MOROCCO - TRAVEL GUIDES

"Traveling - it gives you home in thousand strange places, then leaves you a stranger in your own land."
- Ibn Battuta (1304-1368), a medieval Moroccan traveler famous for one of the first travel books, titled Travels

TRAVELING TO MOROCCO

Morocco is a wonderful travel destination, full of vibrant markets, Islamic traditions, ancient palaces, and glorious deserts.  The diversity is astounding; a visitor can be battling aggressive sellers in beautiful souks in Marrakesh and then gazing at the stars the next day while desert camping in the Sahara.  Getting there from Europe and the UK is surprisingly easy, making Morocco a first way for many to first experience Africa.  Here are our recommendations for the best travel books for Morocco.

A5 RECOMMENDATIONS

Lonely Planet: Morocco

For someone going on a longer trip to Morocco, we highly recommend Lonely Planet.  Lonely Planet is broadly still the best travel guidebook series, and they are very experienced in Morocco.  Lonely Planet Morocco in particular does a great job providing cultural insights and honest reviews for all budgets.  The book covers Marrakesh, Casablanca, Tangier, and Fez of course, but there is also a vast of great information on lesser known destinations and things to do.

DK Eyewitness Travel: Morocco

The DK Eyewitness Travel guide series is known for beautiful pictures, detailed travel maps, and custom illustrations, and the visual nature of this book is perfect for those new to Morocco.  There are helpful sections on Morocco's history with plenty of photos showing the beauty of the souks, the chaos of the market squares, and a flavor of each location.  There is also a Top 10 DK Eyewitness Travel guide for Marrakech, which is a good option for those first visiting this wonderful city.

Morocco: A Culinary Journey 

Moroccan cuisine is not that well known, and so a cookbook might be one of the better ways both to prepare for a trip to Morocco and to reward yourself once home.  Enjoy recipes for spicy tagines, couscous entrees, wonderful stuffed pastries, potato fritters, and of course, mint tea.

The Caliph's House, by Tahir Shah

Those looking for a personal look into what it is really like in Morocco will like the story of Tahir Shah and his wife who decided to leave London to move to sunny Casablanca with their two young children.  Their quest is to restore a decrepit mansion to its early glory as one of the areas best known homes, but their transition is anything but smooth.   The family's trials and tribulations are a fun read, similar in style to Under the Tuscan Sun and A Year in Provence, but with a unique Moroccan flavor.  Click here to read our review on The Caliph's House.

The Sheltering Sky, by Paul Bowles

Paul Bowles' groundbreaking 1949 novel, The Sheltering Sky, tells a story of three American travelers adrift in North Africa, seeking a higher purpose and fulfillment in their lives.  It isn't exactly clear where in the Sahara the novel takes place, but Bowles himself is very closely associated with Morocco having spent much of his life as an expatriate in Tangier.  The book was later made into a well known movie.  Click here for our review of The Sheltering Sky.