School Trip to Morocco

[Goldsand]

My DDs secondary school have just announced they will be doing a school trip in the next school year to Morocco for my daughters year.

It’s normally Iceland but they have changed it to Morocco this time.

A couple of other mums have said they won’t be sending their kids as they don’t think it’s safe to send their teen girls there.

Iv never been personally but I thought it was a safe country overall.

However, now I’m doubting myself …. I was going to agree to her going even though i think it’s steep as it’s over £1,000.

So…

YABU - It’s safe, don’t worry about it.
YANBU - I would never send my teen child there on a school trip.

I took my 3 kids to Morocco when my son was 21 and two daughters were 16 and 18. The girls covered up in long skirts and baggy shirts and still had a ridiculous amount of hassle. One is blonde and blue-eyed and got really upset at men constantly taking photos of her on their phones, wherever we went. It got so bad at one point that the girls opted to stay in the riad one day, rather than face yet more hassle outside.

I'd been before when I was 20, with a blonde cousin, who'd also ended up being massively hassled. Though things had moved on, in that women were much more visible working as police officers, in banks, etc, in our experience they hadn't as far as the treatment of western women was concerned. Sad.

I went to Marrakech last month and was surprised by how safe I felt. No harassment, either from sellers or sexists. People I was with said it has improved massively in past 20 years. I would let her go. It is amazing!

We were there 6 yrs ago.

@bridgetreilly

Get on to the Foreign Office now and tell them about your amazing safe experience. They'll have changed all the nonsense on there by the morning!

My 16-year-old niece went on a school trip two years ago for two weeks. She enjoyed it, but had some dodgy experiences with men propositioning her and her friends everywhere they went (she was dressed appropriately, but that didn't stop them). Apparently she even had a few marriage proposals. She also became desperately ill at one stage with food poisoning. Other than those things, she loved Morocco!

@AnTeallach - went with a blonde girlfriend to Cairo about 30 years ago - we were mid 20s.

The amount of hassle she got on the streets was ridiculous although the worst offenders backed off after I threatened to belt a couple of them

I am well travelled too but truly never experienced so much jaw dropping agression, sexual harrassment, and down right threatening behaviour in my life.

I went back many years later to try again with my dh. Same.

Appalling.

Proceed with caution.

I wouldn't take a Year 8 trip to Morocco - girls or boys. They'd struggle with the food for a start and it's a big culture change regarding animal welfare etc. Year 11s maybe, but only if they're (very) good at French.

I wouldn't.

I suspect a lot of other parents of DDs will think the same, which means far more boys at this school will get to go on a school trip.

I'd be asking the school if that is acceptable.

Agree with the PP who said they dropped Iceland because of the cost.

Absolutely not.

I've travelled and lived abroad extensively, including Latin America, South East / East Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, North Africa etc and the only two places I have ever felt genuinely unsafe in were Cambodia (specifically Phnom Penh) and Morocco, especially (but not limited to) Marrakesh.

Also, £1k? And it's a state school? Realistically, how many people will be able to afford this?

It's not racist to think that it's a terrible idea to suggest taking a group of 13 year olds to Morocco on a trip. I'm remembering school trips myself when I was 13: we were allowed to wander off on our own for hours at a time, which would be a nightmare in the souk.

16/17 years maybe, but not 13 year olds.

I don't think it's necessarily racist to state facts about what happened to others on trips there (ie. not opinion). You may not like what is being stated, but that doesn't mean it's racist. It's important to recognise that not all Moroccan men are being called unsavoury, just some.

I went to Morocco mid twenties with a female friend and there were definitely times when being followed round the marrakesh markets by a bloke who wanted to be our "guide" that I felt intimidated. He spat at our feet when he finally accepted the word no.

I don't think I'd send my daughter a teenager tbh.

That said I've seen worse behaviour from men in Italy/ Spain as a female backpacker, Perhaps the list of where I'd send my daughters is fairly narrow.

