It’s so true that the best experiences are the ones you don’t expect.
When I went to Morocco I was expecting, uhm… well I had no idea what to expect, but for sure I didn’t know what was waiting for me behind that small, hidden away door in the Medina of Fez!
But let’s start from the beginning. My first stop in the country was Marrakech and there I tried a hammam (steam room) for the first time. I followed the advice of the hostel owner and went for a massage + scrub package, but I found myself in a somehow upscale, obviously touristy environment that looked more like a spa than a hammam. Quick (as in hurried) service, people asking for tips at every corner, not a good massage, and a not so hygienic environment where the same sponge was used on everyone for scrubs (ew). It was OK but I didn’t love it. But I was later on told that the real Moroccan hammam is not like that.
Me in the “fancy” hammam in Marrakech
So when I reached Fez I decided to give it another try, and this time I was reassured that the experience was going to be authentic (I know how many of you hate this word but believe me it’s appropriate in this case).
Ok I need to make a little introduction here. Coming from an extensive period of time spent in Egypt, where nudity is a big no-no even between close friends, I was expecting the same thing from Morocco. WRONG.
This is why I was in shock when I found myself in the same room with like 50 other women of all ages and shapes, all naked and not embarrassed at all, while I timidly sat in a corner trying not to being noticed but failing at it, being the only foreign person there and also the only one who obviously had no idea what to do. Imagine my face while I faked confidence keeping a smile on my face while desperately looking for someone to help me or explain what to do. That someone finally showed up.
A big, elderly, naked woman with, uhm, humongous boobs (yes this is pretty much all I remember of her) approached me speaking her Berber dialect and telling me God-knows-what in a loud voice making sure that everyone was staring at me and that’s when I accepted the idea of looking funny to the “audience”, and to just wait and see what was going to happen. And enjoy it if possible!
No photo available
Before entering the hammam, I was told I had to buy some typical black soap and a glove for my scrub. Apparently everybody in Morocco owns a glove for their regular visits to hammams, and I was happy to buy one – for a dollar or so – as it’s definitely the most hygienic option.
So there I was, sitting on the wet floor, when the big woman came and filled two big buckets of hot water and placed them in front of me, then she somehow let me understand that she was going to take care of the whole situation for me.
She emptied a bucket of hot water on me, grabbed me without too many compliments and put my head on her lap so that we were both on the floor, me laying and her sitting, and she started scrubbing my whole body with unimaginable strength. She scrubbed me everywhere and by this I mean even my armpits and other sensitive areas, and that hurt! While doing so, she was singing and saying something in a loud voice, and everyone would laugh at what she said… I was trying to understand what was going on but gave up on that too.
Alright, I knew I was probably being made fun of – but what could I do?
This is exactly how the hammam looked like, except that there were only women, that close to each other and super naked (I found this photo on culturevulturefez.wordpress.com – please let me know if this is your work and I will give you credit)
The woman was amused (but didn’t look grossed out) by the amount of dead skin my body produced – I thought I was a clean person but apparently showering every day is not enough folks! She showed it to me every now and then, making funny faces and I was trying to justify myself without knowing how to do that, and probably just looking funnier and funnier.
Did I mention that I was naked? And that she was too? Well while my head was on her lap I had this view of those boobs getting dangerously close to my face every time she leaned over to scrub my body and in the meantime I was in pain and all that was extremely uncomfortable.
I felt naked-er than naked!
But I found myself smiling, because after all that was too funny and while on one side I was happy that nobody in the room knew me, at the same time I couldn’t wait to go back to the hostel to tell my new friends about it and recommend the experience to everyone.
In the end, the woman took a comb and washed my hair, and that was painful too, but I couldn’t stop her. She wouldn’t listen. She just did it. It reminded me of when I was a kid and someone would wash me and my hair… same thing, except that I am now 30 and I haven’t allowed anyone to comb my hair (hairdressers included) in years! But I had to make and exception.
This exception was well worth it, because I came back to the hostel with a huge smile on my face, probably the cleanest I have ever been in my whole life, and on top of that I brought a special memory back home with me.
Now, if only I remembered where in the Medina that hammam is. All I remember is that it was a small door, in a corner, in one of the countless alleys of beautiful historical Fez…
The sky as seen from a narrow alley of the Medina in Fez
Did you try the hammam while in Morocco and how was it? I am curious to hear all about your experience!
