Official Name – Kingdom of Morocco
Capital – Rabat
Head of State – King Mohammed VI
Independence – 02 March 1956 (from France)
Population – approximately 40 million
Religion – Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%, Other 0.7%
Time
Morocco is GMT/UTC + 1h except during the month of Ramadan.
Language
Arabic is the official language but local Berber dialects are spoken in the mountain and desert regions. French is the most commonly used second language, followed by Spanish and English.
Money
The Dirham is the national currency. 1 Euro = approx. 11 Dirhams; 1 Pound Sterling = approx. 15 Dirhams; I US Dollar = approx. 8.5 Dirhams. Cash and travellers cheques can be changed in each of the many banks in Morocco . You will also find ATM’s in all major towns. Credit cards can be used in some larger shops and hotels, however most places prefer payment in local currency. (American Express cards are not widely accepted). Please note that currencies such as the Canadian Dollar, Australian Dollar and Scottish Pound notes are not widely recognised for exchange in Morocco .
You can only obtain Dirhams in Morocco and they should not be taken out of the country. There are cash dispensers and exchange counters in the arrival hall at airports, however please note that the exchange counters here do not normally accept traveller’s cheques. You will need to change remaining Dirhams back to original currency at an exchange counter in the check-in area of the airport, before passing through passport control.
Electricity
220V, 50Hz is standard, but in some older buildings you may find 110-125V sockets. Power outlets are round two-pin European style.
Communication
You can find telephone kiosks and internet café’s in all towns and cities. There is reasonable mobile phone coverage in most of the country.
Visas & passports
For all visitors a passport is required which should be valid for at least six months from the date of your arrival in Morocco. Citizens of the UK, EU, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand obtain a 3-month visa for free upon arrival. These three-month visitor’s stamps can be extended by the Immigration Office or at the Bureau des Étrangers in most large towns. Other nationalities should check with their local Moroccan Embassy or Consulate for visa requirements, as you may need to obtain a visa in advance.
Special Festivals
It is worthwhile to enquire about the exact dates of festivals because many festivals don’t take place at any fixed dates according to the western calendar, but are linked to seasonal changes and harvests. Many local festivals are organized from August through October. Around May there is the Mousseum of Sidi Mohammed M’a al-Anim, where you can see the ‘blue people’ (Moors of the Sahara). Here desert tribes gather to trade and to meet each other. Also in May the harvest of the roses is celebrated at the Rose Festival in the Dadès Valley. The World Sacred Music festival is held in Fes each year in May/June. The National Folklore Festival of Marrakech is a 10-day tourist event in June well worth attending. Also in June is the Gnaoua Music Festival in Essaouira. At all these music festivals you can see dancers, musicians and other entertainers from all over the world. In October, the Date Festival is worth visiting, as are the festivities on Independence Day on 18 November, which is celebrated throughout the country.
Best seasons
At the coast the weather is tourist-friendly almost all year round, although winter can bring cool and wet conditions in the north. In the lowlands, the cooler months, from October to April, are favoured by many visitors. This time of the year is pleasantly warm (around 28°C) during the day and cool (ca. 15°C) at night. In the higher regions winter can be cold. The ski season (in the Atlas Mountains) usually lasts from December to March. In the high season for mountain treks (June 15 to September 15) you should book well in advance for most hiking-trips. From mid-October to May is the best time for camel-safari’s and hiking in the Saghro Mountains.
Clothing
Morocco is a Muslim country, and as such, your dress should be modest. This is particularly so in rural village areas. The clothes you will need depend on the time of year and the area you visit. In summertime it is hot in all parts of Morocco, except at the Atlantic coast. We advise light cotton clothing. In winter, and at higher elevations in all seasons, you will need a sweater/fleece and a light waterproof jacket. Clothes can be bought in bigger cities, but hiking boots and fleece sweaters are not available. These should be part of your luggage.
Medical advice
There is little to worry about in terms of diseases and Morocco is the safest country in Africa in this respect. Check with your medical practitioner whether he/she finds vaccination for hepatitis A and/or typhoid fever to be necessary.
Travel Insurance
It is recommended that you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy that would cover you in cases of medical emergency, repatriation, cancellation and curtailment, and loss of baggage and belongings. This should be arranged prior to departing on your travels. Most insurance companies require a local police report to support claims of loss or damage to personal property.
