Moroccan Travel Tips

Morocco Travel Tips
Your trip to Morocco will be much more rewarding and enjoyable if you know what to expect and are prepared. The following information was gleaned from our two month trip through the country.

The People
Money
Environment
Food

Drink
Staying Healthy
Drugs
Language

Guides
Bargaining
Transport

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The People

Morocco is an Islamic country and it pays to understand what this means. Their religion is an integral part of their culture. Their holy book is the Koran, based on the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. Each Muslim practices the five tenets, called the Pillars of Islam. These require that the faithful profess their faith, pray five times a day, practice charity, fast during Ramadan, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca. If you visit you will encounter the faithful carrying out their duties throughout the country. If you respect their customs and restrictions you'll have no problems.

The main restriction a tourist will encounter is the prohibition on visiting mosques, unless you are Muslim. This is unfortunate since much of the most beautiful artistry in the country is inside these mosques. There are certain historic mosques which allow visitors and you should check for these wherever you visit.

If you visit during the month of Ramadan when the faithful fast each day until sunset, you are likely to have a somewhat different experience than a visit at other times of the year. However, you won't be expected to fast, and in most larger towns and cities you'll find places to eat during the day.

Morocco is by far one of the more liberal Islamic countries. They do allow the sale and consumption of alcohol, but it is strictly controlled, and expensive. Hotel bars and upscale restaurants will almost always serve alcohol. You'll find many of the less than faithful getting drunk. It seems that the forbidden nature of booze tends to make them overindulge, with the cost being the only limiting factor to their consumption. These Moroccans are either the young or westernized. They will encourage you to drink with them. If this is your thing, you'll make friends easily. But never offer alcohol to a Muslim unless you are in a bar or they are already imbibing.

Muslims dress conservatively. This means both men and women usually cover their bodies completely. The exceptions are at the beach or doing heavy manual labor. Tourists who expose too much in town are likely to be viewed with disfavor, especially women. Don't offend the Moroccans with your clothes or lack thereof.

In general, the Moroccans are very friendly and hospitable. Just beware there are individuals who befriend travelers to take advantage of their naiveté. In some cases it's just to get you to purchase something so they can get a commission. In other cases it can be to rip you off. Be careful when someone approaches you without an invitation.

Money The local currency is the Dirham, roughly 10 Dirhams to the U.S. dollar. We recommend you bring traveler's checks and a good ATM card. US dollars or other currencies can be converted at most banks, but it's not wise to carry too much. The big hassle is finding an ATM machine that takes your card. Many Moroccan banks have ATMs that only work with Moroccan cards. Don't put your card in an ATM unless you see the symbol that matches your card on the machine! You might lose your card. Never use the post office ATM! In some smaller towns there are no ATMs that take foreign cards! So be sure you get enough cash to carry you until the next major city. BCM seems to be the best bank, accepting foreign cards in most of their ATMs.

Environment Morocco has a diverse geography, from the cooler, wetter Mediterranean and Atlantic coast in the north, to the desperately hot, arid deserts and mountains of the south. You can encounter a wide range of climatic conditions and you should be prepared. Where ever you go in the country, you should carry bottled water with you, and drink as much as you can to ward off dehydration.

I was amazed at what lies in the central valleys of the country. Here a vast zone of agriculture that produces far more than Morocco needs. This verdant farmland exports a wide range of produce to markets in Europe. In certain parts I was reminded of the French countryside. Of course there's not much to interest the tourist here.

By far the most interesting attractions besides the cities are Morocco's famous deserts, the Rif and Atlas mountains and the Atlantic and Mediterranean sea. There are many superb beaches in Morocco. Some are big tourist resorts, others completely empty and pristine.

Food Moroccan cuisine is somewhat different from other Arabic countries. You won't find middle eastern specialties like falafel, tabouli, or shworma. Instead the mainstays (read: this is mostly what you're going to eat in Morocco!) are couscous, tagine and kefta. Couscous is semolina wheat served with vegetables and/or fish or meat. Tagine is usually meat or chicken baked in a cone shaped clay dish. A good tagine is where the meat is falling off the bone, with a thick tasty gravy. Don't expect western style portions of meat. Unless you opt for an expensive restaurant you'll be lucky to get a quarter of a chicken in your tagine. Kefta is lamb or beef stew. These dishes are usually mild and tastefully spiced.