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38 Comments
Thank you for your entertaining story, the dangling boobs in the story made me laugh out loud.
Haha I swear that’s the main memory of those moments :D
Spas in Morocco are nothing more than undercover brothels. You will be encountered with beautiful girls just waiting for you to take the initiative. If you are a chicken, scared of being arrested by the corrupt system, then you will be asked if YOU NEEED ANYTHING SPECIAL, if you are too dumb to notice her latent persuasion, you will then be tempted with her boobs making contact with your body and it will progress. These girls have no idea about giving massages. The ONLY way these girls make money is by offering sexual services. They are worth it though !!
I am sure you must have had a unique experience there. :)
Oh yes, a unique experience that I would do again in a heartbeat!
Haha this is hilarious! I can imagine it would be so awkward, but sometimes the best experiences are when we’e completely out of our comfort zones. I’m so not ok with being naked in front of people, I’m a get-changed-under-a-towel kinda girl!
You’re so right, it was awkward and out of my comfort zone, but in the end it’s one of the best memory I have of my trip to Morocco :)
I’m seriously impressed and that is a great story!! I’m not sure I would have been able to go through with that. But I totally agree with Steay that some of the best experiences are out of comfort zone ones :D
No way, if you ever go to Morocco you have to try this! If I go back I’ll definitely do it again… believe me after the scrub you are so clean that everything else is well worth it:)
I went to hammam in Marrakech back in 2006. I felt 10 lbs lighter after the crew scrubbed me. The hammam I went was very cute a nice dome you could see light shining thru little clear glass holes on top. I am surrounded by Fragrance stream in a marble room quite dim actually. I don’t felt weird at all. I thought I was a part of those ladies. Can’t wait to go back.
That sounds awesome… if you remember the name and/or location of that hammam please share it!
Hahaha, those ‘authentic’ foreign experiences are always the best! Surprisingly you haven’t put me off visiting a hammam!
Oh no on the contrary I want everyone to try this! I’m sure it’s different for guys so you should go for it and tell me how it was :)
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Well, as a Moroccan I can say that is exactly like this in every other hammam’s of the country. It’s a relaxing experience…we go there once a week to clean our body and most of all to relax. Actually there is an expression that it is frequently told to show the importance of Hammam–> “I’m going to the hammam to listen to my bones/muscles”…meaning TO RELAX !
I live in France where hammam is almost luxury …(entrance =30€, entrance+scrub=60€ and more)…so everytime I go back to my hometown in Morocco the first thing I do is go to listen to my bones/muscles !!
Exactly I understood this is the “real thing” and I love it! I would totally do it once a week if I lived in Morocco. Abroad, I never found such a good scrub! And this kind of treatment is always too expensive… Feel free to share your favorite hammams of Morocco:)
Hahaha… Oh my I was almost reminded of my experience with inns in Japan. Thankfully I didn’t have an elderly lady with humongous boobs scrubbing me! I don’t think I could have handled that!
Oh Giulia, that was so funny and the perfect way to start my Sunday with my first-of-the-morning cup of coffee. I have had a hammam but in a Gambian hotel owned by Moroccans. It was a sanitized version of your experience. I was allowed to wear paper panties (that was bad enough) and the lady giving the treatment was most definitely fully clothed, I pleased to say. There was something very relaxing about being washed by someone else and my skin felt so wonderful afterwards.
My skin never felt so wonderful and I felt cleaner than ever! It was a good kind of cultural shock and I would totally do it again and again. And probably I would feel more comfortable every time. Speaking the language would help too…
Good to know this made you smile :)
I’m Moroccan and wanted to thank you for this post. This post made my day! I can’t stop laughing. Thank you! :D
hehehe thanks Simo! :D
am from Morocco as well
i found this blog by coincidence while i was looking for something on google (it has nothing to do with boobs i promise)
it was funny to read, you really described the Moroccan Hammam literally except that people are not totally naked .. but bikinis at least you gotta admit lol
as for if you’re wondering where you can find a Hammam in Morocco exactly as the one in Fes city
well you can find it any where except you went to the touristic spots in Marrakech !
