My traveling year of 2020 has started with my first trip to Morocco. I was traveling around that country for 16 days in total. During the trip, I stayed in different hostels, guesthouses, a riad, and even in a tent in the middle of the desert near Merzouga! In this post, I made a brief review of my stays there together with some basic information on where the accommodations are located and what to expect if you decide to stay in the same places as well.
β¦ (If you want to know when is the best time to go to Morocco, how did I travel around and what were my highlights check out my previous post here) β¦
β MARRAKESH – KASBAH RED CASTLE HOSTEL β
This was my first Moroccan hostel. I was actually thinking at first to spend the night at the airport. That is because my flight arrived very late. I changed my mind once I realized that this hostel is very cheap and they offer quite a cheap transfer from the airport as well. I would not save that much money if I spent the night at the airport but I did feel much more refreshed the next morning. The hostel itself is a very nice older type of traditional Marrakesh building in red color. They have free breakfast but compared to the breakfasts that I had at other places this one was more basic.
I liked the common areas, especially the rooftop because you can see all around Marrakesh from there. Sunsets were especially great because of the changing colors of the sky and the sounds from the mosques calling to prayer. It did get quite cold sitting outside in the evenings. My dorm was located on the rooftop, right next to the rooftop. Bathrooms and showers were adjacent to this area as well but I still had to go outside. Sometimes it was really cold but that’s nothing anyone can do about it. The good thing was that the water pressure was really good and there was always hot water available. When you travel around Morocco around this time of the year that is quite necessary.
They have a pet turtle walking around so watch where you step.
Location: The hostel is located in the Kasbah area of Marrakesh. It is a more or less local area with some riads and other types of accommodation. A local market is set up on the streets every day and it is interesting to check. Saadien’s Tombs are a few minutes of walk away. Jemaa el-Fna is about 20 minutes walk north of this area. That did not bother me because the weather then was not hot at all.
How I got there: I pre-arranged a transfer with the hostel for 15 β¬ which in the end is not that expensive. I landed at Marrakesh airport at about 11 pm. Once I was finished with all passport controls and things like that the time was already close to midnight. A regular taxi in this case would have been more difficult to get plus easier to get scammed.
Price: 48 MAD (4.5 β¬) per night for anΒ 8 bed mixed dorm -> I stayed there for 5 nights so the total cost was 240 MAD (22 β¬).
β° MY RATINGS FOR THE ACCOMODATION β°
βͺ Value for money: 9.5/10
βͺ Security: 8.8/10 (hostel was locked during the night and there are security cameras all around, the doors of dormitories do not lock so technically everyone can enter)
βͺ Cleanliness: 9.5/10
βͺ Location: 9.2/10 (I like it that it is not exactly in the most touristy area. It is within walking distance from every place of interest but it can get a bit dodgy when it gets dark)
βͺ Staff: 8.5/10 (staff was in general very nice and friendly as in most places in Morocco. They did try selling me some tours which were quite expensive and what I really did not like was the fact that they annoyed me and other people to write nice reviews)
Overall: 9.1/10
Would I return? Yes
β FES – RIAD DAR ELINOR β
One of the must things to do when you are traveling in Morocco is to stay at a riad. Simply put, a riad is a traditional Moroccan house. The term comes from the Arab word ”ryad” (meaning garden) but is applied to townhouses built around an inner courtyard or a garden. More luxurious ones will have lush plants all around and a central fountain, or even a pool! There are more variations around Morocco though.
This riad had the best free breakfast in the whole trip around Morocco. Different small cups of various foods kept on coming and at the end of them, there were about a dozen different foods on my table! Like most places in Morocco, this riad also has a rooftop. This one was the best one as it was the tallest so you could really see everything around Fes.
Location: This riad is located outside the medina walls but it is still quite lively. Both areas have a lot of options to sleep. I would not suggest you walking outside in dark, especially if you are alone.
How I got there: I arrived in Fes from the tour to Merzouga and the driver left me on a square which was a few minutes of walk away from the riad. It was later in the afternoon so there were more people around and some of them were quite pushy
Price: 340 MAD (31.5 β¬) per night for a double bed -> I stayed there for two nights so the total cost was 680 MAD (63 β¬).