Salads are everywhere and they are usually good, but beware of our health advisory. Raw salads are a good way for bacteria to spread, but there's no way to know if yours is infected, so you might as well enjoy!
Seafood near the sea is often good to excellent. Just make sure you get it fresh and it's cooked to order. Calamari, john dory, sole and real tasty small shrimp (I never had small shrimp so sweet!) are good.
Restaurants can be good or bad.

Here's the system we devised to rate the Moroccan restaurants:

The four star designation means that the food looks good, tastes good, and goes down well.

The three star designation means that the food looks good, tastes OK, but you end up running to the toilet.

A two star restaurant serves food that looks good, but is almost inedible, and later you must make numerous visits to the toilet to remind yourself that you ate at a two star establishment.

One star indicates that this place is to be avoided. Just looking at the food should give you some indication of what to expect.

Drink You should drink frequently in the dry climate of Morocco. There's plenty to choose from. Water is sold in small and large plastic bottles. Always have some around since you don't want to drink tap water. If you're concerned about salt check the label as some brands have higher sodium content. Fruit juice is everywhere and it perhaps one of the best things to drink. Fresh squeezed orange juice is a great way to start the day and nowhere is it better than Morocco. Other fruit juices are equally good. Try banana or avocado (yes, it's tasty, mixed with milk and sugar) or try both together! Sodas like Fanta and Coke can be found everywhere.

But to drink Moroccan style you must take a break (or several breaks) during your day to enjoy thé du menthe, mint tea. It's usually served with lots of sugar, so tell them how you like it. This is a ritual that all Moroccans observe many times a day. It is a relaxing way to enjoy the country and it's people. If you're lucky they'll even make a ceremony out of it.

Alcohol in Morocco is less strictly controlled than in other Islamic countries. You can find licensed restaurants and bars to serve you. But the drinks aren't cheap. Moroccan beer is good and you can also find Heineken and Spanish beers around. Wine is pricey and just OK if you stick to the reds. Hard liquor is in limited supply and there aren't so many brands available, except in the bigger cities.

Staying Healthy If you stay more than a few days, you will get sick in Morocco. Yes, I can say that with confidence. Oh it won't be bad, probably just some diarrhea, but you can't avoid it. There are too many ways for the strange Moroccan bacteria to find you. The best thing you can do for this is buy some Imodium at a pharmacy when you get there (it's cheaper). The sun is almost always strong so bring your favorite sunscreen and drink frequently. Try to stay in the shade on hot days.

More serious ailments are dysentery, intestinal parasites and malaria. Either consult with your physician for prescriptions for these diseases (you must start malaria treatment before you leave), or pickup something at the Moroccan pharmacy as needed (they have everything).

Drugs Morocco has a well deserved reputation for the cultivation of kif and exportation of hashish. In the past few decades Morocco has lead the world in the export of hashish. Other more potent drugs are available in the cities.

You are advised that all narcotics and cannabis products are illegal and can land you in a Moroccan prison for a long time. That's for possession as well as smuggling. It's not worth it! We do not encourage the breaking of laws in any country!

See our Kif in the Rif page for our experiences in the heart of the kif growing region.

In most Moroccan medinas you will be offered hashish. Be very careful. Stories abound of people getting ripped off or turned in to the police.

That said, the quality of hashish in Morocco varies greatly. Usually it's very smokable, but the real good stuff is harder to find. Don't believe that just because it's sticky and dark it's good. And don't fall for the Moroccan game with the lighter, where they apply a flame to almost anything (carpets, leather, hashish, etc.) to prove that it's of high quality. In Ketama there were just two grades of hash, commercial and quality, which they called black gold. Also if you hear about King Hassan hash in Chefchaouen, it should be superior quality.

