Visiting Morocco - dos,don'ts and further tips to survive

Visiting Morocco

          

Dos,don'ts and further tips to survive

Morocco is a fantastic destination to travel to and although travelling there is rather associated with spring and summertime, the country has numerous areas which are warm or even hot no matter what time of the year you are visiting. However there are a couple of things to keep in mind before you go ahead and travel to Morocco. That’s why I have decided to write this smaller Top Ten to share some of my experiences with you and also to share some real useful information with you.

1. The language

Morocco’s official second language and language of administration is French, due to its pretty long history with France, however thanks to the effects of globalization and sheer necessity, the young generation is picking up English very fine. This can be thanked for their unbelievably wide access to American channels ( while us Europe must stick to our 100 channels in Morocco the variety is very wide so most young people learn English by simply picking it up from the TV and internet. The main French speaking cities are Casablanca, Marrakech and Rabat, while in Fez people don’t really speak it. However be prepared for language barriers if you move out of your comfort zone and there is no problem with this, this is part of a cultural exploration.

2. The religion and terrorism

Morocco is perhaps the most open minded Islamic country next to the United Arab Emirates which means, if you are acceptant they will be acceptant too. The country has cultural roots with Andalusia, Turkey, the other North African and Middle Eastern countries but thanks to the higher percentage of their Berber population they are much more diverse thank one would think: Morocco therefore has remained out of all the hardcore Muslim and terrorist activities (this is a collective name for the mountain and desert people of the Rif and Atlas mountains and while they accept it please do not overuse it because it’s slightly offending. The word Berber means people in Arabic).

Beautiful door Morocco

Islamic religion is taken seriously in Morocco but thanks to their strong kingdom, a good and pretty open-minded king with all the high profile security measures Morocco was never highly associated with terrorist activities and I don’t have any knowledge of any extremist groups operating in Morocco. Let me add, males won’t even find work if they wear beard as it’s a big no-no for most serious workplaces. Furthermore tourism, as one of the top growing industries of Morocco is taken dead seriously, so do not fear to travel to Morocco, it is a safe place.

3. The sex

Morocco is pretty westernized especially in the big cities and a growing number of women are working in responsible positions, which also means that the traditional Islamic lifestyle is something that is starting to get mixed with the Western way of life. However, Islamic traditions are still going on strong in the country which means, that there are places which are frequented by men and other places frequented by women. Now, if you are travelling to a city full of touristic amenities and places to go and you stay at a hotel, you won’t really this. Hotels are totally equipped to cater Western tourists’ needs and the local areas are all packed with clubs and restaurants which welcome tourists irrespectively of their sex and sell alcohol too.

But if you are planning to go out and about a city and you are a woman alone, be prepared to lots of men trying to make friends with you. Some of these are earnest, some are visa hunters and others are pure scammers. I would suggest you to try not to pay much attention to these people or you will have a hard time getting them off you. It’s also not a bad idea to make the hotel get you a local guide from a really trusted resource. This way you will learn much more about the culture and won’t be bugged by locals. A local guide is also a good idea if you are travelling in pair or with family.

4. Ways of travel

Morocco has a high number of international airports which welcome passengers from all across the world. The cities with the highest air traffic are definitely Casablanca and Marrakech though. These cities also have big train stations with trains to each part of Morocco. If you are specifically planning to spend your time in the very South, you can fly directly to Agadir and if you are up for a very cultural few days then you can go to Fez straight away. Tangier up in the North also has its airport and it also caters to a large number of tourist ships arriving from Mediterranean regions, especially Spain where they do daily Morocco tourist for tourists, visiting mainly Tangier and Tetouan. There is also a high traffic of ferries between Spain/ Gibraltar and Morocco.

List of Moroccan cities with international airports:   Agadir, Al Hoceima, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakech, Nador, Oujda, Rabat, Tangier, Tetouan

Airlines:

From Europe the best economical airlines include Jetairfly (Formerly known as Jet4You), Vueling and Ryanair. Jetairfly is used mostly by Moroccan families flying home and back to Europe, and it’s the one airline that covers all Moroccan airports too. The main European cities with constant flights to Morocco are Brussels (Charleroi), Milan (Bergamo or Malpensa Airports), Venice, Rome, Amsterdam, London, Madrid and Barcelona.

