Language:  The official language is Classical Arabic but Morocco has a distinctive Arabic dialect called Derija that is widely spoken throughout the country, while most of the words find their root in Standard Arabic, some words are borrowed from Spanish, French and Berber.  French, Spanish and English are spoken in many cities and towns popular with tourists.   You can usually find someone who understands enough of your own language to get the information you need. Moroccans are very friendly and hospitable, so try saying "salamu 'aleykum" (peace be upon you) and "insh'allah" (God willing).  Here is a link to some basic Moroccan Arabic.

People and Culture:   Moroccans are known for their warmth, humour, openness and sociability. Your experience will be shaped by the great tradition of hospitality during your encounters with ordinary Moroccans, in cosmopolitan cities and remote villages alike.  

If you are invited to eat with a family, you will typically sit on the floor and eat from a communal plate, placed in the middle of a small table - eat with your right hand. Utensils are not used although, as a visitor, you are likely to be offered a fork or spoon. . If you are invited to a home you should try to take a small gift such as fruit, nuts or sweet pastries.

Although Morocco is considered more relaxed than many other Muslim countries you still need to be respectful of the culture and traditions of the local people.

Dress: In the cities of Marrakech, Fes, Agadir, Casablanca etc., Moroccan men and women often dress as they would on the streets of European countires. However, outside of the cities and especially in the rural villages, we recommend that you follow local tradition where both men and women cover their knee (shorts or skirt) and shoulders. (short-sleeved T-shirts).

In the High Atlas mountains, a warm jacket and long pants are needed for desert and High Atlas nights outside of the summer months. For winter, a warm coat, thermal underwear, a hat, gloves and wool socks are essential. A windproof jacket is also essential for walking treks in the desert or in the Atlas mountains.

Food:  Moroccan cuisine is delicious and offers you traditional dishes such as harira (tasty and nourishing bean soup traditionally served for breakfast), tagine (succulent meat cooked with spices and vegetables in a conical shaped pot), meschui (whole roasted sheep/goat), tangia, a Marrakech specialty, couscous, fresh salads and fruits, hot steaming bread and other delicacies. Café au lait, or café "nous-nous' with pastries is a popular pastime in the street side cafes and mint tea awaits you wherever you go.

Water: in the cities is fine for washing and brushing teeth etc., but we do not recommend that you drink quantities of tap or well water. Excellent bottled mineral water is available everywhere.

Alcohol:  Although an Islamic country, alcohol is available but respect has to be shown by not overdoing it or making a big show of it.  In the big cities there are plenty of bars and all modern hotels sell alcohol. In the Marrakech Medina (old walled city) licensed bars are very rare. In the new quarter there are numerous bars and clubs where alcohol is served. Here you find the “off-licences” and most people will tell you where they are. Moroccan wines are very good.  Outside of the cities, apart from tourist hotels, alcohol is almost impossible to locate so stock up at the off-licence before you set off. Hashish is smoked pretty openly but you should keep in mind that it is illegal to buy or smoke hashish. 

Shopping: Shopping in Morocco can be an challenge rather than a casual pass-time. A visit to the souk (a market consisting of hundreds of tiny shops), will possibly involve sharing a glass of mint tea with the merchants while you examine variety and quality of the craftsmanship, and haggle for a bargain. All this takes time. Enjoy, it can be a lot of fun.

Moroccans are very skilled salesman - if you do not want to buy something from every shop that you enter you must learn to say no.  If you do not want to buy anything and are approached by a salesman just smile and say “non merci” and walk on. The shopkeepers will offer you mint tea and to sit in the cool of the shop, they will offer you a very good price. the last price and the best price.  Keep in mind that it is unlikely you will get any real bargains, the salesman are very practiced.  It is good fun to bargain but you should only bargain for items that you are willing to buy and you should know how much you are willing to pay and keep to your price.

