The month of Ramadan falls on the period from December to February, during this month it is forbidden to drink and eat before sunset, it is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol (even for tourists), shops work with a reduced working day or do not work at all during the day. At night at this time it is quite noisy, and during the day life practically stops. Are you a night rider? Many Moroccans share your passion, but not everyone will have headlights on. Pedestrians jump out onto the roadway in any place convenient for them. It remains only to sigh, take it for granted and better look around. Great care must be taken when dealing with currency. The dirham is not convertible and is not exported from the country. It is forbidden to change it on the streets. You should always carry small bills with you – sellers often imitate the lack of change. Large bills in the hands of the buyer encourage sellers to overprice. Many small services are cheap, and you still can’t wait for change from a large bill. The so-called “Berber dirham”, which is often manipulated by traders, especially in mountainous areas, does not exist in nature. Bargaining is accepted almost everywhere, except for supermarkets.
According to 3rjewelry, there are a lot of pickpockets in Morocco, so you should take the usual security measures – do not carry your wallet in easily accessible pockets from the outside, cameras and handbags – only on your belt, do not leave anything in the car or park cars only in guarded parking lots specially serviced by security guards (must have uniform tokens). The tourist police are very loyal to foreigners, and at the same time they treat the local population very harshly. Photographing the military and police is strictly prohibited. During Ramadan (December to February), it is forbidden to drink and eat before sunset, it is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol (even for tourists), shops work with a reduced working day or do not work at all during the day. Weekly holidays are Saturday and Sunday, but many artisans and merchants also do not work on Fridays, the day of prayers. But in the market, all the shops work seven days a week, but the Moroccans themselves do not go to the market on weekends, so prices are noticeably higher these days. Photographic film is very expensive, so it is better to bring it with you. Alcoholic drinks are sold everywhere, but their sale in stores stops at 20:00 (hotels often make exceptions to this rule). The traditions of hospitality here are quite peculiar. In mountainous areas, subject to certain conditions, the tourist will be met with sincere oriental cordiality. In major tourist areas, “hospitality” is mostly ostentatious and designed for “baksheesh”. Harassment and begging in tourist areas is a serious problem for foreign tourists, but local authorities are taking serious measures to curb it. Harassment should be rejected politely, with a smile, but firmly, in no case turning to raised tones. In extreme cases, you should contact the guides of tourist groups (they are authorized by the authorities to quite legally resist petty beggars and therefore they are feared) or to the employees of the special “tourist police”. Unaccompanied women should exercise extra caution. The most tiring for a tourist in terms of beggars and scammers are the tourist areas in the Agadir area, the historical cities of Fes, Marrakech, Tangier.
At the same time, traveling through the cities of the coast from Rabat to Essaouira, it is extremely unlikely that you will have to face the mentioned troubles. There is no form of “you” in Arabic. In a conversation, it is customary to ask a lot of questions about health, business, personal life, etc., while answering in detail to similar questions of the interlocutor. Refusal of an invitation to visit (or in a cafe “for a cup of tea”) can be considered as a serious reason for resentment. When entering the house, you should take off your shoes. If you are invited to the main room of the dwelling (a great honor), you should wash your hands in a special basin (often the owner himself pours water from the jug as a sign of attention), and say “bismillah” before eating or stepping over the threshold. Access to the mosque for non-Muslims is prohibited. Hugging in public is not accepted, as well as showing your emotions. It is customary to eat with your hands, with 3 fingers of your right hand, folded into a pinch. One should not touch food with the left hand, which is considered “unclean”. At the beginning of the meal, a bowl of hot “rose” water is often served to wash the hands. Bread, as a symbol of prosperity, should be consumed sparingly and with dignity. Traditional tea drinking is accompanied by a certain ritual – the glass is filled no more than two-thirds, the tea should foam, it is not customary to blow on it, but its aroma should be deeply inhaled and exhaled. You can not refuse the second or third glass of tea, only after the third refusal does not seem impolite. You can not drink water from the tap or offered by water carriers on the streets – only bottled. In many modern hotels, the tap water is quite safe, but it has an unusual composition of microelements for the European stomach, which can cause indigestion. The local varieties of mineral water “Sidi All”, “Sidi Harazem” and “Ulmes” are especially good (the main thing is that the factory packaging is not damaged!). Juices with ice, which are offered everywhere, should also be drunk with great care – only from bottles in the original packaging, many street vendors mix juices either on not very clean ice or diluted with tap water.
When buying a bottle of soft drink on the street, you must drink it on the spot, otherwise you will have to pay the cost of the bottle. Wear sunscreen (even on cloudy days), as well as sunglasses and protective light clothing. There are few dangerous insects, and even fewer flying ones. You should only be wary of scorpions and spiders in desert areas. There are many hotels with different levels of service, both falling under the generally accepted classification and unclassified. Service in hotels is simpler than in European countries. At the same time, the star classification is awarded quite arbitrarily – in a 5-star hotel there may easily be no small “bonuses” in the form of hair dryers or shampoo in the room, while in a neighboring 3-star hotel all this is available. There are many campsites along the coast. For young people from 13 to 30 years old, there are fairly inexpensive youth hotels (“Youth Hostels”). Some hotels located on the coast have their own beaches with sun loungers and umbrellas, but most hotels do not have separate beaches – you can use the sunbeds and umbrellas of the beaches of other hotels for an additional fee. At the same time, there are “public”, completely free beaches everywhere. It is customary to give tips small, but often – in restaurants and hotels (often tips are already included in the bill, but are welcomed by the administration) up to 10% of the bill, maids – 2-10 dirhams per week, car security guards – 1-2 dirhams, car washers – 5 dirham, guides – 5-10 dirhams per tour. Tipping must be given in person and only to the person who performed the service. The voltage in the electrical network is 220 V. in new buildings and 110 V. in old ones, the frequency is 50 Hz. Sockets are standard European, with grounding. but often – in restaurants and hotels (often tips are already included in the bill, but are welcomed by the administration) up to 10% of the bill, maids – 2-10 dirhams per week, car security guards – 1-2 dirhams, car washers – 5 dirhams, guides – 5 -10 dirhams for the tour. Tipping must be given in person and only to the person who performed the service. The voltage in the electrical network is 220 V. in new buildings and 110 V. in old ones, the frequency is 50 Hz. Sockets are standard European, with grounding. in new buildings and 110 V. in old ones, the frequency is 50 Hz. Sockets are standard European, with grounding.
