Page 20 | AIBU to think Marrakesh was far worse than I expected?

LondonLass37 · 2026-04-03T09:26:02+00:00

I'm 40. I went to Marrakesh for a week with a female friend of the same age. Both white, both blonde. Just looking for some warmth, culture, and a proper break. What I experienced was genuinely awful. We were harassed constantly , not just persistent sellers, but followed, hissed at, and touched. A man spat at my feet because I wouldn't give him money for directions I never asked for. Later, a drunk local chased us through the medina. We had to hide in a shop for nearly half an hour. The medina is filthy. In the markets, animal carcasses hang next to food. Live donkeys are visibly mistreated and beaten. I'm still upset about what I saw. The food was bland and lukewarm. My friend got food poisoning. I wanted mint tea and beautiful tiles. Instead I felt unsafe and miserable. So – AIBU? Or is Marrakesh genuinely as terrible as I found it?

NothingLeftToInheritDarlings · 04/04/2026 20:11

So sorry that you had such a horrid time - I have been a few times and loved it.. but I do speak French and my husband (a red-haired Scot) speaks Arabic - so recommend to anyone going there that knowing how to say 'no thank you' in both languages is very helpful. Easy enough to find on Google. We went to Fez, Casablanca and Essaouira as well, and they are much less touristy. I wonder if Marrakech is just too busy and maybe the ne'er do wells turn up there hoping for a grope x

CostaBrew · 04/04/2026 22:21

Hi, I'm currently in Marrakech with my DH and DC and DSC. It was a last minute holiday as we had to cancel our planned Thailand holiday due to Middle East conflict.

Complete culture shock for me. We're staying in a Riad through Air B and B. Accommodation is really nice but local area isn't great. My DH has been going out on hired scooters to the Carrafour to buy our food, there's no way I'd feel comfortable going on my own.

I've had no harassment from men but I have been with my DH and teen DS and DSS. I'm glad we came here , food is amazing and I've loved buying stuff and haggling in the markets! Not sure I'd return 😕

Don't recommend MK Roof top bar/restaurant despite the reviews. Staff were rude, one the dishes had uncooked chicken and they forgot lots of our order too.

Had a great excursion today with Quad bikes dinner in the desert.

DoorPurple · 04/04/2026 22:54

Sskka · 04/04/2026 08:54

Foreign cuisines.

Anything else you’d like to pretend not to understand? We can help with those questions too.

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Gotcha. Beans on toast = ethnic cuisine for a German travelling to the UK. Am I getting this right ??

Sskka · 05/04/2026 07:54

DoorPurple · 04/04/2026 22:54

Gotcha. Beans on toast = ethnic cuisine for a German travelling to the UK. Am I getting this right ??

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See, you do understand!

Sassylovesbooks · 05/04/2026 09:31

We went to Turkiye last year for the first time, stayed in Icmeler. We had an amazing time. Never experienced any harassment, and women were walking around in shorts, t-shirts, bikini tops etc. I'm not saying if you were somewhere less touristy or perhaps rural, it might be different.

I've never had any inclination to go to Tunisia, Morocco or Egypt.

CharlotteRumpling · 05/04/2026 09:44

Sassylovesbooks · 05/04/2026 09:31

We went to Turkiye last year for the first time, stayed in Icmeler. We had an amazing time. Never experienced any harassment, and women were walking around in shorts, t-shirts, bikini tops etc. I'm not saying if you were somewhere less touristy or perhaps rural, it might be different.

I've never had any inclination to go to Tunisia, Morocco or Egypt.

I travelled alone in rural Turkey. No issues. But as I said, I am not white and can pass for a local. Wore trousers and a short sleeved top in the heat.

SpaceRaccoon · 05/04/2026 10:20

LondonLass37 · 04/04/2026 12:50

I largely agree with you. When I went to India, I had a similar experience, though not as severe. The main issue was that nearly every man wanted to take a picture with me. I felt somewhat bemused, I think being blonde may have sparked some curiosity. It wasn't a major problem in a big city like Delhi, but when we traveled further inland, it became much worse. I was there with DH

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India scares me, particularly after the gang-rape of a woman right in front of her husband:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-68444993

But a previous poster mentions it's really regionally variable?

