Featured Country: Morocco Only a short boat ride from Spain, Morocco is fascinating African country that offers travelers a lively, somewhat exotic experience, drastically different from Europe. A poor Muslim country, Morocco offers travelers a chance to peak into an old world culture that in beginning to mix with new world influences. With a mystical allure like Tibet, Patagonia, or even Shangri-La, hoards of adventure seekers, hippies, felons, and packaged tourists, flock to Morocco each year in search of the romantic, exotic experience. While it has been a "discovered country" for quite some time (there are hundreds of packaged tour buses in the summer), it still offers the idyllic experience: Travelers can trek by camel across the Sahara desert, enjoying little Berber settlements scattered among the sand dunes. Others choose to get lost and shop in the labyrinths of alleys in Fes or Marakesh, wandering around each corner not knowing what to expect; perhaps you will encounter a cock fight or an old Muslim women painting hena on people hands. Those not looking to experience the hectic cities usually head to the beach for relaxing and surfing, or up into the Atlas Mountains that offer hikes and some great scenic villages. If you're in need of a new, eye-opening experience, not that far from Europe and, perhaps wanting to feel like Indiana Jones or Humphrey Bogart, in the 1942 movie release of Casablanca, Morocco is well worth the visit. What's in this issue? Morocco's Top Attractions Airfare Deals Featured Stories of Wild Adventures in Morocco What Our Insiders Say About Bartering Accommodations Links & Resources Books on Morocco Tell a Friend and/or What Do You Want? Morocco's Top Attractions Would you like to know what makes Morocco interesting? Why are thousands of traveler headed to Morocco every year? Check out our list of the top three destinations and this will explain everything! Marrakech With narrow streets too small for a vehicles and a mind-boggling labyrinths of small alleys loaded with ecletic merchandise, the walled city of old Marrakech has developed a reputation as being the center of culture, art, and old world culture - and thus it's where the tourists tend to go. At night, hundreds of open-air food stalls line the old city streets, with story tellers, magicians, palm readers, people walking their pet monkeys, and acrobats performing a wide range of stunts, both for the tourists and locals. Although Marrakech is touristy, it still provides enough of a real experience to let you see, smell and taste what reality is like for its residents. Fes Much like the old quarters of Marrakech, Fes is the oldest imperial city in Morocco. With close to 10,000 small alleys that lead through the exotic bazaars, Fes is the epitome of old Morocco. Overwhelming all of your senses, Fes provides travelers the feeling, and sometimes shock, that not much has changed over the last couple hundred years, with the exception of the modern items that are being sold from the ancient storefronts. Thousands of veiled women, with their peircing black eyes, wander through the markets; young men stop to pray toward Mecca; donkeys are used as the main form of transporation; the city of Fes is still thriving in modern times. Fes is a rare glimpse into a somewhat unchanged world - and it should not be missed. Essaouira After visiting the overwhelming, visually stimulating, imperial cities of Morocco's heartland, it's best to take a break from the hustle and bustle and find a good place to relax. Essaouira is the best place to go! Still a fairly laid-back mellow city, Essaouira is where independent travelers come to enjoy the beaches and to check out the city's vibrant art scene. All types of artists, from wood carvers to musicians to painters, fill the city streets and sell (and sing) affordable, impresive art well worth taking home. Back to top AIRFARE DEALS Brought to you by the BootsnAll TripPlanner Plan and book your round-the-world or multi-continental trip! The cheapest, most effective, way to get to Morocco is to fly into Spain, take a train to Algeciras, and then a quick short ferry to the border town of Tangier, the port of Morocco. This can save you about $300. From Tangier, you can take train to Fes, Marrakech, Casablanca - and a variety of other destinations. Perhaps you don't like trains or buses; perhaps your schedule is tight; in any case, use BootsnAll's TripPlanner to build your itinerary, not only for getting to Morocco, but for flying from country to country. $576 Seattle - Madrid, Spain $565 New York - Madrid, Spain $859 Los Angeles - Marrakech, Morocco $754 New York - Marrakech, Morocco Now, log on to the TripPlanner or International Airfares and put together an itinerary! Back to top Back to top FEATURED STORIES A little worried about going to your first African, or even Muslim, country? There is nothing to fear! Morocco, much like Turkey or Tunisia, is good beginner country for travelers looking to get a little bit farther off the beaten path. Below are three great stories, from BootsnAll members, who have wandered the exotic bazaars and road a camel through the Sahara. Lost in the Medina Annie Krog and her fiance are determined to explore the medina in Fez without a guide. Walking with Camels: A Trek in the Sahara After five days in the desert, competition was stiff about who smelled worse - Friedel or the camels. Moroccan Madness Neither the desert, the Marrakech market or the hotel karoake is safe from Jeanette Bergman. If you would like to submit an article on your travel experiences, check out our Writer's Guidelines, then send it along. Back to top WHAT OUR INSIDERS SAY ABOUT SHOPPING BootsnAll Insiders are a great source of information, and they can tell you what the guidebooks can't. Much like other developing countries, Morocco bazaar's are full of fine arts