Morocco is on everyone’s bucket list (and for good reason!). This country in Northern Africa is full of delightful culture, friendly locals, and impressive landmarks. That being said, it comes with its own set of challenges. Especially for those solo female travelers – cat calling central anyone? Certain things, like cat calling are inevitable, but manageable. Overall, Morocco is a fascinating country with a plethora of experiences to enjoy. Here are a few things to note before traveling to Morocco.
1. Morocco is very dry.
While you will find pockets of Morocco with beautiful oases, the country as a whole is very dry. Last year, for example, it only rained 25 days (total) in Morocco.
2. 99% of the population in Morocco adhere to Islam.
Morocco is a Muslim country which follows Islamic laws and customs. They avoid worshiping idols in Islam so there is no representation of animals or people in the architecture in Morocco. Additionally, it is absolutely forbidden to allow animals to suffer according to Islamic custom. The two official languages in Morocco are Standard Arabic and Amazigh (Berber).
3. The local currency in Morocco is the Dirham.
If you are traveling to Morocco at the time of this article, 1 Dirham is approximately 10 cents (0.10 USD). When considering how much something to cost when traveling to Morocco, here are a couple examples. 1.5 liters of water at a local convenient store should cost around 8 Dirham (0.80 USD). A taxi ride should not cost more than 30 Dirham ($3 USD) to get across town. This doesn’t always mean you will be charged these prices, but you’ll know if you are getting ripped off when someone attempts to charge you 100+ Dirham’s for a taxi ride through Casablanca.
4. Speaking of Casablanca – it is not a favorite amongst locals.
Locals think Casablanca is a dirty, unlivable city. Don’t take it from me! My local guide let me know the people of Morocco think Casablanca is a great place to make money, but otherwise believe it doesn’t have much to offer. For tourists the mosque is really the only “attraction”, unless you want to count “Rick’s Cafe” from the famous movie “Casablanca”. I only spent 24 hours in Casablanca so I might not be the best judge of this statement. The mosque was absolutely stunning though and I would highly recommend it.
5. The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is the only mosque open to the public in all of Morocco.
The only way to visit the mosque in Casablanca is by guided tour. Multiple tours run every day (9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM, and 2 PM) so be sure to plan accordingly! You shouldn’t need to purchase tickets prior to arrival at the mosque, and you can expect to pay approximately $13 USD for both entry and tour. The tour takes 45 minutes and you are required to dress respectfully, meaning your knees and shoulders/arms must be covered. Tours are offered in English, German, French, and Spanish.
6. Morocco is actually quite liberal.
Before traveling to Morocco, I was completely stresssssing about what to pack. I read multiple blogs with contradictory statements regarding the dress code, cultural norms, and what may be recognized as disrespectful. However, upon arrival I learned the Morocco is actually quite liberal – compared to other Islamic countries. While I always believe it’s best to respect the culture of any country you visit, you can dress more casually than I had anticipated. You may warrant unwanted attention if you wear anything too revealing, however I saw many young locals wearing sleeveless dresses, jean shorts, and similar items to folks from back home. I went back and forth with my wardrobe, but always carried a scarf with me in case I needed to cover up in any way.
Morocco continues to work on social, economic and political reform. And while it is one of the more modern, liberal Islamic countries, it still has some harsh realities like the criminalization of homosexuality and cheating on your spouse. Sometimes hotels will ask for evidence of marriage if a local couple check in, however it is almost unheard of hotels requesting this of foreigners. Technically though, if you are staying in a single hotel room with your boyfriend/girlfriend and you are not married, you are breaking the law.
7. Moroccans drink to get DRUNK.
This means, they don’t casually sit down for a glass of wine after work, or share a few beers between old friends. They go hard. If you are traveling to Morocco with the fear you won’t be able to find alcohol, rest assured. Moroccans will typically drink 10 beers (per person) in a sitting. Which leads me to the next point…
8. Women don’t want to marry a man who drinks, smokes, or gambles.
It should be clear then, why women do not find it attractive (let alone morally correct) to marry a man who drinks. Smoking and gambling are also off the table if you’re hoping to secure a wife in Morocco.
9. There is a specific way to knock on doors in Morocco.
Did you know 40 years ago, women were not allowed to answer the door in Morocco if someone approached? There are different areas of the door to knock on depending on who you are to the residents living inside. For example, friends knock from the top and family knock from the bottom. These are going to create different sounds alerting the residents inside. Doors are also much smaller/shorter in Morocco because it is respectful to bow as you enter the home. With shorter doors, this becomes an automatic practice.
10. Fes has it’s own color palette – green and blue!
We all know (or should know at this point) the blue city of Chefchaouen in Morocco, however Fes also has its’ own color pallete. After all, a special place deserves a special color palette to themselves. Green and blue represent the colors of Fes. How did we get this combination you may ask? Green is the color of Islam and blue is the color of the ocean.
11. The sand dunes only make up 10-15% of the Sahara desert in Morocco.
When I heard this, my mind was blown! Before traveling to Morocco. I always imagine the Sahara desert to be miles and miles of sand dunes, further than the eye could see. However, it was shocking upon arrival to the dunes and realizing the small square footage they actually cover. The land surrounding the dunes is flat and dry – makes sense for a desert.
