South-Morocco From desert to sea Trip code: Group size: Number of days: SMC 4-24 15 Detailed description Welcome Travel through Morocco s high mountains, harsh desert and paradise-like green oases to Berber meeting-places and the medieval medinas of Marrakech and Taroudant. Explore the labyrinths of oriental sultans cities and their picturesque covered markets and sleep in a nomad tent on the edge of the Sahara. Day to Day schedule Below is a summary of the day-to-day description. Transport Route Overnight stay 1 Marrakech Marrakech 2 Marrakech Marrakech 3 Marrakech Marrakech 4 Bus Marrakech Aït Benhaddou Aït Benhaddou 5 Bus Aït Benhaddou Merzouga Merzouga 6 Merzouga Merzouga 7 Bus Merzouga Todra Gorges Todra Gorges 8 Todra Gorges Todra Gorges 9 Bus Todra Gorges Ouarzazate Ouarzazate 10 Bus Ouarzazate Taroudant Taroudant 11 Taroudant Taroudant 12 Bus Taroudant Essaouira Essaouira 13 Essaouira Essaouira 14 Bus Essaouira Casablanca Casablanca
15 Casablanca Day to Day description Day 1: Marrakech Welcome to Morocco! Your tour starts in Marrakech, where you can use your hotel room from check in time (12.00 hrs at noon) on day 1. Most of your travel companions will arrive later this first day, the exact time will be depending on their flight schedule. You will meet your English speaking tour leader at 8.00 hrs A.M. on day 2 in the lobby of your hotel but we recommend that you also try and make contact this evening, after 20.00 hrs. Day 2: Marrakech Free day. The vibrant colours of Marrakech are displayed through its people and the markets. The famous Djemaa el-fna square is the place of storytellers, snake charmers and daredevil performers. The old city walls of Marrakech are largely preserved continually strengthened and you can take a trip to see these walls in a horse-drawn carriage (still a normal means of transport here). The city walls conceal mosques, old palaces and sultans tombs such as the Bahia palace, the residence of a grand vizier and a wonderful example of Andalusian-Moorish architecture. The quiet central courtyard with its fountains and mosaic floor and garden full of palms and orange trees contrasts strongly with the surrounding kasbah. Day 3: Marrakech Our last day to enjoy this enchanting city before heading on our journey to the ksar or fortified city of Aït Benhaddou. For those interested, you can join a full day excursion to visit Imlil, a village in the High Atlas, which has excellent walking. A local guide will accompany you and lunch is included. TIP: Another possibility is to attend a crash course in Moroccan cuisine, in a beautiful Riad. It takes half a day, and of course participants are invited to enjoy the self-prepared food afterwards. Day 4: Marrakech ± Aït Benhaddou Passing the 4000m high, snow dusted mountain peaks our long journey to Ait Benhaddou will take us through the green foothills of the High Atlas to the picturesque Berber village of Taddert. At a height of 1600m it is the perfect spot for a coffee break surrounded by fields, poplar and large walnut trees. Berber women work the fields and often bear tattoos as a sign of the tribe they belong to. The Tizi-n-Tichka pass lies at a height of 2260m and from here you have a wonderful view of the bare hills in the south signalling the desert ± the only green that is to be seen lies along the riverbeds. In the course of the afternoon, one of the largest kasbah complexes in the country looms swathed in an atmosphere of total tranquillity. You will spend the night in an attractive Kasbah style hotel before travelling through the spectacular Atlas range to the kasbah of Aït Benhaddou. End of tour in Casablanca
Day 5: Aït Benhaddou ± Merzouga First we will pass through black, rocky, mountains, to the Draa River oasis, an area that resembles the Grand Canyon. In the oasis town of Agdz you can stop to take a look at the weekly market (depending on the day of the week), and spend some time in the company of the inhabitants of the remote villages. Berber women have heavy silver jewellery, face tattoos and will be selling their hand-woven carpets. After this we drive to the east past the Saghro mountain range, an area characterized by basalt columns and deep canyons with hidden streams and reservoirs. The road passes straight through an impressive desert landscape to the green palm oasis of the Tafilalt. After Rissani, we reach the pink sand dunes of Merzouga, navigating a dirt road. We spend two nights (in July and August one night) in a nomad tent, close to the village of Merzouga. Mattresses (thick) and bed sheets, are provided. Day 6: Merzouga East of Merzouga lie s the Erg Chebbi, an area with sand dunes more than 90m high. Large parts of the Sahara are made up of such ³wandering dunes that continuously change shape as a consequence of the shifting of the fine sand. From the auberge, you can visit Erg Chebbi, which offers a magnificent palette of deep warm shades ± from pink and red to ochre and gold. TIP: Those interested can go on a camel ride into the desert or you can take the camel into the Erg Chebbi, for a night under the stars! Although this is an optional part of the trip, for many it is one of the main highlights. N.B. During July and August we will spend only 1 night near Merzouga in the desert and stay longer at the beach at Essaouira. Day 7: Merzouga ± Todra Gorges In the morning you will be travelling in the direction of Tineghir via Erfoud, with its remarkable Haratin population. These traditionally dressed people migrated here long ago with the camel caravans. We travel along a series of small oases to the deepest river crevice in Morocco, the Gorge du Todra. At its narrowest section it is only ten metres wide but still hundreds of metres high. You stay in Tineghir, near the beginning of the Gorge. Day 8: Todra Gorges You have a free day. Those interested can go on a fantastic walk through the green Todra Valley. We follow the river and irrigation canals, passing under the palm trees, along tracks crossing nursery gardens along villages swarming with children. Day 9: Todra Gorges ± Ouarzazate Today we travel to Ouarzazate, for a visit to the kasbah of Taourirt, the birthplace of the last pasha of Marrakech. Our route takes us along the green Dades Valley, also called µthe land of 1000 kasbahs
