Author: Paul Terry

I love to travel. I've been fortunate to visit about 75 countries so far. I prefer to travel independently to get off the beaten path a bit. I also try to find good deals to make my travels more affordable.

National Historical Sights Near Nashville – Part I

We recently had the opportunity to spend a long weekend in Nashville, TN. While the music scene and Grand Ole Opry are terrific, there’s a lot of Civil War history in the Nashville area as well. These sights are well-maintained and highly recommended. Here are a few sights we had a chance to visit.

Carter House, Lotz House and Carnton Plantation (The Battle of Franklin)

One of the bloodiest and most monumental battles of the Civil War (1861 – 1865) occurred at the edge of the small town of Franklin, about 20 miles south of Nashville. This was a prelude to the Battle of Nashville which occurred about two weeks later. Today Franklin is a beautifully restored historic town.

This tiny building served as the Headquarters of the Union Army in Franklin.

A Civil War monument in Franklin.

On the southern edge of the town is where the Battle of Franklin (November 30, 1864) occurred, with ground zero being near two homes still standing, called the Carter House and the Lotz House.

A view of the Carter House. The family (and neighbors) hid in the basement during the Battle of Franklin.

The Union army, enroute to Nashville, wanted to slow the advancing Confederate forces and decided make a defensive stand near the Carter House, which had a commanding view of the rolling fields to the south, and the approaching Confederate Army. They built the earthwork defenses around the Carter home and then extending in both directions in a U-shape. The Confederate Army was on the south side of these defenses and in a very exposed position. The Confederates attacked and engaged in a frontal assault that resulted in a slaughter. The battle raged for 5 hours and the Carter family hid in the basement of their home during the battle and managed to survive.

About 9,500 casualties occurred during this battle with the Confederate Army suffering the majority of those casualties. There were about 63,000 soldiers engaged in this battle. The total American casualties were about 1.5 times the number of American casualties in D-Day (June 6, 1944). A poignant story: One of the wounded Confederates was a soldier by the name of Tod (Theodrick) Carter, who happened to be part of the attack on the Union forces at Franklin. He ended up fighting literally in his backyard, and was shot 9 times, with one bullet lodging in his brain behind an eye, only 500 feet from his boyhood home. On the morning after the battle, his family found him on the battle field and brought Tod into the family home where he died one day later. Given the severity of his wounds, I don’t know how he survived even that long.

The Carter farm office building, which is the most bullet damaged building still standing from the Civil War.

The smokehouse, showing scars of the Battle of Franklin.

The Carter House and several nearby buildings on the property can be visited (kitchen, farm office, smokehouse, and an example of slave quarters).

The Lotz House is just across the street from Carter House and can be visited as well. The Lotz family also hid in the Carter basement during the battle. Being constructed out of wood, the Lotz home suffered significant battle damage, and today you can see evidence of where cannon balls crashed through the ceiling and destroyed portions of the beautiful floors (Mr. Lotz was a skilled carpenter).

An exterior view of Lotz House.

The interior of the Lotz House is beautiful, with many ornate pieces of period handcrafted furniture. The Lotz family eventually lost most everything and had to move out of Franklin, making their way to California via covered wagon.

Carnton Plantation

Just a mile or two south of Carter House is Carnton Plantation, which served as a field hospital for the Confederate Army during the Battle of Franklin.

Robyn with a view of the front of the Carnton Plantation home. Wounded and dying soldiers were laid all over the grounds as well as in the house.

Interior view of the Carnton Plantation home.

With thousands of wounded soldiers needing attention, the Carnton Plantation home was requisitioned as a field hospital. The floors of the home still have visible bloodstains in several rooms. Carrie McGavock and her husband tore up every piece of cloth they had (bedding, drapery, table cloths, etc.) to make bandages and dressings for the wounded.

Blood stains from the wounded soldiers in an “operating room” in Carnton Plantation.

Bodies of several Confederate generals killed in the battle were laid out on the back porch so that the soldiers could pay their final respects.

The back porch of Carnton Plantation. On the second level is where they laid the bodies of the Confederate generals for viewing by the soldiers.

Also on the grounds of the plantation is the largest private military cemetery in the U.S., containing almost 1,500 graves of Southern soldiers who died on the battlefield during the Battle of Franklin.

The Confederate Cemetery on the grounds of Carnton Plantation. Many of the graves are marked only with numbers, soldiers whose remains have not been identified.

