2:48 In morocco there are two types of taxi: "Petit taxi" : small taxi, it takes you to whatever place you wish to go to within the city, and the price is decided with a counter in Dirhams, so pay attention to the taxi driver, and ask him to turn it on if he forgets or doesn't do so. "Grand taxi": big taxi, and you pay for your seat, riding with other people, for a specific ride between two taxi posts either inside the city, or between cities, you can still get out of the taxi in the middle of the route to destination. Beware that taxi prices are generally slightly higher in night times.
I actually tried to fact check on non-Muslims entering mosques in Morocco. I've traveled in the Middle East and have been welcomed into many mosques. There was one in Cairo that "did not allow non-Muslims," but when I inquired, multiple people looked offended and said, "You definitely can go in; Islam is an accepting faith!" They mentioned that they had the policy to avoid having tour groups go in, take pictures, and disturb the holy nature of this mosque, which housed the relics of Prophet Muhammad's grandson." But, you're right, it's against the law in Morocco. :(
Mike Feldman I was born as a muslim, and i’m kinda surprised that it’s against the law!! Islam isn’t very open when it comes to clothing and the communication between males and females, but as long as ur well-dressed and respectful, muslims will be more than happy to let u in and show u around. They even may tell u historical stories and then take u home for a local meal or a cup of tea... depending on how good their English is.
Loved the video :D, Just one thing regarding the cabs don't bargain ask them to run the meter cause that how it works,as for the change they do that just to get the extra just make sure you have change in case not don't buy the thing.
Do not drink freshly squeezed juices at hotels as they are not pasteurized. All 12 people in my tour group did and got violently sick. I'm the only one who drank the prepackaged juice and was fine. Heads up. And my tour guide got very upset with me for not dressing conservative in the Sahara desert area and speaking with men and smiling and conversing. He felt it was out of line. I had no idea, honestly. Was so ashamed. The further East you get the more conservative it gets. Big time.
My mom is Moroccan. I visited with her a few years ago and tried haggling in the souk. The shop owner offered 50 dirham for some trinket. I offered 25 dirham and he accepted. I was happy with my purchase until my mom told me it was worth 10 dirham!
@@anniarog777 not all muslims are the same. I do respect other people despite their religion, color and thoughts. I don't even have a problem if you were atheist its not my problem as long as we respect each other and you treat people as you like them to treat you.
If you are decent enough to take off your shoes when you're at any mosque you are automatically welcome in there, no one will question your faith once your in the mosque.
Hisham Hilal yeah actually but usually it’s crowded to so getting people who are there to watch is very unnecessary but yeah just be decent and they’ll let you in.
Morocco is the most safe contry of Africa I think, and you known if you don't go to the mountain it's 99% safe, and for the two girls It's sad but there are bad people everywhere around the world.
I went to Morocco back in March just before the United States state of emergency, and it was life-changing. The people were kind, the culture was rich yet diverse and the landscape was BREATHTAKING. I actually visited the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca and it was one of the architecture was beyond words
@@UnknownUnknown-wm2tz it was very cool, but the merchants chased us for two miles through the Medina, and the men would only listen to me and not the women of the group, which was a little bit sexist imo. THAT being said, I know the merchants aren’t an accurate representation of Fes and its people, but that was the most memorable for me
im moroccan and i dont drink tap water. There are some exceptions where some areas have automatically mineral or highly filtered water coming straight from the tap but thats rlly rare
Most cities have bad tap water in Morocco, i'm Moroccan and i know people whom got kidney failures and tap water was the reason and they are Moroccans born and raised in Morocco. There are regions where they get the water from mountains that's the kinda of water you can drink other than that stick to bottle waters.
@@fodk7021 Stop hating! Hating achieves nothing! The answer is building peace both sides working together to end this conflict once and for all so all sides to live in peace, equality, freedom and dignity. We need people on both sides working together, and people from outside who care about a better future here to push both sides to finalize an agreement for peace with 2 state solution.