Members of Maitree Womens Rights Organization protest against the remission of life sentences for those convicted in the Bilkis Bano rape trial

Outrage over Brazilian tourist's gang rape in India

The woman and her husband were on a motorbike tour in India when the alleged assault took place.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-68444993

CharlotteRumpling · 05/04/2026 10:22

SpaceRaccoon · 05/04/2026 10:20

India scares me, particularly after the gang-rape of a woman right in front of her husband:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-68444993

But a previous poster mentions it's really regionally variable?

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I am of Indian origin, visit regularly and travel solo in the country. But I have many advantages.

It's complicated. A huge country. Probably needs another thread. Wouldn't claim it's great for Western women travellers at all. In some parts I have felt safer than in SE London!

notacooldad · 05/04/2026 10:23

I went last year with DH and really enjoyed it but we did have a few dodgy moments ( people offering directions and taking us through a maze of narrow streets until we felt completely lost and then demanding money to show us the way out,
I heard about this scam and it happened to us but we were genuinely lost and it was my fault.
Two teenage lads on a moped offered to help and to be fair to them they were amazing. They stopped a bin wagon to let through , they pushed the big bins out of the way, made sure we kept up with them. They did ask if we could them out when we eventually got to the main road and we gave them a couple of quid each. They were grateful and polite.
Dh said he would never trust me with directions again! 😆

SpaceRaccoon · 05/04/2026 10:28

CharlotteRumpling · 05/04/2026 10:22

I am of Indian origin, visit regularly and travel solo in the country. But I have many advantages.

It's complicated. A huge country. Probably needs another thread. Wouldn't claim it's great for Western women travellers at all. In some parts I have felt safer than in SE London!

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That's a thread I'd find really interesting. I read/see such conflicting stuff - some youtubers I watch went around a lot of India in a tuktuk and everyone seemed really friendly and hospitable, and then you read an awful case like that.

MrsNathanDrake · 05/04/2026 10:33

CostaBrew · 04/04/2026 22:21

Hi, I'm currently in Marrakech with my DH and DC and DSC. It was a last minute holiday as we had to cancel our planned Thailand holiday due to Middle East conflict.

Complete culture shock for me. We're staying in a Riad through Air B and B. Accommodation is really nice but local area isn't great. My DH has been going out on hired scooters to the Carrafour to buy our food, there's no way I'd feel comfortable going on my own.

I've had no harassment from men but I have been with my DH and teen DS and DSS. I'm glad we came here , food is amazing and I've loved buying stuff and haggling in the markets! Not sure I'd return 😕

Don't recommend MK Roof top bar/restaurant despite the reviews. Staff were rude, one the dishes had uncooked chicken and they forgot lots of our order too.

Had a great excursion today with Quad bikes dinner in the desert.

We were there a few weeks ago and also stayed in a riad. We were right on the northern edge of the medina. Completely agree about MK Rooftop. We ended up not ordering food in the end as the drinks service was so slow and surly. Sounds like it was the right move! And we had to paya cashier o the ground floor on the way out who was exceptionally rude. We’d definitely go back and would stay in a riad again, but probably in a different part of the medina.

Carla786 · 11/04/2026 04:39

PufferFish · 03/04/2026 12:55

I went to Morocco 20 years ago with my now husband. We stayed in Agadir but visited Marrakech. I would rather never go on holiday again than go back there. I wore loose trousers and long tops with head coverings whenever we went out of the hotel. It didn’t stop the harassment and the groups of men staring openly and in a really intimidating manner. The animal cruelty was appalling and the child poverty was heart breaking. Everyone that was nice was trying to get money out of us. It felt like nobody was sincere or could be trusted. I cried all the way home and I’m not prone to melodrama! It’s depressing to hear that things haven’t improved.

Re everyone trying to get money, you can't blame people who are living in awful poverty. It does sound unpleasant overall though 💐

Carla786 · 11/04/2026 04:47

JuliettaCaeser · 04/04/2026 15:38

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.

Exactly - are these criminals extremely stupid as well? Or what?

Carla786 · 11/04/2026 05:02

ElleintheWoods · 03/04/2026 22:23

Portugal, Italy.

