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Morocco – Food and Dining Guide
Traditional Morocco food is nourishing though a little dull, with couscous [semolina] the national dish, served with stews of lamb, chicken and vegetables.
Main towns, like Fes, have lots of international restaurants at reasonable prices.
Alcohol is freely available to travellers.
Some anti-hassle hints for Morocco Travellers
Moroccans can be lovely, hospitable people if you get the chance to know them. However: – most offers of hospitality – ‘come in for a cup of tea!’ – in regular travel destinations will result in a sales campaign. So don’t accept any. – don’t trust what young men on the street tell you and don’t tell them where you’re staying. – be very clear and firm about your needs; indecision and vagueness could lead to unwanted pressure. – all sorts of tricks are used to develop a relationship that will lead to sales, from the simple ‘where are you from’ to ‘could you tell me what this says’. Best to reply distantly to greetings and nothing more…
Sad, isn’t it? But Morocco really is worth the hassle and non-sales people are relaxed, friendly and generous!
Morocco – General Information
Independent monarchy, divided into 37 provinces, and the 2 governorates (wilaya) of Casablanca and Rabat-Sale. Morocco claims, and occupies most of Western Sahara. Morocco also claims the territory of Spanish North Africa. Some hash producing regions in the north are out of control of the central authorities.
Day of independence: March 2, 1956.
Throne Day: July 30, 1999
GOVERNMENT
Head of state: Muhammad 6
Prime ministers: Driss Jettou.
The government is made up of 31 ministers.
National Assembly: There are 2 chambers, the Representative with 325 members, and the Advisers with 270 members. All members of the Representative Chamber are elected from general elections. For the Advisers Chamber, 162 seats are elected by local councils, 81 by chambers of commerce and 27 by trade unions.
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When to Travel to Morocco?
Best: Sept-Oct, March-May
OK: winter months, Nov-Feb, are generally fine and warm except in the north or up the mountains.
Worst: July, Aug. Hot inland, though it can be the most pleasant time on the coast.
Ramadan can be an awkward time as many locals neither eat nor drink during the day and may be tired [Oct 15 – Nov 14 ‘04, Oct 5 – Nov 4 ‘05].
Length of stay:
Min. worthwhile stay, not incl. flights : 5 days [Marrakesh & Draa/Ziz valley drive]
Recommended: 9 days – 1 month
Main Morocco festivals:
June, Fes Sacred Music Festival; actually wacky world music…
June, Essaouria Festival of Music.
June, Marrakech Festival of Popular Arts, 10 days of arts attack.
Aug, Imilchil Engagement Festival, 3 days of Berber instant match-making.
Morocco – Where to go?
-Marrakesh hosts Djemaa el Fna, the wackiest square in Morocco, where assorted weirdos put on performances and in the evening food stalls serve excellent local cuisine. The souk [market] is the best place to find good quality crafts. – Fs is the oldest imperial city in Morocco and has the largest medina [old city] and souks in the world. You have to get lost in this medieval maze of 10,000 tiny streets to feel the city. – Dunes. Travel past Erfoud [to Merzouga] or Zagora [to M’Hamid] to get to the dunes at the edge of the Sahara desert, and stay 2/3 days.
-Drive the lovely Ziz Valley from Errachidia to Erfoud – then on to Merzouga and the Sahara desert. Or along the Dra Valley from Ouarzazate to Zagora and on into the desert..
Also driving between Errachidia and Ouarzazate [the Kasbah Route] with snow-capped mountains, valleys, oases, villages and kasbahs is magnificent. Visit the Todra and Dads gorges. – High Atlas, [1-2 days]. Driving Errachidia -Marrakech through/beside the Atlas mountains is highly recommended, the views are spectacular. – For a cool beach scene try pretty blue-and-white **Essaouria, rather than the over packaged Agadir. It has an excellent beach though it can get windy. – Casablanca is a huge modern city with not much ethnic interest bar the biggest mosque in the world and the old quarter. – Rabat, the capital, is smaller than Casablanca and much more traveller-friendly, though still not a must-see. It’s relaxed, hassle -free, has one or two worthy sights and lots of pleasant cafs.
Suggested Activities:
Trekking: from half-hour walks to 3-10+ days treks can be arranged in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains by travel guides based in the Ourika Valley.
For hiking Mt Toubkal – the highest peak in the country- start from Imlil.
To visit Berber villages try Tafrout as a base.
Rock Climbing: the Todra Gorge, near Tinehir.
Camel trekking: Can be arranged at the hotels in the desert area or tourist offices. Best time is Sep-Oct.
Driving: car rental is reasonable and available in most cities, driving is relaxing and some routes are amazingly beautiful [see above]. You don’t need 4 wheel drive. A small Renault will do fine.
Water sports: Resorts on the coast such as Agadir, Asilah.
Windsurfing and surfing: winds are regular and potent at Essaouira.
Skiing: Oukaimeden, 70kms from Marrakesh, is popular.
Why Travel Morocco?
The traveller’s mecca in 60s-70s, Morocco is still a fascinating mix of Islamic, Arab, African, and Berber cultures with a topping of France. Throw in some pleasant cities, eye-boggling landscapes, colourful people, excellent beaches, good trekking, plenty of interesting shopping and there’s something for everyone. Moroccans are mostly Muslim but not too obsessive about it.
Morocco has mountains, deserts, ancient cities, and some of the friendliest people anywhere in the world. Most Morocco holidays are based in Marrakech, with easy access to trekking in the Atlas mountains, especially for climbing Mount Toubkal. Just 2.5 hours from the UK yet as different as it could be, the Souks and main square of Marakech, the Djmaa El Fnaa, with it’s snakecharmers, acrobats, storytellers and food stores are a fantastic experience. Cultural holidays with visits to Fez, Essaouira and the ancient kasbah at Telouet, walking in the Atlas, mountain biking and cycling in Morocco, The Berber villages and the Berbers themselves, camel trekking in the desert and the Roman ruins of Volubilis all make Morrocco a fantastic holiday destination.
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Introduction : Morocco
Morocco is situated on the northwestern corner of Africa. Morocco is bordered with Algeria to the east and southeast, Mauritania to the south and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean.
The country is divided into three natural regions;
(1) The fertile northern coastal plaint along the Mediterranean which contains Er Rif, mountains varying in elevation up to about 8,000 ft;
(2) The rich plateaus and lowlands lying between the rugged Atlas mountains, which extend in three parallel ranges from the Atlantic coast in the southwest to Algeria and the Mediterranean in the northeast;
(3) The semiarid area in southern and eastern Morocco, which merges into the Sahara Desert, The Atlas Mountains, with an average elevation of 11,000 ft, contain some of the highest peaks of North Africa, including Mt. Toubkal (13,665 ft), the highest of all. South of the Atlas lie the Anti-Atlas Mountains, with volcanic Mt. Siroua (10,000 ft).
Morocco has the most extensive river system in North Africa. Moroccan rivers generally flow northwestward to the Atlantic or southeastward toward the Sahara; the Moulouya is an exception, and flows 350 miles north-eastwards from the Atlas to the Mediterranean. Principal rivers with outlets in the Atlantic are the Oumer River, Sebou, Bou Regreg, Tensift, Draa and Sous. The Ziz and Gheris are the main rivers flowing southward towards the Sahara.
Lowest point: Sebkha Tah -55m
Highest point: Jebel Toubkal 4,165m
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