Food and beverages
Moroccan food is a mix from the French, African and Arab kitchens. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables are used in Moroccan cooking. An important dish is the tagine, named after the clay pot in which a stew of potatoes, vegetables and meat or fish, seasoned with a mix of particular herbs and spices is cooked over a fire. Couscous is a world-famous Moroccan dish: a granola of wheat and barley served with a tasty sauce and topped with sliced vegetables. The meat is hidden under the granola as the best part to be kept for the end. Meat is often the main base of all cooking, therefore vegetarians or people with special dietary requirements may find their food choices limited.
“Atay Nana” is the national drink: it is Chinese green tea with mint-leaves and loads of sugar. It is readily available everywhere and at all hours. It is the typical welcome drink when you enter a house or a shop. Fresh orange juice is also widely available and very inexpensive and healthy. Beer is served only in some bars and (together with wine) in the more expensive restaurants. It is advisable to drink bottled water throughout your stay or to use water purification tablets while you are hiking or making a camel safari.
About Morocco:
Morocco is the most exotic country of Northern Africa. When you visit you will be impressed by the royal cities with their labyrinths of markets and mud-brick streets where the African, Arab and European cultures are mixed into a colourful unity. Marrakech, Fes and Meknes are among the most oriental cities of the world, only rivalled by cities like Cairo and Damascus. The souks (markets) are sheer treasuries full of craft, pottery, woodwork, tapestry and heavy silver jewellery. You can also find aromatic spices and sweet perfumes and secret treasures which traditionally have been transported from black Africa by means of the camel caravans from Timbuktu. Islam is Morocco’s religion and five times per day the air is charged with the calls to prayer, the sign to bow to the will of the almighty Allah.
But Morocco offers much, much more. With its 3500 km of coastline unspoiled beaches abound. One third of the country is mountainous terrain with peaks above 4000 meters. In these areas you can ski in winter and trek in summer. If you go on foot or by Landrover into the remote areas of the Atlas mountains, you will come to Berber villages where mules and donkeys are the main means of transportation and life is simple and hard.
The Sahara is of major importance to Morocco and a popular tourist destination. East and south of the High Atlas Mountains the vast expanses of the desert unfold and life retreats to the sparse areas where water can be found. Springs and rivers provide the water that seeps out of the mighty mountains in the north. By sheer human effort lush oases have been created with the splendour of date palms and other fruit trees which provide protection against a merciless sun and produce an abundance of vegetables all year round. Here people live in kasbahs, mud brick castles with walls up to a meter thick. Every village is a fortress, some of them housing thousands of people. On the vast dusty plains the last nomads live in traditional goat hair tents surrounded by their herds of goats, sheep and camels. Especially in the oases many people are black. These are the descendants of people from Mali, Senegal and the Sudan who once crossed the great desert as traders or slaves.
The most important cultural divide in Morocco is the one between the cities and the rural areas. It is the divide between Arabs and Berbers, learning and simplicity, wealth and poverty. In the royal cities a culture of over a thousand years of Islamic architecture and scholarship frames the minds of the inhabitants. In the city exquisite carpets are woven, Islamic texts are calligraphied and golden jewellery of the utmost refinement is produced. The rural population weaves beautiful but crude kelims, forges rough silver ornaments and lives a life full of superstition and local beliefs rivalling the influence of Islam. In order to understand Morocco, you should experience both cities and villages.
Moroccans are intense people with a tendency to isolate themselves from the world at large. Thousands of years of extreme climate and the reign of ruthless warriors and sultans have taught them to mistrust everything outside the thick walls of their houses. Foreigners are viewed with a touch of suspicion and it takes time and effort to get to the hearts of these people. But once they open their houses to you, a great hospitality is offered which is second to none in the world. It takes time to get under Morocco ‘s skin, but once that happens it will get under your skin and Morocco will become a very special experience indeed.
Climate
Morocco has a varied climate with three distinct climate zones: coastal regions; interior mountains and plateaux; southern desert regions on the fringe of the Sahara .
Coastal regions have warm dry summers, with some rain the rest of the year. Winters are generally mild. The northern coast of Morocco has a Mediterranean climate, but rainfall can be heavy in winter. The coast is drier to the south of Rabat . Agadir has a narrow range of temperatures making it pleasant most of the year. Cold offshore currents cause some cloud and fog on the Atlantic Coast in summer.
The mountains experience hot, dry summers and harsh winters. Many parts of the High Atlas are under snow well into summer. At lower levels summers are hot, with low humidity. Winters are generally mild and sunny but winds from the mountains can cause chilly days.
The desert regions of the country have a dry climate, getting hotter and drier in summer to the south, but moderated by the sea to the west. The inland Sahara regions have very dry, hot summers that give way to warm sunny days and cold nights in winter.