Amazing video. I'm Moroccan and I can say that you were right about most things, except for stray cats, most of them are so nice and some will run away but it would be very nice if you try to play with them or feed them something because those poor things there have no one to take care of them and may die of hunger sometimes too. And I just want to add one more DON'T to your DON'TS, don't come to Morocco when it's Ramadan because you will be disappointed, many restaurants and stores are either not working or have only night shifts because most Moroccans are fasting during the days of this month of Ramadan. And you can look at the calendar when it's Ramadan every year.
I was a little dissapointed he didn't explain more about the cats. I wonder what his reasoning was, because I think in most places around the world petting stray cats is ok.
Morocco is classed as an endemic region for rabies and therefore very high risk of infection from stray animals, this is probably where the stray cat don't comes from unfortunately
How come a person can say such things like don't pet stray cats etc :) Ridiculous. One of the most lovely cats I have ever seen there. PET THE CATS FEED THE CATS, RESCUE ANIMALS IN EVERYWHERE, and ignore people who give such messages publicly.
I don't think the bargaining has anything to do with being female or male xD I'm a female myself and I'd say women do way more bargaining than the men in morocco..
Its not true for us locals, especially our moms can be the masters of bargaining the hell outta everything they see, and actually get it at the price they want. As for tourists idk.. SOME vendors might take advantage of the inexperience (in moroccan bargaining) and kindness of female tourists and expect to sell their items at max price. You must look strong minded and inhesitant ( and visibly shocked if the price is too much ) Lower the price to half, and if he doesn't accept pretend you're leaving the shop...and other techniques
@@humanllusion590 Yes, it's true that as a foreigner u most likely won't get a good price. He was saying something along the lines of "men do it better" kinda or that women aren't able to get as good prices as men. When in reality as u said, moms do it the best
Some clarifications: - Tap water is drinkable in most places - Small taxis (e.g. red ones in Casablanca) do have meters and are actually obliged to use them, so make absolutely sure to ask the taxi driver to turn it on instead of bargaining the price beforehand cause they'll most probably rip you off. If they refuse, go for another taxi. One more thing is that the price will be the same if you're one person, two or three. - Grand taxi (e.g. white ones) doesn't just mean "big", it's actually another type of taxi that does a specific trip back and forth between two points and can stop anywhere along the way, the difference is that it doesn't have a meter, but charges a fixed price per person, and can take up to 6 people.
@@GaiaHedonia I don't think there is a grand taxi that does a seven hour trip. Most of them do in-town trips, or trips between two close cities. So you'll have to take a bus. The best bus company is called CTM, more expensive than normal buses but trust me the difference is HUGE. You can even go for premium if you can afford it (they have an official website that you can look up). Another company, a bit less expensive, is called STCR, pretty good too :) Safe travels!
@@TheHypnotizedHeart thank you very much for your useful information! I would go for the premium but from what I have read on the internet there is not such a line between Marrakech and Zagora. It's going to be CTM. 🙏💓💙💚💛🇲🇦
@@GaiaHedonia Ah yes, for that line CTM only does two trips. You'll be fine with the "Confort Plus" one that leaves around midnight and arrives early morning. My advice for you is ALWAYS choose CTM over normal buses whenever it's available, their drivers are very professional; whereas others can be really reckless at times. If you have any other questions don't hesitate :) Good luck!
As a young Moroccan I always try to help other people from other countries because it makes me feel happy when I help them without even expecting anything from them Please do review this
Heads up: I've lived here for the past two and a half years. Most things are spot on! I've seen a growing increase in credit card machines both in restaurants and some shops in the medinas. It truly depends so make sure you ask! You can buy train tickets with a debit card (not credit) no matter which country you're from (I just did on Saturday with my American). I have both Moroccan and American accounts. I would also say that tipping isn't necessarily a part of the culture here in all places. Of course if people go above and beyond, you should tip but tipping culture is more similar to that of Europe than the US. Good work though!
