travel tips | morocco (eng.)

MOROCCO

TRAVEL TIPS

VISÃO GERAL ATRAÇÕESTRANSPORTE COMPRAS ONDE FICAR ONDE COMEROVERVIEW ATTRACTIONSTRANSPORTATION SHOPPINGWHERE TO STAY WHERE TO EAT

OVERVIEW

Situated in the northwest of the African continent, Morocco is absolutely charming, a place where you can live incredible life experiences. It is a country with a lot of different sceneries, but complete pleasant to any type of tourist. With endless possibilities, a journey through Morocco will challenge all your senses.

Morocco is simply fascinating. It is a country that surprises those who think that will find only desert landscapes. There are many natural attractions, like waterfalls 60 feet high, centenarians cedar forests, as well as more than a thousand miles of coastline with clear waters. But you can also visit, of course, the famous deserts.

Surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, Marocco is a kingdom with a lot of different sceneries with many attractions.

It may be a sunset in the Sahara Desert or the peaks over 4000 meters in the Atlas mountains or buildings Terracotta Marrakesh. There is also the market of Fez, the beaches of Essaouira. This country is one of the most famous destinies in Africa.

Each moment of your trip will be unforgettable with the exotic and intense cultural exchange, after all, Morocco is unique. It is a mixture of African, European and Muslim cultures. Different than what people think, these people are very friendly. Mostly, the population is made up of Berbers that means free men in Arabic. Islam is the most important religion in the country, but it is still possible to find a minority of Jews and Christians. Arabic is the official language and French the second most spoken language. It is widely used in business.

DUFRY TRAVEL TIPSMOROCCO

It is important to remember that the use of shorts, mini-skirts and low-cut blouses should be avoided. Although they are not fundamentalists, local customs must be respected.

There are post offices at all the Moroccan cities and you can identify them by the initial PTT. You can buy stamps, send telegrams and make phone calls there.

Remember that, if you enter into a Moroccan home, the first thing to do is remove your shoes. It’s also normal to eat with your hands, but do not forget to use the right hand because the left is the one used in the bath (according to local culture).

Spanish is also widely spoken in the north of the country. The English, now the universal language, is spoken fairly well by young Moroccans.

It is conservative, welcoming and one of the safest countries in Africa. Its main cities are Fez, Marrakesh, Meknes and the capital, Rabat. All of them are historical and imperial.

It is a perfect place for nature lovers. It’s spectacular contrast of the landscapes can provide this haven on earth. You can find very different landscapes, from epic historic towns to mountain ranges. There is also the warm sands of the Sahara desert and the snowy peaks of the Rif mountains. Going south there are many sand dunes where you can visit the oasis.

The climate varies according to each region. On the coast, winter is mild and humid and summer is moderately hot. In the countryside, at night is extremely cold and boiling hot during the day. On the coast, you will feel the Mediterranean climate, at the mountainous areas, the continental climate and the subtropical climate down south. It snows in October at the peaks of the Rif and Atlas.

In Marrakesh, the average temperature in the summer (July) is about 38°C. In the spring (April), is around 24°C. It rains a little bit during the winter (February) and the temperature can reach 10ºC on the Mediterranean coast. The rest of the year is sunny and the temperature can reach 50ºC in the desert.

The best time to visit Morocco is from October to April because it is winter there, so the temperature is mild. If you can, avoid the summer time (July-August), besides being too crowded, the temperature is extremely high.

TRANSPORT

It is very easy to travel around Morocco. It may be by train, bus, shared or conventional taxis. Every day there are hundreds of taxis available for various destinations.

TRAINThe railway system works very well but is not fast nor on time. There are several lines, with destinations like Tangier - Marrakesh, Tangier - Fez, Tanger - Rabat, Casablanca - Meknes, and many other destinations. There are tickets


for first and second class and also cabins with beds. In www.oncf.ma site (in French) you can find the schedule, prices and other information. Departing from Marrakech to Rabat, first class is 185 dirham, about USD 22.

SHARED TAXIThis is known as ‘grand taxi’ in which cars are bigger, like vans, that take several people at once. These are not very comfortable, but will provide you with intense emotions on the roads. They drive through specific routes, with fixed prices for each route. They are the only ones allowed to carry passengers beyond the limits of cities.

CONVENTIONAL TAXIAlso known as ‘petit’, these taxis are cheap and they are everywhere. It is better to negotiate the price before leaving, because their taximeter often do not work. It is worth negotiating and bargaining.

BUSThis service is a bit precarious, but there are bus routes between major cities that are comfortable and fairly recent. There are also routes between small towns in the mountains, but are rather dubious. A ticket from Marrakesh to Essaouira costs 70 dirham, about USD 8.


