Ben Levinson
April 2018
Wheelchair through Morocco
We wanted to see Morocco up close and personal. So we got in touch with Erik at Morocco Accessible Travel. We outlined our requirements and our limitations. We also outlined a list of all that we wished to see. Erik worked with us for a few months to achieve our goals. What we got when we arrived in Morocco was a driver that whisked us around to all of the important sites in Fes, Volubilis, Meknes, Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech. We were taken on tours where our TravelScoot put on 50 kilometers total including all of the places where we were dropped.
Erik arranged for private guides to care for us and take us to the Mosques, Synagogues, Souks, Mellahs, and our long list of personal wishes. Our driver was amazing because there is no parking in Morocco. However, he knew just where to drop us and when to pick us up. He was able to get to the site box office quickly and then introduce us to our personal street guide. Where we wanted to go for lunch or supper in areas where you could get lost in seconds, he had a guide walking us to the door and later back to the Morocco Accessible Travel Van. We took over 250 wonderful photos. Because our guides knew just where we should stop.
There were steps and my wife was able to get off the TravelScoot and walk a few steps while the guide and I moved the TravelScoot. They chose accessible places with relatively smooth streets where wheelchairs could go. When we needed to rest they knew the best and most interesting rest areas. The hotels and riads were amazing and met our demanding quality. Yes, there were a few glitches, but when you see the traffic you will understand how impossible the perfect timetable is. Keep a hundred quarters (3 Dirhams) in your pocket, everyone wants to help you, open doors, watch your car, or your bike, have a photo taken, and a hand is out. It actually turned out to be a fun activity tip here tip there tip everywhere. If you speak French you are away and sailing, if you speak only English the Moroccans try hard to accommodate you. The other thing is that Morocco Accessible Travel is putting pressure on the tourist industry to have more accessible sites and streets.
