Maybe people could think about giving to charity on their visits to Morocco.
It is a poor country in many ways and to them the fact that you can
afford to come on holiday instantly makes you wealthy in their eyes
(even though not often the case).
Every city will have several charities to help orphans and other
disadvantaged children, women, disabled people and Spana (for animals)
exist here too. Some you can visit and volunteer to help for a day, some
will appreciate any spare clothes, games, unwanted mobile phones (if
you are coming with a half empty suitcase for shopping bring some stuff
to leave here) and some will just appreciate a cash donation.
Your Riad or hotel should be able to point you in the right
direction. Check the authenticity of any charity you choose to support
carefully.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Morocco: Budget Travel
Morocco is a wonderful destination if you are on a budget as your money can go a lot further when compared to Europe.
With
lots of airlines flying to Marrakech, Agadir, Casablanca and Tangiers
you can easily pick up a great deal on flights if you are prepared to be
flexible. Both Easyjet and Ryanair fly from the UK and bargains can be
had if you avoid school holidays and book in advance. Check out Royal
Air Maroc, British Airways and Air Arabia, who often have special deals.
You could buy one way with one airline another one way with a different
one, if you are that flexible you will get to Morocco for a steal!
Don't rule out package holidays it is worth doing some online research,
ice-lolly have had some very competitive deals. One week (October 2013)
London to Agadir flights with Easyjet, B&B in a 2* star hotel and
taxes for just £149
Unless you speak the language you will never
be able to get the deals that locals receive but transport,
accommodation and food will all be considerably cheaper than back home.
Learn a few words of Arabic before you go and read the pages on culture
and dress. You will gain the respect of locals and will always get a
better price if you respect the culture and can say a few words in
Arabic. Moroccans are generally very warm and strangers will strike up
conversations, often the motive is to try and sell you something or to
guide you somewhere. A smile and a no thank you is usually enough.
Be
mindful that in one transaction you can save a fortune only in the next
to lose everything and more on top. Remember if you want any
international brand names, with the exception of cigarettes imported
goods cost a lot more, often three or fours times what you would pay at
home! If you get a taxi, check the meter is working or agree a price
beforehand. Buses and trains are cheap as are shared taxi's.
There
are hundreds of cheap places to stay and good standard accommodation
doesn't have to cost a fortune. There are cheap hostel and hotels around
the medina in Marrakech If you are looking to hang out on the beach in
the glorious sunshine but also want some culture head towards Auorir,
Tamraght and Tagazhout, which are north of Agadir. There is lots of
budget accommodation, surf lodges and cheap apartments and rooms in an
amazing ocean setting. Auorir is famous for its bananas and is known as
banana village, Tamraght is a hillside traditional Berber fishing
village and Tagazhout a chilled out village popular with hippies and
surfers.
Food is cheap if you know where to go. In Marrakech you
must try the food stalls in Jemaa el-Fna. Here you can get a meal for
under 50 Dirhams (just over £3) It is popular with locals and there is a
great atmosphere.
If you are really on a tight budget you won't
go hungry! Get a bowl of harira soup and as much bread as you can eat
for 5 Dirhams (40p). Harira is delicious a blend of chickpeas, onion,
lamb or beef stock, tomatoes and a special blend of spices, it is often
served with a wedge of lime and makes a tasty filling meal.
Bread is baked fresh twice a day and is just over 1 dirham for a loaf, so you will never go hungry.
If
you are staying in an apartment and have kitchen facilities you can buy
fruit and vegetables cheaply at the local souk. The travelling souk at
Auorir on a Wednesday is great for every type of organic fruit and
vegetable at very cheap prices. A week supply of fruit and vegetables
for under 50 dirhams. Argan and olive oil as well as honey are also
excellent buys. If you want a whole chicken for a tagine this can be
purchased alive, slaughtered and prepared for you for 40 dirhams.
Alcohol
is expensive so bring your duty free allowance. Moroccan wine is
excellent and very well priced. Flag and Casablanca are the domestic
beers and can be purchased in various size cans and bottles 10 dirhams
at the Marjane supermarket.
Many Moroccans earn as little as 50
Dirhams a day. (Just over £3) It is worth remembering that you maybe on a
budget, but don't forget that for many people tipping makes up a big
part of their salary. There is no welfare state and families support
extended families and less fortunate neighbours. Always remember to
leave a few dirhams when in cafes and 10% when eating out. Remember to
budget a tip for your maid/housekeeper.
If you are planning on
clubbing in Marrakech and heading for the trendy hang-outs you are going
to near a very large budget, vodka is 100 Euros a bottle and yes you
are expected to buy a bottle.
