Morocco – spring and autumn: 55–75°F; summer: 65–95°F; winter: 45–65°F. Bring comfortable walking shoes, a sweater, clothes you can layer and an all-weather jacket. Some religious sites may require modest dress to enter (no shorts, short skirts, or sleeveless tops). In summer, bring a hat and sunscreen.

No special inoculations are required for visiting Morocco. Consult your doctor in case he recommends topping up the shots you may have for previous trips, especially if you’ll be travelling in the south. A travel health insurance policy is a wise investment before you leave home. On the spot, avoid too much sun; start with morning and late afternoon outings, and splash on the sunscreen lotion. It’s prudent to drink mineral water and avoid dubious food stalls. If the worst happens, any pharmacy will dole out pills to hurry you back to health. In case you need a doctor, the pharmacy, your hotel or your consulate can recommend one. Water is generally fit to drink but to be on the safe side, especially in the south, stick to bottled mineral water or national standby, mint tea.

We support global efforts to create a more eco-friendly world, intolerant of any forms of cruelty, abuse and intentional environmental destruction. To that end we ask that our clients maintain a watchful eye as they travel, and report any abuses they may encounter. One of the many benefits of tourism is the shared cultural knowledge and ultimate elimination of negative behavior through education. We rely on your good feedback to enable this element of symbiosis. As you travel to and learn about foreign cultures, we ask first and foremost that you practice tolerance and respect for local customs.

For most tourists no visa is required to enter Morocco; all you need is a valid passport. However, we recommend that you check with the nearest Moroccan embassy or consulate for updated regulations as these may change. You have to fill in a form for the immigration department on arrival. You’ll probably be waved through the Customs inspection. The only complication is money: it’s forbidden to import or export the national currency, the dirham. But you can bring in as much foreign currency before leaving the country. Shops in the departure area of the airport do not accept dirham even if you are smuggling them.

Most flights, domestic and international, converge on Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport. The impressive modern terminal contains a tourist office, car hire desks, currency exchange counters, shops, a post office, bars and restaurants, and a prayer hall. There are free luggage trolleys. The second busiest airport, Agadir, has non-stop flights to and from several European capitals. Marrakech, Tangier and Ouarzazate are among other cities handling some international traffic. Royal Air Maroc domestic flights link towns all the way down to Laayoune and Ad’Dakhla in the extreme south.

The roads are generally good with expressway between the major cities. But the local standard of driving —and walking, too—means you can never relax your vigilance. The regulations resemble those of France; direction signs are normally written in French as well as Arabic. Other than the unpredictable human element, such as country folk and live-stock meandering down the middle of a highway, the dangers include the weather. Tracks (pistes) in mountain and desert regions can be folded by melting snow or sudden rainstorms, and accumulations of snow can snarl the mountain roads between November and springtime. Night driving in general can be very dangerous, with unlit bicycles, animals, potholes and other surprises potentially around every bend. Pleasant tree-shaded rest areas with picnic tables are frequently found along the highways; they are sign-posted (Air de repos) well in advance. In and around the towns there are plenty of petrol stations to choose from but be sure to fill up before undertaking any wilderness jaunts. (Stations supplying lead-free petrol are rare but well sign-posted). Speed limits are normally 40 km per hour in towns and 100 kms per hour on the highway.

Coin-operated and card-operated telephones are found in railway and bus stations, cafés and other public places. Direct-dial service covers the entire country. If you have enough coins, you can make an overseas call from a street-corner phone. In the post office (PTT) there is normally a separate wing handling telecommunications. Calling from your hotel room usually involves a surcharge, which can be substantial. Mail works relatively efficiently. The PTT sells stamps, as do places that deal in postcards. For fastest processing of your homeward bound postcards, use the post box in the PTT.

Moroccans are friendly and open with visitors. Much hand-shaking goes on, but that’s about as much formality as you’re liable to meet. You shouldn’t be too polite; for instance, a waiter might be offended to be called “sir” or thanked too effusively. If you can learn few elementary phrases in Arabic you’ll be rewarded with surprised smiles and kindnesses.

Shopping in a foreign country can be a wonderful experience. As you explore the country, you may find fantastic, one-of-a-kind merchandise. You may get terrific bargains. However, we advise you to exercise care and common sense when making any purchase. Always get a formal receipt. And remember that, just like in this country, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is!

Carrying whopping bankrolls or flash jewellery only tempts fate. Keep valuables in your hotel safe. Leave nothing of value in a car, visible or hidden, locked or unlocked. In crowded markets and terminals beware of pick-pockets.

• Ambulance/Fire: 15
• Police: 19

Amazigh and Arabic are two official languages. French is spoken with a remarkable ease all over the country. Spanish is spoken in northern regions and English is somehow limited though widely spoken in all touristic spots in the country. 

Morocco is an Islamic country. Shaking hands is a standard form of greeting. Normal courtesies should be observed. Casual dress is acceptable, but women should take care to dress modestly. Beachwear should be confined to the beach and poolside. While freedom to practice one’s religion is guaranteed and non-Muslims are not harassed, proselytizing is prohibited and even a discussion of religion in public may violate this restriction.

Because two calendars are used in Morocco —the standard Gregorian model of 365 days as well as the Muslim year, which is 11 days shorter—things tend to be complicated. New Year’s Day, a national holiday always falls on January 1, but religious holidays follow a different rhythm. Consequently there is no such ting as a religious holiday that always occurs at a certain season. (The holy month of Ramadan starts in the end of September in 2006). Here is the line-up of non-religious public holidays.

• January 1                     :               New Year
• May 1                            :               Labour Day
• May 23                          :               National Day
• August 14                     :               Allegiance Day
• July 30                          :               Coronation of King Mohamed 6
• November 6                  :               Anniversary of the Green March
• November 18                :               Independance Day

The unit of currency is the Moroccan dirham (DH), divided into 100 centimes. In practice, tourists rarely see anything smaller than a half-dirham coin. Coins go up to 5 DH. Banknotes are issued in denominations of 20, 50, 100 and 200 DH. Well-known credit cards such as visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted in hotels, restaurants and most shops. It’s best to change traveller’s cheques at the bank. Eurocheque are also useful at banks and in some shops and hotels. Always have your passport with you as identification when changing money.

All year round all of Morocco is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) —this means that in summer it is usually two hours behind South Africa and the rest of Europe.

People often let you know, subtly or otherwise, when a tip is appropriate. Don’t forget waiters in cafés and restaurants, porters in hotels and terminals, toilet attendants, taxi drivers, helpful museum curators, and (not at all optional) those human parking meters (gardiens de voitures).

Suggested Tipping: (Tipping is personal preferences; the following is just a guide line for your convenience)

• Escort guide: $6 or $7 per person per day
• Driver (Provides chauffeur services and limited assistance with luggage): $3 per person per day
• Local Guide (Offers in-depth information at specific locations. There may be one or many guides along a tour program): $2 per person per half day of sightseeing
• Private car tours: $12 to $16 per person per day for each day of sightseeing
• Porter: $1.00 per bag per person
• Waiter staff: $1.50 per person (lunch or dinner)
• Chamber maid: $1.00 per person per day

In addition to Moroccan television, in Arabic and French, many hotels provide satellite service, relaying programmes from French, Italian, German and English language networks.

Most of the country’s supply is rated 220 volts, but some places still have a 110 volt supply; sockets are of the continental variety, with two round pins. You may need a travel adapter.