Camel rides usually go for about 30 or 40 Dirhams. You can agree upfront about how far you’ll ride the camel, and some guides have even been known to have the camel RUN with you up there, which I’ve heard is a jaunty thrill, perhaps two people racing on camels would even be possible. Any way, It’s still a little steep by local standards but provides the definitive photograph of your trip to Morocco. Tourist Camel guides know this, so you can usually negotiate to just take a picture of you with the camel for about 10 Dh.  There are camels nearly every day on the beach outside of Hotel Rif.

Icon for the Tangier 2012 world expo

Don’t worry about finding a Hotel, the Tangier Expo 2012 was Morocco’s failed bid for the 2012 world expo, which was eventually awarded to Yeosu in south Korea. The city had put together a really incredible, almost unbelievable list of public works projects to be constructed in and around Tangier. Including a giant exhibition hall out in what is now the Tangier bay. As well as a massive parking area, and extension to the AutoRoute which would have been situated at the current site of construction for the Tangier City Mall. The King himself came to Tangier and met with the official visiting delegation in 2006  or 2007.

You can view the proposed architecture, and computer models of Tangier 2012 at this flickr page.

Back in the early 2000′s Rochester, NY set up a ferry crossing to Toronto. It was the talk of the town in the upstate New York town where I grew up. But after the program collapsed due to a lack of passangers and poor planning, I can remember thinking “What Ever Happened to the Rochester Fast Ferry?”

Well, just recently I stumbled across the answer to this mystery. The ferries were sold to FRS, a gigantic ferry company that offers service between Tangier and Tarifa. The only vestige left from the old days were these rhomboidal lunch trays outside the snack bar.
These days the ferry travels between Tangier, Morocco and Tarifa, Spain taking between 40 and 70 minutes (despite the advertised 35 minutes) The trip length depends on tidal conditions in the strait of Gibraltar . and unpredictable wait times to enter the port in Tangier.

Ouezzane is easily reached by Bus from Tangier or Tetuan, and not far from Fez. Look for tickets on the CTM website, or just show up at the bus station the morning that you’d like to leave. Alternatively you could simply travel to Chefchaouen and then take a bus or taxi the rest of the way.

What to see in Ouezzane
The main charm of Ouezzane is that it’s not packed with tourists. In my opinion the biggest attraction of this mountain town is to walk up and down the streets without being hasseled to buy trinkets, and instead to meet ordinary Moroccans living their lives. On certain days, (I think Sunday and Thursday?) there is a large souk or market in town where people from the mountains come and sell their produce.

The city was originally famous for being home to a Sufi mosque and annual festival. The eight sided minaret of the ancient mosque is also unique. There are also fascinating vestiges of the french era  with a stadium, church, and other colonial buildings.

If you haven’t already spent all your money in Chefchaouen or Tangier, Many of the crafts sold there are actually made by workmen here in the countryside, so if you are friendly with shopkeepers you might find unbeatable deals on that carved wood table or ironwork mirror that you couldn’t afford in other cities.

One word of caution: Ouezzane is also part of the region where cultivation of Cannabis is a major industry, so if someone tries to get you to bring a package to his brother in Spain or whatever, tell him to take a hike.

Watching Soccer games in Tangier

The New Stadium
Tangier has a great new stadium with seats for 45,000 fans, and has already hosted some top European teams for friendly matches, as well as the Meeting Tangier. Matches are great fun, but most people in attendance will be wild Moroccan youths, so it’s not a great family outing generally. Try to avoid seats between the visiting and home team sections. Occasionally supporters of rival teams throw objects at each other and police have to break them up.
The biggest hurdle to watching games in tangier however isn’t the stadium or the fans, but the lack of a posted schedule online.

Itihad Tangier:Tangier’s biggest club team.

Despite their swank new stadium, Itihad (meaning United) are still trapped in the lower league of the two Moroccan leagues, and even there aren’t doing very well, so they won’t likely play top moroccan clubs except in the moroccan super cup competitions which include teams from both the first and second league.

