BEAUTIFUL REASONS TO VISIT MOROCCO

Traveling to Morocco is not cheap but every penny spent there is totally worth it.

The country has a lot to offer – beautiful scenery, tasty food, hospitable people, and a quality and simplicity of life that is rare in our days.

These are the things that (in my eyes) make Morocco one of a kind travel experience.

1. Sahara Desert

The Sahara Desert is the main reason why people travel to Morocco. In Merzouga you can see the highest dunes and Morocco is a relatively safe destination to travel in comparison with the other countries where the desert occupies large parts of their territories.

2. Hassan II Mosque

Hassan II is the landmark of Casablanca but also the most beautiful mosque in Morocco. It is a surrealistic experience to walk around its impressive construction surrounded by the mist coming from the ocean. Try to visit the mosque on Sunday morning when many people go to the prayer and the place comes alive.

3. Majorelle Garden

Created by the French painter Jacques Majorelle but later the home of the designer Yves Saint-Laurent, this garden is a beautiful masterpiece combining oriental colors and exotic plants.

It is a quiet place in the middle of Marrakech, the busy imperial city of Morocco and also the house of the Berber Museum, exhibition of the Berber’s culture, lifestyle, and handcrafts.

4. The Riads

Riads are traditional Moroccan houses that often are turned into small hotels. Feeling cozy behind the thick walls of your guest house after wandering on the small narrow streets of the medina will be your time for indulging in all things Morocco has to offer – good food, excellent service and magical environment.

5. Medina

Walking in the medina can be really challenging for a woman. But the feeling of treasure hunting makes you feel exited in front of all these colorful babush slippers, spices, jewelry pieces, leather bags, tasty food and freshly baked bread. There are hundreds of items that you can choose from, many of them handmade.

6. Moroccan mint tea and pastries

Tasting mint tea and local pastries is another thing you should absolutely do while visiting Morocco. It is always a good time when you enjoy these two, especially with a good view and pleasant company. The tea is served everywhere and tastes the same but the pastries vary depending on the place.

Be happy, you will always have those for breakfast in your hotel and you can kick start your day with a slice of pleasure!

7. El Bahia Palace, Marrakesh

This palace has certain melancholy that is difficult to explain but easy to feel at the moment you put your foot on its floor. The beauty of the architectural details and the refreshingly green garden make this place one of the top five to visit in Marrakech.

8. Morocco Interiors

Another of Morocco’s charms are its cozy houses and bold house fixtures. The sofas are large and low, the tables are small but just enough for the tasty food and refreshing tea.

Lanterns make mysterious shade and the ochre color of the tiles makes the whole room look warm. Everything in the Moroccan style interior design is rustic but made with clear attention to the detail.

9. Carpets

Having shared my addiction to the Moroccan interiors, it is understandable to share my love for Moroccan carpets.

As everything in this country, they are in strong and warm colors, with simple designs that can fit any style. Your house can get a bright retouch with a Moroccan rug. The only problem can be its weight and volume for transporting it back home.

10. Landscapes

Pictures speak for themselves, but you can’t get the real beauty of any landscape in a photo. Better to see it with your own eyes!

11. Oasis

Well, you have to go out of the famous cities like Marrakech and Casablanca, to pass the Atlas Mountains and on your way to the south you finally will get to take these unbelievable photos in orange and green colors. Oasis still exist in Morocco, just like at the time of Lawrence of Arabia.

12. Colors

In my opinion, Morocco is the most colorful country in the world. The colors are everywhere you go. The nature is full of bold reds, mulberry and orange, and ochre; the houses are overwhelmed with green and even the food has the whole gamma of colors thanks to the spices and freshly collected veggies.

13. Cats

The funny thing about Morocco that totally surprised me was the presence of the cats.

They were everywhere – at the town squares, tourist sites, hotel lobbies and even in the corners of the medina, calmly resting on their master’s motorbike. And also like the human, they represent the typical features of their habitats – looking like beggars on the streets or having the look of a king in the garden of Saadian Tombs.

14. Hotel Mamounia

Synonymous for luxury and grandeur, La Mamounia is an obligatory stop for travelers in Marrakechbecause of its history and notorious clientele. And don’t worry if you don’t have the means to pay for a night stay. You can just go and have a coffee at the hotel’s terrace where you will mix with the rich and famous people of the world.

15. Architecture

Kasbah is another traditional style house in Morocco which is mainly built inside the ksar, the Berber villages made from adobe.