Day 10: Ouarzazate ± Taroudant Between the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas lies the old, extinguished volcano Jbel Siroua which peaks at 3304m. The bare mountain range is impressive, thanks to its wide panorama and craggy rock formations. In summer the area comes to life, when the desert nomads flee the heat of the Sahara and come to graze their sheep here. Crossing the southerly slopes of this bizarre volcano country for six hours, we reach Taroudant. Your day is free to explore Taroudant, the fifth royal city of Morocco which has a markedly provincial character, in the centre of a fertile agricultural region. The city s picturesque souks are too small to lose your way in, and a visit is highly recommended. The central square has a multitude of cafés that offer shade and the chance to watch life go by. Day 11: Taroudant When going shopping in Taroudant, bear in mind that the Berber market in Taroudant is called Jnane al-jaami and here you can buy spices and dried fruits but mostly household goods and clothes. The Arab souk, however, specializes in handicrafts such as wrought iron, pottery, terracotta, brass and copper, leather and carpets/rugs and also jewellery. TIP: Taroudannt is probably the most Moroccan city of the south. The fertile grounds produce vegetables, fruits and olives and the produce is carried using donkey, camel or handcart. Taroudannt is known for its Berber silver and the decorative arts of the Touaregs. Day 12: Taroudant ± Essaouira Essaouira is the most picturesque and relaxed coastal town along Morocco s Atlantic coast. The town lies on a rocky base surrounded by low shrubs and woods, projecting into the ocean. An isolated spot battered by high foamy waves the whole year round, it s often called µthe windy city and famous for windsurfing. The old citadel of Essaouira is entirely surrounded by city walls, the tall houses towering above them± whitewashed and often with their doors painted a fresh blue. The medina is quite orderly, with the alleys laid out in a rectangular pattern. N.B. During July and August we will spend only 1 night near Merzouga in the desert and stay longer at the beach at Essaouira. Day 13: Essaouira Essaouira also boasts a wide and long beach south of the citadel, where you can enjoy a leisurely µcafé au lait stroll along the sandy expanse or through the alleys of the attractive market. In the evening, there is fresh fish to savour in the many restaurants. Day 14: Essaouira ± Casablanca Today we drive along the coast to Casablanca, the commercial centre of Morocco with its Art Deco and Neo-moorish buildings. We spend our last evening here, where you can pick up some last minute souvenirs or just relax and take in the atmosphere of this cosmopolitan and exotic city. Time permitting, you may like to visit the Hassan II Mosque, the second largest in the world and the only working mosque in Morocco that can be visited by non-muslims. You can only enter the mosque with an organised tour which is run at the mosque daily (Except Fridays) at 0900, 1000, 11,00 and 1400 and costs 120dh per person.
Day 15: Casablanca The last day of your tour. The tour leader and the rest of the group will normally depart early in the morning but you can use your hotel room in Casablanca until check out time (most times at 12.00 hrs noon). We wish you a comfortable journey home and are sure you will take with you some wonderful memories of Morocco. Your personal my.shoestring page on our website is the perfect way to make contact with other travellers before and after your trip. You can read and create journals from trips and upload your photos onto the photo gallery. Visit my shoestring today. When booking your tour, please check to see whether you need any posttour nights, bearing in mind that accommodation for the night of the final day of the tour (day 15) is not included. More info What's included: Accommodation in hotels; 13x breakfast (in Marrakech, Merzouga, Gorge du Todra, Ouarzazate, Taroudannt, Essaouira and Casablanca); 2x dinner in Marrakech; visit to Hassan II (excluding entrance fee); transportation with AC (mini) bus only for transfers from hotel to hotel; English speaking tour leader. What's excluded: International flights; all other meals; tips; visas; optional excursions; all entrance fees; airport transfers; booking fee; travel insurance. Attention Pay attention: We will stay only one night in the desert at Merzouga, and will stay one night longer at the beach of Essaouira in the months of July and August. Travel documents
Travelling with the correct travel documentation is your own responsibility. Please ensure your passport is valid for a minimum of 6 months beyond the finish date of your trip. For Morocco, a visa is not required for many nationalities. You will receive a free entry stamp on arrival, allowing you to stay for up to 3 months. Please check this information in good time before your trip commences as this information is always subject to change. You can check this information through a site such as this one. Accommodation and transport Transport For your comfort and convenience we make use of our own private minibus during this tour. Depending on the group size we travel around in either one or two minibuses. The buses usually have air conditioning but it is often nicer to have the windows open instead of the air-conditioning. On some routes (steep mountain roads) the AC cannot be turned on. The bus is non-smoking. The transfers to and from the airport are not included. Any additional transportation costs of optional excursions are not included. ATTENTION: If flying with Royal Air Maroc you need to be present at check-in at least 3 hours before departure! Accommodation During the tour we stay in hotels in the two-or three-star category in 2 person rooms usually with a private bathroom. In the