LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK INFORMATION
Dangers & Annoyances
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Morocco is a relatively safe place to travel and the great majority of people are friendly and honest. Nevertheless, the country does have a few traps for the unwary.
In hard-edged Tangier and Casablanca there are some desperate people and physical attacks on foreigners are rare but not unheard of. Treat the medinas with particular caution at night.
Drugs
Morocco’s era as a hippie paradise, riding the Marrakesh Express and all that, was long ago consigned to history. Plenty of fine dope (known as kif) may be grown in the Rif Mountains, but drug busts are common and Morocco is not a place where you’d want to investigate local prison conditions from the inside.
The vast majority of all Moroccan stories of extortion and rip-offs are drug related. A common ploy is to get you stoned, force you to buy a piece the size of a house brick and then turn you over to the police (or at least threaten to). Of course, once you’ve been tainted with a little hash, you’re unlikely to call the cops, and the hustlers know it.
Associating with Tangier’s lowlife is for the initiated only. New arrivals should ignore late-night offers of hashish and grass – these dealers have a sixth sense for greenness, and won’t miss an opportunity to squeeze ridiculous amounts of money out of frightened people. Tetouan is another popular venue, and watch out for similar scams in Asilah, Casablanca and Marrakesh. Hashish is sometimes referred to as ‘chocolate’, the Spanish slang, or more often just as ‘something special’ or ‘shit’, which you will definitely be in if you get caught.
You may occasionally come across someone offering you majoun, a kind of sticky, pasty mass (not unlike molasses) made of crushed seeds of the marijuana plant. A small ball of this can send you reeling (see Paul Bowles’ Their Heads Are Green or Let It Come Down for descriptions). Anyone with a slight tendency to paranoia when smoking dope should be aware that this is a common reaction among first-time majoun-munchers.
Ketama and the Rif Mountains are Morocco’s kif-growing heartland. Ketama in particular can be a bag-load of trouble and is best avoided unless you’re accompanied by a reliable guide.
Recent legislation and a hard government line may have forced dealers to give up their more aggressive tactics, but the hassle has by no means disappeared and although locals continue to smoke as a recreational pastime, as a tourist you’re rather more vulnerable. Always bear in mind that it’s illegal to sell or consume hashish in Morocco, although this usually means little if you’re discreet. However, smoking it in public is inviting trouble. If caught you may be looking at a fine and, in the worst case, a prison sentence of up to 5 years.
Although the police attitude in Spain is relaxed in respect to small amounts of cannabis for private use, Spanish customs will come down hard on people entering the country from Morocco if they find any and you may be done for trafficking. If you’re taking a car across, the chances that it will be searched are high. Never carry parcels or drive vehicles across borders for other people.
Getting Lost
A minor irritation is the ever-changing street names in Moroccan cities. For years, there’s been a slow process of replacing old French, Spanish and Berber names with Arabic ones. The result so far is that, depending on whom you talk to, what map you use or which part of the street you are on, you’re likely to see up to three different names.
The general Arabic word for street is sharia (zankat for smaller ones). In the north you’ll still find the Spanish calle and avenida, and more commonly, the French avenue, boulevard or rue.
In some cases the Arabic seems to have gained the upper hand. This is reflected in this guidebook, in which some streets appear as sharia or zankat if local usage seems to justify it.
Street names won’t help much in the labyrinthine medinas, although a compass might. If you feel you’re getting lost, stick to the main paths (which generally have a fair flow of people going either way) and you’ll soon reach a landmark or exit.
Plumbing
Patience is required when it comes to Moroccan plumbing. In the cheap, unclassified hotels that don’t have star ratings, trickling cold water only is often the norm.
Sometimes hot water is enthusiastically promised, but before you start dreaming of that powerful, steaming hot shower, remember that it may be tepid at best and is often only available at certain times of the day. In country areas, water is sometimes heated by a wood fire, but this comes at an environmental cost – wood is expensive, water is often in short supply and deforestation is a major problem in Morocco. In small towns and rural areas the hammam may be a better bet.
Scams
On some of the more popular tourist routes, in particular the road between Marrakesh and Ouarzazate, you may come across professional hitchhikers and people pretending that their cars have broken down. Once you stop to assist them various scams unfold –trying to sell you stuff, offering to take you on an amazing detour for a fee, or taking you on a wild goose chase that inevitably ends up at some friend’s hotel, shop or restaurant.
Sneakier crimes are sometimes perpetrated by craft-shop owners or car-rental companies who falsify credit card vouchers (often by adding an extra ‘0’ to the price) or who ship inferior substitute carpets to travellers.
Smoking
Smoking is a national pastime in Morocco and nonsmoking restaurants and hotels are almost unheard of.
However, this generally affects popular places rather than top-end or exclusive restaurants and hotels where you may find nonsmoking areas. Also, as most of the popular eateries are cafés with outdoor seating, the problem is somewhat reduced.
Only the very top-end hotels (mainly Sofitel) have a nonsmoking policy.
In Muslim countries it is generally considered unacceptable for women to smoke, and outside the big cities (and even within most of these) you’ll seldom see women smokers. This is a cultural rather than religious dictate, although most religious leaders have condemned smoking, like drinking, as haram (forbidden). In practice, the only time the habit is seriously eschewed is during daylight hours of the holy month of Ramadan.
