Morocco

[jamesnan]

We are due to fly to Marrakech on Monday morning, and are worrying about the muslim riots taking place in various countries. Our insurance does not kick in till Sunday, and have booked the hotel through the Easyjet holiday website. Not sure now whether we should be thinking about cancelling, and losing all the money, or go ahead as planned and wait and see. What would you do?

[boxtops]

I'd go. We went to Marrakesh two years ago, and we saw no problems at all. Yes there was a bomb in Djem El Fnah last year, but it was a one-off.

Morocco is a Muslim country but (at the moment) it seems far less radical than its neighbour Algeria, and Northern Africa is not the Middle East, when feelings run a lot higher. Only you can decide, but I would go.

[jamesnan]

I am concerned that now the riots seem to be spreading, and Tunisia seems to be having problems, this is pretty close!

[boxtops]

Where are you staying, jamesnan?

[craft1948]

What does the Foreign Office advice site say?

[boxtops]

It's 800 miles away, jamesnan, if that's any comfort. We were in Tunisia the year the US bombed Libya (next door to Tunisia) and we were perfectly safe. I know it's not the same but it felt uncomfortable.

That was my next thought, craft - if it's unsafe for foreign nationals, we'd be told.

[craft1948]

boxtops I remember in the 90's I had to send an engineer out to Beirut. He couldn't understand why we were worried about him when he failed to check-in regularly.

[jamesnan]

Staying in Marrakech only, and I have been checking the official foreign office website, where it is saying no travel restrictions in place, so they do not seem concerned at the moment.

[boxtops]

My sister was living in Iran just before the Shah's regime fell. We were all relieved that they got out when they did.

[spudqueen]

The Post Office travel insurance covers you from the minute you leave home until the minute you get home, but it does cover you from the minute you take it out for certain things. For example if my boss broke her leg and needed me to work instead of going on holiday then that would be covered. I'm sure it would also cover you if either the Foreign Office recommended that you do not travel there, or your airline pulled the flights. You need to check your policy.

[spudqueen]

Oh, but do register on the Foreign Office Locate service. That way if anything does occur they know that you are there and will be able to contact you.
http://www.fco.gov.uk.../staying-safe/Locate/