selection of our hotels, we pay particular attention to the location, cleanliness and atmosphere. Most hotels have their own restaurant and roof terrace, courtyard or garden. In some places in this journey we stay in simple lodgings: In Merzouga we stay in original nomad tents with shared sanitation provided by a nearby hostel. In Essaouira some of the rooms have shared facilities. The check in/out time at the hotels is usually 12:00. The following meals are included: 13x breakfast (in Marrakech, Merzouga, Gorge du Todra, Ouarzazate, Taroudant, Essaouira and Casablanca), 2x dinner in Marrakech. Some of the planned hotels have a swimming pool, for your pleasure! This applies to the accommodation in Aït Benhaddou, Merzouga, Tineghir, and Ouarzazate. It can occur that during a major drought there is no water present in the pool. In exceptional cases it may happen that we have to change hotels and that these hotels are without pools. If this happens then we will find suitable alternatives. In Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) those nature lovers can opt for a night in the desert. You will sleep in 2- person nomad-tents with shared sanitary facilities. If you prefer, you can sleep outside, under a star-filled sky. There are toilets and washbasins but no showers. At sunrise, ride by camel back to your accommodation near Merzouga, where you can shower and take breakfast. Participants who book individually will share a room with another participant. We of course keep in mind that you should share with someone of the same sex. If you would like a room for yourself for the entire trip, it can be easily arranged. Please select the single room at time of booking (a single supplement will be charged). Please note: There are only 5 single rooms available per each departure of this tour. During your trip, it is possible to participate in 'single' excursions offered locally by the tour leader. These excursions are optional. To allow you to plan a budget for your trip we have provided you with an idea of the cost of these excursions. The price can change due to currency fluctuations. The amounts are therefore only meant to give you an indication of the cost. Entrance fees will often change and therefore are excluded from the prices displayed (unless explicitly stated). We display the prices in Euros/GB Pounds/US Dollars. When you are in your destination, it is possible to pay for the excursions in local currency.
Excursion package Excursion Details Single excursions Excursion Details Price Marrakech - Imlil Tour, High Atlas mountains Book at location At 09:00 hours you will be picked up at your hotel. You travel by bus to Imlil, a town in the High Atlas Mountains, at an altitude of approximately 1700 meters. The Berber village is surrounded by mountains of about 4000 meters, with peaks that for a large part of the year are covered with snow. On a clear day you can see the top of the highest mountain in North Africa, Toubkal (4260 meters) from Imlil. In this area is a beautiful walk, which is also in the program. Bring comfortable, well worn walking shoes. You will be accompanied by a mountain guide and will enjoy lunch in a Berber house. The hike takes you over rocky trails, through villages that are tough to see because they are built from the same rock, and dried riverbeds. You will be pampered by beautiful scenery, ravines and valleys of lush green fields. Higher up perhaps you see the girls who collect plants for their goats. At the end of the afternoon you drive back to Marrakech. Note: This tour operates with a minimum of 5 participants. Included: mountain guide, transfers, lunch Not included: drinks, tips 37
Marrakech City tour (half day, with guide) Book at location Marrakech is also known as the "Red City" because of the terracotta-like colours of the mighty walls and gates. For centuries the city has acted as a trade and exchange center for the surrounding Berber tribes. Even today, this character is preserved in the old town. During this walking tour that takes half a day you visit some interesting places. The Saadian Tombs are among the finest examples of opulent Islamic architecture in Morocco. The tombs date from the late 16th to the 18th century. You also visit the Bahia Palace, a beautiful building with pavilions at the ground floor. This is because the former Grand Vizier Bou Ahmed was very large and could not walk the stairs. The palace was built around 1900. You will also see the Koutoubia Minaret (only outside) and the famous Djemaa el Fna. The square buzzes and moves all around you. Storytellers, fortunetellers, acrobats, musicians, dancers and snake charmers all have their own spots. Behind the square begin the extensive souks, traditional Moroccan markets where everything is for sale, from slippers to spices, to carpets and amulets. You'll visit part of the huge souk. Since a large part of Marrakech is car-free, this excursion is on foot. You see more this way. Included: English speaking guide. Not included: drinks, transfers, entrance fees, tips. 12 Marrakech: Cooking class Book at location 47 Do you enjoy cooking and love Moroccan cuisine? Not far from the square at Djemaa el Fna a Dutch cooking enthusiast has started a cooking school in a beautiful riad. You meet her or her assistant at 11:00 am on the square and go along the souk in search of the necessary ingredients. You learn the quality of various products. Make sure to look, feel, smell and...to taste! This is very fun to do, because as you shop and stroll through the streets, you experience the Moroccan city life all the better. After shopping, it's time to roll up your sleeves to start work. Under supervision, you will learn at least three Moroccan dishes, think of a tagine (a stew of vegetables, fish or meat dish), or a Moroccan couscous salad. During cooking, there are appetizers, which of course you make! To quench your thirst while cooking you have mint tea and wine. Obviously, you can eat your cooking results afterwards with the other participants. At around 15:30 hours, the course ends. Note: The cooking class will run with a minimum of 6 participants and a maximum of 12 participants. The course is only given on Mondays and Thursdays. Included: assistance with cooking, cooking, home cooked meal and appetizers, unlimited mineral water and mint tea, 2 glasses of house wine, list of recipes Not included: other drinks, tip
