About Morocco

Morocco is located on the North West coast of Africa and has ports in the North Atlantic Ocean as well as the Mediterranean Sea. It is the third most populous Arab country. Morocco shares the largest part of its border with Algeria to the East and Western Saharah to the South. The capital of Morocco is Rabat and its largest city is Casablanca. The national currency is the Moroccan Dirham.

Fast Facts about Morocco

• Borders -Algeria closed;Mauritania open but no public transport
• Time -GMT/UTC
• Telephone -Country code 212; international access code00
• Money -Dirham (Dh); US$1 = Dh8.5
• Visas -90-day visas issued on entry for most nationalities
• Seasons -Hot (June to August), cold (November to February)
• Area -446, 550 sq km (710, 000 sq km if you include Western Sahara)
• Population -33.2 million
• ATMs -Throughout the country except in small villages
• Capital-Rabat
• Languages -Arabic, French, Berber

Major Cities:

1. Casablanca: Casablanca has a population of over 3 million,Casablanca resembles a Southern European city. Today all duties are handled here except for administration. We will be arriving in Casablanca and then move onward to Rabat.

2. Rabat: Rabat is home to the Moroccan government as well as a hub of traditional cuisine and architecture and much more. Rabat is the second biggest city after Casablanca.

3. Tangier: Tangier, also known as the White City, revolves around its brilliant import and export port. The city is very popular with tourists and Moroccan holiday makers as it has beautiful beaches to entertain them.

Temperatures: The average annual temperatures of Morocco's major cities are as follows: Casablanca, 20°C (69°F); Rabat, 22°C (71°F); and, Tangier, 20°C (66°F).

Cuisine: The cuisine of Morocco is a mix of Berber, Spanish, Corsican, Portuguese, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and African cuisines. are used extensively in Moroccan food. While spices have been imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many ingredients, like from Tiliouine,mint and olives from Meknes, and >oranges and lemons from Fez, are home-grown. Chicken is the most widely eaten meat in Morocco. Couscous is the most famous Moroccan dish along with pastilla, tajine, and harira. The most popular drink is with mint.

Money: Guichets automatiques (ATMs) are now a common sight across Morocco and many accept Visa, MasterCard, Electron, Cirrus, Maestro and InterBank systems. Major credit cards are widely accepted in the main tourist centres, although their use often attracts a surcharge of around 5% from Moroccan businesses. American Express, Visa and Thomas Cook travellers cheques are widely accepted for exchange by banks. Australian, Canadian and New Zealand dollars are not quoted in banks and are not usually accepted.

Tipping and bargaining are integral parts of Moroccan life. Practically any service can warrant a tip, and a few dirham for a service willingly rendered can make life a lot easier. Tipping between 5% and 10% of a restaurant bill is appropriate. A supply of small coins is vital for the payment of taxis, tips and guides.