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What is the Moroccan Currency called?
What kind of clothes should I wear?
What is the food like?
Which language is spoken?
Should I bring gifts for the people I meet?
Helpful hints for photographers.
Must I bargain when I shop?
What about safety?
Which immunizations will I need? What is their currency called? What is the exchange rate for the American dollar? Once in the country, where can I get the best rate?
The Moroccan monetary unit is called the dirham. At the present time, July 2001, the American dollar buys 11.3 dirham. Rates vary little between banks, but some banks charge a fee per traveler's check which can add up to a considerable sum with the smaller denominations. Look for banks which don't charge a fee or bring the money you are sure to spend in large denominations.
Major credit cards are accepted in the larger hotels and almost all shops. ATM cards can be used in many cities even in the south.
Use a money belt for all your valuable papers, checks, passport and credit cards.
For an up to date currency conversion see the website www.oanda.com
What should I wear?
Covered is better. Moroccans appreciate respect shown for their culture. The Moroccans are covered and they look quite attractive. Loose, draped clothing enhances the human figure which too often needs all the enhancing it can get. Just compare a family of plumpish, pink, skimpily dressed tourists as they trundle about in the hot sun getting pinker and pinker to a Moroccan family dressed in flowing garments.
Men should avoid going bare-chested and neither sex should wear very short shorts. Walking shorts are fine for both sexes (knee length). Rather than sleeveless blouses or dresses, women should wear short sleeves. Skirts or jeans are equally accepted. Good walking shoes are necessary. Take only the jewelry you can't do without.
What is the food like?
In a word, delicious. Salads are lovely; fresh, succulent vegetables served with light vinaigrette on the side. Harira is the Moroccan word for a thick vegetable soup. A particularly delicious one contains a bread dumpling. Main courses are usually one of the following: grilled meat on skewers often served with French fries; couscous, either vegetarian or meat with vegetables; and Tagine, the Moroccan stew, usually meat, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and spices. Moroccan cooks use a mélange of spices such as cumin, turmeric, paprika, saffron and pepper for a subtly flavored cuisine. In the Sahara you can find 'Berber pizza'. This is a double crusted pie filled with meat, hard boiled eggs, almonds and spices. Sometimes rather peppery, Berber pizza is best eaten with glass after glass of hot, sweet, mint tea.
Every seaport has freshly caught fish prepared by the fishermen on or near the piers. Do not miss this treat!
Fresh fruit is served for dessert; pomegranates, melons, bananas, apples, oranges and dates all produced in Morocco and all bursting with flavor.
One ongoing benefit of the French occupation are the fresh baguettes available nearly everywhere. Pastries both French and Moroccan are available in the many bakeries. What language is spoken?
The official language is Moroccan Arabic which is quite different from the Arabic of the Middle East. French is the second language of the country with Berber spoken by the Berber peoples especially in the south. The Moroccans seem to have a finely tuned ear and can mimic the speech of almost anyone. Those who come into contact with tourists have taught themselves to converse in all the major languages. You will be humbled by their abilities especially if you have taken a language course and still can't carry on a conversation in anything other than your mother tongue. To put it plainer, you really don't need to speak French or Arabic, but there will be times when life would be much easier if you knew a few words. Bring a French or Moroccan Arabic phrase book. Should I bring gifts for the people I meet?
Yes, if you know there will be an occasion where you will need to give a gift. If you are to be a guest of a middle class family, then a gift would be in order.
If you should serendipitously be invited to spend some time with a poor family, they would appreciate money which should be given to the member of the family with whom you have the closest relationship. Of course, you will have some appropriate little 'speech' to soften what could be interpreted as 'paying for hospitality'.
It is common to leave a few dollars with any nomad family who has invited you into their tent for tea. Give it to your guide and he will give it to them. They always need cash to buy tea, sugar or other necessities.
What about pens, pencils, or candy for children?
Moroccans have told me that they don't appreciate tourists giving out these gifts as it encourages the children to expect something from every tourist effectively turning them into beggars. These items given to family members with whom you have visited are welcome, however. Photography:
What film should I take?
If you are outside you can use ASA 100 or slower for landscapes. If you are deep within a Kasbah or inside a nomad's tent you will need to push your ASA 3200 or use a flash. If you only bring one type of film, make it color. And bring a good supply, although color print film is sold almost everywhere now if you do run out. Black and white film may be difficult to find.
Morocco is practically synonymous with color. Deep blue skies contrast with golden sands, the green of the palmeries with the red hues of the mountains, tiles of blues, reds and yellows against walls of indigo blue, an orange turban paired with a dark Jellaba with a purple hue... color film is a must.
Black and white is great for the drama of indoors. The rugged faces of nomads in their tents, the black tunnels of the Kasbahs with stabs of bright sunlight gleaming off gowned men and women as they sweep through the labyrinthine passages, hennaed hands, the latticed shadows of the market place combined with the beauty of the people will guarantee that you will bring home pictures worthy of hanging on your walls. Will I be able to photograph the people? It won't be easy. If you have the time to wait until you become inconspicuous, you will probably get what you want. However, even if your subject is not aware of your camera, someone else will be and he/she will warn that person. Then you may be the recipient of a lecture or a demand for money. You can either leave or ask the person to pose in exchange for a small amount of money. Make sure that they understand that you will take several exposures for that agreed upon sum. Otherwise, they will expect that amount of money for each exposure.
