Morocco: what you need to know before you go
Morocco is becoming a more popular tourist destination within the last few years and for good reason. This country has many different things to offer from mountains to beaches to deserts, Morocco has many things to offer all travelers. There are some things that you should know before you go to this amazing country, here are my top travel tips for Morocco.
Language
The official languages of Morocco are Arabic and Berber, however many Moroccans speak several languages. Due to Moroccos close location to Europe, Spanish and French are spoken by many locals as well. Some locals do speak English, but it is more limited especially within the more rural areas.
Getting into the country
If you are staying less than 90 days and have proof of a return flight, most visitors do not need a Moroccan visa.
Carry extra cash
The Moroccan currency is the dirham (MAD). One US dollar is equal to around 9 MAD. Morocco is a cash based society. While large hotels, nice restaurants and stores will accept credit cards, most small stores and in rural areas will expect everything to be in cash. This becomes more difficult in small towns where it can be difficult to find an ATM. It’s a good idea to stock up on cash while in large cities if you are going to be exploring more rural areas.
Tipping
Tipping is typically expected in tourist areas, whether this is a hotel or restaurant. In the Riads, typically you have one person taking care of all of your needs and that is who you tip during your hotel stay. Should be about 30-60 MAD/day depending on how many people and how much you use them. For restaurants, plan on tipping about 10%. Tipping is even expected for the bathroom attendant who typically expect 1-2 MAD/person.
Careful with photos
A lot of Moroccans, prefer not to have their photo taken due to religious reasons. A good habit, no matter where you are, is to ask before you take a photo of anyone. Often just pointing to your camera is enough to get the point across even if you don’t speak the language. If a local does allow you to take a photo, be prepared to give a small tip for it.
Religion
Morocco is predominantly a Muslim country and this will be evident in many things. It is expected (even of tourists) to dress more modest than is typical for other countries. While you won’t be expected to cover your face or head, its a good idea to cover your knees and shoulders. Essaouira and Marrakech have more of a European flare and you could probably get away with shorts there, but otherwise try to keep covered up.
There are many mosques all over Morocco, unfortunately only a few allows for non-muslims to enter. Friday is their holy day, so expect some places to be closed.
As Morocco is a Muslim country, depending on where you are alcohol may be limited. In new areas of cities and large hotels, alcohol is typically widely available. However in small towns or in the old parts of cities, it may be more difficult to find alcohol.
Don’t Drink the water
It’s best not to drink the water while you are in Morocco. Unless you are staying at a nice hotel and they tell you it is safe, best to avoid the unneeded stress. This also means avoiding ice and uncooked foods. Especially in Marrakech, they have many locals selling what is supposed to be fresh squeezed juice. Our guide told us that while some are all juice, most add in water to dilute it. You don’t want your trip ruined due to one meal.
Leave your drones at home
There are no drones allowed within Morocco unless you have a special permit. It is best to just leave it at home. If you do bring a drone into the country, you will likely be forced to leave it at the airport.
Careful with overly friendly locals
It is not uncommon to be approached by locals who are overly friendly offering free tours or directions. While you may benefit from them, you may be asked for money. Our guide told us stories of people being taken on a tour by a local of Fez, but then asked for high amounts of money in order to get them back to their hotel. In Marrakech, the monkey tamers are known for putting monkeys on unsuspecting tourist and demanding a tip to get them off. Overall, we felt safe walking around all of the different cities we went to but we kept our guard up for these kind of scams when we were there.