If you want to chill out on the
beach and explore the surrounding countryside you can easily do it and
do it well for 200 Dirhams a day.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Morocco Weather and When to Go
Everyone goes to Ricks, or so the movie “Casablanca” suggests anyway.
And while Rick may have been comfortable with his suits and tuxedos
chances are they’d be a little warm for the North African Sahara desert,
especially in the summer.
To many it might even seem that it is always summer in deserts of
Morocco, and they wouldn’t be entirely wrong. But the area does have
actual season, and in the winter things can actually get downright
chilly. And depending on where you’re at you might experience dry but
chilly weather or the wet and cool rainy season from November through
April. During this time the day time temperatures are in the upper 50s
to mid 60s, and as low as the high 30s at night. Being in the desert it
can really cool off fast after the sun goes down. And in the mountains
temperatures can fall below zero, and many peaks are snow capped
throughout the year. Across the country late winter and early spring is
generally the wettest time of the year, and by summer there is almost no
rainfall to speak of.
The late spring and early fall can be generally mild with
temperatures in the 80s. By the summer it can be extremely hot and dry,
especially to the south. It isn’t uncommon for daytime temperatures to
climb to 100 or more. This makes for a good time to hit the beach and
cool off in the ocean!
It might be worthwhile to note, that the weather during autumn upto
November, tends to be more settled, compared to springtime, at least in
the south. Be prepared for various weather conditions, damp and often
windy at the Atlantic coast, dry and warmer inland.
In the city...Marrakech is scorching from June until end of September
and being unable to do much between the hours of 11am and 6pm can
really hamper your enjoyment of the city, especially if travelling with
children. Remember too, that it is respectful and appropriate to cover
your shoulders and knees, both men and women so this makes it even
harder stay cool. If you intend to travel around Morocco the supratour
buses are usually air conditioned whereas the trains are not. The best
time of year to be in Marrakech is May/October but whenever you go take
lots of sunscreen and a hat!
To many it might even seem that it is always summer in deserts of Morocco, and they wouldn’t be entirely wrong. But the area does have actual season, and in the winter things can actually get downright chilly. And depending on where you’re at you might experience dry but chilly weather or the wet and cool rainy season from November through April. During this time the day time temperatures are in the upper 50s to mid 60s, and as low as the high 30s at night. Being in the desert it can really cool off fast after the sun goes down. And in the mountains temperatures can fall below zero, and many peaks are snow capped throughout the year. Across the country late winter and early spring is generally the wettest time of the year, and by summer there is almost no rainfall to speak of.
The late spring and early fall can be generally mild with temperatures in the 80s. By the summer it can be extremely hot and dry, especially to the south. It isn’t uncommon for daytime temperatures to climb to 100 or more. This makes for a good time to hit the beach and cool off in the ocean!
It might be worthwhile to note, that the weather during autumn upto November, tends to be more settled, compared to springtime, at least in the south. Be prepared for various weather conditions, damp and often windy at the Atlantic coast, dry and warmer inland.
In the city...Marrakech is scorching from June until end of September and being unable to do much between the hours of 11am and 6pm can really hamper your enjoyment of the city, especially if travelling with children. Remember too, that it is respectful and appropriate to cover your shoulders and knees, both men and women so this makes it even harder stay cool. If you intend to travel around Morocco the supratour buses are usually air conditioned whereas the trains are not. The best time of year to be in Marrakech is May/October but whenever you go take lots of sunscreen and a hat!
Morocco: Recommended Reading
Non-Fiction
Timbuktu: The Sahara's Fabled City of Gold by Marq De Villiers and Sheila Hirtle - Includes plenty of historical information on Morocco
Fiction
- Valley Of The Casbahs by Jeffrey Tayler - A traveler's account of crossing the Moroccan Sahara by foot, from Mhamid to Agadir.
- Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night by E. P. Mathers - 'Arabian Nights' Classic
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
- Hope and other dangerous pursuits by Laila Lalami - short stories focusing on modern Moroccan life
Travel Pictorial - Country or Natural Wonder
Always browse any or all Travel Pictorial books about a country,
region or a natural wonder of the world . You will find excellent
photography to view at leisure. Check out any bookstore or library (
lending or reference ). Additionally, you could view traveler's photos
on GoogleImages or Flickr.
Travel Guide(s) - Country, Region or City
Always glance through any Travel Guide for the region you are
planning to visit. You will always find some nuggat of useful
information. The layout and content will always vary with the publisher.
Every traveller should make it a priority to browse one or all of the
guides listed below. It will be a great education to browse the layout
and view the excellent photography. You decide which of the
travel guide(s) you like the best.