There is a visitor center here too, as well as several other buildings to see, along with a signposted path explaining parts of the battle.

Inside the slave quarters at Carnton Plantation.

Each site above provides a guided one-hour tour with a very knowledgeable host. A wealth of information about the battle and the families whose homes and lives were changed forever is shared during the tour. Photos were not allowed inside these residences although as shown above I managed to take a photo or two inside the Carnton Plantation home.

In my next Post I will review The Hermitage and Stones River National Battlefield.

Ranakpur – One of the Most Outstanding Jain Temples in India

A view of Ranakpur from the entrance walkway.

In my humble opinion there are three temples that are “must sees” in India: The Golden Temple (of the Sikh religion) in Amritsar (in the very north of India), the Mount Abu Temple complex (Jain religion and not too far from Ranakpur as the crow flies but quite a long drive via road) and Ranakpur Temple (also Jain).

Another view of the entrance to Ranakpur.

Unfortunately due to the vast distances it’s difficult to see all three temples in a single trip. We at least were able to visit one of them. We were traveling from Udaipur to Jodhpur and made two stops during the day’s drive, Kumbahlgarh Fortress and Ranakpur. The two sights are about 50 km (31 miles) apart by road. From Ranakpur it’s about 170 km (105 miles) to Jodhpur and 75 km (47 miles) to Udaipur.

Ranakpur Temple leaves one almost speechless. It’s difficult to truly convey its beauty in either words or images.

Interior view and the most holy part of the temple. Only Jains can enter the sanctuary (straight ahead in the photo).

The temple was built in the 15^th century and is huge. It contains 29 halls, 80 domes and 1444 individually carved columns. The detailed carvings are astonishing – intricate designs in beautiful white marble.

A view of one of the many halls in the temple. Note the column carvings.

An elephant carving in Ranakpur.

Detail of one of the dome’s carvings.

Robyn with a carving of the first Jain teacher (or tirthankar) Adinath, to whom the whole temple is dedicated.

The Jain religion is fascinating and would require a whole separate discussion. It is one of the many religions found in India, and its followers are extremely devout. We saw many Jain pilgrims walking on the side of the road and our driver explained that they walk for hundreds of kilometers with few if any personal belongings. They wear a covering over their mouths so as not to destroy life by accidentally inhaling an insect.

Other Information:

With your Ranakpur entrance fee you’re given a handset and headset that provides an audio tour of the temple with numbered stations to guide you through this amazing complex.

For a better view of the temple, hike up the nearby hills.

Ranakpur as viewed from a nearby hill. The vast size becomes more apparent from this angle.

You will also see some other temples around the vicinity.

Other small temples near Ranakpur.

Ranakpur is located in the center of the Kumbahlgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, and we had monkeys jumping all over our van as we drove up the mountain road to the temple! There are leopards, wolves, and many other forms of wildlife nearby.

Monkeys jumping on our car as we drove up to Ranakpur!

Kumbahlgarh Fortress – One of Rajasthan’s Greatest Forts

On our way from Udaipur to Jodhpur, India there are at least two major sights definitely worth visiting, Kumbahlgarh Fortress and the incredible Ranakpur Jain Temple (I will review the Ranakpur Temple in a separate post). Kumbahlgarh is about 80 km (50 miles) north of Udaipur, and somewhat remote – the roads got narrower as we went (barely one lane wide) and you had the feeling that the road might come to an end and that we’d be hiking before long. You are definitely in the countryside!

Approaching Kumbahlgarh fortress.

As we rounded the corner on a winding hillside, there it was in front of us, an imposing sight on a high hilltop (1,100 meters or 3,600 feet altitude). Even though the fortress is remote, it gets its share of visitors from Jodhpur and Udaipur, due to its significance and well-maintained structures. On the day we visited, we were lucky, we pretty much had the fortress to ourselves.

One of several gateways as you climb to the Kumbahlgarh castle.

The castle within Kumbahlgarh fortress.

Kumbahlgarh was built from 1443 – 1458, on the site of an earlier fortress and some of the ruins here date back to the 2^nd century BC. It has a commanding view of the countryside and is surrounded by 12 km (7.5 miles) of massive walls that are in some places wide enough for 8 horses to ride abreast.

A view of Kumbahlgarh’s massive and imposing walls from the outside.

