From Ziz Canyon, the vibe feels more relaxed compared to everything south of it. The canyons and the gradually greener landscapes are incredible. After Midelt (the apple town), the scenery shifts into a green steppe, almost like cruising somewhere in Europe.
This is also where we found decent coffee (and some insightful convo with Berbers) at a roadside spot, and had a surprisingly tasty lamb kebab at a questionable butcher.

FEZ

The lambs are not silent. They smell.

Arriving in Fez gave a completely different first impression than Marrakech. Though visiting the better part of Morocco at the end of the trip.. well, I felt exhausted, constantly hungry hangry, and I lost all interest in voluntarily seeing the valuable side of things. I needed a little push, after which I gratefully managed to catch some beauties.

• Dar Batha: Definitely a highlight (entry 30 MAD). I didn’t plan to visit (it just happened), and despite the micromanaging security guy (at this point, every Arabic man was an annoyance), the museum’s collection is pure eye candy, and the shaded garden with the jacaranda trees is a mesmerizing gem.
• Chouara Tannery: Visiting one of the Fez tanneries is a must-do. It’s indeed an unfiltered sensory experience, and you will hold on to your mint bouquet like your dear life. Entry is free, but a guy will accompany you (no matter what) and wait for a tip.
• Al Attarine Madrasa: This mosque is an architectural masterpiece with its extensive and sophisticated details – just like Madrasa Ben Youssef. Walk-in tickets (20 MAD), and the same rule applies: if you see a group, wait.
• Fes El Bali: Aka the medina – the real OG (one of the world’s largest and oldest urban pedestrian zones), where you’ll find everything from the signature red hats and hand-crafted tiles to copper ware.. but there’s a huge difference between a Sunday afternoon and a Monday morning. The weekend will greet you with intense smells (tons of cat shit mixed with piles of trash) like walking through living fermentation. Gross. A weekday morning, before the shops even open (8-9 am), has a completely different vibe: empty and quiet streets, no trash or suffocating smell. So timing your stroll is crucial.

You can’t leave Morocco without staying in a riad (maybe not every night, but to get a taste of it). Fez has plenty of these traditional houses, but I’d recommend picking one near the medina wall (so you don’t get lost with your bags in the alley-labyrinth), not right next to a main gate (that’s where the trash leaves, and the noise from carts can ruin your sleep), and if you’re not an early riser, stay as far as possible from any mosque (the muezzin starts at 4:30 am).

CHEFCHAOUEN

30–50 shades of blue.

There’s no official count, but they use all the blue paint for the Blue Pearl. According to Google, the color blue represents heaven and spirituality (introduced by Jewish in the 15th century), and it supposedly helps repel mosquitoes and cool the streets. Anyhow, spending a day walking up and down the hilly Chefchaouen medina and expanding your photo gallery is time well spent.

If you plan to spend a night here, check the map first, and book accommodation near or along the edge of the medina. The maze of alleys and endless steps is no fun when you carry anything larger than a backpack.

TO SUM IT UP

I’d wanted to visit this country for over 15 years, and I genuinely feel I came too late. Morocco is worse than Bali in 2025. You figured, I’m not impressed, and it took me months to put this into words. Despite the long history, rich influences, and vivid colors, the potential and the reality are miles apart.

Regarding food and coffee, I’m personally offended. The situation was so bad that I can actually count the good meals: 4 (I say four) in 10 days. Maybe it’s just me (again?), but I kept wondering: do people here have no taste buds?
Morocco grows and imports many of the essential spices and herbs. And what do they do? No no, they don’t put them in the food. They smear them on the walls! Literally. The colors are so vibrant that I want to bite into them, and I would naturally expect that not only our eyes, but our mouths get some of the stimulation too. Nope.
And the coffee.. I don’t know who started the great Arabic coffee scam, but most of it tastes like camel shit (with a very tiny little exception). So if you want good coffee, look for places with a Lavazza sign – that’s your best shot.

The shock I got wasn’t cultural (Arabic people haven’t changed since I last visited them); it was rather a deep wondering about why the fuck so many tourists are coming here. For what?
Fact, it’s easy to reach, flights are cheap, and it seems like a good holiday destination – especially since social media pours Moroccan content like a tsunami. I get it.. and I fell into the good ol’ mistake of having expectations. Still, at the end, I’d just love to know how many of the 17.4 million tourists in 2024 left with the same disappointment and emptiness.

These ten days left me with regret.

Do I regret coming to Morocco? – Nah.. at least I crossed it off my bucket list.
Did I come in the wrong season? – Pretty much.
Should I have planned the itinerary differently? – Probably.. but little did I know.
Do I want to give it a second chance? – I don’t see that coming.

Should I have bought a bottle of Roku at the duty-free before arrival? – Damn, for sure.

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