Morocco: Country Guide (Lonely Planet Country Guides) [Paperback]

We bought this guide after previous good experiences with LP. Unfortunately they've really let the standard slip this time. We absolutely concur with the comments in the other reviews which echo our own experiences almost to the letter, and to which we would add the following:

1) LP claims cash machines are everywhere, even in small villages. They're not. You'll find them in larger towns but beware - they're often empty.
2) LP assures us that hotels routinely take credit/debit cards. They don't. In the major cities yes but almost everywhere else you'll need cash.

Luckily I've travelled in Africa and with that experience I always carry a 'stash' of Euro's and US $ as a back up so was able to use them as neccessary.

Another gripe is with the editorial tone, which is sensationalised in part and watered down elsewhere. Examples:
1)The road up the Dades Gorge is described as 'harrowing'. What nonsense. Being caught in a war is harrowing. Driving up a steep valley with switchback bends on a well maintained road with walls protecting the drop is dramatic. Also beautiful, memorable, stunning even.
2) The coastal town of Taghazout is described simply as "a sleepy fishing village popular with surfers". LP neglects to mention the all pervading stench of untreated sewage by the water's edge. Surf's up, folks!

My memory of earlier LP books is that they were never afraid to call a dump a dump, usually with a witty aside, and that's exactly the kind of honest appraisal you need when you're travelling as you're always short of time and usually watching the pennies. This book seems to have swapped that frankness for a kind of universally applied positive spin which is smeared over everything like a thick coat of cheap paint on a lumpy wall. Once you've realised this your faith in the rest of the book is significantly undermined, which is a great shame as there is undoubtedly a lot of useful and relevant stuff in there.

Ok, well to start - I have used LP guides for about the last ten years and am very well travelled. They are useful as a 'guide' (not a bible to control your travel) and very good in an unfamiliar location. I had an old copy of the Morocco book from 2004ish but decided to buy a new one for a month there at the beginning of the year. My oh my how this edition is shockingly bad and seriously patronising. I will explain my thoughts;
1. In my mind LPs target audience was always backpackers and budget travellers, but I understand how they want to diversify and include people on short breaks or on holiday etc. However this edition seems to focus on people who must be loaded. The 'top choice' and recommended hotels are almost always the most luxurious and expensive. Of course an expensive hotel is going to be nice and beat most of the budget ones, but how many people buying the LP guide are going to be looking for a £200 per night hotel and won't be on a tour or have booked it in advance. There is a real lack of budget options even though Morocco is awash with really budget accommodation. Ok it might not be a great place to stay but including it helps if you don't want to spend much and rock up in a town late at night unable to walk about seeking somewhere. Accommodation listings are badly organised and start with the most expensive which is just annoying. The addition of budget symbols is messy, inaccurate (as in not continued in the same was throughout the book) and just a waste of time. Classic backpacker budget accommodation is omitted completely from many places such as todra gorge and cascade amongst many others. 'Budget' is classed in the book as less than 40 euros but there are tons of places for less than 15 that are not mentioned. Some towns or areas have some quite expensive accommodation listed as 'budget'. The cheapest option for Zagora is 250 dirham but we found lots of places for 80 with plenty of character and charm.
2. The author assumes everyone is an eco fanatic and rams it down your throat constantly. She also has an annoying habit of referring to any traditional agriculture as organic in a way that implies there has been some kind of food revolution in Morocco (as if rural poor people are deliberately choosing to be organic, its just traditional agriculture). I'm all for highlighting environmental issues and places that ensure your impact is reduced but the relentless misuse of words and constant patronising nature of the rhetoric gets tiresome. Don't assume we are stupid and dumb and let us make up our own minds or be the responsible people we are.
3. Maps used to be LPs strong point, but there are just shocking! Really non user friendly.
4. No general costs section for when you are planning your trip.
5. It is packed from cover to cover with horrendous cliches and implications of stupidity on the readers behalf. I don't want to stereotype the author (she is an American from California) but if you were to stereotype someone from there and make them write a book about morocco its exactly like that.

Overall it feels like it has been written for someone who has never left the state of Stupidville, Idaho and needs to be told exactly what to do. If you like to use a guide book to read, learn and decide what tickles your fancy before you go then don't get this. If you want to feel like an idiot, look like one (while you stand there trying to find something within its disorganised content) or pay extra money for pointless colour printing, oh and are rich (to afford the recommended hotel options) and have no interest in outdoor activities other than seeking out 'amazing organic food' while being dissuaded from going to some really great places then go ahead and get this.

I don't often complain and moan about things but I really really hope a) this author doesn't get to write another guidebook and b) this is not the direction/format other LPs will change to.

Not sure what the competition is like but it might be worth checking out?

I purchased this book as it was the most recently published, but was very disappointed with some of the recommendations already closed (Mama Tilee) so by day 2 of a great weekend in Marrakesh the book was left in our Riad.
This book provided no insights, it feels like the authors were going through the motions with continuous statements of the blindingly obvious: Tips for Riad bargains - Avoid major european holidays - do they really have to tell anyone that.
There is a constant patronizing environmental tone and again more statements of the obvious - On Trekking "When there is a toilet it is a good idea to use it"
The final annoyance is what is missing, the locals describe football as the second religion with people coming to Casablanca to sleep in the streets of Marrakesh to get a ticket to an international game with all weekend celebration - not a word however in the guide.
There is a lot better out there guide wise, a recent Brandt to Bosnia we used was excellent, this however is a waste of money and space in your bag