A view of Kumbahlgarh’s walls and the village inside.

It would take about 4 hours just to walk all the way around the thick walls and you could spend another half day wandering around the enclosed hilly area and visiting the many outlying structures, 360 in total. There is also small living village inside the main fortress.

The Vedi Temple – built in 1457 for performing rituals after the completion of the fort.

The Hindu Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, built in 1458.

If you like stunning old fortresses, Kumbahlgarh should be on your list!

Meknes – One of Morocco’s Finest Cities – Lots to See and Few Tourists

One of the many gates in Meknes.

Meknes is about halfway between Rabat and Fez and makes a great stop for a couple days. Due to its historical significance and numerous sights, the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site. For a map of places visited in Morocco, click here.

This is the city of Sultan Moulay Ismail who reigned for 55 years (1672 – 1727). He is revered as a father of his country who united Morocco by campaigning against rebellious Berber chiefs and the Europeans, and creating Morocco’s strongest-ever army. Unfortunately he was also extremely brutal – responsible for 30,000 deaths (not including those killed in battle!). In Meknes, you can get a glimpse of the scale and enormity of his lifestyle and building projects.

The main square, Place el Hedim, is quiet during the day and hopping at night with numerous food stalls, shops, snake charmers and all kinds of other entertainment. There are a number of restaurants lining the square.

A view of Place el Hedim from our restaurant perch. This is late afternoon before the evening crowds arrive.

Paul trying to put a ring around the soda bottle neck. A lot harder than it looks! One of the many things to do in Place el Hedim.

On the south side of the Place el Hedim is the Bab Mansour, a huge gate that marks the entrance into the overwhelming expanse of palaces and grounds of Sultan Moulay Ismail. It is quite beautiful and has an intricate design. Supposedly Moulay Ismail asked the architect if this was the best he could do, and he said “no”. Oops. The answer cost him his life. If he had said yes, I wonder what would have happened (it would probably have been the same outcome).

The beautiful Bab Mansour gate.

Near the Bab Mansour is a large courtyard enclosed by walls, where our Riad (hotel) was located.

Interior of Riad Yacout, our home in Meknes. Great place.

The square near our hotel with carriages waiting for their next fare.

From this courtyard it is a short walk to several sights, starting with the Prison of Christian Slaves, an area of subterranean vaults, lit only by the skyholes to the square above. It is believed these vaults were actually storage areas although Moulay Ismail did have Christian captives, so who knows…

Inside the subterranean vaults of the Prison of the Christian Slaves.

Close to the prison is the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, which is the one of the few active Islamic shrines that non-muslims may visit. It is quite beautiful and worth a stop.

In the courtyard of the Mausoleum.

Inside the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail.

Ville Impériale is the creation of Sultan Moulay Ismail. Most of the palace is not open to tourists, since it is still in use by the Moroccan king. You can take a carriage ride around never-ending walls and visit some of the old ruins, such as the stables and granaries. This area is known as the Heri es Souani.

Robyn with our friends and horse-drawn carriage for our tour around the Ville Impériale.

The long passage road (about 1 mile) along walls of the Ville Impériale.

Inside the granaries of the Ville Impériale. There was an underground water supply system here.

The gigantic stables at Ville Impériale. Everything about this place is on a huge scale.

In addition there are numerous souks to keep you busy shopping for all those things you won’t use once you get back home!

No lack of pottery available in Meknes!

Outside Meknes

About 25 km (15 miles) outside of Meknes is one of the greatest Roman city ruins in Africa, Volubilis. Just 4 km from Volubilis is the holy Islamic hill town of Moulay Idriss which until a few years ago did not allow tourists to stay over night. I will review these sights in a future post.

References: The Rough Guide to Morocco.

Around Udaipur, India

There are several sights near Udaipur that should be on your list. We had a car and driver at our disposal which made the below locations easy to visit in a day trip from Udaipur.

Monsoon Palace (Sajjan Garh). For a great view of Udaipur and Lake Pichola, go to the Monsoon Palace, located on a hilltop about 4 miles west of the city. The palace dates to the 19^th century and was originally an astronomical observation post and then became a hunting lodge.

A view of Udaipur and Lake Pichola from the Monsoon Palace.

The Monsoon Palace – a good place to be during the monsoons – no chance of flooding!

Interior view of the Monsoon Palace.

