Is it safe for a woman to travel alone in Morocco or Turkey? Any tips or places to stay in a budget that are?

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I have traveled to Morocco to visit friends and this much I know. It would be better to bring someone along, that way if something happens you will have a witness. Do you understand the language, Moroccan Arabic is different than other Arabic languages, sounds like it has a French accent. If you can speak French that will be helpful. If you are young and alone you will most likely get unwanted attention by sexually aggressive young men, most who will want to exploit you financially assuming that if you have money to travel that you are rich. Some of those young men will dress like & pretend to be French and pose themselves in prominent tourist areas. Others will look for a woman who is alone, even if she is modestly dress, and rub up against her even in a crowd to satisfy his sexual needs. Also the vendor at the stalls in the tourist areas are very aggressive and won't lower their prices for an American, so it is a very frustrating experience to buy handicrafts and other items. Food items in open markets may not always be fixed prices, I was overcharged at least 3 times more than a Moroccan would pay for spices, as an example. It would be advisable to stay in tourist areas and not go exploring the cities if you don't know the neighborhoods, there are some rough ones where alcohol and drug use is common, robbers often carry knives or razor blades and will slash faces if need be to get someone's money, camera, etc. Also be prepared for stomach problems and bring some medicine for diarrhea. For that reason alone it would be better to have someone with you, if you are sick it's bad not to speak the language and be alone.

There are all sorts of "cheap" places to stay, the cheap ones near the tourist areas in Morocco are usually rented by locals but they may not have a shower or may have a cold shower if they do. Don't expect a whole lot if you aren't willing to spend the money on a good room. You might want to get the book Culture Shock! Morocco, a travel Moroccan Arabic book, and a tourist guide book before you plan a trip there.

Also carry with you the numbers to the American Embassy should you have problems and need to contact someone from your home to wire money. There have been demonstrations for a year now in Morocco and some have gotten out of hand...100 people have set themselves on fire not to mention buildings being set on fire. If you do happen upon an area with a demonstration, don't photograph it, the police don't like people taking photos of them beating civilians. They will take your camera away from you. Read the US State Dept.travel warnings before you plan and leave for such trips....Show more

HELL NOOOOO...Show more