Guides and Drivers: Regulations govern guides, drivers and vehicles licensed to work with tourists in Morocco. Each driver and vehicle has to be registered and carry the associated permits.  Police checkpoints regularly stop and check for the correct paperwork. Guides are licensed according to district and activity: ie: mountain guides, Marrakech city guides, etc.

You will be approached by a self-proclaimed guides - commonly known as ‘false guides. Most false guides are just trying to make a small tip and mean you no harm but they can be relentless and persistent in their offer to guide you.  False guides are practiced and skilful and you will need to be firm in your insistence that you do not want a guide.  If the harassment continues, do make an obvious attempt to seek out a policeman. You can ask at a nearby shop where you can find the police -  strict controls have been brought in where being hassled is illegal and the tourist police are constantly on patrol to ensure this is adhered to.

We do highly recommend that you consider hiring a licensed guide for tours in Fes and Marrakech. Not only will you not get continually lost, the authorised guides have considerable knowledge of the history and architecture and will ensure you get to experience the many different areas of the medina. The guide will get a commission on anything that you buy. You can make it clear to the guide at the start of the tour what, if any, shopping you are interested in.

Tipping: Most services are performed with the aim of getting a few dirham, but aggressive hustling shouldn't be rewarded.  Generally a tip of 10 to 20 dirham is suitable for porters, direction givers and photo posers.  Restaurants, bars, clubs and coffee shop staff expect tips from tourists and Moroccans. Assuming satisfactory service, this is usually 2-5 Moroccan dirham for small checks, and around 10% for larger checks. Most hospitality staff are not paid very well, so they rely heavily on tips for their income. A tip of 10 to 20% is usual practice for drivers and guides.

Climate: Temperatures in Morocco are generally high, particularly during the summer months (May to September), when the sun can be fierce and temperatures are at industrial levels, so take plenty of sunscreen, cover up and drink lots of water!   In winter (October to February), it does become cooler, especially in the evenings - so take a jacket, long-sleeved tops and trousers. In the High Atlas and the desert it can become very cold in winter, especially at night and some peaks can remain snow capped from November to July. Pack plenty of warm clothes.

We recommend you check the five day weather forecast online before packing to get an accurate idea of the temperature. Check the weather  http://www.climate-zone.com/climate/morocco/

Visa Requirements: Passport holders from Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom do not need a visa to enter Morocco.  For passport holders from other countries check http://morocco.visahq.com  

                               

Currency: Moroccan Dirham. Check the exchange rate http://www.gocurrency.com/countries/morocco.htm

Electricity: Morocco voltage is 220V, 50 Hz (two pin round plugs).  Always check your laptop or electronic items to make sure they can handle 100-240 volts

Mobile phones: Morocco has excellent coverage for mobile phones on the GSM system and you will be surprised where they do work. Naturally there are areas with no signal (parts of the mountains and desert). Most villages also have pay phones where there is someone in attendance and with vast piles of coins to feed into the phone.

Email and Internet: The internet is very well served in the big cities with Broadband systems and there are internet cafés all over. An hour in an internet café is about €1. Outside of the cities you will be surprised by where you will find access to the internet. In keeping with Europe etc, modern hotels can charge large sums to access Wi-Fi so ask for the rate first.

Ramadan is in the 9th and most important month in the Islamic Calendar. During this time Muslims abstain from eating, drinking or smoking until after sundown on each day. As a traveller of course you don't need to follow this, but some Muslims appreciate that you don't take meals or smoke in public places. Many restaurants and cafes won't open until after sundown and public transport may be less frequent, shops close earlier before sunset and the pace of life is generally slower.  Check the dates for ramadan and other Muslim holidays  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_holidays#Calendar

Begging: You will see people begging on the streets and you should consider giving your loose change. Persistent begging is not encouraged, and once you have refused, if the requests continue, it is OK to ignore them and move on. We do not encourage giving money or sweets to children as this may encourage them to beg and become too trusting of strangers.