A view looking west from the upper floor balcony of the Monsoon Palace.

There isn’t a lot to see in the interior but the views are terrific.

Eklingji Temples. This is a busy complex of 108 Hindu temples and shrines dedicated to the Lord Shiva right in the heart of Eklingji (also known as the town of Kailashpuri), just 14 miles north of Udaipur. The main temple dates from the 16^th century. Officially no pictures are allowed inside, but I managed to get a few.

Women purchasing flower offerings prior to entering the Eklingji temple complex.

Entering the Eklingji temple complex with worshippers.

Detail of the carvings on the main temple (16th century).

Another view of the Eklingji temple complex.

I noticed that local postcards show a great rooftop view of the complex, but I couldn’t see how to get a picture from above. It is a great place to wander around and observe the local worship rites. No shoes are allowed inside and your feet will get dirty! Take some wet wipes to wash up afterwards.

Saas-Bahu Temples. We loved these beautiful Hindu temples and had this peaceful, green, rural site to ourselves. They are a short distance from Eklingji above. The temples are dedicated to Vishnu, a Hindu god. They are in excellent condition, being well preserved from the 11^th century.

Some of the intricate carving work at the Saas-Bahu temples.

View of the Saas-Bahu temples.

Another view of one of the Saas-Bahu temples.

Interior temple view.

The temples and the nearby small lake.

There is a small lake nearby that has some partially submerged temples as well. I should have brought my mask and snorkel. A wonderful stop.

Rabat, The Royal Capital of Morocco

Our first destination in Morocco after picking up our car at the Casablanca airport and driving north along the coast was Rabat. Rabat has been the capital city of Morocco since 1912. The current King, Mohammed VI, lives here.

The Royal Palace in Rabat.

Rabat is not a major tourist hub, so you won’t find a lot of foreign crowds here. We thought it would be worth a quick stop enroute to Meknes, and our overnight stay was sufficient to see the main sights listed below.

Chellah

This is the main historical sight of interest in Rabat. It is located to the southeast of the main town, about a 30-minute walk from the medina. The exterior walls and towers, built in the 14^th century, are impressive.

The exterior walls of Chellah.

This site is ancient, dating back to Phoenician times. For a thousand years it was a thriving city and port. There are Roman ruins dating from 200 BC and Islamic ruins of a mosque and monastery dating from the 7^th century onwards.

Overlook of the Roman ruins in Chellah.

Roman ruins in Chellah.

The Roman nymphaeum in Chellah.

The Islamic ruins at Chellah.

Another view of the Islamic ruins at Chellah.

Medina

The medina is the heart of Rabat and like most medinas in Morocco, this one has walls and gates (from the 12^th and 17^th centuries) around the sides not protected by the sea and the river.

The walls of the Rabat medina.

A number of gates provide access to the narrow lanes and crowded shops found within, and the appearance probably hasn’t changed too much over the centuries.

A lot of wool stacked in a storage area in the medina.

A street scene in the medina.

Our riad (hotel) was just inside the walls of the medina. Outside the medina walls you’re all-of-a-sudden confronted with the present day – a modern city that bustles with government business.

Kasbah des Oudaïas

This is an old 12^th century citadel, next to the medina.

The ancient walls of the Kasbah des Oudaïas.

This was the imperial capital of Morocco for a short period of time. It sits on a strategic point overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the mouth of the Bou Regreg River.

A view of the Bou Regreg River and Atlantic Ocean from the Kasbah.

One of the quaint streets in the Kasbah.

This is the part of Rabat we really didn’t get to see since Tom Cruise was in town filming his 5^th Mission Impossible Movie, Rogue Nation. While it was fun to watch a bit of the filming, I was disappointed we couldn’t see more of the old quarter.

Although hard to tell, that’s Tom Cruise racing the BMW (with Simon Pegg as a passenger) in a shot right by the Kasbah. It will be interesting to see if this scene makes it into the movie. They shot this scene several times.

Udaipur – Considered the Most Romantic Spot in India

One of the most pleasant places to visit (and considered the most romantic) in India is the city of Udaipur (for a map of locations we visited in India click here). The city sits on the shores of Lake Pichola, which adds a peaceful element to the setting.

A sunset view of Lake Pichola from our hotel rooftop.

