Morocco

NEED TO KNOW

Arabic (French is widely spoken)
Capital City: Rabat
Population: 34.3 million
Area: 446,550 square miles
Telephone Calling Code(s): 212
Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz
Currency: As of Nov 21, 2009:
1 Morocco Dirhams = $0.13 US Calculate Other Amounts
Entry Requirements: Morocco does not require visas for citizens of the United States. A valid passport (with at least six months before the expiry date) is sufficient for a three-month stay.

GOOD TO KNOW

Cuisine
One of the world's great cuisines can be savored in the smoky bazaars and rugged mountains of Morocco. This amalgamation of authentic Berber, Arab, Spanish, and French flavors offers a refreshingly new experience for those bored with French-Thai fusion and nouveau deconstruction. Morocco is one of the few locales where it's still common to mix sweet flavors (fruit, honey, and sugar) with meat, encased in a pastry or in a traditional tajine (stew). Couscous, tiny balls of semolina, is the widely recognized dish from Morocco.

Good Buys
Head directly for the souks to find a scene straight out of Aladdin. Snake charmers, magic potions, and rugs beyond counting fill the labyrinthine bazaars. Leatherwork, brass, and myriad exotic spices are the best buys, but you'll have to bargain hard to avoid getting ripped off. Start at one-third the offered price and try to walk away when you've hit your limit. One exception is when it comes to buying a beautiful hand-woven rug. Even the mediocre ones are not cheap. But just looking at them can be thrilling, so don't pass up a chance to browse—just don't get too sucked in unless you have the money to pay for one…and get it shipped back home. Some shops close for the Muslim holy day so note that Friday is not a good day for a major shopping outing.

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS

January: 1, New Year's Day
March: 3, Throne Day
May: 1, Labor Day; 23, Fête Nationale
July: 9, Youth Day
August: 14, Oued Eddahab Day
November: 6, Al-Massira; 18, Independence Day

ISLAMIC HOLIDAYS
Since Islamic holidays are based on a lunar calendar, their dates move forward every year by approximately 11 days. For 2008–2009, the most important religious holidays fall near the following dates:
September 2, the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, which requires fasting from sunrise to sundown
October 2, Eid Ul-Fitr, a two-day feast marking the end of Ramadan
December 9, Aid El-Kebir, the most important Muslim holiday, the Feast of the Lamb, marking Abraham's sacrifice of a ram instead of his son
January 10, Moharram, Islamic New Year
March 20, Mawlid, the Prophet's Birthday