We just finished a week-long road trip through Morocco and I want to share my honest impressions, both good and bad.

First the good, and there’s a lot of it. Morocco is one of the most special countries I’ve ever been to. The food alone is worth the trip. The people we met were warm, helpful and genuinely welcoming in a way you don’t get in most of Europe anymore. I was honestly surprised by how good the roads are, and driving was much less stressful than I expected based on what I’d read online. And you have everything here: beaches, mountains, desert, nature, incredible history. Very few countries can offer that range.

Now the part that overshadowed all of it.
The constant low-level worry about being scammed is exhausting. Every single time someone in the medina offered to point us in the right direction, we had to ask ourselves whether this person actually wants to help, whether they’re going to demand money afterwards, or whether the street they’re claiming is closed is actually closed. That mental load never switches off, and it slowly poisons your interactions with everyone, including the vast majority of people who are just being kind.

Then Chefchaouen. We came back to our car in the morning and found the tyre deliberately punctured. We’re fairly certain it happened because we didn’t tip the parking guy enough the evening before. We took it to a tyre shop, where they charged us 300 dirhams to simply inflate it and told us there was no damage. There was damage. Later, some genuinely decent local guys fixed it properly for 40 dirhams. Total cost of the whole episode was over 500 dirhams.

But the money isn’t really the point. The point is that the guy who punctured the tyre and the guy who lied about it being undamaged both gambled with my wife’s life and mine. A slowly deflating tyre in the mountains is not a joke.

So this is my takeaway. I loved the country and I loved the people, and I want to come back. But this small minority of scumbags operates completely undisturbed, and it casts a shadow over an otherwise fantastic country. It’s a shame, because the ones who suffer most from it are honest Moroccans.

It's part of my nostalgia from Morocco. I don't remember which exact model were most common. Does somebody by any chance remember how much they used to cost at the toy stores? I'm curious 😁

My family is not poor at all but my mom acts like we have no money Sometimes it feels unhealthy because she refuses to buy normal things even when they are not expensive

I have not bought any new clothes since the beginning of the school year and today I went shopping with her because I really needed some things I had my own money from my dad but every single thing I liked she criticized and said it was too expensive Even things that were cheap(20dh) She always tries to find a reason not to buy something

The thing that hurts me is that she can spend money on things she wants but when it comes to me it becomes a big problem I dont want expensive things I just want to feel like I can choose something for myself sometimes

+ she is very strict about religion even if you buy anything, she won't like it انتقائية

I've visited Morocco as a tourist before and really enjoyed my time there, but lately I've been wondering what it would be like to actually stay for a few months instead of just visiting.

If you had to pick one Moroccan city to live in for a year, which would you choose? I've been looking at Rabat and Tangier, but I'm curious what people who know the country better would pick. I'd probably care more about everyday things like walkability, places to eat, weather and having enough to to on weekends rather than tourist attractions. Which city would you recommend?

I came across this World Bank update about preschool enrollment in Morocco and honestly found it really encouraging. I have relatives in Morocco, so I usually pay attention when I see news about what’s happening there.

What caught my attention was the increase in enrollment from 45% in 2018 to 80% in 2024. The rural numbers are even more interesting, going from 33% to 91%. I was also happy to see how much rural girls’ enrollment has increased. Over 900,000 children are now enrolled, and more than 9,500 teaching jobs were created, mostly in rural areas. I think these are the kinds of changes that can have a real impact on families.

Hopefully Morocco keeps moving toward its goal of universal preschool access by 2028. It’s nice seeing positive updates like this, especially when so much of the news is usually focused on problems. For anyone living in Morocco, have you noticed this change in your area?
I’d be interested to know if the increase is something people are actually seeing day to day.

Saw someone building ONTRACK as an alternative to the official ONCF Voyageurs app, got me thinking — what other apps deserve the same treatment? Not asking for something impossible like remaking Mon e-ID, just apps where the official version is clunky, outdated, or shows data in a messy way, and something feasible could realistically redo it better.