Am I racist to raise concerns? DH is Algerian and I have travelled to North Africa regularly for over 20 years. The vast majority of North African people a lovely and welcoming but there is a subset of men in countries like Morocco and Egypt that have a negative perception of foreign women. Unfortunately, some of them act on that perception in a way that can make an enjoyable trip into a not enjoyable trip.

@ManAboutTown - I didn't find Cairo as bad as Marrakesh/Rabat. I was there at a similar time to you. Yes, there was some groping, but I'm a brunette... blondes seem to have a more difficult time.
Was astonished on the recent'ish trip to Morocco to have some minor hassle myself. It happened when I was away from my kids. Thought my age was my protection!

@AnTeallach - groping is not acceptable and I certainly wouldn't want my 13 yr old exposed to it. My girlfriend on the Cairo trip was a robust Aussie girl and could have probably dealt with most of them herself but I disliked the fact she was made to feel uncomfortable just walking down the street.

I'm cabin crew OP and Morocco is one of
The only places in
The world that I feel unsafe (and I go to Nigeria &'Saudi & Mexico City )

I would desperately try to dissuade your dd.
Especially if she's blonde. 😞

@beachcitygirl - I've spent quite a bit of time in Mexico City and while generally it is quite unsafe I've never seen the degree of bad behaviour there towards women in public places I've seen in North Africa and the Middle East

My Y8 DD is going to Wales too

Omg I thought I was going to die in Lagos. It's actual hell in my books.

Haven't been to Morocco, but would never let my daughter go on a school trip there.

Absolutely not a chance I'd send my child there

I've been to ouarzazate a few times for work reasons. As others said, it has an established film industry. Quite a pleasant place and you get far less hassled as a woman than you do in Marrakech.

Morocco isn't quite the same as the Muslim states further east in terms of oppression. It reminds me of Turkey in its culture and values. However, I'd think twice about allowing an older teenager to go there. If something goes wrong on the trip, they can easily end up in prison.

So, I think I'm saying they'd have a nice time, but I still wouldn't take the risk.

I hated Morroco, felt very unsafe not just sexually but also physically and financially (I was with my husband at all times, I'm of Middle Eastern heritage and dress conservatively, it was much much worse for the younger females without male partners)

I also got food poisoning because a common trick at the time was to serve tap water as bottled water and I hadn't noticed. I felt I had to be on alert at all times, it was exhausting

I have been but it was about 17 years ago. I would need a lot of convincing before I agreed to let my children go there with school.

I've been to Morocco loads, and recently. As a couple with ex husband, as a family with a pre teen and teen daughter, and separately with each daughter as teens plus several times alone.

Ironically the only time I had unwanted attention was when I was with now ex husband. We have stayed in hotels, riads and local apartments well out of tourist areas and in the depths of the twisty streets. Never once felt unsafe, even in the local areas and deep into the souks

Jma el Fnaa Square in Marrakech is an experience for sure. An explosion of sights sounds and smells. Yes there's a risk of pick pockets but no more than any major city, Inc UK. Can't see an issue with an organised trip as they'd be supervised and there's also lots of security, the army and police walk round in pairs and 3s and are very visible. Harassment of Western women is now very frowned on (although ive been told to avoid Casablanca Fez and alot of the Northern cities by the Moroccans I've befriended over the years as they are awful, in their words) Unless you are unlucky enough to find yourself deep in the Medina in a quiet area and yes then it may be chanced, but in the public areas its very safe and a loud shout of No or Stop if you are unlucky enough to get a chancer (eg someone hassling to give you a guided tour or trying to pressure you into a shop) stops it dead.

The Atlas mountains are beautiful and we have trekked those, done Paradise Valley and many other trips and activities. Desert camping is the next plan, and the Berbers are amazing people, very friendly.

1k is expensive for 5 days but depends on accommodation tbh, I usually go budget (mainly so I can spend more bulk buying spices lol) but there are a huge variety of options for accommodation right up to high end. The desert trip alone was about 150 each when I last looked so I suppose its not that bad when looked at with the level of supervision etc

Happy to chat via PM if you want any more specific info etc