I remember crossing the main city square in my (full length) gym cothes as a young girl and the amount of staring, harassment and sexual comments was unreal. It was like the whole place stopped and everyone stared and made noises. Was usual to get loud comments like 'I want to ride the bicycle with you tonight' while riding a bike as a woman, dressed appropriately for riding a bike, e.g. leggings and t-shirt. Lots of stopping, staring and noises.

Italy, ditto, I'm older now and was propositioned in front of my family several times recently. People grab your suitcase to 'help' and say 'my apartment is just around the corner'. Train conductor locked me inside a cabin and touched me, literally had to run away on a moving train.

I don't dress in a revealing way but suppose I do look like a stereotypical blonde from those films that some men get their ideas from. Not that any of this was relevant.

Conservative religion-dominated places with little cosmopolitan exposure where women have limited freedoms tend to be a bit... different regarding how people that follow different cultural values, e.g. travel alone, are interpreted.

I feel like across Western Europe generally times have moved on quickly, but groups of people with weird ideas about women and behaviours haven't died off.

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Italy I think has changed to some extent. Also depends what area you go to.

Carla786 · 11/04/2026 05:04

allchange5 · 03/04/2026 18:59

I find that when it comes to the hassle factor, places that are more 'loosely' Islamic and used to (female) tourists - eg. Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey - are worse than countries that are more strictly Islamic. When I was younger, I travelled in places like Pakistan's North West Frontier Province where, outside of the main cities, women are not seen in the streets at all. The men will stare but they won't approach you or hassle you - it's like they don't know how to react to single women out and about.

The worst place I have been for hassle is Egypt. Not so bad if you're in a resort, but backpacking in the south of the country. Nightmare! Constantly followed all day by groups of men wanting photos. I'm not even blonde. What could they possibly want photos of some random woman for? Everybody trying to rip you off and talking utter shite basically - eg. you agree a price to get in a taxi, then once in it, they claim no price was agreed and you have to go through it all again. They drone on in inane repetitive loops designed to wear you down. Or you buy something in a shop and find them boxing up a cheaper item, hoping you don't notice until you get home. No standards of behaviour it seemed to me - well, at least where the men were concerned. Such a shame because the country is so uniquely beautiful. Also, Egypt has the highest proportion of FGM in the world. I hadn't realised this at all.

Egypt isn't exactly loosely Islamic. The laws are really influenced by Islam, and there's little chance of that imminently changing given it's been under the Sisi dictatorship for years.

Carla786 · 11/04/2026 05:08

oncemoreuntothebeachdearfriends · 03/04/2026 18:14

There's a lot of posters saying they avoid Muslim countries.
However, there's one unlike the countries being complained about.

Jordan is wonderful. A lot to see and do, & it seemed quite safe to me.
People are very friendly, most women still wear a hijab, but a lot of younger women don't.
We were only "hassled" by school children, politely introducing themselves and asking if they could practice their English with us. We were quite tickled to be addressed as Sir & Madam - even if it was sometimes the wrong way round.

Jordan is often very hard for the women who live there day to day.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0f39w53

But yes, it's probably one of the best Muslim countries to visit as a Western woman.

BBC World Service TV - BBC News Arabic Investigations, Abused: Surviving Domestic Violence in Jordan

BBC News Arabic Investigates if Jordan domestic violence laws changed the lives of women

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0f39w53

Carla786 · 11/04/2026 05:22

Tigerbalmshark · 03/04/2026 15:24

Yep I grew up there and go back every year, and that is not Maltese culture at all! It’s a European country with most in common with Italy, plenty of Maltese girls will spend their weekends at the beach club in a bikini themselves. No culture at all of covering up.

There have been problems in recent years with large numbers of men coming over from Libya on small boats, trying to get into the EU. They are mostly in camps around the airport, and tbh do cause trouble as groups of bored unemployed young men often do. Mostly theft. The only thing I can imagine is that the PP met a group of them, rather than Maltese men?

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Malta is a lot more strict than Italy in other ways though, considering that until 3 years ago abortion was illegal even if the mother's life was in danger.

Booboobagins · 11/04/2026 05:59

I'm so sorry that sounds horrendous.

It's def not my cup of tea either and several other countries are on my don't visit list for similar reasons too.