PRACTICAL INFORMATION

No special innoculations are required for visiting Morocco. Consult your doctor in case he recommends topping up the shots you may have had for previous trips, especially if you are planning to travel to the south. A travel health insurance policy is a wise investment before you leave home. Once in Morocco, avoid too much sun; start with morning and late afternoon outings, and splash on the sunscreen lotion. It's prudent to drink mineral water and avoid dubious food stalls. If the worst happens, any pharmacy will be able to supply the necessary medication to hurry you back to health. In case you need a doctor, the pharmacy, your hotel or your consulate can recommend one. Water is generally fit to drink but to be on the safe side, especially in the south, stick to bottled mineral water or the national standby, mint tea.

Most of the year temperatures are moderate in Morocco. Near the coast the influence of the sea moderates summer heatwaves, and in winter the average temperatures rarely drop below 10°C (50°F). The interior of the country, with a continental climate, is hotter than the coast in summer and colder in winter.

For most tourists no visa is required to enter Morocco; all you need is a valid passport. (Two European exceptions: citizens of Belgium and the Netherlands do need visas). You have to fill in a form for the immigration department on arrival. You'll probably be waved through the Customs inspection. For the record, you can bring into Morocco 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars and one litre each of wine and spirit. The only complication is money: it's forbidden to import or export the national currency, the dirham, but you can bring in as much foreign currency as you like before leaving the country. Shops in the departure area of the airport do not accept dirhams even if you are smuggling them.

Most administrative offices are open from 8.30 a.m to noon and from 2.30 to 6.30 p.m, with a longer break on Fridays in deference to midday prayers. Banks open Monday to Friday from 8.15 to 11.30 a.m. and again from 2.15 to 4.p.m. In summer, though, they operate non-stop from 8 a.m to 3 p.m. And during Ramadan the schedule is 9.30 a.m to 2 p.m. Main post offices are open from 8 a.m to 6.30 Monday to Thursday; and on a Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 4 to 6.30 p.m. Summer hours are curtailed. Shops in the medinas tend to operate from 8 a.m to 9 p.m daily, with a Friday break for prayers. In the nouvelles villes (new part of town), a daily siesta from about noon to 3 p.m is standard. .Museums follow an erratic schedule but most take a midday break.

The unit of currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD), divided into 100 centimes. In practice, tourists rarely see anything smaller than a half-dirham coin. Coins go up to 5 DH. Banknotes are issued in denominations of 10, 50, 100 and 200 DH. Well-known credit cards such as visa, mastercard and American Express are accepted in hotels, restaurants and most shops. It's best to change traveller's cheques at the bank. Eurocheque are also useful at banks and in some shops and hotels. Always have your passport with you as identification when changing money

All year round all of Morocco is on Greenwich Mean time (GMT) - this means that in summer it is usually two hours behind South Africa and the rest of Europe

The roads are generally good, and there is even an expressway (toll road) between Casablanca and Rabat. But the local standard of driving ---and walking, too---means you can never relax your vigilance. The regulations resemble those of France; direction signs are normally written in French as well as Arabic. Other than the unpredictable human element, such as country folk and live-stock meandering down the middle of a highway, the dangers include the weather. Tracks (pistes) in mountain and desert regions can be folded by melting snow or sudden rainstorms, and accumulations of snow can snarl the mountain roads between November and springtime. Night driving in general can be very dangerous, with unlit bicycles, animals, potholes and other surprises potentially around every bend. Pleasant tree-shaded rest areas with picnic tables are frequently found along the highways; they are sign-posted (Air de repos) well in advance. In and around the towns there are plenty of petrol stations to choose from but be sure to fill up before undertaking any wilderness jaunts. (Stations supplying lead-free petrol are rare but well sign-posted). Speed limits are normally 40 km per hour in towns and 100 kms per hour on the highway.

Most of the country's supply is rated 220 volts, but some places still have a 110 volt supply.  Sockets are of the continental variety, with two round pins.

The population is 99% Moslem. Morocco is a tolerant Moslem country and follows the suni branch of Islam. Morocco is the only country in the world in which mosques, churches and synagogues have coexisted for centuries.