How to Prepare for a Trip to Morocco
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Before you embark on your first trip to Morocco, it’s important to prepare prudently. In the excitement leading up to a big trip, many accidentally forget to consider the most basic packing and preparation tips. Preparation seems obvious, but, by breaking the process into its core components, the process becomes a bit more complicated. The key underlying each step is the goal of becoming a “wise traveler.”
Any trip to a foreign country requires you to make sure you are health-wise or health conscious. Being health conscious involves considering purchasing travelers insurance. Travelers that plan on hiking (such as in the High Atlas Mountains) and engaging in physically arduous activities should strongly consider buying a form of health care protection while in Morocco. Selecting the type depends on how long you plan on going, what your current health care plan covers and how risk averse you are. Once you’ve made your decision, other basic health-wise actions should be made. Travelers should do research on English speaking hospitals and follow up on ordering prescriptions prior to departure. For those voyagers staying in remote villages or isolated areas of Morocco, take mini packets of Kleenex for sanitary reasons. It is also advisable to buy bottled water often while traveling throughout the country. Travelers should also pack modest, appropriate clothing that is culturally suitable as well as appropriate for the activities they hope to engage in (for example, hiking boots for hiking and rain jackets during the wet season).
Besides these basic, and perhaps obvious, health preparations, travelers should also become emergency-proof. Occasionally, problems arise during travel, no matter the country. The safety-wise traveler will, however, always prevail. Before leaving, make copies of your passport and identification; be sure to leave them with a friend in case of emergencies. The extremely cautious tourist, specifically traveling in isolated areas and staying in small hostels, should also consider bringing a small lock for the suitcase. This way, there will be no distractions and worries while you’re off trekking through the picturesque Moroccan countryside.
Once the basic housekeeping for personal and emergency planning is taken care of, the best type of preparation is left: planning to have fun. Becoming fun-wise requires that you seek out the right resources on the best activities to do in Morocco prior to leaving. These resources could include friends, travel books, online travel sites and word-of-mouth. Considering the breadth of activities available in Morocco, it is highly recommended that travelers create a tentative itinerary for their trips. This way, travelers can coordinate around traveling constraints, such as religious holidays. These constraints are especially notable during the month of Ramadan and on Fridays of each week. On these days, trains, buses and businesses might have limited hours of operation. Season constraints are also important; tourists should avoid the beaches during Morocco’s winter, because they are less clean, and consider peak tourist season when going to resorts in places like Agadir. Itineraries also allow planners to minimize wasted time in Morocco.
By following the mantra of becoming a “wise traveler,” tourists in Morocco can maximize the enjoyment while minimize all, if any, stress along the way.