Morocco Info

ABOUT MOROCCO

Information About Morocco:

Morocco is in many ways a different country. It is situated on the northwestern tip of Africa, separated from the rest of the continent by the vast Sahara, and the High Atlas Mountains that divides the country to tow different parts. The climate, geography, and history are all more closely related to the Mediterranean than to the rest of Africa, and for this reason visitors are often struck by the odd sensation of having not quite reached Africa in Morocco. In the north, its fine beaches, lush highland valleys, and evocative old cities reinforce this impression. Yet, as one moves south and east, into and over the starkly beautiful ranges of the Atlases, Morocco’s Mediterranean character melts away like a mirage. The Sahara stretches out to the horizon, with its expanding valleys of palm groves towered with Kasbahs, Ksour and Agadirs on both banks of every river flowing from the mountains through the dark rocks, the vast Hamada and pink sand dunes building a very colorful desert image.

Fes, Meknes, and Marrakech are ancient imperial cities, the labyrinthine streets and passages of the old centuries medinas offer endless possibilities for exploration, taking the visitors far away in time through the middle-age and the ancient time of the Morish history; whereas Tangier and Casablanca, are the cities that could not keep their old routed but still preserving the nearest stories and history of the 20th century of the colonialism charm; can still be fascinating.

• Area: 710,850km²
• Ethnic Groups: Arab – Berber
• Capital: Rabat
• Country Code: 212
• Country Population: 33,500,000
• Credit Cards: Master Card and Visa are the predominant cards within the tourist areas in Morocco.
• Currency: Moroccan dirham (MAD)
• Departure Tax: There is no departure tax when leaving Morocco.
• Drives on the: Right
• Electricity: 220 – 240 V (European configuration)
• Official Language(s): Arabic, Amazigh
• Time Zone: WET (GMT+0)

Location: East Algeria, deep south- east Mauritania, north Mediterranean sea, west The Atlantic ocean, wonderful beaches, four mountain ranges with cascading waterfalls and plains to the threshold of the desert.

Religion: Islam is the official religion of Morocco, in a perfect coexistence with the other religions (freedom to practice other religions of revelation is guaranteed by the constitution).

Tipping: Tipping is acceptable in Morocco, however tourist restaurants in cities generally add 10% to their bills.

For taxis, rounding up to 5 dirhams on the final total, ie: if the total is 13 dirhams, pay 15. (in some cities fix the price, before using the service)

TIPS TO HELP YOU FOR A GREAT TRIP IN MOROCCO

We believe that a well informed tourist is safer. The more informed a tourist is the better and easier he enjoys the trip, which we conceder priority in our tour company. We would like to invite you to read and help reviewing and submitting relevant tips you feel will be helpful to the Morocco travelers.

Before Morocco :

1- Be aware of when your passport will expire. Morocco as any countries require validity of 6 months

2- Pack healthy snacks for your flights and stay hydrated.

3- Discuss your trip with your doctor. Note that some vaccinations might not work in some destinations. (e.g. high altitudes)

4- Carry all prescriptions, your medicines in their original containers. Do not forget to carry a copy of prescriptions in case your important medication is lost.

5- Do not forget to visit your dentist before you leave.

6- If you wear glasses take a spare pair.

7- If you wear contact lenses, bring glasses for the airplane. The recycled air and the wind of Sahara incase could dry out your eyes ,and make you uncomfortable.

8- If you have a hearing aid take extra batteries as they will possibly be hard to find.

9- Alert your credit card providers as to when, where and how long you will be travelling.

10- If travelling with a companion, swap extra credit cards. If you lose your wallet your companion will have your back up card. It is also a good idea to divvy up your travel cash and credit cards into multiple safe spots.

11- Have a record of your passport details that can easily be accessed in the case of loss.

12- Understand your insurance coverage for:

• loss of items
• cancellation of booked travel arrangements
• illness or accident while traveling

13- Make sure you know who to contact and how to make insurance claims to avoid any extra stress.

14- If you can’t afford travel insurance you can’t afford to travel. Young travellers are well known for not taking out adequate insurance.

15- On long distance flights. Medical experts recommend a walk and a stretch as often as possible, drink lots of water and avoid alcohol. Some doctors may also recommend aspirins.

16- Before each flight make sure you remove from your luggage old tags and barcode stickers and check you have contact details on both, the outside and inside of your luggage.

17- Smart suitcase packers bring clothes in neutral colors that can mix and match and only pack shoes that can be worn with multiple outfits. Make sure you pack comfortable walking shoes.

18- You may only carry liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) in your hand luggage in containers that have a maximum capacity of 100ml each, all packed in a re-sealable transparent plastic bag, capacity of the bag must not exceed one liter.

19- To avoid baggage fees, be aware of restrictions on the weight, size and number of bags you may take.(depends on each flight company) .

20- Take along a change of clothes in your carry on in the event your luggage gets delayed or lost, always pack a smart outfit. You never know when you will need it.

21- Use several “bright” and colorful labels for your check-in luggage, it will help you to identify them quickly at the carousel.

22- Get fit before you travel. The fitter you are the more fun you will have on your trip. (read 22 in Morocco)

23- . When travelling don’t stress too much as everything will probably work out in the end. Sticky situations can often work out to be a highlight of your trip, better work on your trip a bit before you travel that helps a lot to get less stressed.

24- Before travelling, ask your bank if they recommend using a certain bank’s ATM at your destination. When travelling abroad you may be able to withdraw cash with your bank card or take a cash advance from your credit card and pay no surcharges or access fees by using a certain bank’s machines.