You can see these villages at the foot of the Atlas Mountains when heading to the Sahara Desert. Today, the typical architecture and traditional techniques and materials involved in the construction of the kasbah are used for building unique Moroccan hotels.

16. Hotels with amazing views

Moroccan landscapes are some of the most beautiful in the world. They are changing with the regions but also with the change of the sunlight. And very often your Moroccan hotel will have a terrace with such a wonderful view that your time for coffee or tea will last much longer than you planned. You just can’t take your eyes off the magnificent scenery!

17. Magical guesthouses

Remember the 1001 Nights fairytale? Staying at most of these traditional guest houses feels like you are in a different time and place, an imaginary world that can only be found in ….Morocco, of course!

18. Todgha Gorge

Some places in Morocco are spectacular with their formations and colors. Todgha Gorge is one of them.

Its orange rocks are scary and impressive at the same time. The canyon is a favorite place for climbers but if you are not up to this, there is a small market where you can buy handmade goods and beautiful carpets from local people.

19. Volubilis

It is somewhat surprising to see Roman ruins in the abounding green fields near Meknes.

In our minds, Morocco is about the desert and Arabic lifestyle but in the past the life here had a different look. The huge architectural site is full of small and beautiful ornamental details, different architectural styles and you most probably will take the whole morning to walk around these beautiful sites from another time.

20. Tajine

Moroccan food is what you will miss most back home. The reason why it is so tasty is in the spices used but also in the locally produced fresh ingredients.

Tajine (also ‘tagine’) is a method of slow cooking where the ingredients are placed in an earthen pot. There are different types of tajine, but you should definitely try the Berber tajine.

21. Moroccan pottery

Tajine is the name of the dish but also the pot used for its cooking. What you can do is to take one home with you, and every time you have a craving for Moroccan food you can do one at home.

When shopping for pottery in Morocco you should have in mind that some of the beautifully colored tajines are not for cooking and you better ask the seller for advice on which one is suitable for cooking and which one just for serving.

22. Unique places to relax

After days spent walking among the desert dunes under the strong sun of the Sahara, you can relax surrounded by traditional architecture, clay walls, palm trees, and if you are lucky enough even a swimming pool. Enjoy your time in this unique environment, you will not find it anywhere else in the world.

23. Unique souvenirs to buy

You may not be a person who buys souvenirs often, but here in Morocco you may find yourself seriously challenged.

In addition to the traditional pottery, rugs and lanterns, the fossils found in the Sahara desert are one of the best souvenirs that you can bring back home.

Desert roses and fossilized snail shells are sold by the Berber people that you will encounter in the desert. Sometimes it is the only way they can make some money and you can take beautiful pieces back home while helping these people to have a better life.

Plan Your Trip to Morocco

We’ve been traveling consistently for 17 years and have come to rely on a few trusted websites that save us money and time when booking accommodation, flights, and car rental. Below are our preferred partners:

Accommodation

• Booking.com has over 3,800 properties in Morocco including hotels, apartments, and guesthouses. You get free cancelation on most rooms and a best price guarantee.

Flights

• Skyscanner is a comparison website that searches millions of flights. Once you find your best deal, book directly through the airline (no extra fees).

Car Rental

• RentalCars.com is the world’s biggest car rental booking service that compares all the major brands like Hertz, Avis, Alamo, and Europcar.

Do you have any tips or questions on visiting Morocco?

Please share in the comments below.

9 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SHIPPING

Shipping Rates

Shipping rates can vary tremendously. Many new transport buyers feel that it is difficult and frustrating to get an overview of shipping prices to transport goods from A to B. Here, you will get 9 tips, which will help you along.

The frustration is partly because we as consumers have become accustomed to finding and comparing prices on everything, from flights and hotels to electronics and clothing, in an instant online. With shipping rates it is usually a bit more difficult and “old school”. In addition, it is because most people, who are not experts in the transport market, do not know the basic ‘product types’ found in the transport world,

1. Where can I find shipping rates?

The vast majority of the transport market is still offline. In other words, you have to call the shippers to find the shipping rates for your goods.

There are, however, some alternatives turning up in some markets:

transporteca.com – transport to and from the UK by sea, air and truck
timocom.dk – truck transport in Europe
freightquote.com – Trucking within US
xpressrate.com – cargo to and from the United States by sea and air
flexport.com – cargo to and from the US
nimber.com – transport of small things for private

2. What is included in the freight costs?

To compare shipping rates, it is necessary to have a basic understanding of the stages of shipping cargo. Fortunately, the stages almost always follow the same 7 parts:

Export haulage
Export customs clearance
Origin handling
Sea freight, air cargo or road
Import customs clearance
Destination handling
Import haulage

As you can see from the above list, you have the transport in the middle (point 4) and the same three elements (pickup / delivery, customs clearance and handling) at each end.