- DK Eyewitness Travel Guide(s)
- Rough Guide to Morocco
- Insight / Discovery Channel Travel Guide(s)
- Lonely Planet Guide(s)
- AA Explorer, AA Key or AA Spiral Guide(s)
- Note: You will find about thirteen ( 13+ ) other publishing companies travel guides in bookstores.
Morocco: History
In 2006 the African nation of Morocco celebrated its 50th anniversary
of independence. Today it is a land with a rich culture, in thanks to
its strategic location and very long history.
While the deserts of North Africa may not seem inviting, the land was
likely far less arid and the earliest settlers likely arrived as early
as 7000 BC. The local Berber people later established contact with the
early Phoenicians and Greeks who traded in the Mediterranean Ocean.
The area was known as Mauretania during the Classical Age and was
part of the Roman Empire, until its decline when various Germanic tribes
including the Vandals and the Visigoths settled here. The Byzantines
retook the region but maintained only loose control.
In the 7th century the Islamic forces from the east conquered the
area, and this led to a power struggle between various groups that would
last for several centuries. The powerful Alaouite Dynasty gained
control of Morocco following a long series of Civil Wars. Under their
leadership Morocco was the first nation to recognize the United States
in 1777.
The region's location at the northern tip of Africa at the Straits of
Gibraltar attracted various powers for centuries. At the beginning of
the 20th century the region fell into the sphere of influence of the
French, and this caused a crisis in 1905 that almost started a war
between France and Germany. This would remain one of the many causes of
the First World War. In 1912 the second crisis in the region resulted in
most of the country of Morocco becoming a protectorate of France, with
Spain assuming similar status with the other two Saharan zones.
In
World War II American forces landed in Vichy French controlled Morocco,
and this was the site of the first conflict between American and Axis
forces during the war. Following the war Morocco finally regained its
independence, with France officially relinquishing its protection in
1956.
Morocco: Culture
Vibrant, diverse Morocco is known for its Atlantic and Mediterranean
beaches, high mountains, Sahara Desert, imperial cities, and souks. It
has a history and culture reflect the influence of a long succession of
invaders and settlers—including the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals,
French, Spanish, and Arabs—as well as the presence of the Berbers,
Morocco’s indigenous people, who make up half of the nation’s
population.
Morocco: Culture and Society Moroccan society is a fascinating melting pot of different cultures: Berber, Arab, Jewish, Muslim, African and European. The late Hassan II, king of Morocco, compared the country to a tree with its roots spreading deep into the heart of Africa, its trunk solidly set in the Arabo-Islamic world, and its branches reaching beyond Spain, Portugal and France to the heart of Europe. Morocco is changing rapidly as a result of modernization and democratization efforts; yet its diverse cultures are deeply anchored in age-old traditions that stress community life, baraka (sacred blessing), fate, family, and honor, all of which are values that Moroccans cherish and are always ready to share.
Historically, the Moroccan empire was a major player in world politics and the legendary cities of Fes, Marrakech and Essaouira, along with their monuments, are a standing witness of that historical role. Morocco is also a symphony of different forms of music and dance that make it one of the most "musical" countries in the world. The fine cuisine, the rich biodiversity, the hospitality, the vibrant civil society, the active elite, the diverse geography, the religious and ethnic tolerance, the Andalusian heritage, the varied economy and the longest Monarchy in the world-all of these make of it an interesting case that is worth studying closely.
Morocco: Culture and Society Moroccan society is a fascinating melting pot of different cultures: Berber, Arab, Jewish, Muslim, African and European. The late Hassan II, king of Morocco, compared the country to a tree with its roots spreading deep into the heart of Africa, its trunk solidly set in the Arabo-Islamic world, and its branches reaching beyond Spain, Portugal and France to the heart of Europe. Morocco is changing rapidly as a result of modernization and democratization efforts; yet its diverse cultures are deeply anchored in age-old traditions that stress community life, baraka (sacred blessing), fate, family, and honor, all of which are values that Moroccans cherish and are always ready to share.
Historically, the Moroccan empire was a major player in world politics and the legendary cities of Fes, Marrakech and Essaouira, along with their monuments, are a standing witness of that historical role. Morocco is also a symphony of different forms of music and dance that make it one of the most "musical" countries in the world. The fine cuisine, the rich biodiversity, the hospitality, the vibrant civil society, the active elite, the diverse geography, the religious and ethnic tolerance, the Andalusian heritage, the varied economy and the longest Monarchy in the world-all of these make of it an interesting case that is worth studying closely.