and crafts that would cost a lot of money back at home. And, of course, you might purchase something as a reminder. However, as a foreigner, it's important that you pay a fair price but not pay the "tourist price," because this sets a precedent that all tourists are rich. We asked some of our Morocco Insiders for their take on bartering, and here's what they had to say: Rebecca K, 3 Tips for Bartering Tip 1 If you really want something, don't show your interest too much. If you do, you will not get the best price. Tip 2 When you are starting to bargain, tell how much you want to pay, and don't be shy. To get a good price you have to tell the seller a very low price. If he will tell you the price you tell him is a shame, don't care. Just tell again how much you can give. The seller will tell you a lower price and you will tell him a little bit more than your first bid. When you reach the point where you don't want to pay more, tell him, and if he will not sell to you, just leave, because you will probably find the same product in another place. And usually, if you have patience, you will get the product to a reasonable price. Tip 3 If you really want something, don't be rude, and if you can, tell a phrase in the sellers language, this will help you on your way. If you will be offered tea, accept, and take the time while you drink to negociate about the price.Don't rush, to get a good price will take time, and even more time if you are a tourist. At last, if the seller will tell you to pay more than you want/can, you can try to tell him good-bye, maybe i will be back tomorrow, and leave. Walk slowly and probably he will come after you and tell you, "ok, ok, I will give you ... for your price.." Good Luck! J Adrienne, How to Barter If the seller says 100 dh, offer 25, settle at 50. However, if a price is ridiculous from the beginning, I don't even waste my time. If I was buying anything significant, sitting down for a chat (unrelated to your potential purchase) and tea establishes good rapport. Also, shopping around is ok... My husband does this often. He settles several prices on the same item at different shops, and returns to the vendor who gave the lowest price. It's time consuming, but can be very worthwhile. One other thing... never suggest a price that you are not willing to pay. Owen O'Leary, A Few Rules to Follow when Purchasing Carpets The larger and more expensive the item, the greater room there is for haggling in the price. Be patient, the larger and more expensive the item is, the longer the whole process is going to take. It took me two and a half hours to buy one of the carpets that I brought home and it is only 3 feet by 5 feet. If you are trying to buy a carpet in Fez or Marrakech you are dealng with the best, shrewdest, and toughest hagglers on the planet. Do not go straight to this as soon as you get into town. Work up to it. Get some practice elsewhere first. Expect to look through 50 to 100 carpets in a sitting. Do not feel bad about this. It is the way it works. DO NOT step on the carpets with your shoes on. In fact you should take them off early on. They will say that it doesn't matter, but be polite. When they ask if you want tea say yes. It is very rude to say no. Drink the tea when it comes. I'm not kidding. This is a big deal. Generally the tea will arrive right after you have narrowed all the carpets to the 4 or 5 that you like best. At this point it is customary to drink tea and talk about anything but carpets. After all, the merchant has to let you get a nice long look at those carpets you like. After tea the serious business of prices starts. Try not to be the first person to say a number of a price unless you have a good idea of what the carpet should go for and are very confident in your bargaining skills. The serious haggling trick for carpets: If they start with an outrageously high price (i.e. 3000 for a 4 by 5 foot carpet) promptly stand up to leave. This must be done with conviction. Make the seller believe that you will walk out and not come back. I did this once and I got a guy to drop from 4000 to 650 in a heartbeat. Do not take it it too seriously and NEVER take it personally. Buying carpets is strictly a business deal. Back to top ACCOMMODATIONS while traveling in Morocco Considering a trip to Morocco and not sure where to stay? BootsnAll has plenty of extremely affordable options, sometimes staying in a Sultan-like palace for only $15 per night. Morocco Hostels Marrakech Essaouira Casablanca Back to top LINKS & RESOURCES Use the following sites to learn more about Morocco, what it offers to travelers, and how to plan your trip. Morocco Today The nuts and bolts information about Morocco, covering everything from climate, currency, tourists attractions. Morocco Travel Information Comprehensive information on how to travel in Morocco, how to shop, where to go, tours. Images of Morocco Peer into the daily life of Morocco Back to top BOOKS ON MOROCCO Tales from Morocco, by Denys Johnson-Davies Culture Shock! Morocco, by Orin Hargraves Lonely Planet, by Bradley Mayhew, Jan Dodd WRITE AN ARTICLE If you have a story of your own that you would like to submit on Australia, have a look at BootsnAll's Writer's Guidelines: http://writers.BootsnAll.com And then send it along. We're always looking for new content and new perspectives, and we hope to get yours soon. Back to top TELL A FRIEND If you feel that BootsnAll.com is a valuable resource, or that others might think so, please tell your friends about us. As many of you know, we respond personally to every email we receive in an ongoing effort to build a true traveller's community. Many have responded positively. If you have comments both positive and constructive, we would love to hear them. Tell us what we have done well and how we can improve. We would appreciate it greatly. Back to top