Woman alone in Rabat.

The wife will be in Morocco for 4 days on her own in May. Other than the obvious, are there any special concerns she should have? (Travelling alone is one area where being a man makes life so much easier).

Hi Paul
No specific advice, but this current news story is sadly relevant.

Certainly worth taking advice from your foreign office, who should be able to give very useful advice, especially on whether this is merely a one-off incident that could happen anywhere in the world, or something that represents a bigger risk that needs to be planned around. Often it is the location specific advice that is most useful.

Regards
Ian

Thanks, Ian.

State has normal warnings, nothing elevated.

How sad for the families. First read that looks like that could happen anywhere, sadly enough.

But thanks for posting that since my daughter is spending next semester there!

They are sayng it was a terrorist incident now.

I saw that. Unfortunate and heartbreaking.

I would cover the head. Not go out at night.

I’ve had many wonderful experiences in Morocco and only one scary one. I wouldn’t be super comfortable with my wife traveling alone there, but with basic safety measures, she should be fine.

I may rearrange my schedule and join her until she meets up with my daughter and they leave for Marrakech together. That way neither of us has to worry.

I’m sorry Paul there is no way in Hell I would go to any Muslim country by myself. I just feel life is too short to invite people in my circle who don’t value life the way I do and since that is a value you either have or don’t, it is just not worth it.

Not a fair statement and narrow-minded. There are Muslim countries or countries where Islam is widely practiced that don’t fit the statements.

Well said Ramon.

I can’t agree with that, at all.

I couldn’t do it. Call it narrow minded and not fair, but I just don’t feel safe. As a solo white American woman? Having said that, I do recognize that fear is the overwhelming factor. There are places in my own State and City that I don’t travel to either and it doesn’t have anything to do with religion. It has to do with vulnerability. Perhaps my perceptions are indeed tainted, but I just don’t feel safe.

If your gut says don’t go, don’t go. Pretty simple.

I’m with Nola and Todd on this. In general, the population in general may be fine, but all it takes is one or a few people to cause problems. There are yahoos all over the world and cultural differences are significant. How about a single woman hitchhiking across the States? Riding the train in rural India? Some things incur more risk. And I have lived in rural Turkey.

The more we entrench ouselves from others, the greater our differences become

I am not advocating entrenching myself from others. I am saying that I, as a white US female, blond hair and blue eyes, would stand out more and I believe there is a higher level of risk for me. I feel I am naturally more vulnerable than the general population on this forum. It’s like a common sense thing to me. I don’t invite obvious risks into my life any more than I have to. I have friends that do, I applaud them, but I still have no interest in going somewhere I feel I could be targeted. Would I have taken a trip there with Juan, you bet, but not alone.

Let’s take a step back here for a minute, and try and remember what I asked:

I didn’t ask about women travelling anywhere and everywhere alone. I asked about any special considerations in Rabat. Nowhere else. And I already couched that in language about using the standard precautions that one would expect a solo woman to use in such circumstances and in such a place.

This means that I was looking for advice from people who had been to Rabat and could give insight to Rabat specifically.

I certainly do appreciate the general feedback, and it is food for thought, but we seem to be adrift of the specifics of the question and have wandered off to a “woman alone” conversation. Which is perfectly fine, and is an interesting topic, but not what I was asking.

True, but you asked on Berserkers. So there’s that. Happy Holidays and safe travels.

Happy Holidays!

We are off to Paris and Amsterdam where I am certain it is not safe for my waistline to travel alone.

Have a wonderful Holiday and trip!!!