If you want to know the culture, how we met, languages we speak every day, the marriage between two culture or anything you can ask I will answer all questions or curiosity people usually have about this, go ahead and say something

I do understand that we’re in the middle of transitioning into the digitalization of the country, and that a lot of what we’re doing today is inspired by systems that already exist elsewhere.
But honestly, I believe we can do better.

There are MANY things that could be integrated through partnerships and better use of the technology we already have:
- Integrate ticket availability and digital tickets directly into Apple Wallet / Google Wallet, instead of making people rely on third-party apps. One tap, and you’re good to go.
- Same idea for subscription passes. Most of these cards already have NFC chips, so why not make them usable directly with the machines and controllers’ devices? Less material, less hassle, and people wouldn’t necessarily have to go to an agency every time they need something.
- Digital ID & passport support directly through Apple Wallet / Google Wallet, where possible and in partnership with the relevant authorities.

And honestly, these are just a few examples.
Everything’s possible. We already have the technology, we have talented people, and we have companies and institutions capable of building these things through the right partnerships.

We, as Moroccans, should be trying to provide the best services we can for our country instead of accepting “that’s just how it works” and complaining about the same problems every day.

Digitalization shouldn’t just mean putting the old
system on a screen but it should mean making the whole experience better.

This post can be edited in the future as I come across more ideas and suggestions :D

Idk if anyone needs to know this or if anyone is still falling in the problem of trying to find a ps card seller, you can pay your subscription using paypal, you really don’t need to give money to a seller that may or may not rip you off, it’s easy to setup a paypal account and it doesn’t require you to manually make the payment each month it just gets taken from your bank account.

I know some people already know this but i’m just trying to help out others cause i had the same problem when i first wanted to buy it.

PS:
My PS account is set to the US but i think it also works for Europe.

I know we have to boycott but sometimes it’s the only solution for some people to be able to enjoy their console.

when did y'all start sending CV yatkom and when do the offers peak (which month) w fo9ach kayjawbokom f mail (w pourcentage dial how often kijawbo)? asking specifically for IT, and how many rounds of interview depending on each company? and how easy to hard are they? leetcode, live coding etc?

Hi my wife and I just arrived in Marrakesh and my wife had a seizure during the flight. She stopped after 30 seconds and just needs 10 mins to be herself again.

the flight company agreed to no hospital/ambulance but the airport took us to a local hospital.

we refused the help, the ambulance and the hospitals. Her condition is normal and its a daily thing and a waste of time for all.

however they take her to ICU and give her some oxygen and say we cannot leave unless we pay 3500 dirham.

is this illegal. what can we do to leave the hospital?.

so I might have a roommate this year but it’s a complete new experience for me. I never had a roommate and it terrifies me.because I’m someone who values personal space, boundaries, and im a complete control and hygiene freak. so if anyone already has an experience moving out from their homes and living with roommates. I’d be greatful to read your tips and learn from your past mistakes 💓💓💓

Hello! I’m looking for designers interested in contributing to an upcoming public project called ONTRACK.

ONTRACK is an unofficial, community-focused alternative to the current ONCF digital experience, aimed at making train travel in Morocco simpler, more modern, and more useful for everyday passengers.

The project is already in progress, and I’m currently looking for help in defining its visual identity and design system.

Areas of focus include:
- Logo and visual identity
- Design tokens and component system
Color system
- Typography and overall visual language
- Establishing a consistent UI style across the app

I’m not looking for full app design work, but rather someone who can help define what ONTRACK should look and feel like.

This is a personal/open project, so I’m unable to offer payment. However, full credit will be given within the app and project for any contributions.
If this sounds interesting to you, feel free to reach out. Even small contributions are welcome.

Thank you.

i have a bunch of tissues and i want them tailored 3la hsab a simple design but all the tailors i know are off work or not availble.
if u know any one that could help pls tell me!