Cup of African Nations
This stadium should feature prominently when Morocco hosts the Cup of African Nations in 2015. An event they clearly hope will lead to a future bid to host the World cup.

Where to find out about games
You can find info about Itihad games at their club fan website, or at this online league listing service.

Expect to find a wide range of athletes to attend, including many professional runners competing for prize money, as well as people just running to enjoy it. Hotels close to the marathon route include Hotel Rif, Hotel Solazure, and Hotel les Almohades.

Moroccan Pizza (sometimes vegetarian)

There are many great options for vegetarian food here in Tangier, but you have to know where to look and what to ask for, or you could end up with all your veggies deep fried and salted.

Le Salade

Typically salads here contain Tuna, so if you don’t eat fish, say so ahead of time, and often they have mayonnaise for dressing, so if that’s not your thing, just ask for some oil and vinegar if they’re not already on the table. And remember that unwashed veggies are a dietary NO-NO for tourists, so pick a clean looking restaurant!

Vegetable Tagine

Tagine is a kind of thick, reduced stew with saffron, ginger, and other local spices. It usually contains a liberal amount of olive oil, and is frequently made with animal ingredients like chicken bullion.

Harira and Bysara

Harira is a hearty tomato-based vegetable soup with chickpeas and cilantro. Usually the cheapest item on the menu, but not always made fresh except during the month of Ramadan. Keep in mind that some places serve harira with boiled chicken in it, but don’t list that on the menu.

Bysara is a thick split pea soup made with garlic, cumin and strong olive oil. It’s blue collar fare, but fully vegetarian. Don’t let the army green color fool you this satisfying dish is a local favorite.

Fresh Fruit from Vendors

Fresh fruit is available here at unbeatable prices, and varieties that can’t be matched in the supermarkets of Europe and the US. But REMEMBER: you absolutely must wash local produce before eating, preferably by scrubbing with soap and water, or rinsing with a diluted bleach or other veggie cleaning solution.

Vegetable Cous Cous

Cous Cous, Morocco’s signature dish is normally served with chicken or beef, but on request can easily be made with only vegetables cooked in broth. Don’t forget the t’fayah a sugary sauce made from caramelized onions and cinnamon.

The Organic Revolution

To people accustomed to paying extra for ingredients that are farm-fresh, organic, or locally grown, it can be a surprise that much of Moroccan produce is hand-grown by local farmers. Tomatoes in particular are unbeatable compared their warehouse-ripened cousins.

Happy eating!

Credit: Wapedia

It’s not the Great barrier reef, but tangier and the surrounding area does have some spots with decent snorkeling, and even spear-fishing for the brave. Playa Blanca is a sandy cove just outside Tangier on the Mediterranean, and the water can be very calm and clear, with rocky tidal sea life, and a few small fish darting around, and some random metal objects buried in the sand, including a sunken yellow peddle boat out at the end of the rock on the right side of the beach. It’s important there not to get far from the beach since a strong current flows across the coast and out the strait.
Locals say that the best snorkeling and diving in the north of morocco is found in Al Hociema, several hours to the east of here.
Achakar (link) is better known for it’s surfing, but on very calm days there’s a lot to see in the rocks at either end of this beach, including octopus and other Atlantic sea life.

The answer to the first question is absolutely! Of the entire Arab world, Morocco is very likely the most stable. Within Morocco, Tangier has become a safe and friendly place for tourists, ex-patriots, and thousands of foreign-born Moroccans who return here every summer. Thanks to hard work by the “Brigade Touristique,” an additional police force that keeps visitors safe, visitors here mostly worry about paying too much for Berber carpets.

To be fair, in 1960 Tangier was seedy, sketchy, and scary, still crawling up out of it’s time as an “International Zone” city where anything could be found for a price. But since he took the throne, the current king has invested millions here, and the result has been a boom in the tourism sector, especially vacation properties.

Remember to check with your country’s consulate website before planning a trip anywhere in Africa.