@@goldofox5111 You don't have to bargain, just learn the French sentence for "turn the distance meter on" and walk away if they reject. I am half Moroccan and went with a European friend to Casablanca last year and they constantly didn't turn on the meter until I mentioned it. You do bargain with Grand Taxi's though as a foreigner especially when you're going to another city, they tried to get me to pay 500 Dirham to get from Rabat to Casablanca.
@@jarumboy1 I agree with you but the fact is that there are some taxi drivers who have a malfunctioning distance meter which they could use to their benefit or to tell you that it's not wotking and that they will decide the price .And for someone who's from europe for example , taxis are expensive so 500 Dhrs =50 Euro is a understandable price , but this price in Morocco is out of the question .
As a foreigner, I would never go back to Morocco. It is not fun when everyone tries to scam you because they think you dont speak french. Want fresh fruit? Vendor forgets how to count. Want to ride a taxi? Driver forgets to turn on meter. Want to buy an "antique" bag? That will be $300 USD. Waste of time.
A tourist once tried to give my mother a tip for finding they're lost child and giving them directions she just gave them the look of wtf are you doind it was wild and disrespectful
My boyfriend and I was threatened because one boy insisted to guide us to our Riad. We just told him, "no thank you" and he began to follow us, asking for money and threating us too, until I got angry and exclaim he should leave us alone. I know that each person is unique and it could be a spontaneous encounter. Apart from that, we enjoyed the trip and I love Morocco, its people, its landscape and its culture.
@@evabonogalan2409 poverty and desperation does wonders to the human psychology. I hope you don't take it to heart I'm sure he hase his reasons and not all are like that of course there are those who aren't in need of money but still do this and there's a special place in hell for them
@@Almighty_DarkLord Of course, I met awesome people in Morocco (fes, marakech, chefchaouen, ...), people are very hospitable, it was only one person that do what I told.
Will be visiting Marrakech in December 🤘🏾 I’m excited (Edit) Yeah my time there was wonderful. I’ll make it my second home. It was the most well orchestrated and beautiful chaos I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ll be sure to check out Fes and Casablanca and other gems when I come back. Love y’all Morocco!
Morrocan mosques were kind of a culture shock for me as a Malaysian Muslim: usually Malaysian mosques are open at almost all times (except far late at night) for travellers' conveniences to stop and rest at any time. The guide for my family told us we had to rush to pray as these mosques would be immediately closed after prayers, so me finding that out was pretty eye opening to me.
I am French citizen with a moroccan ethnic background. I think that your advices and your depictions of morocco are pretty fair and balanced. Your are promoting tourism in morocco without misleading potential visitors. I am impressed. How much time did you spent for being so familiar with this country ? keep going with providing good content. Take care
Ugh im from Casablanca i lost my phone one day when i was in Morocco mall a really popular mall in Casablanca....the worst thing in this is that it was expensive it was 2300 Dirhams thats a lot - AND IM NOT EVEN RICH IM JUST A DECENT GIRL UGH
Hi I read foreigner get only for 10 years the resident amd you are already 18 years there how you did this? I plan to live there and it will be good to know someone that can help me to get lots of information, especially to emigrate there, right now i am in spain but this register issue is too bad here in europe, even i have an europe passport aswell another one. Would estimate to get help especially because you are living a long time there sure you know a lot of this country, I would love to live there. If you have an email adress we can get in touch. Thank you in advance, rosangela
Yeah, a "sweet country" where Christians are beheaded(ex the Norwegian female tourists) and where Europeans are scammed at every step! I wouldn't step a foot in that dangerous ghetto-country, not even for free!
I had the pleasure to study abroad in Morocco at AlAkhawayn University studying Arabic and I enjoyed it! I have been to Agadir to visit a friend. I will return in June to go see my best friend and bring some gifts that I know he will need or want. I will stay in Mohammedia for the peace and quiet! But will be going to Marrakesh, Fes, Essouira for Argan oil and Tangiers. I will definitely see my other friends from other cities! I can't wait to eat Bastilla, breywa, msemen, and of course tagine! I love the food, the ambience, the people and the pride they take pride in having a clean country; unlike some other countries I have visited!♥️
Don't go. Couldn't walk 5 metres in Marrakech without trying to be mugged or scammed. Got cornered by some local youths who demanded money because they knew we were lost. Never again.