ATTRACTIONS

There are countless attractions that you cannot miss. This quick and efficient Moroccan Top 10 can help you:

1 - VISIT THE SAHARA DESERTThe Sahara Desert is a very special place that will provide unforgettable moments during your vacation in Morocco. It is important to choose an agency for local tours so that everything goes perfectly well and there shouldn’t be no worries.

2 - WALK THROUGH A KASBAHKasbah are impressive buildings and they hardly go unnoticed. They played for a long time the role of castles, like fortresses, they were places of refuge. Nowadays, many of them became hotels, others remain as residences.

3 - RIDE A CAMELNot one of the most comfortable experiences that you will have in your life, but worth a try. Especially if you take a local guide, he will surely cheer your journey up with the joy of a typical Berber.

4 - ADMIRE THE CASCADES D’OUZOUDOne of the most spectacular sceneries are the Cascades d’Ouzoud, which attract many visitors. The waterfall is particularly impressive. The water falls from the top of the red cliffs and hit several bumps to get to the canyon of Wadi el-Abid, a hundred feet below. Visitors can admire the majestic succession of waterfalls and the permanent rainbow through the mist. It is situated 150 km from Marrakech, in the province of Azilal.


5 - VISIT MAZAGANOn the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, stands out with its ancient church of the Assumption in Manueline architecture. However, the fortress shows the mix between European and Moroccan cultures, in architecture, the technology and urban planning. It is located in El Jadida, 230 km north of Marrakesh.

6 - ENJOY THE LEGACY OF TANGIERKnown as the “Gateway to Africa”, it is one of the most vibrant, mysterious and interesting cities of Morocco. This city attracts people from around the world with its magic and charm. Make sure you visit the traditional bazaars, snake charmers, musicians and do not forget the gardens of the Sultan.

7 - VISIT THE FAMOUS MOVIE STUDIOS IN QUARZAZATEKnown as the ‘Star Path’, it is famous for its movie studios where many movies have been shot, such as the scene of Lawrence d’Arabia, Gladiator, and many others. Quarzazate is considered the Mecca of Morocco. The city has many good hotels. This town is charming, and every corner is a new mystery.

8 - VISIT ONE OF THE BEACHES OF TETOUANFrom the north, along the Mediterranean Sea, Rif Crescent is the name given to a beach situated on the eastside of Tetuan. This beach is known for the contrast of the Rif mountains and the sea. Farther east is the bay of Al Hoceima which offers a magnificent beach

called Blue Pearl. It is known for its beauty and delicate sand. On the Atlantic shore, the beaches are even more numerous.

9 - VISIT FEZA truly museum of medieval architecture, Fez is the oldest imperial capital of the country. World Heritage Site, the city is divided into three parts, Fez el Bali, the old medina with its mosques, markets, dry cleaners and museums; Fez el Jedid, with its ancient Jewish quarter and the Royal Palace, and the Ville Nouvelle, built by the French where is located many hotels and restaurants.

10 - ENJOY MARRAKESHThis is the country’s third largest city. It is where you can find snake charmers, monkey handlers, rug weavers, Berber musicians, all of

them mixed with the heavy traffic people and scooters, under the smoke emanating from the booths of Djemaa El-Fna square and the sound the so-called ‘muezzin’ for the five daily prayers. It is a true exoticism of Morocco, with the palm oasis, beautiful gardens and imposing mosques, where the souks (markets) are the protagonists of the party.


WHERE TO STAY

You can find many good options of comfortable hotels in Morocco. Many tourists visit the cities thoughout the year, therefore the country offer a good infrastructure of hotels. There are hotels of all categories, hotels, riads, campsites, guesthouses and even private homes.

There is accommodation for any taste and price. You can pay $ 4 to stay in a terrace of a hotel in Marrakesh or spend $ 130 a night in a riad (traditional Moroccan house or palace

with an interior garden). A room in a hostel can cost between 13 and 40 dollars. In the countryside down south, the hotels may be less comfortable. For those who are more adventurous, choose the hostels in the desert.

Do not worry about the hotel rating, because some that say that is the four and five star hotels do not match exactly to the rate. However, you will also find hotels with magnificent swimming pools and great service.


DINING OUT

There are many restaurants in Morrocco. Everytime you get to a city there will be dozens of small cafes and restaurants that can prepare meals, small salads and omelettes. It’s almost impossible not to find a place where you can get something to eat.

The Moroccan cuisine is one of the only that can unite all the senses at once, because it has a vibrant color, unmistakable aroma and a surpassing flavor. The cuisine in Morocco is very rich in flavors, combining fresh ingredients, especially vegetables, fruit and almonds, with exotic spices. This occurs because of the influence of other cuisines, such as Middle Eastern and French, for example.

