Practical tips
Visit Morocco prepared to enjoy it to the fullest. Here you find tips and tricks to prepare yourself for your trip to Morocco. What do I pack for my trip, and what cultural differences do I take into account? When shall I travel to Morocco and how much would i spend during this holiday? We have the answers to your questions.
Travel documents
Travelling to Morocco it is mandatory to bring your passport. Take in consideration that this passport needs to be valid for another 6 months at the day you are leaving Morocco again.
A special visa is not needed for travellers from the EU or UK. If you are traveling with another nationality, please do not hesitate to ask us for more information through the question-form below.
money
The Moroccan Dirham is the currency that is used in Morocco. The Dirham has an easy-to-remember exchange rate with euros. 10 dirham are equal 1 euro or 0,8 pounds.
In most places in Morocco, you will need cash to pay with. Make sure that visiting an ATM or exchange office is one of the first things you do when you arrive in Morocco. If your transfer to the hotel is included in your trip, you can as well choose to find an ATM in the city you are staying in. The ATMs in the cities are most of the time a bit cheaper to get cash from than at the airport. As Morocco is an African country, do not forget to unlock access to your bank card outside of Europe.
During your holiday in Morocco you can take into account spending between €20,- to €25,- euro a day on food, activities, and entree-fees. If you travel with Ilyana Surfhouse most meals are already included in the price. Check out more info about our packages.
tips & Bargains
In Morocco it is common to give tips. Have you enjoyed the food and service in a restaurant, or was your guide splendid?! Give a tip! The most used percentage of tips is around 10%. For a small service as a taxi drive or for a luggage carrier it is enough to give 10 dirhams.
Another common thing to do in Morocco is to bargain about the prices. You can use your bargain skills for arranging a taxi drive, purchasing your souvenirs in the medina, or arranging an excursion at a local travel agency. The greatest tip we can give you is; first think of what you want to pay for it (what it is worth for you) before you ask the price. After the salesmen has mentioned the price you can start by negotiating on 1/3 of the price and start bidding against each other. Eventually, the salesmen will not agree on your terms, you will walk away and he will call you back to make a deal on the price you mentioned + an ‘x-amount’ of dirhams extra. NOW YOU ARE IN!
Culture & believe
Morocco is an Islamic country. This means that you will find mosques in every neighborhood, special Islamic holidays are celebrated and appropriate behavior is asked from the tourists to give respect to the culture and believes.
During your stay at Ilyana Surfhouse will be staying at the Medina of Rabat. If you are a light sleeper, we advice you to bring earplugs for the early morning pray. The mosques will call everyone to come to pray by the speaker of the minaret. This might wake you up at 6am. Want to go for a early morning surf? Then leave the earplugs at home!
public holidays & ramadan
In Morocco the Islamic public holidays are celebrated. Most Moroccans will stay in their country for holidays. This makes the beaches a bit more crowded. On the other hand, during holidays the streets in Rabat are full of salesmen and street artists. This makes the nightlife in most big cities extra lifely!
In Morocco most people are joining the fasting-month of Ramadan. Before deciding when you want to travel to Morocco, we advise you to check when the fasting-month Ramadan is. Visiting Morocco during Ramadan has pro’s and con’s on which you need to decide if you like it. You can for example like to visit Morocco during Ramadan as the beaches and waves will be less busy. On the other hand, most shops and restaurants will be closed during the day as well. In the evening when the sun has set, the streets are extra lifely and people are more giving.
The starting time of Ramadan is based on the lunar calendar which is shorter than the solar calendar. Due to this, the starting date of Ramadan is shifting every year by about 11 days. Ramadan 2022 will start from the 2th of April until the 1st of May. In 2023 Ramadan will start around the 23th of March until the 22th of April.
clothing
While packing your bag for a trip to Morocco, you definitely can pack your nicest bikini and shorts. Do take in consideration that it is an islamic country where most woman are covered at least with shorts, skirts or dresses over the knees. When going for a surf or chilling at the beaches there are no issues and just dress how you like it! If you want to visit the city or visit cultural sights, please do think about what you will be wearing that day. Nina, co-owner of Ilyana Surfhouse, always prefers to wear a long dress as it is nice and fresh, but as well takes a thin skarf to put over her shoulders to cover.
Food & drinks
In Morocco there are several local dishes that you must try during your visit. Very local is to eat Msemen (Moroccan pancakes) at breakfast, Couscous on Friday lunches, and Tajines in the evening. Most of the time Ilyass and Nina will cook for you or join you going out for dinners. If we are not joining you for dinner, take a good look at the restaurants you want to go to, and who is all eating there. Is it busy or do you see a lot of locals? Then the food will probably be good. Do you have a stomach who is often angry? Then do think twice before ordering a salad. The ingredients mights be washes insufficiently or with tap-water.
Speaking of tap water… We advice everyone to not drink the water from the tap in Morocco and buy bottled water in the shops. As well at Ilyana Surfhouse we provide a big tank of drinking water that can be used to re-fill your bottle. Reduce plastic, while drinking healthy water!
Can we only drink water during our trip? Surely not! Even though Morocco is an Islamic country, alcoholic drinks are sold in some places. You won’t see people drinking in the streets, so try as well to respect this and drink alcohol at home or at the bar/restaurant where it is served. Not all restaurants serve alcoholic drinks. Want to have a beer or wine with your dinner? Ask Ilyass and Nina where to go in Rabat!