Merzouga - Camel trip in the Erg Chebbi desert Book at location At the 'auberge' where you are staying, you climb on the back of a dromedary (single-humped camel) and enter the gold sand desert. For about 45 mins you'll ride along the beautiful sand formations. Beautiful sand patterns formed by the wind provide the backdrop for the photogenic camel caravan (with camels elongated shadows). You then arrive at the camp where you spend the night. Those who want to can climb a high sand dune for the panoramic view at sunset. As the sun disappears below the horizon you can enjoy dinner. You can spend the night in one of the nomadic tents (a bed sheet is provided but you may like to bring a sleeping bag/sleeping bag liner), or outside in the sand on a mattress with a view of the moon and countless stars. Awake early and enjoy the sunrise over the sand dunes. You then mount your dromedary again for the return journey back to your accommodation for breakfast. An ultimate desert experience! Note: There is no minimum number of participants for this excursion. 32 Included: guide and camel drivers, bivouac in the dunes, dinner, camel ride Not included: drinks, tips Festival info News 6/2/2014 July/August change to itinerary Please note that we will stay only one night in the desert at Merzouga, and will stay one night longer at the beach of Essaouira during tours departing in the months of July and August. COUNTRY INFORMATION MOROCCO BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Culture The cultural differences between Europeans and Moroccans are so vast that one could write a book about them. Below you will find an overview of the most important points. Moroccans tend to be rather modest, reserved people who will not admit strangers into their private sphere. However, their initial stiffness may disappear very suddenly, and then they are known to display a level of hospitality that is so overwhelming that it makes Europeans feel uneasy rather than honoured. Further on, under the heading Food and Drink, we will go into this deeper. An important distinction in Islam is the one between hallal (that which is in agreement with the Quran) and haram, that which is against the letter or the spirit of Quran. These concepts are used in the first place for food and drink. Alcohol and pork are haram and should not be taken by Muslims. However, the concept is used also in a wider sense. Moroccans attach great value to the amount of respect shown. Age receives respect, as do people who serve society, such as teachers, and people who are devout Muslims. Although as a westerner, you are bound to be a Christian, you can still command respect: be well behaved and you will be treated respectfully. If, however, you behave in a haram way, there is a markedly greater chance that you will be mistreated, or ripped off, or robbed. Being sparsely dressed as a woman, being drunk in public, or showing one s homosexual nature openly are the types of behaviour that are viewed as haram. It is not allowed for Christians to visit mosques in Morocco. An exception is the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca, but only during the tours given in daytime, and under special circumstances you can enter any small local mosque you may be invited into. Medersa or Quran schools often are accessible. When you agree to meet at two, you go there at three and wait until four and after another hour or so you go home again, according to a saying about keeping appointments. We come from a highly busy culture in which time is money and appointments need to be kept to the minute, or the day s schedule will be messed up. Moroccans take a different view and it is well accepted to be half an hour late for a social appointment. However, if you make an agreement with a taxi-driver to bring you to the airport, he is sure to understand that he has to be in time. A surprising phenomenon is the Arabic telephone. Moroccans have a much more extensive social network than the average European and they use this in a highly efficient way to keep abreast of the activities of hundreds of people. During a conversation, tens of people may briefly break in. In the tourist cities, the guides and traders use the same system to pass on information on new visitors. Within a few hours, dozens of people know where you are from, in which hotel you are staying and what you bought, and they do like to show you that they know. Besides, they all have relatives and friends who live in the area where you are from. This is a way for them to prove there is a relationship. If this confuses you, remember it is their way to know what you are interested in and which price level they can offer you. If you tell someone that you are in Morocco for the first time and stay at a five-star hotel, they will immediately ask double the amount they will charge someone who says he has been to Morocco before and stays at a simple medium-range hotel. Women and dress Women need to cover themselves as fully as possible, preferably with long sleeves, no low-neck lines and a knee-length skirt. In larger cities such as Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier and Marrakech you can be less severe. Women with long blond hair would be wise to wear a headscarf if they dislike attracting unpleasant male attention. Only in Agadir and other larger beach resorts is it possible to be less covered. Swimming in a swimming costume or bikini is OK there, however, you cannot wear it on the street. Men can wear shorts (you ll stand out but it is not offensive), but a bare chest is not done. In General Be aware that you are visiting a country where people have different ways. It is not them that behave deviantly; it is you that is different.
