It’s been an educational 15 days for us in Morocco. We learned a great deal about Moroccan people and their culture. Most you will find in our earlier posts, but here are some extra tidbits we didn’t manage to fit into the other posts and thought you might find interesting.
Overall Assessment
Morocco is a very friendly and welcoming country to all. We encountered many different races and religions here, all living peacefully together. We felt safe the entire time we were in Morocco. We would definitely come back to here someday.
Quick Facts
Morocco is a small country in comparison to the US. It is 110% the size of California. You can find more fun facts here.
To Cover or Not to Cover…
In the larger cities you will see a variety of clothing. Some Muslim women choose to fully cover themselves from head to toe while others choose to only partially cover with a simple scarf over their heads. However, the strict adherence to the conservative dress is lessening. Tourists can wear whatever they like, within reason. Of course, just like anywhere, you may receive stares or comments based on how much you are choosing to show. Modesty and respect are important no matter where in the world you are traveling. For more about the covering and the hijab click here.
Muslim Call to Prayer (Ahdan)
Muslims are called to prayer five times a day and this call is made live by the muezzin from the tower of the mosque. In Marrakech the call could be heard throughout the old city (medina). We only saw a few locals stop to pray when called, but it likely occurred in the mosque or in private for those not supporting tourism. Several public places such as restaurants and airports had prayer areas which we weren’t permitted in.
Cash is King in Morocco
Nearly every monetary transaction was expected in cash which was a difficult transition for us. We are used to using credit cards for everything but that was not possible here. Some hotels or fancier restaurants accepted cards, but most did not. This meant frequent trips to the ATM to withdrawal cash in $2,000-dirham ($200) increments. Tracking cash expenses is much harder and exponentially more frustrating than it is for credit cards.
Tip for Everything
Tips are expected everywhere and for everything. Since it isn’t expensive in Morocco and they expect only about 10% of the service they’ve provided it isn’t too bad. The hardest part is trying to keep smaller bills and coins on you. You don’t want to carry around 5 pounds of coins in your pocket, but you also don’t want to get stuck with only 200 dirham bills when you’re trying to just use the toilet (which they expect you to tip for after each use). Tips are expected for any form of assistance such as getting directions because you’re lost (personal experience) so it can add up. Also, it is good to remember not all Moroccans are helpful from the goodness of their hearts. They expect a little something in return.
Photography
In Morocco and other Muslim countries, it is important to ask permission when taking someone’s photo or video. This is because in the Muslim faith many believe it is against Allah’s teaching to capture a likeness of a living being. We asked permission of many for the images we used in our Moroccan blog posts. We were told no or asked to not take photos on a few locations. In the market once when I was shooting a short video with the seller’s permission, a covered woman’s escort came behind me, tapped me on the shoulder and pushed my phone down, then scolded me in Arabic. I respected the culture and stopped recording until the covered woman left. I still find myself questioning why a photo of a covered woman would be bad? It’s not like I am able to actually see her. The camera isn’t capturing her at all really. She is covered after all.
Consuming Alcohol
Be ready to sober up! Alcohol is not consumed very much in Morocco. If you need a glass of wine with dinner, you need to check the menus to make sure it is served before sitting. Otherwise, you may be disappointed. Morocco does craft its own beer, wine and spirits. However, since it is illegal to drink where you can be seen from outside and most Muslims don’t partake, this drives up the cost per drink substantially. For example, a cheap bottle of local red wine would cost you $35 at a restaurant. A glass of the same might be $9 which is on par, but the pour is only 4 ounces. The liver needed a detox anyway.
Getting Around
Google maps worked great in the newer parts of the city and to drive between cities on the main highways. However you can’t trust it in the medinas. The tight streets and high walls make it difficult for the satellite to find you which led to several frustrating U-turns and unkind words directed to our phones.
Language
Language was quite the barrier for us in Morocco. Arabic is the primary language, but many also spoke French. We speak neither. So, we hired English speaking guides to accompany us as we journeyed to several places within Morocco. They were a wealth of knowledge and created experiences we would not have been able to create on our own. Here are some key words to know when in Morocco, spelled out phonetically..
| English | Arabic | French |
| Please | Min fad lee ka | See voo play |
| Thank you | Shoe kran | Merci |
| Yes | Nam | We |
| No | La | Non |
| I’m sorry | Ana ass ah fun | Jay swee day zo lay |
| Excuse me | Af wan | Pardon |
If we have missed anything you are curious about, please let us know in the comments and we will respond as quickly as we can.
Thank you for roaming the world with us.
How did you find guides? Thanks we are so enjoying your adventures ❤️
David,
We worked with the local hosts. We also have your companies we book through. Thanks for commenting.