Morocco try out

[bonleonbon]

Hi all,
After a couple off years riding roadtrips across Europe, we're planning our first trip to Africa. We,re willing to fly on Marrakesh and rent a motorcycle (loc2roues) end November. We're using 'Morocco overland' as the base off our planning. This is all new for us so i was wundering what the opinions are from the real adventure bikers considering we are riding with rental bikes (310gs). Route planning is Marrakesh - Tizi n Tichka - Ait Banhaddou - Ouarzazate - Dades - MH3 - Todra - MH4 - Nekob - MS1 -Zagora - desert highway - Foum Zguid - MA12 - Taroudant - Tizi n test - Marrakesh.
Any thoughts , info about sleeping, safety issues, ... are very welcome.
Thanks Leon

[TheWarden]

Turn off the Tchka at the turning to Teluoet then run down to Ait Benhaddou, much nicer route the sticking on the Tichka

MH3 can be a bit tricky at the west end depending on weather damage, alternative would be to carry on up the Dades to Agoudal then back down the Todra.

MH4 is being tarmacked and last year only the downhill section from the top heading south was unfinished. Great views though.

Atlas Auberge and Camping just south of the narrow part of the Todra gorge is a nice spot to stay.

Camp Sedraa out in the desert south of Tazzarine is superb, one of my favourite places to stay. From there you could head west to the rock carvings and then pick up MS1. Ask Brahim at the campsite for directions if your unsure.

Desert highway is a great drive. MA12 is better at the west end, first bit was a heavily corrugated when I last did it

[bonleonbon]

Thanks! great info. Are there any safety issues? Is it safe to leave the bikes, things to considder,..., ore is commen sense enough?
Just looking at Camp Sedrar and looks great

[Chris Scott]

Hi Leon, I haven't done it for years and it seems to have fallen out of fashion, but I would not enjoy tackling MH3 on GS310s. The old Tornados would have been a better bet (other Marrakech renters still offer them).

As Warden says, up over the Atlas watershed to Agoudal (piste - part of MH1) and back down (road) would be much more memorable, and for the right reasons. Or dodge Todra and carry on east from Ait Hani towards Amellago. Nice lodgings there and a great canyon ride down to Goulmina (MH13).

As also mentioned, the Telouet diversion is also well worth it, and so is MH4, sealed or otherwise. MA12 is great on any bike too, and is now sealed (or dead easy) from near Assaragh to Agadir Melloul.

Safety issues in Morocco are the same as riding remote areas in any foreign country, so ride appropriately and stick together. In towns, if wandering away from the bikes, don't leave anything on them you can't afford to lose. Same as anywhere. Morocco south of the Atlas is much more chilled than the north.

Lodgings will invariably help with parking your bikes off the road, even inside the lobby if possible. But bike theft is much less of an issue than south of France, say.
Like the book suggests, on a moto keep it simple and use cheap lodgings instead of carting camping clobber – that's more of a car thing. End of November it's dark by 6ish. Nicer to be tucking into a steaming tajine in a cosy Berber auberge with fast wifi than stuffed in a chilly tent over a Primus while your airbed slowly deflates.

Or, if by 'safety issues' you mean being attacked / robbed because you're a foreigner in a Muslim country, you'll be very pleasantly surprised ;-)
Morocco is more like Spain than Libya.

[bonleonbon]

Thanks for the info! We're going to reroute with the extra info. End novembers early sunset is something we didn't think trouhg. I also find it difficult to calculate the length of the daytrips but day 1 will clear out that question.