Wild Frontiers

Flight Information

Flight time to Marrakesh is 3:30hrs from London; BMI and British Airways offer direct flights in season and there are a number of low-cost alternatives.

Useful Tips

• Take care in Marrakech - particularly if walking back to your Riad at night

• Brush up on your French " it’s much more widely spoken than English

• Remember some restaurants don't have alcohol licences but do allow you to take your own - so check first

Recommended Reading

If you want to read up on your destination we recommend a variety of guidebooks such as Odyssey Guides, The Rough Guide and Footprint Guides. All these publications have good general information as well as more specific country information that will help orientate you in the areas you visit.

Good books and maps are available at Stanfords in Covent Garden, London or online at www.stanfords.co.uk

Relevant Reading:
The Conquest of Morocco by Douglas Porch examines the takeover of Morocco by Paris, leading to the establishment of the protectorate.

Peter Mayne's highly readable A Year in Marrakech is his account of time spent living among the people of the city and observations on their lives.

Their Heads Are Green is an intriguing collection of short stories about North Africa by the famous Tangier resident Paul Bowles (author of Sheltering Sky).

The House of Si Abdallah: the oral history of a Moroccan family, by Henry Munson Jr, is a unique insight into the daily life and thoughts of Moroccans, mainly through the eyes of a traditional peddler in Tangier.

A fascinating look at the lives of Moroccan women is Leonora Peet's Women of Marrakech. Over 40 years (1930-70) Peet got about as close as a non-Muslim can to the lives of local women.

Iain Finlayson's Tangier: City of the dream is an intriguing look at some of the western literati who found a new home in Morocco at one time or another.

When To Go

The nicest time of year to visit is from Sept to June when it is pleasantly warm to hot (around 30°C) during the day and cool to cold (around 15°C) at night.

Packing List

Below is a list of general items you might take with you on a Wild Frontiers trip to Morocco. With your booking confirmation you will receive a packing list specific to your tour, so please treat this as a general guideline only.

Luggage:
It is best to use a soft bag - rucksack/hold-all/duffel bag - so it can be transported and stored more easily.

On all our trips a small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main pack is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions.

Clothing:
In general you should bring clothes you feel comfortable with, therefore as a guide we suggest a packing list like this:

• 4 x Light cotton shirts or T-shirts, short sleeved and long.
• 2 pairs of recreational trousers. If preferred, women can wear dresses and long skirts.
• 2 x Lightweight jumpers or sweatshirts
• Shorts
• Swim suit or trunks
• Good quality fleece or warm jumper
• Warm jacket
• Set of waterproofs
• Warm Hat
• Gloves
• Sun hat or cap plus women should have a scarf for their heads in churches.
• Pair of adventure sandals, trainers or pumps

Equipment:
Again, what to take with you will vary depending on the areas you are visiting, but the below list should be a useful guideline.
• Travel towel, travel soap and toiletries
• Good quality sleeping bag
• Sleeping bag liner (cotton or silk)
• Torch (LED head-torch keeps your hands free)
• A bandanna or large handkerchief is useful for dusty tracks
• Pair of good quality sunglasses
• Water bottle
• Plug adapter

Personal First Aid Kit:
While we do carry a large medical kit on our group tours, we would advise that you take some of the basics with you. This should include:
• Any prescription medication required (please inform the tour leader at your pre-departure meeting about these)
• Antibacterial dry hand wash
• Painkillers: paracetamol & ibuprofen
• Rehydration salts (Gastrolyte)
• Malaria Tablets (if necessary)
• Travel motion-sickness tablets if required (e.g. natural ginger tablets)
• Diarrhoea remedies
• Antihistamines
• Cold/flu decongestants
• Mosquito Repellent
• Insect bite cream
• Laxatives
• Plasters/Bandage/Steri-Strips/Blister pads
• Sunscreen (30+ factor)
• Moisturiser/after sun cream/lip balm
• Contact lenses and solution if required
• Tweezers

(A kit with most of this in is available at www.nomadtravel.co.uk)

Optional Extras:
• Ear plugs (if sharing a room / camping)
• Alarm clock
• 3-4 plastic carrier bags are very useful for dirty washing, dirty shoes and rubbish
• Binoculars
• Small packs of tissues
• Money belt or secure pouch for money and passport etc.
• Eye patches if light affects your sleep
• Sewing kit/scissors
• Writing materials
• Spare batteries/camera memory cards
• Swiss Army knife
• Universal bath plug
• Calculator (for currency conversion)

NB: If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are rare. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses.

You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases!!

Hand Luggage:
Although it is very rare that luggage goes missing on flights, it has been known to happen and so it’s a good idea to carry a spare top, toothbrush, wash kit, underwear and any other essentials in your hand luggage so that you can at least freshen up while waiting for your bags to catch you up. If you wear your sturdy shoes/boots it will also reduce weight in your luggage and keep them safe.

Practical Information

Time:
Morocco is the same time as GMT all year round.

Food and Alcohol:
Moroccan food is good and solid. The national dish is couscous (finely ground semolina), which usually accompanies a tagine (a vegetable and meat or poultry casserole). Sweet mint tea is the Moroccan drink of choice, but this doesn't mean the place is teetotal. There's no general ban on alcohol and wines and beers are usually available in restaurants and hotels.

Electricity:
Those bringing video & digital cameras that require battery chargers should also bring a two-pin, continental style adapter. In most hotels you can charge from the mains using a travel adaptor plug.

Money:
In Morocco the official currency is the Dirham.

To check out the latest exchange rate for the places that you are visiting you can go to www.oanda.com

A few points to help you plan:
• Payments are mainly made in cash.
• Travellers cheques are more difficult to exchange than cash and so more problematic.
• If using ATM machines, be sure to notify your bank before you travel.
• The main currencies £, US$ and € are easy to exchange in Marrakesh.
• It is useful to bring lots of small denomination notes.

Language & Religion:
Morocco’s official language is Modern Standard Arabic although its distinctive dialect is Moroccan Arabic. Roughly 60% of the population speak Berba, either as a first language of bilingually alongside Arabic. French is Morocco’s unofficial second language, is taught universally and serves as the language of commerce and economics. 99% of the population comprises of Arab and Berber stock. Most Moroccans practice Sunni Islam.

Cultural Sensitivity:
On our tours we frequently interact with local people, each with their own distinct customs and traditions. We therefore ask you to be considerate and to treat them with respect. Your tour leader will be able to advise you accordingly.

At Wild Frontiers we are very aware of the ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures. We realise that taking a group of tourists through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there and on all our tours we therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive…after all, there are also many good things that the tourist can bring.

To help this process we ask that our clients do not hand out pens or sweets to children. As one sign in Egypt emphatically put it, ‘Please don't make beggars out of our children!' No matter how well intentioned, in our opinion the dolling out of free gifts fosters a ‘beggar mentality' that is ultimately extremely destructive to a society. In addition we do not condone giving out money to beggars or ‘students'.

However, we also realise that we are exceptionally privileged to be travelling in areas where most of the people have far less than us and that the desire to ‘help' can be very powerful. As a result we ask that you refer to your trip dossier for information on the Wild Frontiers Foundation which supports specific projects in the areas where we travel.

Photography:
Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission.

Also many countries have very strict rules about taking photos of army, police or any official personnel; restrictions apply at borders, bridges and any government building. Please exercise care in this regard as the penalty may be to have your film and/or camera confiscated.