5. Where to go

This really all depends on what you are planning to do. The big cities that never let you down and has the widest supply of cultural attractions and touristic services are located at Marrakech and Fez. If you want sun-sea-sand with beautiful beaches then Agadir in the South or Tangier / Al Hoceima up in the North are the very best choices for you.

6. What to do

Marrakech has the highest number of hotels and downtown areas catering to tourists with a solid mix of old and new you can really decide which face of the city you would like to see. The city is also the hub for all Atlas and Sahara excursions, so it offers fantastic opportunities for anyone wanting to have fun and learn about culture alongside with the visiting of nice places.

Fez has an old city which is the biggest medieval medina in the whole Islamic/ Arab world and a world heritage on its own right. Stacked with beautiful buildings you can spend a week there just looking around for sure.  Casablanca is rather a port-city with not many attractions for visitors (except for its magnificent mosque which is a must-see).

7. Visas and vaccines

Morocco has no visa requirements toward any European Schengen State member countries, Southern and Northern American countries and it also doesn’t require visa from people arriving from Australia, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Japan and Israel. The visa free periods are valid for 30, 60 or 90 days, for more information you need to ask the nearest Moroccan Embassy in your area. Click here for the complete list of countries that require no visa to enter and stay in Morocco for tourism and for more visa related information. You don’t need any vaccines for going to Morocco, the whole country is safe from tropical and other African diseases.

8. Where to stay?

There are plenty of types of accommodation in Morocco for tourists, from the simple hostels ( mainly in Casablanca and Marrakech) to the normal hotels to the absolute luxurious oriental style resorts, out of which you will find the highest number in the Marrakech area. If you really want something unique, spend a couple of nights in a Riad: a traditional style Moroccan home converted to a hotel: they are mid-priced ranging from cheaper to the very expensive ones and the best Riads are in the area of Marrakech and Fez. (I will soon come out with a piece featuring the top hotels, top Riads and top resorts to help with your search).

Keep in mind: if you have a local beau, or boyfriend you won’t be allowed to stay in the same room unless you present a marriage certificate. I don’t know of any similar hassle concerning tourist couples but always check this with the hotel itself.

9. Seasonal packing and sensible packing

Morocco has two main seasons, the rainy and the warm/hot season. The coldest rainy period generally ranges from October to February but also depends on the exact region. In Fez, for instance the temperatures and the weather was more or less the same as over here in my country.  On sensible packing, I would like to say a few words for women. Except for going to a tour when you are going to stay at touristic hotels only, if you want to go out dress sensibly. This means to avoid the very short shorts, the very revealing clothes. Try to always wear long summer skirts, longer baggier summer clothes so that you avoid all the hassle coming from local men. It’s also sensible to do for all the veiled or traditionally dressed women too. Luckily long summer dresses are always in style only get those which are not very transparent. Avoid being very sexy when in Morocco (except for staying in the hotel).

10. The money

Moroccans use Moroccan Dirhams and the money exchange is best to do in banks, never at airports and never at smaller exchange agencies as their rates can be super high and you won’t get much local money for your money. Normally the converting goes roughly this way:  1 USD is roughly 10 Dirhams. I don’t suggest you to pay anywhere with your currency (EUR and USD is always accepted but be ready to pay double as much for goods this way). In Morocco very few shops have credit card machines, so be prepared to carry around some cash with you at all times. The prices are not high, Morocco is a cheap country but of course there are always “Tourist prices” which are hard to escape from for tourists. Try to haggle at all times. 

  

 I hope you guys liked this new Top Ten from me, I hope I could include all the most important aspects to consider before travelling to Morocco. Should you have any further comments to add or if you feel there are things I have forgotten to talk about please let me know in the comment section below.