About dressing conservatively in Morocco for women - no, you don`t have to do that. Every foreigner here is dressed the normal european way, no one cares, so wear what`s comfortable for you. Although bringing some light clothing with the sleeves is a good idea as the sun is merciless
I lived/worked in Morocco for a few years quite a few years ago (I lived in Casablanca and visited many other places too of course, usually driving in my car, or occasionally travelling with friends, both foreign & Moroccan, in their cars), and have visited it a number of times since. In fact I actually passed my first driving test there (I took it in French, although I could just as easily have taken it in Arabic). I'd say this is a pretty good guide for novice visitors to this part of the world, although of course it is generally more open to western tourists than many other Arab countries, and I've lived in a number, but there are certain cultural differences you do need to be aware of and observe so the guidance here will prove very useful.
@@barbaracameron5610 As indeed was my own father and me too of course, although I believe I was named for an uncle of my father rather than my father himself - family traditions are peculiar, eh 😉. Of course Bill is the shortened form of William, the name that actually appears on all our birth certificates.
I recommand visiting the beautiful cities of Rabat, Tangier and Tetouan Also the small blue and white village of chefchaouen perched on the slopes of RIF mountains
@@AuntieTrichome It's a bustling city with a growing economy and doted with modern infrastructure just 14 kilometers from mainland Spain .. glad you enjoyed it 😊
I think when it comes to bathroom. It depends on where you go. For example, A fancy restaurants Verses cheap ones. I think the same in america when you go to Berger kings or Mcdo in the hood, it is not like the one in the city.
I am Moroccan and have lived there for 26 years until I recently moved to Canada. I want to say thank you very much fot your honesty and for pointing out the don't of Morocco. I must say I agree with you completely, there is not one thing wrong about what you've said, except maybe for the water thing which is not bad eveywhere, but getting a bottle of water wouldn't hurt for sure, I do it too :) Great tips man! I was surprised! Accurate description for sure.. One question : where is your wife from? I Almost tought she was Moroccan!
@@yassineelalami2965 The city ones have a flat rate of 100dh for city trips. Which is 10x the normal fare for most trips. If you don't know that you are hosed.
Hello Mark, As a Moroccan follower, I could say you've got everything on point here so trust what he says Fellas ! I'd say your trip could be significantly better if your happen to know a local that could save you a lot of hassle ( Unfortunately that's how it is here, and the fact that few speak English kinda makes it worse for the foreigners). I hope you enjoyed your stay in Morocco :)
Do people speak french commonly or is it only for official purposes ? Does it help to speak french instead of english (if you don't know a word of Arabic ofc)
@@SkateGeneva French is a great asset. Some older people only speak Berber. The Arabic is also slightly different to the Middle East. In the big cities you will find people who speak English or some English.
@@SkateGeneva Even if you speak Arabic, it'll only mainly help you to decypher the signage 😂 because the dialect differs from one Arab country to the other, But relatively you can get by in Morocco if you speak French
That's not true, Non muslims May enter the masjid for learning purposes, just give it respect, it is a place people pray like a church, Take off your shoes, also this applies to every country and majid. This man is just sharing their opinion maybe you could look at a video instead dedicated to this topic not just this man because he's not educated in this subject.
I am Moroccan in Canada and he is 99% right. But dont let the don'ts stops you from visiting this unique country. It's a marvellous experience! The best is to rent a car and do a tour of Morroco. That's what I always do. If you can bring baby wipes, its more useful than Kleenex.