Language If you speak only English you may have difficulty outside the major cities and tourist areas. The best language to speak is the first language of every Moroccan, Arabic. If you don't do Arabic, French will serve you well in most cities and throughout the country except in the far north, where Spanish and Berber are spoken. We got so confused that we had to invent another language, Arabfranspanglish to get by. You know, something like "Donde esta the leather souk, si vous plait?" I found that once you start thinking in other languages, English becomes more difficult. I recommend a French/English dictionary to help out. Remember, if you can't communicate with the merchants the guides will eat you alive.

Guides In 1998 Morocco began enforcing a law that makes unofficial guides illegal. You might remind that guy following you who says he's not a guide, just being friendly. These unofficial guides have great linguistic ability and can seem very attractive when you don't know where you're going. Ask them for directions and they'll spend all day with you. Then they will expect some compensation, in addition to the commission they get on everything you purchase (making your price much, much higher, see Bargaining below).

If you feel you need a guide, get an official guide from the tourist office or your hotel. They will keep all the other guides away and charge you only $12 or $15 for the day. Make sure your guide speaks your language fluently as you are paying for it. Don't buy anything expensive when you're with a guide, just look. Come back by yourself to purchase that carpet, at another shop and you won't pay a commission. If you don't heed this advise you might pay hundreds of dollars more for a large purchase!

Bargaining The Moroccan game of buying and selling is an experience not to be missed. Unfortunately it quickly becomes tedious and costly to the visitor. You will never get a great bargain. That's it, accept it. You might get a better deal than some other tourist with less patience or experience. Just don't enter the game at the start of your trip. If you can, visit a fixed price shop right away to see what a fair price is and decide what you'd like to purchase during your trip. You might even pick up something at the fixed price shop.

The skill at which a shopkeeper can get you to not only pay several times what he would charge another Moroccan, but to get you to buy something you don't even want is amazing. All you have to do is show the slightest interest in something and it begins. Ask the price and you've bought it as far as he's concerned! Don't believe the stories that they start at double or triple the fair price (whatever that is!). That's bull. They'll start at ten times a fair price if they think you'll pay it (Americans take note!). They have nothing to lose except some time, and as you'll notice it's never in short supply in Morocco. So be patient and stick to what you feel is a fair price. Once you reach your top price keep repeating it, over and over. They'll counter with "what is your best price" over and over again too. Eventually they'll get the point. It's all part of the game they've mastered over centuries of souk life. You can't possibly outfox them. Of course, you do occasionally meet someone who is fair and honest, (traits Islam encourages everywhere except the souk, apparently!).

Transport The good news is that Moroccan transport can be inexpensive, unless you rent a four wheel drive. The bad news is you may have to bargain with taxis. Car rental is necessary to get anywhere in a hurry or to visit out-of-the-way places, like the Sahara. Prices can be high. I got quoted $90 per day for a subcompact. OK, it was literally the last car in Ouarzazate on a weekend, but this is a typical gouge. You'll find public transport, particularly the trains (first class is nice and not too much), and the buses (CTM is the only way to go) to be comfortable and cheap if not real fast. Grand taxis (almost always Mercedes) are great between towns if you can fill it up. That's because they charge by the seat and they figure six passengers, plus the driver can fit in these vehicles (you won't believe your eyes). And since they charge per passenger, you must either wait for other passengers to show up or pay for empty seats. Again you must bargain to get a fair price. For a long ride, in a grand taxi, you can expect to pay 2 to 3 dirham (20-30 cents) per kilometer to have it to yourselves.

That is unlike the petit taxis which roam only up to a city's limits. These small (usually French) autos can hold only three passengers and are supposed to run meters (usually less than $1 for a few K). But they often disable them (illegal) or they just don't have any, (check to see) in which case you should discuss the price before entering the vehicle.

Other transport include the buses from hell, which are any bus line except CTM (which are modern and usually air-conditioned). See our story, the bus from hell. Other, more primitive transport can be found. Camels can be fun for a short stroll down the beach. We got to ride to Paradise Beach on a horse cart.