Morocco – Travel Guide

Facts to assist you while travelling to Morocco

 

Moroccan population

• The Moroccan population currently stands at 37 million.

 

Capital and Largest City

• Rabat and Casablanca.

 

Official Language(s)

• Arabic and Berber.

 

Currency

• Moroccan dirham.

 

Office Hours

• 08:00 – 12:30 and 15:00 – 18:30.

 

Weekends

• Saturday – Sunday.

 

Time Zone

• UTC.

 

Calling Code

• +212.

 

Tipping

• If a service charge is not included in the bill a tip of 10% is acceptable.

 

Embassies

• Most countries are represented by embassies or consulates located in the capital city.

 

Government

• Morocco’s political structure is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, whereby the prime minister of Morocco is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. The Prime Minister of Morocco is Aziz Akhannouch.

 

Climate

• Morocco’s climate is moderate and subtropical. The weather is cooled by breezes off the Atlantic and Mediterranean. The climate in the interior is more extreme. Winters can be quite cold while summers are very hot. The further you go from the ocean the more extreme winter and summer temperatures become. Weather along the coastal region is tempered by the Mediterranean in the North and the Atlantic Ocean along Morocco’s Western coast near Casablanca and Essaouira.

 

Transport

• Morocco’s main airport is Mohammed V International Airport, situated in Casablanca. Morocco has 11 main highways, 11 major airports, and a number of rail links. The main port is the Port of Casablanca.

 

Economy

• Morocco’s main industries that contribute towards its economy include phosphates, rock mining and processing, high tech, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism, and automobile manufacturing.

 

Hospitality

• Morocco is known for being a hospitable country, Tourists who visit the country will never forget Moroccans hospitality or neglect to mention it in their travel stories. You can be easily invited to a local’s home after a conversation while exploring or even by taking a taxi, you might be invited by the taxi driver! But be careful to reject the invitation, they might take it as a personal rejection.

 

Greetings

• When Moroccans see someone they know, it is impolite to merely greet them and keep walking. At the very least they have to stop in order to shake hands. This is thereafter followed up by questions about the other person’s family, children, and health. Hugs are commonly exchanged between same-sex friends, at home, on the street, in restaurants, and in business meetings. Same-sex friends usually walk around holding hands, but couples, even married couples, rarely touch in public. Male/female contact in public is strictly limited to handshaking.

 

Money

• The Moroccan dirham is the official monetary currency of Morocco. It is issued by the Bank Maghrib, the central bank of Morocco. One Moroccan dirham is subdivided into 100 Santimat.

 

Transportation

• Regular flights and ferries connect Morocco with Europe and the Middle East. Getting around Morocco using public transport is generally easy. Infrastructure is constantly developing due to continuous investments, so there are rail networks linking the main towns of the north, the coast and Marrakesh, as well as plenty of buses and taxis. You also have the option of taking the high-speed train, which currently has 4 stations: Tangier, Kenitra, Rabat, and Casablanca. Going on a Coach Tour is also a fun way to explore Morocco. These busses trips are conducted by private companies.

 

Safety

• Morocco is absolutely a safe country to travel to! Morocco is the most political stable country in North-Africa. Morocco’s tourism numbers have been growing by the year and are expected to continue on this trajectory. Growing tourism numbers typically indicate a safe country to travel to. However, this does not mean that crimes do not occur in the country. The most common complaints in Morocco are pushy people, petty theft, and poor treatment of women.

 

Culture

• The culture of Morocco is a blend of Arab, Amazighs, Jewish, African and Western European cultures. The linguistic landscape of Morocco is complex and beautiful. It generally tends to be horizontally diverse and vertically stratified. The most spoken languages in Morocco is Arabic and Berber. The culture of Morocco is renowned for its literature, which stems from the 8th century with the arrival of Islam, music, art, and mouth-watering cuisine.

 

Shops

• The most amazing and vibrant shopping experience you will ever have in Morocco will be at the souqs, such as Jemaa el-Fnaa, Souk El Had d’Agadir, or Souk. However, if you are looking for something more modern perhaps visit the beautiful Morocco Mall.

 

To read more exciting blogs, please click on the link below:

 

Written by Saudika Hendricks

Edited by Eloise Williams