Full container shipping cost

If the goods have been sent from one EU country to another EU country, the clearance stage at both ends (points 2 and 5) can be removed from the process. In cases where you send a full container or an entire truck, then stages 3 and 6 can be removed from the process. Otherwise, all 7 stages apply.

When two parties enter into an agreement on the trade of a consignment, then they should also agree on the conditions of transport that will take place. For this, you will use the so-called Incoterms. The most used are FOB and EXW, if you are importer, and CFR and DAP if you are exporter.

As an importer:

EXW means Ex-works, and includes payment for all stages, ie 1-7 above.
FOB means Free On-Board, and includes payment for stages 4-7.

As an exporter:

DAP means ‘Delivery At Place’ and includes payment for all stages, ie 1-7, except for step 5.
CFR means ‘Cost & Freight’ and includes payment for stages 1-4.

3. How do freight forwarders quote shipping rates?

A basic understanding of the carrier’s way of working and determining prices can facilitate the conversation considerably. A forwarding agent can basically always give you a price on the freight, ie stage 4, as well as local costs in their own country.

In other words, if you ask a UK shipping agent about the price of an import shipment from Vietnam to the UK, the freight forwarder can easily give you prices on stages 4-7, similar to FOB. However, the prices of stages 1, 2 and 3, might not be readily available to them and therefore they would need to ask a local agent in Vietnam.

The freight forwarder needs to do this for every request that comes from the customers. This is a lengthy process that a freight forwarder would normally only perform if they have a pretty good feeling that you actually want to buy cargo with them. In other words, freight forwarders will usually give you shipping rates as FOB instead of EXW.

The same goes for export. A UK customs agent can quickly give you prices on stages 1-4, i.e. the equivalent of CFR, but will have to ask a local agent of the recipient country to get rates for stages 5-7. Therefore, freight forwarders will usually give you shipping rates on CFR instead of the DAP when you are exporter.

Keep these factors in mind when you talk to your forwarder for shipping prices.

4. Make sure you always have an all-inclusive price

You will often find that instead of sending you a total cost of freight, the freight forwarder will send you a whole list of elements of the price with an unspoken expectation that you will work out the total cost yourself.

This list usually contains multiple currencies and a host of abbreviations that are incomprehensible to the layman. This is an example from the real world at such an offer:

Freight all-in: £2,600
Port charge: USD 13 per W / M
Offload on warehouse: USD 3.3 per W / M
Clean customs: USD 25 / bill
Document: USD 32 / bill
ESA: USD 30 / bill
Telex release: USD 16.5 / bill
Commodity inspection fee: USD 16.5 / shpt
Truck up: USD 400.00

Can you figure out the final shipping cost? When you receive such an offer, ask the forwarder to determine the total cost of your shipment.

What is customary? The different transport modes have their own ‘price culture’, that is their own way to give their freight rates. It can be helpful to know these differences.

5. Shipping cost for road transport

The crucial point is whether the transportation takes place between two EU countries or not.

If the transport takes place between two EU countries, the freight forwarder will usually give you a single all-in price, so you don’t need to do more. On the other hand, a quote for transport in or out of the EU, such as from Switzerland to the UK, will normally consist of a price for the load, as well as a price for export customs in Switzerland and a price for import clearance in the UK.

6. Shipping cost for ocean freight

For sea freight, the forwarders will usually give you an all-in freight price for the stages that they are responsibly for. This will typically be sea freight and costs in the carrier’s home country, for example Denmark for a Danish shipping company. The costs accrued at the ‘other end’ usually come in multiple lines, as is in the example above.

7. Shipping cost for air cargo

Standard air cargo is cargo carried by passenger flights, such as SAS and Lufthansa. Standard air quotes are similar in construction to sea freight quotes, meaning that the freight forwarder can quickly and easily give you a total price for the air freight and local costs from the home country. The overseas costs will, however, take time to get and will come in several lines.Prices for air freight

Courier-goods are sent by one of the global courier companies, such as FedEx, UPS, DHL or TNT. Here you always get an all-in price that includes all seven elements. In other words, the prices are always based on EXW (for imports) and DAP (for export). You might be allowed to send FOB or CFR, but the price is the same, so it can rarely pay off.

