replay

Azdean, Sam and Ted expand on our recent episode on Fez (which goes over a sample four-day itinerary) and reminisce on their own experiences and memories there, while answering your questions about what to see and do in the city, a bit of history and context, and practical logistics like accommodation and transport.

Fez is a remarkable place to visit, wandering the maze of the Medina, popping into shops, admiring the mosques and madrasas, learning about the tanning process while overlooking the dye vats: and all of this within the old city alone!

Branching further out, there are beautiful lookout stops, pottery and ceramic studios, or the modern contrast of the New City, which instantly brings you forward to the present-day.

Fez has prominent Jewish heritage, and it is easy to visit the historic Mellah, synagogue and Jewish cemetary, located alongside the royal palace, with its brilliant gold doors.

We talk about all this and much more in our live Q&A session, and it will get you more excited than ever to see this fabulous city for yourself.

The best way to follow this episode is by watching it on our YouTube channel, where you can follow along with the maps and images.

But if you're listening in your car, on the bus, cooking, going for a walk etc.,  this audio excerpt of our live recording is a great place to begin.

You can always send us questions and ideas for episode and live Q&A topics, and join us and interact live on our monthly sessions, the 2nd Wednesday of each month.

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Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.

We have dabbled in Fès since the start of the Destination Morocco podcast, as it has made an appearance in episodes such as our tour overview of Morocco, our discovery of famous Moroccan food, or in particular from our guests' stories, such as with Chantal and her family, who spent some memorable days in and around the city:

• Episode 4: A Guided Tour Around Morocco
• Episode 14: Dig Into Genuine Moroccan Dishes in Fès
• Episode 22: Comfortable and Safe Family Travel in Morocco

Now, we enter into our first dedicated series of episodes on this fabulous city, starting with a general overview of the main sights to see, and a sample itinerary for a typical four-day visit.

Crucial to planning your trip to Fès is knowing how much time you should spend there, as it is not like any other destination in Morocco. The medina's maze of labyrinthine streets and alleys alone could keep you occupied for a week or more, simply by checking out different corners, craft studios, shops, tanneries, cafés and restaurants. 

And that's without seeing some of the city's other highlights including the great observation points that look out over the valley, the pottery and ceramics studios that are further to the edge, the Fes Jdid (or "New Fez," which expands beyond the old medina and in fact dates from 1276), or of course the New City (la Nouvelle Cité), which offers a modern, dynamic contrast to the ancient streets.

Hiba serves as our guest host for today's episode, with Azdean and Sam as the guests, primarily because they reflect on their own trip to Fès in 2023 as tourists themselves. Although they have visited often, Fez far enough from their home base in Marrakech to be a special trip and experience, even for them. They can thus draw from the itinerary they followed last year where, like many of Destination Morocco's guests, four days was the allotted time.

In four days, one can start with a visit to the iconic Bab Bujlud gate and a guided tour of the Medina. Other highlights include the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque, Madrasa Bu 'an Aniyah, and the famous, colorful Chouara tannery. That still leaves time for activities, including taking a cooking class, trying a distinct Fes hammam, visiting the Dar Batha Museum, or relaxing in Jnan Sbil Gardens. 

Learn more about Azdean and Destination Morocco.