one mystical place u should go to ESSAOUIRA ... that s all i have to say , and i am a moroccan myself :)

I travelled Morocco for three months once, and 1 month later. An beautiful and diverse culture.

My girlfriend and I liked it so much the first time that we rented a house in Mirleft (south of Agadir) for our last month. We met many musicians (all Moroccons are percussionists). In particular in Mirleft look for Haffid and Sleman, they'll remember Phil and Christa.

Definently go to Chefchaun in the Rif Mountains. We entered Morocco via Ceuta, Spanish enclave in North Africa. Took a bus to the border, and taxi from the border to royal city of Tetuan. Spend a night or two in Tetuan. Stay in the central square or close to the bus station. Catch early bus to Chefchauan and find a hotel that you like. Most cheap and good. Roof top lounges, carpeted hangout areas, smelly bathrooms (ours was). Chefchauen is in the Rif Mountains, beautiful, lush green, blue medina. Take a walk outside city walls to meet people with big lumps of hash in their pants for sale. (let me know if you want to know more about this). This entrance route is easier than going directly into Tangier because the hustlers in Tangier are ferocious. From Chefchauen you can take a bus to Fez and from there ride the comfortable and spacious train to Casablanca, Marrakesh.

We were such explorers that we camped on the Med coast, near Tetuan (1/2 hr by bus). There is a town there where lots of Moroccans go in the summer to camp and party. We were there in January by ourselves. Lonesome. July would probably be a lot of fun, great way to meet people. Need tent. This would be modern youthful Moroccan culture. You would probably be the only tourist amongst a sea of Moroccans most of which speak at least a little English.

Go the Djma El Fna in Marrakesh to meet street musicians. Every night is a carnival. Go early to meet musicians maybe you can jam. We were jamming in our hotel room, hotel right on the Djma El Fna, and a jazz drummer heard us and asked to play with us. We all jammed that night in our room, he played one of our titanium cookpots.

Best way to meet is to play. I've wanted to get some Moroccan friends to form a group and play in the Djma El Fna. That would be awesome. I wouldn't do it without Moroccan's but you could. I know someone that did.

There's an ancient cedar forest with wild barbary apes in the Atlas mountains just north of Azrou. Good camping.

i-cias.com/morocco/ for good pictures ideas.

If time, near Mekenes is Volubilis, Roman ruins. If you might not get a chance to see Roman ruins again, try to see these. We were there on a grey, drizzly day so there weren't many people. Lots to explore, mosaics intact after thousand plus years. A magical place, not too touristy. Local donkeys graze among the ruins.

Enjoy!

phil