β° MY RATINGS FOR THE ACCOMODATION β°
βͺ Value for money: 9.8/10
βͺ Security: 9.7/10
βͺ Cleanliness: 10/10
βͺ Location: 9.5/10 (It is located outside of the Medina walls but it is in walking distance)
βͺ Staff: 10/10 (Staff here were the best besides the place in Chefchaouen. They were offering me free tea all day long – and the tea was really good! They even prepared a breakfast-to-go when I went to Chefchaouen early in the morning)
Overall: 9.8
Would I return? Definitely, because this was one of the best places that I stayed in Morocco. If not the best one.
β CHEFCHAOUEN – DAR DADICILEF β
Chefchaouen is also known as the blue city. No wonder because practically every house is completely blue or white and blue. The place where I stayed was no different. Every single wall, ceiling, and even the floor was blue. They have a nice rooftop overlooking the whole town. I was trying to compare what was bluer. The sky or the house? I could not get a final verdict on that because it was practically the same!
The free breakfast was really good as well! The shared bathroom was located downstairs but that did not bother me too much because it was clean.
Location: This place is located right in the middle of Chefchaouen Medina so it is easy to get anywhere from here. Most of the restaurants are a bit more uphill. It is mainly a pedestrian-only area. That means that even if you will use a taxi it will leave you in front of the Medina entrance.
How I got there: I arrived by bus at CTM station in Chefchaouen and I decided to walk. Chefchaouen is quite a hilly town and I felt that on my own as well. Especially the first part which was very hilly. Interestingly enough I arrived at the dar at the same time as a Japanese couple who decided to take a taxi instead. So I did not lose any time but I did save some money.
Price: 250 MAD (23 β¬) per night for a basic twin room with a shared bathroom -> I stayed there for 2 nights so the total cost was 500 MAD (46 β¬).
β° MY RATINGS FOR THE ACCOMODATION β°
βͺ Value for money: 9.5/10
βͺ Security: 9.8/10 (it was locked all the time and you were given the keys to the front doors as well)
βͺ Cleanliness: 9.8/10
βͺ Location: 10/10 (You can not get any better location than this in Chefchaouen!)
βͺ Staff: 10/10 (this riad is owned by an older married couple. They speak Arabic, French and on top of that, the guy speaks more or less perfect Spanish and good enough English. He always made sure that the guests were happy)
Overall: 9.82
Would I return? Definitely. This was one of my favorite stays in Morocco
β FES – HOSTEL DAR JANNAT β
They had free breakfast here as well. Which was quite good but nothing compared to the first place where I stayed in Fes. It is located in the quieter part of Medina. It looked a bit sketchy every time when I was going back, especially if it was close to the evening already. At the top of the hostel, there is quite a nice rooftop from where you can see all around as well. I really liked the fact that they offer transfers to the airport for a very affordable price. They also offer tours which seemed quite affordable as well but I do not know about their quality because I did not join any.
Location: This hostel is located in the heart of the medina. At first, it is quite easy to get lost trying to find it. Once you find it that is not a problem anymore. At least from my experiences and the experiences of other travelers that I talked to. The good thing is that there are plenty of great places to eat around this area.
How I got there: I arrived back from Chefchaouen and I used a shared taxi to get to the gates of Fes Medina. Luckily, I had all the needed information because it is like a maze inside and the hostel is located in more side streets of the Medina.
Price: 118 MAD (11 β¬) per night for a 6 bed mixed dorm -> I stayed there for 3 nights so the total cost was 356 MAD (33 β¬).
β° MY RATINGS FOR THE ACCOMODATION β°
βͺ Value for money: 9.2/10
βͺ Security: 9.0/10 (hostel was locked during the night. They do not have any security cameras as far as I know. The doors of dormitories do not lock so technically everyone can enter)
βͺ Cleanliness: 8.8/10 (every time when someone used a shower whole bathroom area got flooded. The floors could be cleaner as well)
βͺ Location: 9.6/10 (It is located in the heart of the Medina but I would not feel comfortable walking alone in that area once it gets dark)
βͺ Staff: 10/10 (staff was in general very nice and friendly but they did try selling me some tours which were quite expensive and what I really did not like was the fact that they annoyed me and other people to write nice reviews)
Overall: 9.32
Would I return? This hostel has pros and some cons as well but in general it is quite good so I would return.
(I did not rate the places where I stayed when I went on the desert tour because I will include that in a separate post)