I have been visiting Morocco every year for the last 10 years. You can’t get enough of it if you know your way around. Beautiful country, rich culture and welcoming people
I don't recommend going to public toilets in morroco there just almost always nasty i would probably advice you to wait until you go to you hotel or apartment
As someone that goes to Morocco couple of times each year, the country is amazing. The people are so friendly and the vibe is unmatched, in 10 visits I've never seen a physical altercation or out of hand argument. The places are so beautiful, the people are friendly, food is fresh and delicious and it's very affordable. Haggling is part of the experience and I can safely say that 25-50% off from initial price is nothing, most times you need to go 90% off for a realistic price as a foreigner. Most pieces are mass produced and a lot cheaper in Casablanca than Marrakech. If you're visiting for a while then I'd stick to a normal hotel that's not a Riad as long stays in a Riad can be uncomfortable. Possibly spend 1 night in a Riad and rest in normal hotel for the experience
I've visited Morocco twice, and I confirm most of the things you say. In addition, I would highlight the recommendation for the ladies to wear as modestly as possible and expect a lot of catcalling and starring. Also, learning a couple of Arabic or French words ahead of the planned trip would help. Beautiful country and people, lots of excitement and things to do.
Can you confirm what he was talking about regarding the cats? He didn't explain why you couldn't pet them. Is it a cultural reason, or possibly a health reason?
@@MultiKswift Because they sleep and eat in the streets, but all cats clean themselves, so do not be afraid to pet them, and if you see a sick or injured cat, then do not pet him
I really enjoyed my trips to Morocco, such a beautiful country and very rich in history and culture. Definitely worth a trip. My advice is to learn the numbers in French for bargaining even though most people especially arround the markets speak english fairly well. I personally love the seaside of Essaouira and Rabat. There are dozens of magnificent places out there.
I going on a cruise next month.stopping in Casablanca. Was there long ago but now I'm Afraid to go out alone,I'm 72 yrs old,female,have cane. Should I be afraid?
My friend and I went to Marrakech, Morocco last December 2019, and I completely agree on this : Don't think everyone helping you is doing it to help you. But overall, it was fun, especially when we haggled 400 dhs for a Djellaba but just at the next store sells it for 250 dhs only. Lesson: bargain and start from rock-bottom price hehe
Morocco is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful countries I've seen... BUT.... Don't expect A) asking for help and not giving them tips. Everyone seems to be trying to get to your cash and honestly I've met very very few good Samaritans in my trip there who will help you without blatantly demanding money for even just asking for directions. B) Don't expect driving and not getting pulled over by corrupted police who will steal money from you. I never got a ticket in my life... in my week there I got like 4 and none were justified. When they heard me speaking Maltese (which is similar to arabic), one police decided to reduce my fee by half. C) People will bug you all the time literally. Some people stopped us in the middle of the highway while driving to convince us to stay at their hotels, and they continued driving next to us for miles! When you wander through the cities, people will ask you to be your tour guide and will continue walking with you for a few minutes. Just say no or better, "la shukran" and continue repeating it till they just leave. D) We were offered marijuana (mostly fake) all the time, especially in North morocco, and you shouldn't buy it because they may report you to the police and you have to pay an additional fine (or so I heard). E) In big cities like Casablanca, do not pull your windows down, and have your wrist watches outside of the window. Someone might snatch them - heard that from a local. F) Traffic is crazy in the cities and you have to do a leap of faith when crossing the streets or when driving in the cities. In rural areas, driving was OK except for corrupted police. G) Haggling will become tiresome after a while, at least for us... Then again, Marrakesh, Chefcheouan, Sahara desert, Fez, Asilah, Rabat... were great. (Casablanca was a bit of a dump if you ask me but the mosque was nice). Have fun, but be vigilant :).
@Non Ducor Duco You assume a lot. I've been to Amsterdam several times. I don't really understand your reasoning here. Have you ever been to Morocco? Because I think you either haven't or you don't mind the discrimination of women there.
