Morocco can be a wonderful place to visit and many of us might recall adventurers such as T.E Lawrence who contributed to the region in more ways than one. We may also remember classic movies such as Casablanca which was supposed to be set in the land of Morocco. Lines such as “here’s looking at you kid” and “ What in heaven’s name brought you to Casablanca?” “…My health, I came to Casablanca for the waters.” “The waters? What waters? We’re in the desert.” “…I was misinformed” certainly ring in our minds.
Who could forget the other classic lines from Casablanca that will go down for the ages? “You know how you sound…? Like a man who’s trying to convince himself of something he doesn’t believe in his heart” and “Where I’m going, you can’t follow. What I’ve got to do, you can’t be any part of. Ilsa, I’m no good at being noble, but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you’ll understand that.”
Lines such as those and more certainly will make individuals want to at least go and check the great land of Morocco out, to at least be in the space and discover the country for themselves.
If you are planning on taking a visit to this North African nation and might find yourself taking multiple trips in Morocco do yourself a favor and follow these few tips to have a great experience.
Dress Well
It is important that you pay close attention to the attire and the customs of the region that you go and visit. Women should note to dress modestly, while men can wear regular attire that they might in their home countries. It is best not to dress provocatively as they may attract unwanted attention.
Money
You’ll want to make sure that you have enough Dirhams on hand to be able to move around in a pleasant manner, make sure to have the right amounts of this currency while booking cabs and for conducting other affairs in the region. Do not rely on automated teller machines to spit out the right currencies as they may be out or might not be reliable.
Put on your Negotiating Cap
Morocco is a place where you will want to make sure to get the right substance in exchange for your money. This is not to say that merchants will rip you off, no, it is more to say that you can negotiate as that is part of the culture and prices are not rigid they are flexible. Don’t’ hesitate, learn how to negotiate! You will just have to invest the time into the deal and be rewarded with good prices for quality items.
Tourists are a form of income for many shop owners and people in the region
Make sure to have a good time but stay guarded. Random people may offer to be your guide to the region but they might not be trustworthy. This means that individuals might try to take advantage of your lack of knowledge and urge you to spend more money at shops that they take you to, spend more money on the tour itself, etc. It is wise to look at different options for tours earlier on and go with trustworthy people.
Watch out
Watch out for a variety of things, pickpockets, the food and the types of water. The food might be prepared differently and not similar to how it is in your home region. Thus is it is necessary to note that for the first few days while in the land, there is a chance that your stomach might feel queasy.
Make sure to follow precautions with important items, from your passport to your money as pickpockets may lurk.
Also, make sure to source water bottles if possible so you can stay refreshed and won’t have any issues from a health standpoint.