Here you will find top tips to help with the practical side of travelling in Morocco. You can also read My Morocco Tales and Itineraries blog which will give you an example of where you can go and what you can get up too.
1. Currency and Costs
Local currency is Moroccan Dirham, 150 dirham is roughly about £11. A pint of beer will typically cost £1.95 and a meal in a mid-range restaurant for 2 will cost about £15.
2. How to Pay for ‘Stuff’
You can use visa and MasterCard (contact your bank to make sure your card will work in Morocco) however, you will need to carry some cash with you as not all places accept cards. We withdrew cash from the Marrakesh airport exchange desk (next to the luggage collection) because ATMs are hard to find outside of the cities.
You can also use international debit cards for card transactions and cash withdrawals, these are arguably better as they do not charge exchange rates.
3. How to Avoid Being Hustled & Scammed
Avoid men in the streets offering to provide you with directions and/or a tour. This of course is not a goodwill gesture and they will demand payment upon arrival which is usually a 2-minute walk around the corner. These guys can be very persistent and quite annoying, to shake them off try not to look lost and tell the hustler you know exactly where you are going because you have been here before. This is easier said than done when you are looking at your google maps in confusion and are actually walking in the opposite direction of all the tourist attractions! Get your bearings before you leave the hotel and be stern.
4. Dress Appropriately
You don’t need to legally cover up in Morocco, but we did choose to cover our shoulders and knees out of respect. We saved the bikinis and shorts for our terrace and the private beaches.
5. Learn to Haggle like a Moroccan
Haggling is part of the culture in Morocco, offer 10% of an asking price and then meet them somewhere in the middle.
6. When and What to Tip
Tipping is an integral part of Moroccan life. Although please don’t feel railroaded into tipping if you do not want to. Below gives you a guide on tipping amounts;
Cafes Dh2-5
Restaurants 10%
Private Drivers Dh70-150
Trekking Porters Dh20
7. Where You Can Drink Alcohol
If you are wanting something stronger than mint tea, the best option is to go to the top end hotels and restaurants. If it is night life you are after, Marrakesh, Casablanca and Tangier are the places to visit. Serving alcohol in Morocco’s medinas (old towns centres) are frowned upon and due to expensive licences finding a shop that sells alcohol is a challenge. If you want to buy alcohol from a shop you will need to go to one of the big supermarkets.
8. Language Expectations
The local languages are Arabic, Berber and French. English is not widely spoken outside of the holiday resorts and bigger cities.
9. Practicalities of Carrying Luggage
Depending on what you are doing and where you are staying it might be more practical to have a backpack or holdall. If you are moving around a fair bit and staying in the traditional parts of the cities (the medinas) your car will not be able to pull up outside of the hotel. Walking down the cobbled and very uneven streets with a big suitcase on wheels may not be the best choice.
10. Do Explore!
There are not many countries on this planet which offer diversity like Morocco. In this underrated country you will find lush green and rocky mountains, emerald lakes, star gazing deserts, gorgeous coastlines, surf swells, beaches galore, modern cosmopolitan cities and the hustle of traditional Moroccan towns. Get out of the holiday resorts and discover what this beautiful country has to offer.
I hope this blog helps! If you would like to know more about what you can get up too in Morocco see Morocco Tales and Itineraries
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