Andalucia to Marrakech Winter Holiday

Please see some of the points below as guidance but we strongly ecourage you to do your own research.

Gas 

Readily available on campsites and good value (approx 100 Dirham full gas bottle & use English Butane fitting)

Drones 

Drones are not allowed in Morocco.

Mobile phones 

Check your own provider but most UK contracts will incur very high charges for calls & roaming. We advise turning off roaming prior to arrival in the country on all devices.

Before departure - buy an E-Sim via AirLo or Holafly (BUT not all mobile phones support E-Sims) 

Or on arrival - buy Inwi/Maroc telecom SIM and swap with your own SIM - you can then use Messenger/Whatsapp for Messenger/Whatsapp calls as you would at home. Ask for Data Only SIM because if you have WhatsApp/Messenger you can call via these if you need to. 

Le Relais de Marrakech campsite does have free Wifi but can vary in reliability.

It is always helpful when travelling to download the what3words app.

Food & Drink

Please note drink driving laws are extremely strict in Morocco.

There are legal restrictions regarding taking some foods into the country and only 1L of alcohol it’s allowed. Please see for more information visit: https://www.gov.uk/search/all?keywords=Morocco&order=relevance 

We advise you to only drink bottled water, however water that has been boiled should be ok to use as you will be drinking tea/coffee and eating food prepared in it when drinking or eating out. 

Water system - If you choose to use your on board sanitary facilities you may want to consider flushing your system with a sterilising descaler on your return - our hosts used campsite facilities instead of their own and considered it absolutely fine to use.

Alcohol is available on Le Relais de Marrakech but not all local restaurants serve alcohol. 

Large Supermarkets like Carrefour do sell alcohol, about 10-20 minutes drive from the site.

Dogs 

Rules to take them into Morocco may pose problems so we are not permitting dogs on this holiday.  

Many stray dogs and cats are seen throughout Morocco 

Money  

Currency is Moroccan Dirham - buy on arrival in Morocco

Tolls are Cash Only

Shops/restaurants - many only accept cash

There are many cash points available and/or you can take Euros in from Spain and there are many exchange places.

Temperature 

Average temperature in Marrakech in February is 20-25 degrees but can be hotter. 

Driving 

Roads in the cities are not for the fainthearted but outside of main cities they are fine - also members will be escorted

Drink driving laws are extremely strict in Morocco.

Map.me is an app for worldwide directions and can be used offline

Official Languages 

Arabic, Berber, French and the Moroccan dialect of Arabic are the main languages spoken, though most people also speak some English and also Spanish.

Tipping 

Is expected for everything someone does for you - even taking a photo of their cat 

Be respectful and ask before taking a photo of people   

Photographs - watersellers, snake charmers and musicians and henna artists in the Jemma al Fna square can be quite pushy about the amount of tip - be firm and say simply  ‘La Shukran’ which means no thank you.  

Shopping 

Shopping in the Souks can be a fabulous experience but haggling is expected - we are not used to this and it can feel uncomfortable at first but remember the sellers are expecting it and you should expect to pay half or less of what they say the initial price is. Smile but be firm, say La, shukran (no, thanks) and walk away if you are not wanting to buy at the price. It is part of their culture so do not be put off by this.  

It is easy to get lost so Map.me is helpful as it does not require a mobile signal. A guide to take you round the souks can be a good way to have this experience. At least the first time.

As in any country, be careful of your personal belongings.

Clothing 

Be respectful of the local culture and traditions when we visit their country and wear modest clothing.