What do you think about Marocco and the way they treat tourists and animals?

I think you are being a bit small minded and generalizing too much about Morocco. To me it sounds like you had a bad experience and want to blame the whole country. Can you truthfully say that similar things don't happen in your country? I think you knew your arguments were some what weak so you tacked on animals in an attempt to bolster your position, but you provide no evidence to support that claim either. I have not been Morocco, but I have traveled extensively. Tourist scams abound where ever there are an abundance of tourists. A knowledgeable traveler researches the places they will visit, which includes checking out what popular scams are being run. Taxi's are one of the worst offenders everywhere you go. My rule "never take a taxi that does not have a meter" and even then, ask for an estimate. The cabbie should have a ball-park amount of how much the ride from the airport to city-center is, and from a known point to major attractions. Again, a quick look online or in a guidebook should give you reasonable estimates for taxi fares. I try to avoid taxi's to begin with and opt for shuttles, buses, trains, and the metro where possible. Merchant scams are as old as trading. Almost any store, pushcart, market, or stand has the potential of ripping off the unwary. Being an over eager buyer is the first mistake! Sure we all want to get a deal, that includes the sellers! Typically Western-style stores have prices marked on all the merchandise, either you pay the marked price or you don't buy. But away from Western culture the prices tend to be negotiated - you have to dicker. You also need to check your purchase before leaving, especially if the item leaves your sight. I do not get things "wrapped" or "packed" for shipping. I will let the merchant put it a bag, but I check the bag when they had it to me and make sure I got the item I wanted. The only time I have ever been "ripped off" buying trinkets was when "I" was a bad shopper and bargainer, so I have no one to blame but myself and have to laugh it off.

I think that some people in Morocco are really poor and so they hope to make some earnings from tourisms. European nationalities visit Morocco and they find the culture very different to their home country. I think that it would be wise to read up on likely scams before visiting and go with a very detailed up to date travel guide book. An experienced traveler might have an excellent time in Morocco but a novice tourist might have a few bad experiences. I am an animal lover and have heard that some animals there are poorly treated. The sights like the architecture and the Atlas mountains must be stunning. It sounds as exciting as Sumatra was for me in 1994.

i haven't been to morocco so i can't react with those experiences you cited. but by the way you describe the place its seems to be an imperfect paradise. imperfect in a sense that there are lots or cheating and small time crimes like what you've said and paradise because of those i heard about the place. they say its perfect for tourist like us to visit it, lots of great places are there. for the crimes maybe like any other country, the people living there needs proper education or it might be because of poverty that they did that.

well sir, I had the opportunity to visit and to live some years in many places, in fact there some places that we prefer than others, but we must not say that all moroccans or all africans or all europeen are bad or good, cause indeed wherever you go there are bad and good people, and i basically belive that you should had a bad luck since you've had a bad holiday in morocco, well i know morocco very well, be sure, that you can have the same experience if you don't pay attention here in europe or even in the states, and concerning morocco i lived 15 years there especially in marrakesh and i do love this city, cause even what you said people there, are pretty hospitable and pretty funny i did have nice memories there, So you really shouldn't have said that cause, you won't feel good if someone visit south africa and say the same, i've already been there and i think that's pretty nice too, cause always prejudice can create only problems, we are living actually a century when we must surpass this kind of ideologies and live together....

Yeah their industry is tourism though - the people you see in Marrakesh square of course mainly. And then there's the people who wait for you to get off buses and ferries etc. They make their money from tourists, and sometimes I think that it can be valid. Some tourists are really rich relatively so I think it's ok to charge 'tourist prices' - if the tourist doesn't mind paying it why does it matter if the next person can buy it for half the price... But I have been as a poor traveller. I'm a student, poor, yet love to travel. So when I went and got hassled all the time and attempted to be sold things at extortionate prices (taht thankfully I knew were extortionate) it was fairly irrating. It really gets to much after a week of it too. Every other shopkeeper hassles you and tries to drag you into stores etc. But it is how they make their living so it's hard to complain - yet it's just not for me. They're much less overwhelming about it in Southern Africa. Probably because the stores/markets there are more spread out and so don't feel quite as claustrophobic!

If you were visiting mostly tourist locations I can see why you thought most people were out to get you. I lived and traveled in Morocco for a year, and I found that outside touristy areas Moroccans are some of the most genuine and hospitable people I have met. As a riding instructor I was appalled at the way horses were treated, but I have found this to be the case in many developing countries. In Morocco I attended a riding lesson at a posh riding club in Agadir. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw how they were teaching the lessons (25 beginner riders crammed into one ring with one teacher) and how they didn't even know how to fit the tack! One of my friends was riding a horse that wouldn't move. Upon investigating, I saw that the horse was wearing a saddle much too narrow for its build. The saddle was pinching its back and of course when a person sat on it, the horse hurt! I tried to explain this to the instructor, as I can speak fluent French, and he just told me not to worry because they were feeding their horses enough!

yaah!!! Morocco still the best for me, i am living here, if someone want to see Morocco Photos, try here : http://www.moroccobymedarj.infos.st/ select Morocco photo gallery and enjoy....