Camping in Morocco

We have now traveled to a few locations in Morocco and I would like to tell you a little about how different camping can be here. It is my observation that you should be open-minded and simply adjust your expectations! Before we set off for Morocco, we looked into the country and read up on what camping in Morocco could be like before the trip. I can only recommend this to everyone!

Theoretically we could be self-sufficient with our Palumbi, we even have a shower and toilet, BUT why should I do that when there are really nice little campsites here? We are relatively frugal, a shower and toilet are enough for us, fresh water is great, but not absolutely necessary. For this reason, we have so far left nothing to be desired when it comes to campsites.

ONE THING MUST BE CLEAR TO EVERYONE:

Morocco has a different standard, I can't expect that I have a well-functioning electricity network everywhere at the campsite, that I get free WIFI everywhere, that the showers and toilets have a European standard, that I have a mini market at the campsite and bread service, please? If I, as a European, assume something like that, then it's just sad, in my opinion it's just unfair when people write as if we were in the colonial era, they partly expect that everyone here in Morocco will jump for them and partly theirs met unreasonable expectations, but that's really not fair!

Of course there are places where I can order bread and where I can also shop, but that's not the case everywhere.

I'm in Africa, where people live differently than we do, where there isn't that much water in the countryside, where there are sometimes squat toilets that we're not familiar with in Northern Europe. We also experienced that the sitting toilets seemed old-fashioned and some were already getting old. Is it bad if they are clean and cleaned? In an emergency, if they don't seem clean enough to me, I can always help myself with a few damp wipes if I want to, and this is sometimes necessary in Europe. But we also had toilets and showers that look like home, it's all there! Of course, for some it's a little strange that paper isn't flushed down the toilet, but we already know that from a campsite in Greece and that was sometimes the case in Spain too, it's just a little different, nothing more. There is probably no sewage system here in the country, there are cesspools in use that need to be pumped out, the system is simply not designed for toilet paper.

The water pressure in Morocco can be very different, sometimes there is almost no water, other places have a water pressure that I can compare with Traunstein. You can always wash if you want, it may just be that the temperature isn't exactly what I would like as a self-confessed hot showerer, but it's almost always possible!

The place on the farm, a gite d'etape, was my favorite so far. Here you are sometimes woken up by the rooster or the call of the muezzin, that's just part of Morocco for me! Of course there are sometimes barking dogs, but that's just part of life here, many farm dogs bark at everything that moves, and there are also some dogs or street dogs at the campsite that don't rest at 10 p.m. This is sometimes no different in Europe, but this is simply ignored in the reviews.

Some of the campsites are linked to a hotel or a hostel, so you can usually go out for a good meal there or get full catering if you want. I don't know that from Europe, where the restaurants are open in the winter season are mostly closed.

If necessary, waste disposal can be done by the garbage cans. If a campsite or overnight stay doesn't allow for this, there is always a way.

At our current site there is gray water disposal and you can refill with water, but that is not a standard here because there is not as much groundwater here as here, or the sewage system. The vanlifers' complaining is really out of place here, because there are some designated disposal stations, e.g. B. on the motorway, which you can search for and find using apps if necessary. We don't need this, the gray water can simply be poured into a toilet because we collect it in a canister under our Palumbi.

Many of the comments on the camping apps are so vile that it really cuts into my heart, because all I've ever experienced is that the hosts here always try to solve every problem. When the shower didn't work this morning, I was immediately offered to open one of the hotel rooms so that I could wash my hair. I'll take advantage of the offer tomorrow because it's really nice and very warmly meant. The sanitary block here is currently being renovated, which would almost not be possible in Europe.

In general, it should be clear to everyone that life in Morocco is much simpler than is usual here. After only a few days here I don't have much knowledge about poverty etc. I wouldn't presume to do that. One thing is obvious only to us, we are doing well in comparison, we come across as very rich here.

The only thing I've noticed so far is that when we're at a campsite, where there's usually a LOT of space, other campers come and generally take the spot right next to us. I find that a little strange, because just being close to our dogs makes them loudly report it. Apparently other campers feel safer this way, where I would like the distance, but I just can't have everything. The places here are tighter, they are not like in the UK and there is no minimum distance rule.

Some of the places also offer a gas bottle service, but since it is sold everywhere, the only thing you have to worry about is the adapter. Be careful, propane is almost non-existent, so we get the butane bottle, which works in the same way but causes a little more soot for us. There is also one small thing: butane is more vulnerable in the cold, so not much comes through the hose, but it was still enough for us at -2 degrees. I'm glad that many things are so uncomplicated here, because our demands are sometimes not easy to meet.

At home we have heating, insulated windows, walls and doors, we afford cleaning ladies, we have a comfortable life and are far from what is already enough luxury for Moroccans. I don't want to say that it's primitive here, maybe people here just have different priorities? The Internet, for example, has ALWAYS worked so far and in Morocco the bureaucracy in tourism with registration etc. is done via cell phone, whereas in Spain and elsewhere there is still a real paperwork war going on. There are ATMs everywhere, and you need them because you can rarely pay with a card here. There are a lot of gas stations here, as are the small shops on the street where I can always get the essentials. Every house here is connected to electricity, there are also many solar systems, even the small huts often have them.

Maybe we should rethink our sometimes exaggerated demands?