Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Anniversary of the Green March
6 November
Independence Day
18 November
In addition to secular holidays there are many national and local Islamic holidays and fest-
ivals, all tied to the lunar calendar.
Eïd al-Adha
Marks the end of the Islamic year. Most things shut down for four or five
days.
Eïd al-Fitr
Held at the end of the month-long Ramadan fast, which is observed by most
Muslims. The festivities last four or five days, during which Morocco grinds to a halt. Ra-
madan will most likely fall in summer when you read this.
Mawlid an-Nabi (Mouloud)
Celebrates the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed.
SAFE TRAVEL
Plenty of
kif
(marijuana) is grown in the Rif Mountains, but possession is illegal and drug
busts are common.
A few years ago the
brigade touristique
(tourist police) was set up in the principal tour-
ist centres to clamp down on Morocco's notorious
faux guides
and hustlers. Anyone con-
victed of operating as an unofficial guide faces jail time and/or a huge fine. This has re-
duced but not eliminated the problem of
faux guides
. You'll still find plenty of these touts
hanging around the entrances to medinas and train stations (and even on trains approach-
ing Fez and Marrakesh), and at Tangier port. Remember that their main interest is the
commission gained from certain hotels or on articles sold to you in the souqs.
If possible, avoid walking alone at night in the medinas of the big cities; knife-point
muggings aren't unknown.
TELEPHONE
Privately run Téléboutiques can be found in every town and village on almost every
corner. Public payphones are card operated, with
télécartes
(phonecards) sold in general
stores and news kiosks.
All domestic phone calls in Morocco require a 10-digit number, which includes the
four-digit area code. The country code is 212.
Morocco has three GSM mobile phone networks, Méditel, Maroc Telecom and Inwi,
which cover 90% of the population. A local SIM card costs around Dh20; top-up scratch
cards are sold everywhere.
TOURIST INFORMATION
offices in the main cities, with the head office in Rabat. These offices are often called