Religion La ilaha illa Allah. Muhammudu rasulu Allah. There is nothing godly except God. Muhammad is his prophet. These words form the credo, the shahada - the first and most important of the five pillars or obligations of Islam, the religion of Morocco. The word Islam literally means submission to God s will. Five times daily, a Muslim should sit down in prayer and recite the shahada. Prior to the praying, the face, feet and arms are washed. The ritual of prayer, the salat, is the second pillar. At the times of the salat, a call is heard from the minaret. The other three obligations or pillars of Islam are: to give alms to the poor, or zakat, fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, or sawm, and the haj, the pilgrimage to Mekka. These five pillars or obligations are prescribed in the Quran, the Holy Scripture of Islam that was received in the 7th century by the prophet Muhammad, or Mohammed. It is hard to witness Islam in Morocco. Non-believers are welcome in hardly any mosque in Morocco. The Moussems and other religious festivals are more accessible, although even here the most important rituals are screened off. Muslim holy men: An important element in religious life in Morocco is the veneration of the over three thousand saints that have lived in the country, the marabouts and the tombs containing their bodies. In particular in the countryside, the veneration of the marabouts seems to be deeper rooted than the study of the Quran. Numerous characteristics are imputed to them, such as working miracles and healing the sick. The magical power of the marabout also helps to undo witchcraft. The site of a marabout is also the place where prayers are said for a good harvest a place where the power of God, the baraka or life force, is present in concentrated form. The most common shape of a marabout is the qubba, a cubeshaped building with a white conical cupola as its roof. Each marabout has its own moussem, its religious annual festival, during which, believers come to pray, sacrifice, sing, dance and eat. Festivals Markets, dance, music and storytelling The weekly markets brighten daily life in Morocco. Many weekly markets are held in villages at the foot of the mountains, to enable the Berbers from the mountains to sell their produce and clothes and buy industrial goods. These are often places where you will see people in traditional costumes. At festivals, dances are performed in which the women and men dance in separate circles. The dance music is a monotonous repetition of simple melodies, often in question and answer form, with the circle repeating what is sang by the leader. Meanwhile the intensity of the music is steadily increased, through higher volume and faster rhythms. Gradually, the dancers become totally absorbed in the music, and slipping into a trance is not uncommon. Exciting to watch are the performances of the gnaoua, mostly black dancers who perform acrobatic dances to the sound of large drums. They can be seen on Djemaa el-fna square in Marrakech and at the festivals in the southern oases. Storytellers tour the villages and towns going from square to square to dish up thrilling or comical tales. Besides narrated stories, it is common to hear narrative songs, executed to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument, like our medieval minstrels. The Marrakech popular arts festival takes place in mid July at the Palais el-badi for 5 days and features many of the aforementioned dancers, musicians and performers. Islamic festive days As the Islamic calendar is based on the observance of the moon, the festive days are in different days each year. In 20, the Eid al Adha (feast of sacrifice) is on...ramadan, a month of fasting, can be inconvenient for tourists, as many restaurants close and eating and drinking in public is not appreciated. However, tourists are catered for and looked after. It is obvious that it is not wise to eat in front of fasting people. In 2014, Ramadan is from June 28. The Eid al Fitr, the feast marking the end of fasting, is on 28 July. By the way, the Ramadan starts when the new moon is seen. Hence, it can start a day later than announced. Fixed festive days 1 January (New Year s Day), 1 May (Labour Day), 30 July (Throne Day of King Mohammed VI), 14 August (Day of the Territorial Integration of the Western Sahara), 21 August (Birthday of King Mohamed VI), 6 November (Commemoration of the Green March into the Western Sahara), 18 November (Independence Day). Food and drinks Food: Places to eat can be found in all cities and larger villages. They vary from simple snack bars, often for local workers, to chic restaurants in the old palaces of the medinas in the big cities.here you can
spend hundreds of dirham on Moroccan haute-cuisine, often in combination with music and dance. In most of the medium-priced hotels, a limited range of salads, Moroccan and often Spanish or Italian type food is served, usually good enough and for a reasonable price, but nothing special. In the big cities, international restaurant and fast food chains have entered the market. Meat is often the main base of Moroccan cuisine and meat stock is commonly used for soups. Bread is also a staple part of every meal. If you are vegetarian, or have allergies or special dietary requirements you may find your choice is limited, most particularly in rural and more remote areas. Breakfast: Moroccans will often have breakfast consisting of tea, some dates and bread, a cooked egg and some olives. In the hotels, versions of the well-known Continental breakfast are served: French bread, jam, and sometimes croissants or cakes. Almost always fresh orange-juice is served. Lunch and dinner :In Morocco two hot meals are eaten daily: lunch and dinner. The cheapest meal is the filling soup, harira, which is the starter during the fasting month of Ramadan, when people eat together after sunset. It is on all the menus year-round for a couple of dirham, and can always be served quickly as it is always ready. Many food stalls and smaller restaurants sell brochettes - skewers with grilled meat, sausages, meatballs or liver, primarily goat and sheep. These are usually served with French fries and salad for prices ranging between 20 and 40 dirham. Couscous and tajine are the most typical Moroccan dishes. Couscous is the national dish and is never absent on festive days. This dish is made of steamed semolina (crushed grains), served with a stew of vegetables, meat (usually lamb) and spices, in its juices. Tajine is a stew made of potatoes, several types of vegetable and meat on a china plate by the same name with a high ceramic cone fitting over it. Through its height, the tajine works as an oven, as the hot air circulates in the cone. Tajines come in many versions ranging from a simple meal with some potatoes and bony pieces of goat costing maybe 20 dirham in a food stall for market sellers, to a sophisticated dish made of tender lamb, with onions, various vegetables, olives, nuts, and prunes, served in a prettily painted tajine decorated with a silver lining. The taste of the tajine will always be comparable, due to the set of spices used. The size of the tajine is chosen for the size of the company, some of them can feed as many as seven people. The dish is eaten with the right hand or with a fork, and everybody can pick up pieces from the tajine and nibble them, or break the accompanying bread and dip it in the juice and spoon up pieces of vegetable or meat with it. Important festive dishes are mechoui, roast lamb and pastilla, which are eaten primarily in Fès, an oven dish of pigeon and almonds in thin puff pastry. If you want to eat these dishes in a restaurant, you will have to order them a day in advance. A delicious dish, which takes less time to prepare, is