That’s when you start to see the infamous mirages. I did spot one during a rest stop! In the middle of the vast desert it looked like glassy, rippling water in the distance because of the heat. Suddenly I felt an immense sense of helplessness for those in the movies (and in real world experiences) that spot a mirage while crossing the desert. That shit looks too real!
12. ATM’s can be tricky…
Some of them will not accept your foreign cards. Some of them may be a scam. Some of them will simply run out of money – yes this happened to someone I was with. Yikes. My suggestion would be to exchange money prior to arriving or do so at the airport.
13. Buy as much argan oil as possible!
…and then give me some please. It’s a fraction of the price to buy organic, 100% argan oil in Morocco. I wish I would have purchased more than I did but I’ve made mine last for almost a year. It is extremely pure and concentrated, whereas everywhere else in the world add products to their argan oil so it becomes “watered down” for lack of a better term. I also scored the BEST lip balm I’ve ever used in Morocco. I’m not kidding when I say I am planning an entire trip to return to Morocco to get my hands on this lip balm when I inevitably run out.
14. Tell shop owners you are from Holland if you don’t want to be harassed.
Apparently (and this is not my opinion, but straight from the locals mouth) tourists from Holland are the worst shoppers. Tourists traveling to Morocco from Holland typically don’t purchase souvenirs so if you would like to quickly discourage a shop owner in the medina from hassling you, use this tip! They won’t even bother.
15. Speaking of medinas, be wary of children/teenagers…
Fes is home to the largest medina in the world. The medina has over 9000 streets within the winding maze. I can confidently say you will either get a guide to enjoy everything the medina has to offer or you will get lost. If you have decided to brave the thousands of streets on your own, be aware that teenagers offering to show you around or guide you free of charge. Teenagers will mislead you into the medina so you get lost and then turn around and make you pay to get out. Sneaky little youths.
16. Temperatures can reach over 115 degrees (Fahrenheit) in the summer.
I should know, I visited Morocco in early August. Even so, it’s manageable if you take necessary precautions. Drink way more water than you initially deem necessary. Wear breathable clothing that will allow you to sweat but not completely suffocate you. Don’t forget a portable fan – this is a game changer! Everyone on my trip was extremely envious of my portable fan and passed it around the bus multiple times.
During my tour, we had multiple people vomit due to the heat. Coming from Northern California, I was used to temperatures in the 100’s. And dry heat was tolerable, and welcomed even, for me compared to humidity. My fellow UK travelers didn’t feel similarly though and ended up getting sick along the way. Keep safe and hydrated if you choose to travel during the summer.
17. Camels milk is an acquired taste.
When in Morocco right? I did agree to try camels milk while I was traveling around Morocco. And this milk was straight from the teat… so it was… warm. Oush. Listen, if camels milk was chilled and bottled and sold in Trader Joe’s it would probably taste similar to cow’s milk. However, drinking warm milk from a camel, or otherwise, in the middle of the desert wasn’t my cup of… milk?
18. IGNORE, IGNORE, IGNORE.
Unfortunately, this is the mindset you have to have when it comes to people approaching you in Morocco. While most Moroccans are friendly people, those approaching you in the street do not have your best interest at heart 99% of the time. It may be human instinct to respond to someone who repeatedly asks you questions like “Where are you going?” or “Where are you from?”. It may also be human instinct to tell someone to shove it where the sun don’t shine when they follow you and continue to answer the questions when you ignore them.
Don’t give in. Be strong. Leave them on read (but IRL). You can happily ignore the creepy guy from your hometown that likes every Instagram story you post and comments fire emojis on everything. Therefore, you can do it in Morocco to the strangers approaching you in the streets. Ultimately, it’s hard to get rid of them once you give them even the smallest reaction or answer. They may tell you you’re going the wrong way, or the street ahead is closed. Do not believe this. It’s just a tactic to get you to follow them, and that can lead to dangerous paths.
19. You can visit the infamous Anna Delvey hotel in Marrakech.
For anyone familiar with the famous scammer Anna Delvey, or if you recently watched “Inventing Anna” on Netflix, you may remember the gorgeous hotel she frequented in Morocco. Specifically, Marrakech. The La Mamounia Hotel is a luxury hotel situated in the heart of Marrakech. You are more than welcome to stay at the hotel if you can afford the price tag. If you are a peasant like me however, you can also opt to book a spa treatment and visit the hotel this way. Or, make a reservation at the restaurant or bar and you’ll have access to the gardens.
20. You gotta pay to pee (kind of).
You’ll have to pay for the toilet paper required to pee. If you would like to avoid the small fees everywhere you go, buy some rolls of toilet paper ahead of time and bring them with you. Trust me. While it may be weird to walk around downtown San Diego with a roll of toilet paper in hand, no one will bat an eye if you do so in Morocco. Plus, sometime they simply don’t give you enough toilet paper for the task at hand. If you know what I mean.
And on that note… that concludes my sporadic, random, somewhat helpful list of things to be aware of before arriving to Morocco. Full transparency – I traveled with G Adventures when traveling to Morocco. As a solo female traveler, this felt like the safest and easiest way to explore the country. I would highly recommend a small group tour if you can afford it and are willing to spend quality time with strangers.
