Morocco Travel Guide

Morocco are the point of ideal starting for the traveler to Africa. A easy jump of Europe, can be a friendly, shaken and stimulating place. Markets throughout the country with carpets, statures in wood, and jewelry crowed outdoors.

Morocco has developed a mosaic of artistic traditions. The thread that unites to all is music; of the classic style that developed in Spain and the musical traditions of the Berbers through the contemporary fusion of styles African and French. Although identified more with Algeria, RAI (opinion) is the musical style with but force in the cities of Morocco. In spite of its Arab-African rates, Moroccans combine electrical instruments to create a hypnotic effect.

Artisans work is important in Morocco. Its signature has been appreciated commercially since the XVI century. The unique style of every region and it s inheritance lives in the production on carpets, pottery, jewelry shop and statures of wood. The boards painted and carved for the inner decoration along with tiles continue very being used in the interiors in religious buildings and wealthy houses.

Morocco has inspired a lot of artists and producers. The French artist Delacroix is one of the painters who was amazed by the Moroccan daily life and embraced it with his brushes after his visit in 1830, a century later Hollywood started producing on the Moroccan soil, First with Marlene Dietrich. Then followed by the famous movie (Casablanca) in 1942, since then many movies and documentaries have been filmed in Morocco.

Spoken dialect is considerably different from the others spoken in the east. Moroccans speak different dialects according to different regions.

The Moroccan food is delicious and nutritious; the most famous one is the couscous, semolina served with different vegetables and lamb. Black tea with mint is the first preferred drink of all Moroccans. And there is no general alcohol prohibition.

Necessary documents to enter Morocco: passport/identification card. No visa required for visits inferior to 3 months.

How to Travel:

INTERNATIONAL trips

AIR:

The national airline of Morocco is Royal Air Maroc. A lot of other Airlines arrive at international airports as well. Few examples are Air France (AF), Alitalia (AZ), British Air Lines (BA), KLM (Belgian of KL), Sabena (SN), Lufthansa (LH) and Swissair (MR.). Check your travel agent is your preferred airline makes trips to morocco.

International airports:

Casablanca (CAS) (Mohammed V) is 30km to the south of the city (35 minutes). The Services of the airport include duty free store, mail, slogan and Office of Change (open 24hrs), restaurants, shops and car rental office (Avis, Hertz and Europcar).There is trains buses and taxis services available on the premises.

Tangier (TNG) (Boukhalef Souahel) is 12km of the city (20 minutes).

SEA:

The main ports are Tangier, Casablanca and Ceuta. Lines that serve these ports are Transtour, Trasmediterranea Company, Limadet, the Soft Line (of Spain and Gibraltar), Polish Lines of the Ocean and Nautilus (of Spain and the U.S.A. and Comanav. There are cheap and regular automobile - and connections between Spain, Tanger and the Spanish enclave in the North Moroccan coast. The routes are of Algeciras to Ceuta (Sebta); Algeciras to Tanger; It quarrels to Tanger; Gibraltar to Tanger; Almeria to Melilla and Malaga to Melilla).

RAILROAD:

They remain suspended between Morocco and Algeria.

National travels

AIR:

Royal Air Maroc operates regular services of the airport of Casablanca to Agadir, To Al Hoceima, Dakhla, Fès, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat, Tanger and Tetouan. There are special prices for minors, there are also new local airlines that operates, we will keep you posted on their services as soon as we collect information about their routes.

RAILROAD:

The Moroccan railway system is normal and, although limited, tells on first class cheap prices. The railway tariffs are between cheapest of the world, although a supplement in the trains with conditioned air must be paid. They count on car-bed and restaurant. The network runs of Oujda in the northeast to Casablanca in the Eastern coast, Tanger in the North coast and Marrakech in the interior. Main lines: Marrakech-Casablanca-Rabat-Meknes- Fès-Oujda; (b) Marrakech-Casablanca-Rabat; (c) Marrakech-Casablanca-Meknes-Fès and Casablanca-Rabat-Tangier. The most useful route is of Fès to Rabat and Casablanca, with five daily and two trains at night. There are also two daily trains and a train at night (without car-bed) of Casablanca to Marrakech. Cheap tariffs: Smaller children of 4 years do not pay and the 4-10 children can travel by average ticket. Discount of 30% for groups of ten and more. First and Second class can be reserved beforehand.

HIGHWAY:

The Moroccan main highways, particularly those of the north and the northwest of the country, are in good condition throughout the year. Around the south of Mountains of the Atlas, the trip becomes a bit more difficult.

Car:

The main centers are connected by a wide variety of bus services. The two main good companies are CTM (covering the whole country) and SATAS (between Casablanca, Agadir and the south of Agadir).

Taxi:

In major big Cities. People who cannot wait for buses they use big taxis that can travel outside of the town , they are mostly old Mercedes cars painted a white or an off white to beige color. They are used for trips between cities, prices must be agreed upon beforehand.

Car rental:

Avis and Hertz can give automobiles in Gibraltar or Tanger, Agadir Rabat or Casablanca. The price is generally expensive. There are several private car rental companies as well.

URBAN:

There is bus in the big cities. The urban taxis are abundant and have acceptable tariffs. The taxi drivers wait for a gratuity of 10%.

Health :

SANITARY CONDITIONS:

Typical of "an intermediate" country: food industry is well controlled about the hygiene laws and sanitation; drinking bottled water outside the cities is safer for visitors with sensitive digestive system. Milk must be boiled and also fruits and veggies should always be washed before anything.

Private health clinics in principle are better than public hospitals.

Taken care of health:

There are good medical Services in all the main cities, even pharmacies take turn on staying open all night long. Usually the local news papers will advertise which of the pharmacies and the address will stay open. Public hospitals provide free emergency services.

Attractions

NOCTURNAL LIFE: Morocco night clubs, lounges, piano bars, restaurants, and other fun places. There are modern nightclubs in all the cities. There are casinos in Marrakech and Mohammedia. The traditional Moroccan celebrations can be seen in each town.

SPORTS:

Swimming: there are Beaches all over along the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea. Mohammedia, Agadir, el Jadida, Oualidia, Safi and Essaouira are some of the towns with better beaches. The Mediterranean coast is being developed now and to begin to offer resources for swimming and diving.

Fishing: permission and authorization is needed, and is emitted by the Section of Waters and Forests or by the local clubs. Also trips for fishing in the sea can be organized.

Hunting: The area of Arboaua offers wild, perdiz wild boar, the hare, wild duck and quail during the station open from October to March. The hunting permissions are obtained in the National Tourist Office.

Golf: There are clubs in Rabat, El jadida, Tánger,Casablanca, Agadir and Marrakech.

WINTER SPORTS: Ifrane in the Middle Atlas and Oukaimeden in the High Atlas offer tracks prepared of sky. Mont Tidiquin in the district of Ketama and Djebel Seine fishing Volane in the Middle atlas is also stations of sky although with limited resources.

Horse back riding: there are clubs of horse back riding in Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, Agadir , El jadida and Fès.

Moroccans speak many languages along with Arabic such French, Spanich (often, North), and English (new generation)