AIBU to think Marrakesh was far worse than I expected?

Re black women in Italy - I think it is a bit dependent on location and the locals (like anywhere, really). Italians can be very racist. Against anyone, in fact - there is great dissection of surnames and pulling of faces if someone is from an “unapproved” area.

Regarding prostitutes… donkeys’ years ago the ones I saw were Italian. Then the fashion seemed to be transvestites. Then Eastern European women, then black African women and on my last trip I witnessed black girl children standing by the road - in broad daylight. Girls of no more than 12 in cropped tops and shorts. The sight is seared on my eyeballs. Utterly horrendous.

I loved it! Felt genuinely safe and was really surprised at how modern and friendly it was. I was expecting it to be as you described.

Sorry you found it different.

@JuliettaCaeser agree I would feel that whether I was claiming asylum or living in any country

@Elishiva yes it's a huge worry isn't it.
We are largely shielded by the reality of what's going on in the world and no I don't want large numbers of men who feel like this here however they get here or what status of legal it is or isn't

Anyone setting foot here from different cultures like these mentioned should be clearly and sternly told our values and laws.

Op re peoples different experiences we have all been somewhere others just had a good or bad time in.

My mind is blown when I see a migrant has attacked local women. If I had been given asylum somewhere I would be bloody grateful and keen to fit in / put my head down / contribute not attack the hosts 🙄 . Genuinely don’t get it.

That poster isn't the only woman who loved the place either. It's really odd that we're all talking about the same place. Or at least as it has been in the last few years since the government and tourism police stepped in.

Are you a Reform voter, misunderstanding that it's not illegal to claim asylum?

My experience was in Goa. We visited Hampi in southern India although we were fine there sadly saw in the news last year was a brutal rape there of two western women. So no I don’t share the optimism about southern India.

What is the motivation of the minimising / defensive posters? I find that intriguing. Do you not believe what you are being told?

Maybe just dye your hair then?

For balance, I should say that many of the Marrakshis we met were really friendly, kind people.

Ive just remembered we took a bus from the Jardins Majorelles back to the Kasbah but missed our stop as we’re clearly cretins who missed the huge ancient gate that leads to the warren of narrow streets comprising the Kasbah. We ended up on the ring road on the way out to the airport - our bus driver clocked it, stopped the bus and got his colleague who was driving another bus to take us back to where we needed to be.

My 50 something DH also had an awful experience there when he went with three other males. They were constantly surrounded by men selling stuff and young boys selling sexual services. At one point two of the younger guys got their passports stolen. They stayed at a top hotel, as it was a business trip, but my DH said that the food was lukewarm and inedible!

@goldingoose

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Anglo-Saxon_Protestants

I absolutely love Marrakesh (and I didn't go with a man).
I felt safe even after dark, I loved the food, and found the people I interacted with were warm and friendly with a good sense of humour.
I kept wanting to pinch myself because I couldn't believe I was in such an amazing place.
I would go back like a shot, and I don't say that about many places - it truly captured my heart!

Some of the worst and most frequent ’holiday’ sexual abuse I experienced was in kerala so this isn’t necessarily true.
It happened so many times in so many situations, I can’t imagine that I was an isolated case

Excellent points, and I hate the minimisation of this happening to us and our daughters.

Yes unfortunately there is an entire industry centred around Black migrant women and prostitution. The town I stayed in where my Italian friend lives has black women from Francophone Africa so local men assumed that’s where I was from and attempted to speak to me in French. Unfortunately since I’m bilingual English/French I was able to understand their disgusting comments.

I posted on MN over a decade ago when my DD was a baby as I was worried about visiting DP’s home town as a Black woman (he is from the South of Italy) and was told I was being silly, just deal with it, oh that’s nothing, just try being a white women in [insert Muslim/Arabic/African country]. There was a lot of whataboutery and minimalising because I am not white and blonde so don’t know what real harassment looks like🤷🏽‍♀️

Blonde, big boobs daughter and 2 granddaughters went to Turkey. The first day they were harassed by the male shopkeepers trying to touch her chest and hair. They had only gone outside the hotel to buy suncream as they had forgotten.
Next day 6ft 3 built like a brick house son in law joined them and none of them were bothered again for the rest of the holiday.

If you went when you were older I doubt you would have any issues. They mostly target younger women so over 50s and over 60s were left alone.
I wish that was true but it wasn't my expierence. I just wanted to stand in the middle of the medina and scream 'everyone just fuck off and leave me alone!!!!'

Meant to add we frequently visit Portugal and have always found the Portuguese lovely and welcoming.

When we went to Morocco we booked a small group tour for a week and then a week on our own by the sea. It turned out that we were the only couple, with a driver and guide.
We had a great time, but only due to the guide protecting us from harassment and the driver picking us up directly outside venues.
During the week on our own we felt quite comfortable in politely saying ‘No’ and all was fine. It’s very interesting country, but I’ve no desire to go back.