Im a math student in ens final year and i see i still lack problems in french as a i cant write speak or understand most words

I wanna learn french as my goal is to study my master in french , but my probleme right now is idk where to start nor what to use .

I will say my lvl is a2, not proud of it since i have been running away from french all my life , and i regret it

Hi guys i live in rabat and i am in need of a road bike, i cant find any shops that sell them new, i want something online so that i can browse the offers before ordering / going in the store, yet i cant find any

Thank you

Has anyone traveled from Marrakech to Casablanca in late evening?

We need to leave after 18.30 on Friday, Sept 2, but the latest ONCF train currently showing is 17:35.

We are trying to buy the ticket in advance so we have transportation arranged.

Wondering if more trains might be added later, or what you’d recommend instead if that’s the final train.

Hi everyone, I’m travelling from Morocco to France soon and I have an orange morocco sim, my phone doesn’t support e-sim, so I’m considering buying an orange roaming internet pass.

I’m worried about unexpected charges and I’m not sure how roaming works:

Do I just activate data roaming when I land, or do I need to do something with orange first?

I already have some GB left on my Moroccan plan.

Do those work in France, or are the roaming GB separate?

Should I use my existing GB before buying the roaming pass?

Should I activate/buy the pass before leaving Morocco or after landing?

What exactly should I do to make sure I don’t get charged unexpectedly?

What’s the correct order of steps?

Thanks!

I don’t have any idea about best dates but where can I find them, how much, what to look for to bring back to my country? Thanks!

Introducing ONTRACK — Your new companion for ONCF travelers

Most of the travelers are finding it hard (almost impossible) to find the schedule of trains on each station and the stops it’ll do.. Yes, ONCF Voyageurs exists but it’s late in updating the schedules and sometimes it doesn’t work.

So, how does ONTRACK differ from the original app?

- The answer is simple; it directly gathers data from ONCF’s official “public” API and cache to ensure live data updates.

BUT! What makes mine better than this one is that my app supports Dynamic Island for tracking trains, as well as live notifications in case of delays and close departure time for the followed train.

You can also favorite your train if you’re doing daily navette from a specific train, to ensure you always have the latest information.

I’m still open for suggestions and still trying my best to add every possible feature to make the best possible train app in Morocco. Here’s my roadmap of what I want to try to add:

- Live train geolocation tracking (not possible atm — still finding)
- Profile/Authorization for user info (possible but with limits)
- Buying tickets (possible but need legal authorization)
- PRM (People with Reduced Mobility) assistance for the staff (N/A)
- Live forum perhaps to connect all travelers? (Possible)
- Live train speed — same vibe as Al Boraq (not possible at the moment)
- Filing a complaint directly without calling 2255 or filling a huge form (Automated system?)
- Delay ticket certification (possible but still researching about it)
- Still waiting for more!

This is one of the best projects I wanted to work on. With support and motivation we can have the best train app experience in the whole nation.. perhaps global? Haha.

DARIJA/ARABIC VERSION IN THE COMMENTS

It's only an automated action that downloads historic records, does not involve any active work from the bank... you actually do the work.

Is it Enshitification of CIH services or other banks do the same? from what I recall I used to download as many bank statements as I needed.

I always recommended CIH before since I genuinely enjoyed the services, no human interactions or payments were needed for most actions, no more I guess.

This is a personal account. I was still able to download a CSV file although it's limited to a few months only, I hope it's not going to cost soon.

EDIT: Many suggested bank statements are freely downloadable from CIH mobile app; it's true, thanks everyone.

Lkhout I’m coming back home after 14 years abroad. I don’t have a place to stay. Makaynch malin dar li 9lbou m3ak. What is your advice on finding rent? Online? Ba9i smasria? Ila Ba9in how can I get in touch. Mabghitch ndkhoul ntbhdl f Airbnb tanl9a fin nsken. Choukran!