my o/h is off to Morocco for some strange reason,on a coach tour taking in el Jadida,Rabat,fez,Casablanca and Marrakesh.
anyone been there before and have any do,s dont,s and what to see apart from camels and flies?

get the best map you can (or hire a guide) before going into the Medina area of old Marrakesh.

In fact no map will ever work.. the place is a complete labyrinth with people pointing you the wrong way or wanting money to lead you in what might be the right way.

a fascinating but infuriating place - all at the same time..

I was there about 30 years ago with my mate, best advice I can give you is do not under any circumstances sleep rough or in a tent.
The local bad boys will rob you of everything you have or worse

Oh and stay away from the women, they are not very clean

Basic rules:

Never make eye contact with a beggar, be firm in ignoring them, otherwise they will never let go.

Make sure all your credit cards are insured and you have a record of all the numbers. As with travellers cheques.

Don't flash cash, cameras or female juicy bits.

Africans taught to drive by the French have got to be the worlds worst drivers.

Haggle, haggle haggle. If he asks for a pound, offer 10p and end at 30p. You will still pay more than it is worth.

Enjoy the cultural difference.

Yes, my Dad went there for an overnight stay during WW2. The best advice he gave me was - "Don't get drunk and sleep it off in a cactus bush. Flying the next day tends to be a bit painfull."
As he found out the hard way.

I recommend the Majorelle Gardens in Marrakesh - A haven of calm and quiet, plus lots of flora and fauna (if you are er, into that sort of thing).

a beautiful peaceful place.

Oh.. and get there by taking the open top red bus. There is a dodgy english commentary and you can see the city sights way above the street level chaos.

It's one of my favorite places in the world but my best advice probably is go to Tunisia first because the locals seem incredibly friendly and trustworthy in Morroco afterwards

thanks for your replies peeps,i did warn her about going there,like dont eat the food and dont drink the water.
my lasting memory of tangiers airport was looking down the barrel of the local plod,s gun and being marched off for a drug,s search...a couple of days after watching "midnight express",needless to say i have no great desire to travel south of the med ever again

Yeah - don't, it's a f*cking sh*thole, the country itself is undoubtably beautiful, the people are some of the worst I've ever meet, and I've been all over the world. It's the only place I've ever been threatened.

I really don't understand why people go to places like Morocco, with so many 'dangers and annoyances' when there are so many other beautiful places to go to with lovely locals, give me SE Asia any day.