We enjoyed our breakfast time sitting on the rooftop of our hotel overlooking the calm lake waters and the isolated Lake Palace Hotel. Udaipur (and specifically the Lake Palace Hotel) became a popular tourist destination after its use as a setting in the James Bond film “Octopussy” with Roger Moore. If you’re dying to see the movie again, it plays nightly at a number of restaurants in the old part of town near the shore of Lake Pichola. I think the restaurant owners would go crazy after seeing the film over and over!

Lake Palace Hotel in Lake Pichola.

Although our hotel (Jaiwana Haveli) was good and in a perfect location, in hindsight, I wish we would have spent one night at the world famous Lake Palace Hotel, even though its room rates are pricey ($300 to $1,400 US/night depending on the season). Having a reservation is the only way you can visit the hotel. It was built in 1754 and was originally a summer royal residence. It became a hotel in the 1960’s. Even though the setting is serene, you’re still in India. The local population uses the lake as a bathing and laundry room. It’s a major contrast – one of the world’s most exclusive hotels within a few hundred yards of people who have few material positions taking care of life’s daily needs.

Teeth brushing and bathing in Lake Pichola.

Women washing and bathing in Lake Pichola.

You can visit Jagmandir Island, just a bit further out in the lake, on which is located another small palace and tower. It’s a lovely setting and the site is used for weddings and receptions. It is worth visiting just for the boat ride to and from the island which provides excellent views of the City Palace, Lake Palace Hotel and surrounding mountains.

The elephant statues greet you as you arrive on Jagmandir island.

The beautiful gardens on Jagmandir Island in Lake Pichola.

City Palace & City Palace Museum. The City Palace dominates the lakefront and is the primary tourist sight in Udaipur. It is a fantastic place with beautiful artwork in mirrors, paintings and tiles. It is Rajasthan’s largest palace and dates from the 16th century.

A view of City Palace from the lake.

City Palace night view.

A courtyard at City Palace.

One of the audience rooms at City Palace.

The Peacock Courtyard – with intricate artwork.

The peacock – symbol of Rajasthan. The feathers are all inlaid colored stone.

Colored mirror decor in City Palace.

Another reception area in City Palace – it has an English “Wedgwood” look.

Next to the City Palace is the Crystal Gallery. It houses a collection of rare crystal furniture, which has an interesting story behind it. Maharana Sajjan Singh ordered the crystal pieces from F&C Osler & Co in England in 1877. The maharana died before it arrived, and all the items stayed forgotten and packed up in boxes for 110 years. Once the crystal was recovered it was put on display here. Officially, I couldn’t take photos in this museum, so the quality is poor, but you can get an idea of the crystal furniture’s beauty.

A crystal love seat and “coffee” table.

A crystal canopy bed.

Jagdish Temple. This Hindu temple sits in the middle of the old town and it’s hard to miss. We got a short tour by a local worshipper during an evening service. The temple was built in 1651. The town has narrow twisting streets and alleyways, a tiny bit reminiscent of Europe.

An evening view of Jagdish Temple.

Udaipur is also a great location to shop for textiles and jewelry. We enjoyed wandering the narrow streets and myriad of shops. There’s a lot to see in the surrounding area as well. I’ll cover those sights in a separate post.

Street scene in Udaipur.

A colorful textile store in Udaipur.

A Visit to Chittorgarh Fort

A view of Chittorgarh Fort from the city of Chittor.

This huge fortress complex is largely off the tourist map. It is located about 306 km (190 miles) south of Jaipur on the way to Udaipur (another 116km or 72 miles south). Chittorgarh sits atop a striking plateau above the modern town of Chittor (“garh” means fort).

Local residents of Chittorgarh Fortress.

It is the largest fort complex in India, and the plateau is 6 km long, which is largely uninhabited (except by monkeys and a small village near the entrance) and open for exploration.

One of the gates (Ram Pol) into Chittorgarh.

There are several stunning towers, temples and palaces at the fort as well as reservoirs and other structures. A number of the buildings date to the 12^th and 13^th centuries. The fort was sacked at least three times (from the 1300’s to the 1500’s) and the female residents chose to perform the ritual of jauhar (burning to death) each time rather than being taken prisoner.

A view of the ruins of 15th century Rana Kumbha Palace.

Another view of Rana Kumbha Palace.

The Tower of Victory (Jaya Stambha), built in the 1400’s. Dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. You can climb the tower for a good view of the whole area.