One of the traditional dishes is the famous couscous (semolina-based boiled to steam, with a stew of lamb or chicken with vegetables). Almost all restaurants serve Moroccan couscous on Fridays. There is also the mechoui (roast lamb), the tajine (stew of lamb, veal, poultry or fish, served with various trimmings) and the Bastille or pastilla (phyllo pastry stuffed with meat and almonds).

They usually begin their meals with the harira (a soup made of lentils, chickpeas, lamb, tomatoes and vegetables). The desserts are equally rich and the local drink is tea. Strong,


sweet and seasoned with mint, the tea is offered as a welcome drink in the homes of locals. Even when it is warm, it can be very refreshing. At least once a day every tourist will b invited to have a cup of tea. Although most of the time it is to invite you to come into a store or just a nice gesture, it is polite to accept. It is very rare to serve alcoholic beverages. It is recommended to drink only bottled or boiled water. Even in hotels, because it contains large number of minerals. This is no problem for locals, they are used to it, but for tourists, drinking tap water can lead to an uncomfortable stomachache.

SHOPPING

Shopping in Morocco can be really fun! Bargain at the booths will be a very unique souvenir of your trip. There are souvenir shops from the government in the major cities, called the Ensemble Artisanal. This country preserves the traditional handcraft, passing from generation to generation, that can be proven in large markets.

Besides the traditional tourist souvenirs, you can find: dates, leather garments, ceramics, wood, Argania oil and products made from it, such as soaps and cosmetics. There is also the birad, traditional Moroccan teapots. The djellabah is the classic tunic. These are pieces with different textures due to temperature variation. There are rugs that represent the beauty of ancient weaving colors and

shapes. They are produced in various regions of Morocco. The gold or silver is sold by the weight. Essaouira has a wide variety of sculptures and other crafts. It is worth to remind you that you need to bargain, dealers will never tell the true price of the product, they often ask ‘how much it is worth to you? “And still get offended if you do not negotiate the price.

Casablanca is the industrial and commercial in Morocco center, it’s the largest and busiest port. The enormous Hassan II Mosque, the third largest in the world after Mecca and Medina is one of the two of Morocco open to non-Muslims Mosque. But this city is even more popular when it comes to religious shopping. Besides the traditional Moroccan souvenirs,Casablanca has many stores. In Maarif you can find some famous brands.Ghraleef Derb is a cluster of small tents that offer from cell phones to designer clothes. The famous Marché Central or Central Market is great for buying seafood, pasta and condiments, in addition to handicrafts and souvenirs. There is only one department store, at avenue Mers-Sultan.

STREET MARKETSAll markets of Morocco are fulfilled and you can find everything. The most amazing thing is that all goods are divided by specialties. There are specific regions for each kind of craft, brass artifacts, clothing stores, spices, leather goods and carpets, an unbelievable excitement. A word of advice: make purchases in the morning. A Muslim


superstition says that if the seller loses the first sale of the day he won’t have good luck for the rest of the day. They will do anything to sell, even at very low prices.

The souk in Marrakesh is a place north of the square Jemma El Fna, where people sell everything. Souk means market in Arabic. It can be seen as a fair or a daily market where they sell everything: there are linens, teapots and tea cups, handmade rugs, natural herbs, leather bags, flashlights and even copper bathtubs. It is an atmosphere of color and smells that no image can show what it really is.

The Medina Fes-el-Bali, Fez is a huge labyrinth of narrow streets and alleys with crowds of people dressed in colorful tribal clothing, olive merchants, women with veils on their way to a Turkish Bath (steam bath), merchants and sellers. This is the city known for the typical handcraft and the artist show their work in an organized exhibition in Medina. The streets are so narrow that people usually ride donkey or bikes, that is also how the objects are delivered.

CURRENCYThe local currency is the dirham (Dhs). There are notes of 10, 50, 100 and 200 DH and coins of 1, 2 and 5 HD and 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents. The exchange, such as traveler checks can be done in airports and at most hotels (the official rate) and it is important to keep the receipt of the currency exchange so that, when you leave the country, it may be requested the exchange rate for foreign currency dirhams.

The most common credit cards are accepted in many hotels, restaurants and shops, and only in theBanque Crédit du Maroc operations can be done with them. The euro check is more difficult because they are accepted at only one bank in each major city.

212177

1519

COUNTRY CODE

EMERGENCIES ON THE ROAD

FIRE STATION

POLICE

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

RABAT

05 37 80 80 90MARRAKESH

05 24 44 79 10

TOURIST INFORMATION

05 24 43 61 31

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

travel tips | morocco (eng.)

Documents