This is a great time to go if you like Fall. My husband and I went in December when it is even cooler, but we never had to wear more than pants and a long sleeve shirt. The coldest place we stayed was in the desert where the earth doesn't retain heat and the tents were not as insulated as a built structure - and only at nighttime.

We really enjoyed staying in Moulay Bousselham, North of Rabat. (accessible relatively quickly from Casablanca by train and then grande taxi) A small coastal town of 7,000. Lots of fresh seafood, a hot spot for bird migrations, towering dunes, potential paragliding spot, safe low-hassel town. Very different from Essaouira, popular spot with European caravans, a nice place to wind down if you're looking for a change of pace.

Local Moroccan women dress in a range of styles, from fully covered including face scarves, to covered but not leaving that much to the imagination (read tight) in the bigger cities. Dressing more conservatively equals fewer stares but the cafe's with row upon row of smoking men facing out to the street watching passers by can sometimes be a bit disconcerting to walk by - and equally challenging to penetrate. They usually don't sell food anyhow. Overall, I did not feel unsafe in Morocco.

Posted Feb 17, 2012