poulet au citron tender chicken, simmered with olives and lemon. Sweet food is in good supply. A typical Moroccan desert is beghrir, pancakes with butter and honey, which are eaten during Ramadan, following the harira. Be very careful about eating raw salads. The vegetables are generally rinsed with tap water, and it is the bacteria in this water that gives trouble to most people. To avoid stomach and intestinal problems, make sure you eat only well-cooked and baked food. Drink: Tea is offered everywhere. In shops to make you feel at home and to ease the purchasing, and in every Moroccan house where you are invited. Nana or mint tea is the national traditional drink. It is made using Chinese green tea (usually of the brand Gunpowder), fresh mint leaves and large chunks of sugar that turn the tea into a seriously sweet drink. The brewing of tea is never done hurriedly; it is a ceremony that is performed with some pride. It is recommended to drink only bottled water, and never un-boiled tap water. The tap water is being chlorinated nowadays and is said to be potable in most cities, but still causes many people problems. The water in Meknes is an exception to this rule, for unknown reasons. Sidi Ali or Sidi Harazem are two common brands of mineral water; a 1-litre bottle sells at around 6 dirham. Mineral water is also available in small bottles, which are convenient to take in a daypack. In a restaurant or hotel the price is easily double this amount. Coffee is served with a glass of water, but this is almost always tap water. An excellent alternative is the fresh fruit juices, of which orange juice; grapefruit juice and real lemonade (lemon juice with water and sugar) are the best. Tasty but not very effective to quench thirst are fruit juices from a blender, called panaché such as banana and avocado juice and almond milk. A very sweet delicacy is jus de fraises, whole strawberries in syrup, which is served in the spring. In smaller towns, alcohol is sometimes unavailable. After all, Morocco is an Islamic country, and the few bars for Moroccans tend to be hard to find dark rooms where men sit around tables with empty bottles on them. Moroccans that drink in such places usually are not limiting themselves just to one beer. Most hotels and restaurants that cater for foreigners serve beer and wine. The most common beer brands are Stork and Flag, both are light lagers. Moroccan white wine is simple, light and fruity. Moroccan red wines tend to be of varying quality, from excellent to undrinkable. Recommended wines are Guerrouane (also white), Valpierre (also white) and Cabernet du President.
Tipping On the bills in expensive restaurants and bars, service and (luxury) taxes are included, but still a tip is expected. In cheap places, Moroccans do not give tips, but if you are satisfied you are welcome to leave one. Tipping in hotels and restaurants where you will return to has an extra purpose. As it makes staff much more considerate, it is wise to start tipping early on, rather than when you leave. It is good to realize that wages are low and hardly suffice for a decent living. Five dirham to carry luggage from and to the room is a reasonable tip. In most simple hotels, staff do not carry luggage to the rooms. Bus drivers also expect a tip for driving around a group, if they did a good job. A good measure here is 75-100 dirham per day (per group). The travel guide will also expect a tip at the end of the trip, if he/she has done well. Shoestring pays the guides a salary that is comparable to what is paid by other adventure travel companies; however, this is low. We recommend a tip of about 1-2 per day (per person in the group). Weather and climate Climate: Morocco has various different climate zones. The Atlantic coast and the northerly hill country, in which Meknes and Fès are situated, enjoy a warm sea climate with limited precipitation throughout the year. The higher mountain areas can get rather chilly. In summer, the days are hot here, and the nights are nice and fresh. In the south of the country, both Marrakech and the region behind the High Atlas have very limited precipitation, hot summers and large differences in temperature between day and night. The temperature in the Atlas Mountains is around zero from January till March, while the heat in the desert can reach temperatures of around 50 degrees in July and August. Best time to travel: In general, the spring and the autumn offer a highly pleasant climate. Population Berbers and Arabs: Morocco has a population of an estimated 32 million. Forty per cent are Berbers who speak a Berber dialect as their mother tongue. The others speak Arabic. The Berber dialects are alike in three respects: they are all related to ancient Egyptian, they have a pure oral tradition with no written language, and are spoken predominantly by people living in or behind the mountains. Berbers from the Rif do not understand Berbers from the south and even over short distances; the dialects can be so different that people have to revert to Arabic to converse. All Berber dialects are interspersed with Arabic words. In 2004, written Berber (Tifinar) was introduced to a number of schools in Morocco. Arabic is a much more complicated language, with its own script a language extensively used for science and literature, and the language in which the Quran, or Koran, was written. It is spoken in the whole of Northern Africa and the Middle East and inhabitants of Morocco will have no trouble understanding a national of Lebanon or Oman. The opposition Berber-Arab largely coincides with that between simple village dwellers who derive their identity from belonging to a common tribal group, and the more developed inhabitants of the Moroccan cities. Large parts of Morocco up to this day are too remote and inhospitable to reach. Life here is hard and people live a simple and isolated lifestyle within their tribal group. Their lineage often originates from a male ancestor, the marabout. It is in these remote areas that the Berber culture has been best conserved a specific dialect and traditional costume, a life that is ruled by customary law and a clear tribal identity. The backbone of their religion is not in reciting Quran verses but in venerating a marabout. For centuries, the Berbers have had to defend themselves against each other and against the legions of the ruling Sultans, who often cruelly massacred them, mounting spears with their heads on top on the city walls. The most characteristic aspect of the Berber language may well be the tradition of oral history that is kept alive to this day. A language without a script relies on storytelling to pass down over the generations what is central in their thinking. Today on the Djemaa el- Fna square in Marrakech, you can see how everyday, listeners crowd together around the storytellers, spell-bound by their fantastic stories. In Berber culture, storytelling carries a lot of weight. To persuade a Berber, it is more important that you are a fluent speaker who can utter a harmonious flow of words, than dishing up a wealth of facts. Another remarkable group is that of the Haratin, the black inhabitants of the southern oases. They, too, have been brought up speaking a Berber dialect, although they are not part of a Berber clan. The Haratin are placed low in the hierarchy and rarely intermarry with other groups. Probably, they are older residents than the Berbers however, they could also have descended from black people who accompanied the caravans from the south, as traders or as slaves. Sultan Moulay Ismail imported over ten thousand people from black Africa to bodyguard him, following the example of the Ottoman Sultans. In Marrakech it is the Haratin who you can see performing acrobatics and dances to gnaoua rhythms.