Detail of the Tower of Victory.

Due to the few visitors here, we found the locals and (mainly Indian) tourists very friendly, wanting you to take their pictures and to show you around.

A young couple who wanted their picture taken at the top of the Victory Tower.

A Jain Temple at Chittorgarh.

Another Jain Temple at Chittorgarh. The tower (Kirti Stambha) was built in the 12th century.

One of Chittorgarh’s reservoirs.

A pavilion in a small lake at Chittorgarh.

This was an unplanned stop on our way to Udaipur suggested by our driver. Since it’s a fairly long drive to Udaipur we spent only about 90 minutes here, but it would be easy to spend a few hours exploring all the various ruins and sights. Well worth a visit!

Heidelberg, Germany – A Great Day Trip from Frankfurt

On our way from the U.S. to Morocco we had an eight hour layover at the Frankfurt airport. Rather than just wait the entire time at the airport, we decided to take a train to Heidelberg, an interesting town about 90 km (56 miles) south of Frankfurt. While there are several ways to get there, including an airport (Lufthansa) shuttle, we opted for the train.

Heidelberg is a university town (Heidelberg University, founded in 1386) nestled in a narrow valley along the Neckar River. It has a quaint old section (called Altstadt), with some walls, gates, historical buildings including a castle and market squares. The origins of Heidelberg go back at least to Roman times.

A view of Alstadt (Old Town) from the Castle grounds.

Things to See

We are fortunate that Heidelberg escaped serious damage in World War II. It was not bombed by the Allies and the retreating German army destroyed part of the Old Bridge, but that was about all.

Castle (Heidelberger Schloss). The castle is a bit of a mish mash of several different building eras. The original castle dates back to the mid 1100’s, but was destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries. It sits on the steep hillside over looking the old town and the river.

A view of Heidelberg Castle from Altstadt.

Another view of Heidelberg Castle from the gardens.

There are some lovely gardens surrounding the castle that provide good views. Having been in many castles, and given our short stay, we did not go inside.

A clock tower on the castle grounds.

Old Bridge (Alte Bruecke). This 18^th century bridge provides a great view of the town, just walk underneath the Bridge Gate and onto the bridge for excellent photo opportunities.

A view of the Neckar River and the Old Bridge from the Castle Gardens.

The Bridge Gate.

Church of the Holy Spirit. In the Marktplatz (square) the church dominates the setting. Lots of great restaurants around the square. We ate a good traditional meal at a restaurant on the square, just across from this church.

The Church of the Holy Spirit sits in the middle of the Marktplatz surrounded by shops and restaurants.

Hauptstraße. This is the main shopping thoroughfare that connects Altstadt with the modern city. Lots of quaint shops selling trinkets, gelato, and German baked goods.

Tasty schneeballen (snowballs), a German pastry.

Looking west down the Hauptstraße.

There are a number of other old historical buildings to see, including the Rathaus (Town Hall), stables, students prison, other old university buildings (most of the university is now on the other side of the river), and a Witch’s Tower.

Old Heidelberg’s Rathaus is behind me.

We love quaint European towns and Heidelberg is another great one to visit, even if just for a few hours.

Logistics. The train was about 50 euro ($65 at the time) per ticket. You have to transfer trains once (in the nearby city of Mannheim). The whole trip takes about 75 minutes each way, depending on the connection time in Mannheim. Go to the train information and ticket office located below the arrivals terminal at the Frankfurt airport. They can provide you with an itinerary, timing and your tickets. Don’t get off the train in Heidelberg until you arrive at the main (Hauptbahnhof) station.

The historic center is a long walk or a short bus ride east of the train station. We took the bus (#3) to the Old Town from the train station and then walked back (which took about 25 minutes). We did the whole round trip from Frankfurt airport, including dinner, in about 5 hours.

Morocco – The World’s Movie Set

Thankfully, Morocco is a country that is not yet overrun by tourists. It is a land of surprising variety, including a long coastline along the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, high rugged mountains (which get snow in the winter), vast deserts, and amazing jagged gorges, oases and beautiful ksars (villages) and kasbahs (noble person’s “castle” or home).

The Atlas Mountains.

The stark contrast of the green palms with the dry mountains near Todra Gorge.

Given the beautiful natural scenery, ancient cities, villages, and friendly people, it’s not surprising that Morocco hosts a lot of movie crews.