8. The difference between customs and clearance

Many people often find it difficult to distinguish between the two concepts customs and clearance. Duty is the tax that the state requires you to pay to pay when you import or export goods. Customs collection comes directly from HM Revenue & Customs.

Customs clearance is the job associated with declaring the goods you import or export. Freight forwarders usually perform this by entering details, such as the type of goods and the value of the customs system.

9. Tax

A distinction is made ​​between the VAT on transport and VAT on the goods transported. There must be a settled VAT for the whole journey, if it takes place between two EU countries. It is the responsibility of the carrier to charge this. For example if you get a pallet home from Italy to the UK, then it is the responsibility of the carrier to charge 20% UK VAT.

If transportation is to or from a country outside the EU, the stage of transport within the EU should be taxed. In other words, if you import a pallet of goods from the United States, where the total transport cost is £800, of which transport costs for transport inside the EU (VAT base) is £200, the VAT amount (20% in the UK) represents £40. It is the responsibility of the carrier to calculate and charge this.

Shipping Rates with Transporteca

On the portal you can search shipping rates and book your transport online. All prices are comparable and all-inclusive.

For All Lovers Reading: The Top 10 Best Sellers on Amazon 2017

Many readers are looking for recommendations for books at least twice a year. The first research opportunity is the arrival of summer, the other is Christmas, coinciding with the mid-school holiday, and the reading challenge begins at the beginning of each new year. Plan the number of books to be completed by the end of next year..

Find out the best sellers on the Amazon - Amazon site during the year

1- The Instant Pot

With more than 300,000 copies sold, The Instant Pot - Laurel Randolph - Laurel Randolph's first-ever bestseller on Amazon in 2017 - contains more than 100 easy, healthy, and customizable recipes, combining a cooker Slow cooking, and high pressure cooker; to be at the top of cookbooks for 2017

2- Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids

See what happens to race car drivers when they eat too much? Laugh - Out-Loud Jokes for Kids - Rob Elliott's Rob Elliott, published for the first time in 2010, came second in Amazon's best-selling book, with sales exceeding 1.5 , And contains a collection of jokes fun and entertaining, for children aged 7:10 years.

 3-The Sun and Her Flowers

The Sun and Her Flowers - The Sun and its Flowers by Rupi Kaur - Ruby Kaur, author of Milk & Honey, which was classified by The New York Times as the bestseller. Founded in 1992, Rupi Kaur is a Canadian original, and works as a famous photographer, painter, writer, poet, sculptor, and advocate for women's rights. She started her career in writing and writing by publishing her poetry through social networking sites.

4- First 100 Words

First 100 Words - The first 100 words, as an educational book by Roger Priddy - Roger Bredy, helps young children learn their first keywords. It contains 100 simple words to read and learn accompanied by color images. Pages are made of cardboard for hours. Reading is fun and learning.

5- The Getaway

 Jeff Kinney's "Getaway", published early this year in November 2017, is set in an adventurous setting about a family that decides to leave the city on a trip to a tropical island resort, relaxing and relaxing, To escape the pressures of life.

After several days in heaven, the journey turns upside down, between the sun and poisoning, stomach disorders, and poisonous creatures, all threatening to destroy the family holiday. Can the trip be saved, or will it end in disaster?

Las vegas shooting --Victims & Their Families Has Been Set Up — Here’s How To Donate

In the wake of the horrific shooting in Las Vegas on Sunday night, which left more 50 people dead and 400 injured, Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Joseph Lombardo have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Las Vegas shooting victims and their families.

"We are raising funds to assist the victim's of the tragic Las Vegas shooting," Sisolak wrote on the Las Vegas Victims' Fund page. "I am at Clark County's only level-one trauma center with the victims and their families as we speak. Funds will be used to provide relief and financial support to the victims and families of the horrific Las Vegas mass shooting​."

Sisolak said he pledged the first $10,000. So far, in the less than three hours since it's been up, the campaign has raised over $58,000 of its $500,000 goal.

Although $500,000 is an important start, it is likely only a drop in the bucket of the amount of assistance victims will need. The attack, which began just after 10 p.m. on Sunday night when a gunman shot into a crowd of over 20,000 concertgoers on the Las Vegas Strip, is the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history.

The number of victims continues to rise and right now, one of the most immediate concerns facing victims and the hospitals treating them, is having enough blood for all of the people who require surgery. Blood donation centers have been set up around Nevada, and even those of you outside the state can help by donating blood at your local Red Cross.

More to come...