Why I Chose To Solo Travel In Marrakech
Before I started my group tour, I had to see what it was like to solo travel in Morocco. I flew in through Casablanca, took a 3-hour train ride to Marrakech, and stayed at the beautiful Riad Kniza. I wanted an in-depth look into Marrakech outside of a standard group tour and spent my time wandering around. Now I know what you might be thinking, is Morocco safe for solo female travellers? Keep reading to learn more about my experience.
Let me start with the positives. Morocco is a beautiful country with a rich and unique culture. Everywhere you look is a photo opportunity with the ornate doors and colorful souks. I spent my days drinking the finest mint tea on rooftops, shopping in the market and lounging after dark while feasting on my favorite Moroccan dish, pastilla. Marrakech enriched my senses, and for the first time in a while, I got to unwind and truly experience slow travel. One thing I’ve noticed about Americans is that we always are looking for a way to cram everything into a short amount of time. The issue with this is that you don’t get to soak up the entirety of where you’re visiting. You’re too busy trying to get every excursion checked off of your list. I encourage everyone next time you plan a trip to space it out and give yourself time. Give yourself the leisure of time to fully grasp the present moment. I’m so grateful that I did just that during my few days before the group tour started.
Solo Travel In Morocco
My favorite part about my time in Morocco was the call to prayer. Five times a day, you’ll hear the call to prayer, and each time, I took it as a moment to reflect. While I am not a member of the Islamic faith, I believe everyone should take a moment to pause throughout the day. There is a power that radiates whenever I hear voices in unison, and this time was no different.
Now here are my thoughts on solo travel to Morocco. Let me preface this by saying I never felt unsafe, but I did feel uncomfortable. I never went out past 10 pm, unless it was straight to my room, and even then I contacted the hotel to arrange an escort for me so I wouldn’t get lost in the Medina (it’s very easy to get lost!). This should go without saying but you should tip these people as they are going above and beyond for your safety.
I’m all for nightlife even when I’m alone; in fact, this is usually how I meet others when I’m traveling. But my number one must-have when going out alone at night is transportation, and I couldn’t find a reliable option. During my visit to Marrakech I didn’t find any on-demand Uber/Taxi service, so that ruined whatever late night plans I had. Getting around in the daytime wasn’t a challenge, but it wasn’t intuitive either. I kept the phone number of a taxi driver when I was out and used that during my stay. However, the taxi drivers cant take you into the medina, so you’ll have to walk that area alone. It’s easy to get lost during the daytime, so imagine how it is at night! While there is supposedly a booming nightlife in Marrakech, I’d be careful to venture into it alone, as it’s not widely advertised. Because of these reasons I find it hard to recommend nightlife as a solo female traveler in Morocco. Proceed with caution if that’s something you’re determined to do.
Safety travel tips in morocco
I’m used to catcalling. I’ve lived in big cities before and frequented many during my ten years of travel. Unfortunately, as a black plus-size woman who’s visited five continents, I’ve had my share of hecklers. My everyday existence is defiance to people’s standards of beauty and I’ll never back down to make someone feel comfortable. This confidence didn’t wane during my visit to Morocco. On my first day, I visited the souks and was called every name under the sun. I got called Michelle Obama, Lizzo, fat cow, and much more.
Here’s what you do to get through it, throw some headphones on and keep walking. Seriously, I know it’s not ideal,, but you must find a way to tune them out. Like I mentioned before, I never felt unsafe, but I did feel uncomfortable. Outside of the name-calling and stares, I never had anyone get aggressive with me or try to physically harm me.
There was one situation in Chefchaouen; I blame it on myself because I was a bit too friendly. While meandering around the blue streets I met a stranger that offered to help me take some pictures. I had every intention of tipping them because I was shooting alone with my tripod. Well, after thirty minutes of a successful shoot, the stranger started to comment on my body. He showed romantic interest in me that made me feel extremely uncomfortable. I quickly thrust some dirhams to him and ran off! Luckily I knew where I was going, and there were many people around , so there were witnesses, but it still was a bit scary.
Is it safe to travel to Morocco as a woman? I say if you’re an experienced solo traveler, it’s something you can handle. However, I’d recommend you limit your solo experiences to one city. I still recommend a group tour if you plan on traveling to more than one city in Morocco.
