AIBU to think Marrakesh was far worse than I expected?

Makes no sense. They're not going to entice a woman into marriage by being offensive and harassing!
I thought it was just that there isn't respect for women and girls and they are perceived as having no right to bodily autonomy.

I went with a female friend, both in our early forties. Didn't experience this at all. Obviously some attention from stalls in the Medina, but only your average tourist stuff. Stay s in a beautiful Riyadh (tiles and fountains). Had a great long weekend.

I went with my boyfriend and we absolutely loved it! I am short, with curly dark hair and olive skin, I am universally ignored by most cultures as I just don’t stand out at all. My boyfriend is tall and ginger, with a big ginger beard. He got all the attention. The men were shouting ‘nice beard’ at him the whole week.

we had some really good street food but our restaurant experience was bad - apparently they are just for tourists. We stayed in a couple of lovely riads and the food was amazing and great value at those, so no reason to go anywhere else. I think it was the best holiday we’d ever had. Such a great mix of cultures. We did things like market tours, cookery classes, baking bread in the local oven etc, all arranged by our riad owners and all really good value.

Been to Marrakech a few times and loved it, would go again, any time. But OP has made valid points. It's not for everyone, esp if you have no experience of a similar culture. It's Africa, and tbf the majority of the continent is dire. And, fact, most of the world is dire, if its a tourist spot you're after. If you are faint-hearted but still want to go to Marrakech, then do it 5 star. Go around with a guide. It can be amazing and, that way, you'll have the mint tea, beautiful tiles experience.

Doesn't cruelty to animals bother you? I wouldn't go for that reason alone and I don't care if its their "culture".

I went last month - we were 3 women. We had none of the problems you encountered. We had an amazing time. The medina was so interesting. Yes it is difficult to see the donkeys, snakes and monkeys, and yes they do display meat differently to UK supermarkets, but the point of travel is to experience different ways of life

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 went to Marrakesh years ago with a friend and we hated it. I would 100% not recommend it to anyone.

The only upside was they speak French which I can so I felt a bit safer being able to communicate in the local language and also understand what they were saying.

I'm surprised too. I loved Malta and felt totally safe.

It was well over a decade ago so the details are a bit hazy, but I remember him saying that North African men basically believe that the streets of Western Europe are paved with gold, so nothing they could achieve at home could possibly secure them a better future than getting hitched to a woman from the West.

Obviously that doesn't explain all the harassing and leery behaviour, but it sheds a light on some of it.

Sorry - don’t know what happened to that post of mine above. Anyway. No, YANU to never want to step foot in a place like that again. It does not sound like a holiday. It sounds like a scary, week long version of an escape room.

I’m afraid I won’t even consider travel to any Muslim dominated country. Their religious laws are not compatible with Western ideology and this includes their treatment of women. Sorry if that sounds bad but it is what it is. Just a hard no from me. Too dangerous, too culturally different (and not in any good way,) and everyone I’ve known who has gone to Marrakesh has been very sick. Why risk it? Why not go somewhere where you know you’ll have a peaceful, relaxing break?

Sounds miserable. There's unfortunately a long list of places I'd never want to go, and this is on it. Never understood the desire to experience 'culture' when the culture in question is so very unpleasant!

B

As a blonde child, I remember comments even in the Canary Islands when I was younger. A child.

I went to Tunisia when I was 17 and it was horrendous. Vile place. For that reason, as a lifelong natural blonde, I will never visit Turkiye, Tunisia, Morrocco, Egypt etc. Which is a shame as I find the true culture of such places fascinating.

Sorry you found this out the hard way, OP.

What did they have to say about it just out of interest

I wouldn't go to the.middle east for a gold clock

You can keep it

We had a terrible time in Marrakesh several years ago, it was truly awful & the worst holiday I have ever been on. We were 2 women, thought it would be a relaxing & interesting break but we were hassled all day long. Men following us around & shouting at us etc. We got lost in the medina trying to get away and I was genuinely scared. One man following us the whole time, waiting for us outside our hotel. I told the hotel owner & they told the men they would call the police & only then would they go away. We kept to the hotel after that, it was really unpleasant. I will never go back & never recommend it to anyone!

Similar to.my experience. In fact my friend (who fancies herself as an ace haggler) made it her mission to knock down an item in a leather shop with a very scary bloke. There was a cat and two kittens, who he had made a little bed for and was feeding with chicken. He said of course we look after them, if you dont have cats you have rats. But sadly this doesnt extend to dogs and donkeys.
We got lost and two guys demanded 50 euros for showing us back to our Riyadh. The manager shooed then off. The food was boring and bland. The Yves St Laurent museum was terrible. I got a chest infection from the fumes from mopeds. The leather is not great quality, its goat or sheep and absolutely stinks.
I've been, dont need to go again,

....are you going to enlighten us?

I met a couple of very articulate and polite (youngish) men who worked in the riad and had a long discussion with one of them about the way Moroccan men treat western women. It was quite enlightening.

As the pp upthread, i also wouldn't go to any muslim dominated country, especially not as a lone female. It took me a few trips to various cities to learn this lesson..

I've been to Marrakesh three times on my own and had largely positive experiences (although there was certainly no shortage of annoying men around).

I found the whole place exciting, colourful and vibrant, so was willing to put up with some low-level harassment, irritating though it was. I don't understand how you can have found all the food you tried over the course of an entire week to be bland and lukewarm, unless you were there on a package and ate solely in your hotel. Everything I ate was either very good or totally acceptable (and very cheap). There are some more modern style restaurants as well, like Cafe Clock.

I don't suppose you will return, but if you did I would recommend staying in a riad for a more traditional/authentic experience and exploring all the interesting museums etc., plus a trip to the Atlas mountains (you can book a taxi for the day for a very reasonable rate).

Myself and a friend were spiked by guys from the SM in Malta.

You can try and be as right on as you like and yes there are creeps in every country but in North Africa it’s endemic. I got minimal hassle travelling in Europe, Israel, Central America and South America as a young woman but Cairo was hell on earth. We ended up confined to our hotel room couldn’t even use the pool as the waiters came out and leered at us.

What exactly do you mean by similarly cultural countries? Malta is 90% catholic, the ethic make-up of the country is entirely different to North Africa.