With its captivating culture shaped by African, Arab and European influences and its endless mountain ranges, deserts, coastlines, markets, ancient medinas and mysterious towns (the blue-tinged town of Chefchaouen comes to mind), Morocco is the perfect backdrop for an exotic holiday. While certainly a cheaper destination than Europe, prices may be bit higher than travel to some other Southeast Asian destinations. However, don’t let that stop you from experiencing all that Morocco has to offer. With a little savvy planning, you can do Morocco on a budget. Before you book that flight, here are six ways to save.
Take advantage of different accommodation options
There are tons of choices for accommodations in Morocco, from luxury hotels and homestays to unique accommodations like tents and hostels. The country is also known for its charming riads (or its smaller version, dars), which are beautiful traditional Moroccan homes within the medinas, available for rent. People on a budget may typically shy away from these guesthouses thinking they’re expensive, but you can actually find affordable ones that offer discounts for longer stays. As an added bonus, you’ll get to experience Moroccan hospitality firsthand.
Relax at a hammam
Visiting a Moroccan hammam (or bathhouse) is probably the best way to relax and rejuvenate after a long day of exploring the city. Hammams are pretty much everywhere in Morocco, but there are two kinds: the luxury hammams and the cheaper local hammams. Offered by hotels and riads, the former providing a more private pampering experience very much like a spa, while the latter typically offering a public bathhouse where you’ll need to bring your own towel, body scrub and swimsuit. Some public hammams also sell soaps and shampoos, but you can, of course, save more if you just bring your own.
Learn to haggle
The ability to bargain is one of the most useful skills any traveler can have, no matter what the destination. But it’s even more valuable in a country like Morocco, where some of the biggest attractions are open-air marketplaces called souks. Selling everything from clothes to carpets to spices, the biggest and most colorful souks can be found in more popular cities such as Marrakech and Fez and, often, the prices at these locations aren’t fixed. If you want to put your negotiating skills to the test, here are some tips to get you started: Haggle in the local language (whenever possible) and try not to look too eager. If you are lucky, you might just get that item at a huge discount. Never accept a salesman’s first offer. Instead, offer about half as much as the salesman’s initial suggested price with the hopes of getting to a final price somewhere in the middle of the two. Finally, be prepared to walk away from a deal if the price is too high, especially for bigger ticket items.
Consider alternative modes of transportation
Morocco offers plenty of transportation options. The country has trains, which are probably the most cost-efficient way of traveling between cities, while taxis are a more comfortable way of getting from one point to another within a town. Aside from using the Uber app, which recently launched in Morocco, taxis are available in two types — Grand Taxi and Petit Taxi. The former is shared with other passengers, while the latter are smaller vehicles that can fit a maximum of three people. If you’re up for a bit of a challenge, there is also the cheaper option of public buses. They’re usually not air-conditioned and they make a lot of stops, but they’re a great way of getting a glimpse into local culture while also saving some money.
Eat like a local
If you’re in Morocco on a budget, skip the restaurants and go for street food stalls in souks or dine at hole-in-the-wall establishments where you’ll find authentic and reasonably priced local food. Given the number of street food stalls you’ll find, narrowing down your options will be your biggest issue. A good rule of thumb is to go where there are more local families than tourists. If you’re in Marrakech’s Jemaa el-Fna, look for Stall 32 (Chez Hassan), which is particularly popular for having the best Merguez sausages on the square. Meanwhile, if there is one restaurant you should try in Marrakech, it is Amal Women’s Training Center and Moroccan Restaurant, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged women in addition to serving great food.
Enjoy free things to do
While activities such as camel trekking, desert tours and sightseeing famous attractions and film/TV show shooting locations (the Skala du Port in Essaouira, one of the locations for HBO series “Game of Thrones,” charges DH10 per adult) aren’t free, there are numerous other activities you can do without charge to balance out your spending. Walking around the medinas, souks, tanneries and squares such as Djemaa el Fna in Marrakech offers a fascinating insight into the country’s culture.
Have you thought about visiting Morocco? Let us know in the comments, and search for flights here.
Main image: iStockphoto/Mlenny
