Top 5 Things To Know Before Traveling To Morocco

1. Pay Attention To Your Surroundings:

   There are many reasons you want to be aware of your surroundings when you travel, but in Morocco, this is especially important so you don’t get lost. When in the Medina, you should also avoid people with monkeys, snakes, or other animals. Aside from the argument of the inhumane treatment of animals and the owners demanding money from you if you take pictures with the animals, you’ll also be at risk for pick-pocketing while you are distracted. When I was planning our trip I was warned about getting lost and then people giving you fake directions and then asking for money. I didn’t believe it could be that confusing to navigate, especially in our modern world with technology. I was wrong. The medinas have tall walls that make it feel like you are going through a giant maze. Pay attention to landmarks and where you are in the city. When someone approached us and tried to tell us we were going the wrong way, I had to trust I knew where I was going. He persisted in following us, offering the correct way and it wasn’t until I said “La” (phonetically spelled), that he finally left us alone. This leads me to my next tip. 

   
   

   

   Medina streets in Marrakech

2. Learn the Language.

   Learning common phrases like yes, no, please, thank you, and hello are useful no matter where you travel. Being able to say a few phrases in Arabic helps with bargaining and communicating with people in which you are not interested. In the example I explained earlier, using Arabic showed the person that I knew what he was doing which is why he quickly walked away when I said “La” but was persistently in our personal space when I was repeatedly saying “no thank you” in English. The locals also appreciate your efforts when you say “Shoe-kran” (thank you phonetically spelled) Another thing to note with language is that while Arabic is the national language, many people also speak Berber, especially near the desert. 

   
   

   

   
   

3. Haggling is a part of the shopping experience in Morocco. 

   Negotiating the price is essential to not over-pay in Morocco. If you don’t like the price they are offering, keep walking because there are many duplicates of retail items in Morocco. If you are interested in purchasing Moroccan rugs, leather, or other goods, make sure to research how to tell if you are purchasing genuine leather and local handmade rugs. You can find more information on this in my detailed TRAVEL TIPS post. 

   

   Negotiating rug deals with a berber salesman.

4. Consume With Caution.

   The water is not safe to drink in Morocco. Only drink out of sealed water bottles or if you have a special filtered water bottle. In addition to avoiding tap water, ice cubes should be avoided as well. Our friend gave us 1 tip before we left for Morocco, don’t consume the soup. While I had a sip of it to try, my husband decided to finish his and mine while we were staying in the desert. That leads to a long 24 hours after the soup consumption.. consume at your own risk. Speaking of liquids, I’d also like to mention that alcohol is not widely available in Morocco, so you’ll mostly only see it offered at touristy restaurants and the prices will reflect that. If traveling out to the desert, plan to stop at a store in the city to purchase your drink of choice. An alternative is to enjoy a vacation alcohol and soup-free.

   

   Battling food poisoning after consuming the soup.

5. Research Before Booking Your Trip To The Sahara Desert.

   There are many things to consider when booking your travels to the Sahara Desert. For starters, the time of year you choose to visit can determine the temperatures in the desert and whether or not they are in their windy season. The Sahara Desert can get really strong winds that prevent anyone from being outside their tents. Alternatively, if there is absolutely no wind, the picturesque dunes in the back of your photos will just be covered with weeks worth of footprints instead of smooth dunes. Another important consideration is the time and effort it takes to make it to the desert should be considered prior to booking any tour company. Speaking of booking a tour company, it is actually better to find the place you want to stay in the desert and then plan your travels out to avoid having a travel company not securing the accommodation you’d actually want. You also want to make sure you are visiting the dunes for at least one sunrise. The ever-changing color of the orange sand dunes during sunrise will make the long travel worth it.

   
   

   

   Sunrise picture after some not so flattering photos were taken the day before. (visited in off / windy season & had 1 brief windstorm 1 night).

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For more travel tips and specific details about how to avoid getting lost in the Medinas of Morocco, weather considerations, desert travel tips and more check out my TRAVEL TIPS blog post and my DEEP DIVE post for everything Morocco. To see all my posts and Morocco recommendations click HERE. 

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THANK YOU FOR READING!