Landscape Morocco is located in the northwestern corner of Africa. The African continent is separated from Europe by the Strait of Gibraltar. At the narrowest point, a mere 14km divides these two vastly different worlds. On the west coast along the Atlantic Ocean, you find the Meseta, the low-lying fertile coastal plain bordering the Atlantic Ocean, which gets so much rain that it is virtually entirely farmed. It is also home to the main cities: the big port of Casablanca, the capital Rabat, the royal cities of Fès and Meknes and the exotic royal city of the south, Marrakech. In the east, three widely different mountain ranges form a giant barrier against the Sahara Desert. These are, from northeast to southwest, the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas and the Anti Atlas. While the first two mountain ranges and the Rif Mountains came about in the Tertiary, as a consequence of the collision between the European and African continental plains, the Anti Atlas range is much older one of the oldest in the world actually. Fossils found in the younger mountain ranges prove that the Rif, Middle Atlas and High Atlas were pushed up from the sea bottom. The High Atlas range towers high above the other mountain ranges, with the Jbel Toubkal (4,167m, 13,750ft) as North Africa s highest peak. To the east and south of these mountains lies the mighty Sahara Desert, interrupted by the occasional green oasis along rivers rising in the High Atlas. Background Info Livelihoods Morocco is still very much an agricultural country, with almost half of the population depending on agriculture and livestock husbandry for a living. In the western coastal plain and along the Souss River, there is some modern large-scale agriculture producing for exports, but the larger part of production is still derived from peasant farmers. They produce predominantly for their own family, selling the rest at the local market. Among the activities on the farms is agriculture, animal husbandry, spinning yarn and processing it into clothing, blankets and carpets. Among the main agricultural products are wheat, millet/sorghum, oats, potatoes, citrus fruits, olives, melons, tomatoes and vegetables. In the mountains, small quantities of nuts, plums, apples and pears are grown, and the oases offer a great number of dates. Livestock numbers include 20 million sheep, roughly 5 million goats and 3 million cows. Also, poultry is held everywhere, in particular chickens and turkeys. Up to this day, hundreds of thousands of donkeys, mules and to a lesser extent horses and camels provide the means of transport. Officially, the agricultural sector contributes a mere 15% of the national product, but this includes only the traded part of the harvest. Along the coast, fishing is an important livelihood base, and Moroccan fishermen bring home the biggest catch of sardines in the world. The main fishing ports are Tangier, Casablanca, El Jadida and Agadir. Thanks to the large sediments of phosphates, the mining of this ore makes Morocco the largest producer in the world. Phosphates are used to make artificial fertilizer. Small amounts of natural gas, coal and oil exist as well, although the amounts produced are nowhere near the country s needs. Even with water, the country has severe shortages at most times of the year. The past decade was the wettest ever in recorded history, and for the first time in ages the groundwater level has gone up instead of down. Approximately one sixth of the population earn a livelihood in industry and crafts. The industrial sector is simple and processes mainly raw materials from agriculture, fisheries and phosphates mining. Building products for residential construction, such as bricks, cement and concrete iron, are important in a country where the population keeps growing. For tourists, handicrafts are interesting. Morocco has one of the most varied craft product ranges on offer in the world, a sector that has almost disappeared in the more developed economies. Carved leather, painted china, silver and golden jewellery, processed wood and tiles are among the most important products in this sector. By now, a considerable banking sector has come about and other services are beginning to develop. The tourism sector in particular provides a good number of jobs and hard currencies, but it is not the stable and reliable motor of the economy the country would hope for. As a result of the Gulf War, tourism came to a nearly complete halt, although strong growth has occurred since. Likewise, the Islamic attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001 caused a major blow. The population is incredibly friendly and does not bear a grudge against foreigners, as we can attest from our travelling experiences recently. Apart from tourism, the money transferred by hundreds of thousands of relatives living abroad is of great importance to the country s economy. Architecture The central place for prayers in an Islamic country is the mosque, where believers come together to pray and listen to preaching, particularly on Fridays. In Morocco these holy places are rarely open to nonbelievers. The structure and layout of a mosque is based on a common pattern, that of the prophet s house in Mekka. From the outside, the minaret is the most conspicuous element of the mosque. From
