Algeria

Polymathic said:
Everybody who I know went to Egypt all say Egypt is the place to go despite all the negatives about the place
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What was the 2nd BEST thing about Egypt as per them? I mean first thing would be pyramids. Food perhaps ?
 
I can't comment about Algeria, but I spent a very pleasant 2 weeks in Morocco touring around the country in a hired 4x4 with 3 friends of mine. We flew into Marrakesh, which is a very hectic place. Lots of beautiful ancient medieval architecture, but the infamous hassle is EVERYWHERE. You can't walk more than a few meters without someone wanting you to sell you something or wanting something from you.

Once we left Marrakesh and started exploring the countryside things changed immediately. The smaller towns are very chilled, and once you get to the coast, places like Essaouira and Agadir are just magical relaxed places where tourists are left alone and respected.

Just beware though, relations between Morocco and South Africa are not great, so getting a visa for Morocco on a South African passport can be a huge headache.
 
surface said:
What was the 2nd BEST thing about Egypt as per them? I mean first thing would be pyramids. Food perhaps ?
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I've never been to Egypt, but everyone I know who's been has gone to the Red Sea and done lots of diving and had an awesome time at the Red Sea resorts they have there. The general consensus is that Cairo is a tourist trap and best avoided if possible.
 
JuliusSeizure said:
Yeah, if you enjoy diving, Sharm El Sheikh, Nama Bay area is pretty good and it's touristy so you can even drink there.

Knowing Arabic will help immensely with getting around and reducing the amount of money you lose due to getting scammed.
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People who want to sell you something in Cairo understand English. Arabic is not needed.
 
deweyzeph said:
I can't comment about Algeria, but I spent a very pleasant 2 weeks in Morocco touring around the country in a hired 4x4 with 3 friends of mine. We flew into Marrakesh, which is a very hectic place. Lots of beautiful ancient medieval architecture, but the infamous hassle is EVERYWHERE. You can't walk more than a few meters without someone wanting you to sell you something or wanting something from you.

Once we left Marrakesh and started exploring the countryside things changed immediately. The smaller towns are very chilled, and once you get to the coast, places like Essaouira and Agadir are just magical relaxed places where tourists are left alone and respected.

Just beware though, relations between Morocco and South Africa are not great, so getting a visa for Morocco on a South African passport can be a huge headache.
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Why is that?
 
Candystore said:
Has anyone been to Algeria as a tourist?

Someone very highly recommended it to me. Even more than e.g. Morocco or Egypt.

If you have been there, what is your take?

I am a Francophile, so the colonial architecture appeals to me, the easy access to the desert, and also the favourable exchange rate.
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Do you even have a valid ID to consider traveling?
 
JuliusSeizure said:
Also, if one enjoys Shisha, nothing beats the ME. I guess because many people there don't drink, they put more effort into making it good so that they can relax.
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As per exmuslim youtubers in pakistan, alcohol & girls are available in pakistan so I am sure egyptians would have found a way as well.
 
surface said:
As per exmuslim youtubers in pakistan, alcohol & girls are available in pakistan so I am sure egyptians would have found a way as well.
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Many of the elites in Muslim majority nations drink. The religion is mostly just used to control the poor people into submission.
 
airborne said:
Why is that?
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It's the whole support for Western Sahara thing, and various other diplomatic spats between South Africa and Morocco. There's no logical reason why South Africans should need visas for Morocco other than spite. There's also no easy way to get to Morocco from South Africa. Due to the frosty relations there are no direct flights between Morocco and South Africa and you either need to fly to a European country like France or the Netherlands first and then back track, or use one of the African airlines that serve both South Africa and Morocco.
 
JuliusSeizure said:
Yeah, Sharm El Sheikh where I went is a tourist area so alcohol was freely available. Many of the shops don't have prices though so they look at your face before deciding how much to charge you. This is where knowing Arabic can help a lot.
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This was pretty much my experience in Morocco as well. Alcohol freely available in hotels and other touristy areas, but generally not available in places where ordinary Moroccans frequent.
 
JuliusSeizure said:
It depends on feasibility as well. I don't think there is a large enough Moroccan population in SA to warrant having a direct flight there.

Money talks at the end of the day. They will put political differences aside when there is opportunity to make money.
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There's great tourism potential though. Morocco is a fantastic country to explore and very safe to drive around. And it's relatively cheap compared to South Africa. The only expensive part is getting there which will cost just much, if not more, than flying to Europe.
 
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