I am a moroccan woman from casablanca and I live and work in chicago. What are you talking about again? What discrimination? Please go educate yourself. Americans have the tendency to make complete fools of themselves because as the previous commenter mentioned, they think they are woke lol. In morocco we have women ministers, pilots, doctors. Ceo's.....I realize we do Have high illiteracy rates and that can be problematic when it comes to women's rights, there could be abuse involved and other such things but that doesn't mean that all moroccan man discriminate against all moroccan women....such non sense..the issue here is when westerners visit arab countries, they don't comprehend the culture. So from the surface it looks to you as though women are discriminated against and abused and blah blah blah. Granted, women can be abused and discriminated against anywhere in the world. Women are still beaten, raped, murdered and under paid in the west... so what is your argument exactly? You make it sound like being a woman in the west is heaven on earth. The bottom line is women and men no matter where they are from, struggle with the same issues daily. And from the looks of it, it seems as though men in the west have lost all control over their women and now have a disdain for the opposite sex, hence all the movements that have emerged such as mgtow and red pill and some other non sense. I know for a fact western man are fed up with their women and are starting to turn to homosexuality. I'd say you have a lot on your plate on your side of the world, morocco and moroccan women should be of no concern to you.
@@mycupoftea541 "turn to homosexuality" are you mental? Also you too assume way too much. I never said anything about the west (whatever west you mean).
Nice video but I would like to address few points that seemed inaccurate: 1- you can drink water in most of the cities, it is true that in some it tastes weird but still you can drink it 2- of course you can buy train and bus tickets online and you can check in online for the flights if the airlines you are using offer this service 3- shops don't refuse foreign credit card!! the only issue is the banks are charging a lot of fees on each transaction so if you are buying a bottle of water obviously the vendor will prefer to get paid with cash 4- not everyone is expecting tips while helping or inviting you! it is very offending when you offer money to someone who is just helping or trying to be kind towards you. A smile with a warm "thank you" is enough!! As arabs and muslims we consider tourists as guests and we honour our guests 5- I'm not a cat person but you can definitely pet cats 😜
I love how he is promoting the country and the culture more than moroccas themselves, and everything he said is accurate, it's quite impressive for someone who has only visited the country to know so much about it
My husband is Moroccan. We went last year and stayed for a month. Even that wasn't time enough to see everything. We went to Fes, Martil, Tetouan, Chefchaoun, Rabat, Tangier & Zerhoun/Volubilis. The last few days there I was getting homesick and couldn't wait to get back to the US. Strange enough, it's been some months since being there and I really miss it. Feels like a second home.
well... most of the advices in these video is for the other countries too but he is saying them because people need to know them but yeah you have a point too
GOOD WAY TO START THE VIDEO BY A MISTAKE xd , no one would deny u entry to any mosque as long as u respect the place of worship, and remove u'r shoes before entry
It is probably sensible advice but I do not follow it myself, I avoid stray dogs normally mainly because my closest Moroccan friend a veterinary seems to spend half his time inoculating farm animals against Rabies. Stray dogs travel in to the city where cats tend to stay where they are so are less likely to be infected.
It is true what you said about female travelers. But more true is that people were even more helpful to me as a woman traveling alone. Yes, there are those who just catcall or hope for more, but overall people generally went the extra mile to help me when they saw I was alone.
I went 4 times to Morocco, always starting in Marrakech and one thing I would say: don't go their as a woman alone, especially not in the Medina. It's not gonna be a pleasant experience. On the other hand: if you act like a couple (even if it's fake), that will be respected most of the time. Second thing: expect to be ripped of somehow, but consider it to be a game and try to get/keep the upper hand. May the best win & keep on smiling! It's part of the experience ;-)
Hi Mark, As a Moroccan follower who has been living in both Marrakech and Casablanca for a while, I say you are pretty on point on everything you said! I hope you enjoyed your stay here!
I love the country Never visited but love to Is it expensive to stay and What are the things and steps to remember before visiting Morocco 🇲🇦 and Is it safe for solo travelling What are the other languages speak English Arabic and any other For work visa any kind of exam like ielts ❤❤❤❤❤❤