Marrakech it’s pretty itself .. but tourists don’t know where to go Hammams because they’re kind of hidden (that’s the face our government want Marrakech to have)
have a good day, bless
Hey Amine! Well I swear everyone was super naked there. Maximum the underpants. Boobs everywhere :D
me gustaria ir a este hammam alguna otra referencia para llegar a el? o vosotros recomendais algún otro?
Hammam para que….usalo una SPA , pichalo la hp chica bien y salga con una sonrisa de un payaso. Mejor hamman no hay…me tendes hombe !
OMG…!!!! I can’t stop laughing… Thank you Giulia for sharing this amazing story… while reading i could see you under the dangling boobs, what a picture!!! :)
I am going to Fez shortly and my first stop will definitely be a Hammam. Will let you know what happens x
Let me know :D
I’m crying right now ? OMG that’s sooooo hilarious I can’t stop Laughing ??????????????
I’m saving this article that whenever i feel down or sad , i’ll just come and read it to cheer me up ??????
Being moroccan myself , I approve everything you said , the nudity , the big boobie ( and butt in most of times ) lady ???Lol . I know it may come as shocking for ppl outside of the culture especially me being married to an american , I saw the same funny reaction on my husband’s face when he went the first time to an ” authentic ” Hammam , he was making so many jokes about it for the longest time ? that’s why i just could imagine your face at the moment? ??
Even though , there are some things that i would recommend if you feel little uncomfortable with being naked in front of lot of ppl ( such as myself ☺️?, that’s what i usually do ) : there are two options , either rent a Hammam ( it’s not that expensive , usually like 20 $ there are small versions of that one you went to for renting as many hours as you want but the longer the more expensive , i pay around 20$ for two hours which is not bad ) or the other option : go to a Hammam that has private individual rooms ( it’s called douche ) it’s still the same ” authentic ” one but more privately , you can actually take off your clothes inside your private room , also you can scrub yourself without the help of the big boobies ? Lol . But you have to bring all of the Hammam kit with you along with the towels ( they only give the bucket and the chair )
All you have to do is put the black soap , wait until you start sweating little bit , then rinse it off and start scrubbing in circular motions ( i even do that in a regular shower , you need some steam though or if you have heated walls in the shower that’s perfect ) start scrubbing your face first lightly trying to get all those black heads and dead skin off , then put the clay mask on your face and hair ( it’s kind of like pore cleaning the face and deep conditioning the hair at the same time , you can even use any natural caly you prefer not nessarily the moroccan one ) . When you finish scrubbing your whole body , wash your hair , scrub your heels , clean your toe nails ( there is a set comes with all of the tools together ) . Last thing use a regular soap bar or body gel and rinse it off , and you’re all good to go ??✨???
I had an authentic hammam in the berber house I stayed in when on a trip with my daughter trekking in Toukbal National Park. Your description of events matched mine very closely, though I was the only man in the hammam and my masseur was a muscular Moroccan with few teeth, no spoken English, and seriously strong hands which he used enthusiastically all over my body. It was certainly an experience that will never be forgotten and one that has caused much merriment every time it is retold.
I sooo understand! As you said, it was unforgettable for me as well :)
Amazing story..”naked reality”!!!
6 fantastica?
We had our hammam in the riad where we were staying. My husband had to remove all but his underwear but I was naked. The women were fully clothed. I would do it again in a heart beat.
thanks for sharing haha i google “dangling boobs” thanks god i was alone ohh :D
Hahahaha sorry about that :D
LOOOL :D
I can’t have a hammam experience as you call it with same sex
What do you mean?
It shocked me as a Moroccan man that women get fully naked there, at least I expected panties are “mandatory” as for men ! showing breasts or talking about them isn’t that much of a prohibited thing among Moroccan women (Don’t know about the rest of the world lol), but private parts Noo xD.
A little secret: I know this because, as you may have noticed, mothers bring their girls and boys with them,(boys small enough to not have any sexual desires or aware of what’s going on, of course, are allowed to go into women hammam) so I remember some very very fuzzy memories lol.
I feel your pain girl especially because you didn’t know anything, that glove when new is really rough even for my skin so one must be careful bot to hurt his skin, but it gets softer over time to be ideal for normal usage.
I don’t know if were obliged to get naked in order to enter? It’s strange if that’s the case!