How do I deal with motion sickness on Morocco’s mountain roads?

I will be honest because forewarned is forearmed: the famous mountain routes here are gorgeous and genuinely twisty, and they do catch out people who never normally suffer in a car. The Tizi n’Tichka over the High Atlas toward Ouarzazate is hours of near-continuous switchbacks; the Tizi n’Test is even more serpentine; and the Dades and Todra gorge roads coil through dramatic rock. The combination of constant curves, climbing and altitude is a classic motion-sickness trigger, so it is worth taking seriously rather than hoping for the best.

The most effective fixes are about position and timing. Sit in the front passenger seat where you can see the road ahead and the horizon — being able to anticipate the bends is far better for your inner ear than staring sideways from the back. Keep your eyes on the distant horizon, not on your phone or a book, which is the fastest route to feeling green. Crack a window for fresh air, keep cool, and avoid heavy, greasy food beforehand — travel on a light stomach, not an empty or an overloaded one.

If you are prone to it, medicate before you set off, not once you already feel sick — that is the single most common mistake. Take a motion-sickness tablet (the standard over-the-counter ones, or natural ginger capsules and ginger sweets, which many guests swear by) around 30–60 minutes before the drive so it is working before the first hairpin. Acupressure wristbands help some people, and plain crackers and slow sips of water settle the stomach. Build the defence in advance.

This is genuinely where having a good driver pays off. A skilled local chauffeur takes the bends smoothly rather than braking and accelerating sharply, knows the safe pull-offs at the best viewpoints, and will happily stop for ten minutes of fresh air when someone needs it — and those breaks, plus the photo stops, break the drive into manageable chunks. If anyone in your group is a known sufferer, tell the driver at the start so they can pace it. Pack your remedies before the day of a big mountain transfer, and confirm rest stops with your driver.