this tower, a call for prayer is issued. In Morocco, the square minaret of the 800 years old Koutoubia Mosque has served as the model for many minarets, including those of the modern Hassan II Mosque. The most important religious buildings that allow access to non-believers are the Quran schools or Medersa (medressas). In these often richly decorated buildings, theology and Islamic law have been taught from the early days of Islam. The most beautiful examples of these medressas originate from the Merinidian Period. Marrakech, Meknes and in particular Fès are home to the most important of these. Highly characteristic for all buildings in Morocco are the tiny windows and doors - the consequence of the extreme heat and cold and the need to defend. In large parts of the country, the agadir played a central role in the village. The agadir is a mostly square fortress with thick walls and turret holes, which served as a fortified warehouse for grain, weapons and valuables, as stables for the animals and in times of siege, as a refuge for the villagers. More often than not, the agadir is also a marabout, a grave of a saint. The spiritual protection is convenient. The most conspicuous building in the mountains and Southern Morocco is the ksar (plural: ksour), a rectangular, loam fortress with battlements and defence towers at each corner. Some of the ksour are known to have held up to a hundred families, the equivalent of more than 1000 people. Often the word kasbah comes up in this context. Kasbah is the generic name for all forms of fortified residence that exist in Morocco. Art and crafts Islam rendered visual art in a western sense, paintings, drawings and sculptures, virtually impossible, through the ban on depicting people and animals. Only literature manifests more freedom. Creativity has found its outlet in the decoration of buildings and domestic objects. When it comes to the embellishment of everyday utensils such as pots and pans, jewellery, furniture and carpets, Morocco ranks among the most remarkable countries. In the whole of Africa there is no country that has such a vivid tradition in arts and crafts! When you visit this country you will be delighted to stroll around the workshops and admire the carpets, jewellery, china and worked leather objects made there. PRACTICAL INFORMATION Arrival information It is wise to take it easy the first day you are in Morocco. Take time to acclimatize. The change of climate and culture can have quite an impact. Let the country and the atmosphere sink in, and do not plan much for the first day. That way you will be ready to take in this beautiful country at its best. Time differences Morocco operates on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). This means that throughout most of the year the time in Morocco is the same as in the UK. This is not the case during the summer period when it is 1 hour behind.
Money Money: The currency in Morocco is the Moroccan dirham (MAD). At the start of 2010, one euro was approx. 11,11 dirham. For the latest conversion rates, look at www.oanda.com. The dirham is made up of 100 centimes. There are coins worth 5, 10, 20 centimes, and 1/2, 1, 5 and 10 dirham, and notes worth 20, 50, 100 and 200 dirham. In the major cities, using the bigger notes is no problem, but it is not wise to bring only 200 dirham notes when visiting oases or small villages. Always have coins at hand. Banking: We advise you to withdraw the larger part of your budget from one of the many cash machines now in Morocco. Do take care that the symbol on the cash machine matches the one on your card. Make sure you have enough dirham on you for when you will not be in a larger city for a few days. You can also take traveller s cheques or cash. Traveller s cheques are protected against theft but can sometimes be difficult to change, particularly outside major city centres. Hefty commission for changing travellers cheques can also be applied, so always have some hard currency as back-up.. Of course you can also change pound or euro notes in the larger tourist places. It is also possible to withdraw money with a credit card, but is relatively expensive. They can be useful in the more upmarket hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops. NB: American Express cards are not widely accepted in Morocco. Please note Scottish Pound notes, Canadian Dollars and Australian Dollars are often not recognised in Morocco and can be difficult to change. Pounds Sterling, Euro or US Dollars are the best currencies to carry. Bargaining To arrive at a reasonable price, you will generally have to bargain in shops, markets but also for taxis. (However, taxis are obliged to have a meter with night rates.) In particular when buying more expensive souvenirs, you will have to allow time (preferably a few days, for half an hour a day). Your opening bid will typically be one third of what the salesman asks. However, this does not apply to gold, silver and gemstones, as here the margins are much smaller. It is important to understand that the salesman will first try to estimate how much he can ask. Sometimes, salesmen ask a ridiculously high figure. In that case, it is best not to start bargaining but just to walk away. It is also good to note that until you have mentioned a price, it is easier to step out of the bargaining process than after you have done a bid. You can feel tremendously pressurized to buy, but remember that the salesmen are among the best actors in the country, so whichever emotions they come up with, make sure you come out with your best result. Two other hints to boost your bargaining success: when you really like something, do not show it but express a mere casual interest, almost lack of it. Also, it makes things easier to first ask yourself what value you attach to the object in question and go for that price, rather than wanting to pull off the lowest possible price. Pocket money The pocket money we recommend is the minimum to pay for your meals, drinks, optional excursions, entry fees, local airport taxes and tips. Clearly, the amount that you spend depends on your personal purchasing behaviour, and for this reason expenditure on souvenirs is not included in the recommended pocket money. We suggest an amount of 200-250 per week.