A movie studio in Ouarzazate.

Gladiator, The Mummy, The Son of God, Kingdom of Heaven, Black Hawk Down, Alexander, Sodom and Gomorrah and many other movies set in historical and Middle East locations have Moroccan backdrops.

Tamdaght Kasbah, near Ait Ben Haddou, where the surrounding countryside and ksars were used in the filming of the movie Gladiator, with Russell Crowe.

In fact, while we were there, Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg were filming the next Mission Impossible movie in Rabat, the capital city. We just happened to come upon some chase scenes being filmed in the old part of Rabat with Tom Cruise at the wheel of a BMW.

Tom Cruise at the wheel with Simon Pegg next to him, filming in Rabat.

Most of the tourists seemed to be hanging out in Fez and Marrakech. Outside those locations the country felt almost untouched.

We highly recommend Morocco as a bucket list destination. Here are some things to know if you decide to visit Morocco:

Parlez vous français? In addition to Arabic, many Moroccans speak French, since Morocco was a French colony for many years. When locals first meet you, they will assume you speak French. It’s certainly possible to get by on English, but you may end up using a lot of gestures to get your message across. A little French vocabulary (if not Arabic) is valuable, or brush up on your Berber, also spoken in many mountain areas.

The lower two lines are in Berber, in the holy town of Moulay Idriss.

Getting Around. Morocco is not a difficult country to navigate on your own. Auto is the best way to see the country. The roads generally are in very good condition and signs are in Arabic and French, so they are not hard to read. Except in the towns, roads are well signposted.

Our rental car in Morocco.

In the towns and cities, drive carefully – you see all kinds of vehicles and foot traffic (although autos have the right of way), call ahead to your accommodation for specific directions and you should not have any problems.

Typical road sign.

Note: There are speed traps along the highways so be careful and stick to the speed limit, even if its open road. We spent two weeks driving around the country, being very careful with our speed. On our last day I got nailed with a speeding ticket, in a ridiculously slow section of road outside a small town. The police have radar cameras and you will be fined on the spot, so carry some cash. My ticket cost about $35. Gas at the time was about $4 gallon. We had a diesel powered vehicle and got great mileage. Traveling continuously for two weeks cost us about $150 for diesel.

Locations we visited in Morocco are highlighted. We flew in and out of Casablanca.

There are a few trains, but only between the larger cities. The other way to see the country would be with a tour group. We did not see many large tour buses, mainly smaller groups in vans.

Accommodation and Cost. The country is relatively inexpensive for accommodations (most common are small guest houses called Riads). Most of our Riads were about $75/night for very nice rooms, most with breakfast included and wifi.

Typical Riad room, this one is in Rabat.

Every host was very kind and observed the local custom of offering tea and biscuits on arrival.

The tea and biscuit welcome at our Riad in Fez.

Our room in Fez.

Food. We thought the food was decent (and inexpensive), it’s just pretty much the same everywhere you go. Most restaurants serve the same kinds of food: brochettes, salads, frites (fries), and tajines (clay pot slow cooked dishes).

Typical Moroccan meal – the food is generally very good.

Typical Moroccan menu.

After a couple weeks, it gets a bit monotonous. There is the occasional Pizza Hut or McDonald’s, but they are just in the big cities.

Religious Observance. The prevailing religion is Islam. Most mosques and some monuments are off limits to tourists, but other shrines are open to tourists. Your guidebook can point these out.

Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, one of the few active Muslim shrines that non-muslims may visit, in the city of Meknes.

It’s a good idea to be aware of the local festivals that may be occurring during your visit. We had a very interesting one while we were there that I will explain in a future post.

Baksheesh. Plan on paying lots of small tips for all kinds of services (porting your luggage, getting directions, etc.). This is similar to Egypt and India and many other less developed countries.

Safety and Other. The country felt very safe, we never had any cause to worry. Follow the usual precautions of protecting your valuables, knowing your surroundings and not displaying expensive jewelry or loads of money. The larger cities are somewhat chaotic (for example, crowds, rubble, interesting smells), but not nearly to the extent one finds in India.

Argan oil for sale – used for a number of skin and hair applications.

Shopping is good for certain things – ancient sea fossils, argan oils, spices and leather goods can be found in abundance.

The Independent Tourist

Travel Locations and Tips for Independent Travelers