This shouldn’t affect foreigners too much, although women may wish to refrain from smoking within local homes and be discreet elsewhere.
Theft
On the whole, theft is not a huge problem in Morocco. Travellers can minimise any risk, however, by being particularly vigilant in the major cities and by generally following a few basic precautions.
When wandering around the streets, keep the valuables you carry to a minimum and keep what you must carry around with you well hidden. Be particularly careful when withdrawing money from ATMs. External money pouches attract attention, but neck pouches or moneybelts worn under your clothes do not; that’s where you should keep your money, passport and other important documents.
In some of the medinas – such as those in Marrakesh, Casablanca and Tangier, which have a particular reputation for petty theft – a common tactic is for one guy to distract you while another cleans out your pockets. There’s no point walking around in a state of permanent alert, but keep your eyes open.
Other valuables such as cameras can be left with the hotel reception when you don’t need them. If you prefer to keep things in your room (preferably locked inside your suitcase), nine times out of 10 you’ll have no trouble. Leaving anything in a car, even out of sight, is asking for trouble.
Gauche, Green & Gullible
Many Moroccans genuinely believe that ‘Westerners’, though perhaps more sophisticated than themselves, are infinitely more naive, gullible and even plain stupid. Some, including the notorious faux guides (unofficial guides), may try to exploit this.
Very early on in your encounter with these guides, you’ll be sized up for what you’re worth. Apart from the physical indications such as your watch, shoes and clothes, you’ll be assessed from a series of questions: how long you’ve been in Morocco, whether you’ve visited the country before, what your job is, whether you have a family (an indication of wealth) etc. Always be suspicious of these unsolicited enquiries and pretend that you know the city or country well. A few words of Arabic will convince them of this.
Considered to be the most lucrative nationalities, in descending order, are the Japanese, Americans, Canadians, Australians, the British, northern Europeans, southern Europeans, and Middle-Eastern Arabs. Considered the least lucrative are sub-Saharan Africans and Arabs from other North African countries.
Apart from the more obvious starting point of claiming to want nothing more than friendship (such as showing you around town, taking you to a cheap shop and helping you find a hotel), other classic approaches include wanting to practise English, help with the reading or deciphering of official documents and letters from friends. If you turn them down some will try to play on your conscience by suggesting you are racist for not liking Moroccans or Muslims.
If you feel you’re being categorised, you can always cause confusion by pretending you’re from some very obscure land. Sometimes it’s useful just to play plain stupid and control the situation that way. Be warned though, Moroccans have a real aptitude for languages and it could be you who looks stupid as your new friend starts spouting away in the fluent Ukrainian you claim to speak or just happens to be the brain surgeon you’ve claimed to be.
Touts, Guides & Hustlers
The legendary hustlers of Morocco remain an unavoidable part of the Moroccan experience.
A few years ago special brigades touristiques (tourist police) were set up in the principal tourist centres to clamp down on Morocco’s notorious faux guides and hustlers. Any person suspected of trying to operate as an unofficial guide could face jail and/or a huge fine.
This has greatly reduced, but not eliminated, the problem of faux guides. These people are often desperate to make a living, and they can be persistent and sometimes unpleasant. You’ll find plenty hanging around the entrances to the big cities’ medinas, and outside bus and train stations. Those disembarking (and embarking) the ferry in Tangier should expect at least some hassle from touts and hustlers. Ceuta and Melilla are far more pleasant ports of entry.
However, there’s no point having a siege mentality. When arriving in a place for the first time, you might even benefit from the services of a guide – official or otherwise. Faux guides are not necessarily complete impostors. Many are very experienced and speak half a dozen languages, and sometimes their main interest is the commission gained from certain hotels or on articles sold to you in the souqs. Be sure to agree on a price before setting off and set some parameters on what you expect to see and the number of shops you’re taken to. Unofficial guides charge around Dh50 to Dh100 per day (rates should always be per guide not per person); a few dirham will suffice if you want to be guided to a specific location (like a medina exit). Whatever you give, you’ll often get the you-can’t-possibly-be-serious look. The best reply is the I’ve-just-paid-you-well-over-the-odds look. Maintain your good humour and after a couple of days in a place, the hassle tends to lessen considerably.
Official guides can be engaged through tourist offices and some hotels at the fixed price of around Dh300 per day (plus tip) for a local/national guide. It’s well worth taking a guide when exploring the medinas of Fès and Marrakesh. Their local knowledge is extensive and they’ll save you from being hassled by other would-be guides. If you don’t want a shopping expedition included in your tour, make this clear beforehand.
Drivers should note that motorised hustlers operate on the approach roads to Fès and Marrakesh. These motorcycle nuisances are keen to find you a hotel, camp site and so on, and can be just as persistent as their colleagues on foot.
Thanks but no thanks
To avoid being hounded to within an inch of your life, and to help prevent nervous breakdowns and embarrassing incidents of ‘medina rage’, the following tips may come in handy:
Politely decline all offers of help and exchange a few good-humoured remarks (preferably in Arabic), but don’t shake hands or get involved in lengthy conversation.
Give the impression that you know exactly where you’re going or explain that you employed a guide on your first day and now you’d like to explore the town on your own.
Wear dark sunglasses and retreat to a café, restaurant or taxi if you’re beginning to lose your cool. In extreme situations, use the word ‘police’ and look like you mean it.
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