It is somewhat daunting to go through this procedure every time you want to take a picture. If you have a guide, he can intercede for you, approach the subject, help with any negotiations concerning money and translate your instructions regarding posing.
It is difficult if not impossible to photograph women unless they are unaware of you. Sometimes they will agree if you offer to pay. However, oftentimes their husband will appear out of nowhere in high dudgeon and demand that you stop. This you must do. Women can be frightened of the camera for fear of what her husband will say or do if he finds out that she has allowed her picture to be taken. Even a guide cannot help you here.
Do not be discouraged. With charm and sincere appreciation of their culture, Moroccans can change from seemingly hostile to hospitable in seconds. It's up to you to bridge the gap.
Although many professional photographers feel that they should not have to pay for any photographs they have taken, it seems only fair to compensate some people who have in reality 'modeled' for you. You have paid a great deal of money to travel to Morocco in order to have some unique photos, why not compensate the people who have made this possible? IS IT SAFE?
What about women traveling alone?
The Hollywood fantasy of the a guttural whisper of "Come wiz me to ze Kasbah" is just that a fantasy. Just as in the west, a person's demeanor conveys a message. Purposeful, confident behavior does tend to discourage unwanted comments.
Some young women who were traveling alone, riding the bus and having a budget of only a few dollars per day for accommodations, said that the harassment consisted of wanting to chat her up, giving her compliments such as telling her how many camels she is worth, or remarking on her beauty. It wasn't so much what was said, but the fact that the western women couldn't have a moment's peace. When one fellow stopped, another soon took his place. According to these women, the way to avoid unwelcome intrusions on buses etc. is to sit with some older women. Picking up a friend in Essaouira
Very little alcohol is consumed by Moroccans. The mere fact that public drunkenness is rare cuts down on any untoward acts. Moroccans are for the most part religious and will treat you with kindness. They are eager to know you, often inviting you into their home where you will sit with the family, drink tea while you smile and utter your meager French over and over. (Merci, trés bon and trés jolie are stock phrases good for almost any social situation).
It's true that some of these invitations into homes are for the purpose of selling you something. And you can have an uncomfortable time extricating yourself from an intimidating salesman. If you are traveling alone, it is hard to avoid at least one of these encounters, but you are none the worse for it and in the long run are better prepared for the next encounter.
Being in the company of a Moroccan friend such as Euromaroc Travel team will ensure that no Moroccan man will approach you in the hopes of selling you something or being your guide. Euromaroc Travel guides will be your expeditor for any situation, from a problem with your hotel room to pointing out the shops where you will most likely find the best buys. Safety on the highway
Farmers appear out of nowhere to help a stranded motorist.
Moroccan roads are the best in Africa with this caveat: most are one lane with no shoulder. It is sometimes like a game of chicken with the smallest chicken giving way. Trucks, buses and taxis bear down on smaller vehicles and there is no choice but to slow down and get at least two wheels off the pavement. Much of the time you have the road to yourself, but you must be watchful for animals, children or even adults who might cross the road in front of you.
Morocco is a safe place both for tourists and for her own citizens. You will find the people helpful, charming and welcoming. Their kindness and generous hospitality will amaze you. The dreaded "B" word....Bargaining.
The best way to be a successful bargainer is to know the going price of the article you are interested in buying. How can you know this? Here at home, you can research Moroccan goods in specialty shops in the larger cities. You can go to flea markets where you will probably find someone who makes a living selling goods imported from Morocco. Not that this person will tell you what he paid, but you know he is asking a 100% markup including the shipping. The best bargainer I ever saw is a friend of mine who likes ethnic jewelry and goes to gem shows frequently. When she came up against a Moroccan jewelry salesmen, the poor guy had a melt down. He kept insisting she was not American but Moroccan. you really don't need to speak French or Arabic, but there will be times when life would be much easier if you knew a few words. Bring a French or Moroccan Arabic phrase book. Should I bring gifts for the people I meet?
Yes, if you know there will be an occasion where you will need to give a gift. If you are to be a guest of a middle class family, then a gift would be in order.
If you should serendipitously be invited to spend some time with a poor family, they would appreciate money which should be given to the member of the family with whom you have the closest relationship. Of course, you will have some appropriate little 'speech' to soften what could be interpreted as 'paying for hospitality'.
It is common to leave a few dollars with any nomad family who has invited you into their tent for tea. Give it to your guide and he will give it to them. They always need cash to buy tea, sugar or other necessities.
What about pens, pencils, or candy for children?
Moroccans have told me that they don't appreciate tourists giving out these gifts as it encourages the children to expect something from every tourist effectively turning them into beggars. These items given to family members with whom you have visited are welcome, however. Immunizations
The Travel Nurse at your local Health Department can not only tell you what immunizations you will need but she can administer most of them. And she can provide information on precautions to take while in the country which will help you have an illness free holiday.
You can also look this information up on the website www.cdc.gov.
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