Living in Morocco

Where do you propose to live? There are big expat communities in some towns and not in others.

Hey, thanks for your reply. Well, I don't know, that's why I want to find out because its a move im looking at in the future... where would you suggest? I like community and would need foreign friends to if I am to stay a long while.. 

Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech and Agadir.

Essaouira too, but I find it ghastly, as I do Agadir.

However, you will find that the vast majority of expats in Morocco are francophone.

Hello,

Spend a year or so doing what?

There, a 22 year old girl like you in Morocco, there isn't much to do.

If you prefer to study the history of Morocco, the Arab World, or Africa in General, there are a couple of interesting cities which you could salvage for information and monuments. Fes, Rabat, Casablanca, Morocco, Tangiers, Marrakech, Agadir, all are cities filled with traditional libraries documenting the important phases of our country.

In terms of entertainment, you are better off without it. There are some aspiring club scenes, however, my advice is, unless you are rich or have friends with guns from Russia, to stay away. The scenes are very restrictive, you may come across a lucky few "eleet" and hang out with them but the chances are very slim as such groups prefer to restrict their personal entertainment to the group itself. There are hangout places too, such as coffee shops, clubs ( offering swimming pool access, sports lounges, tea lounges, housing, ... ).

If you are a lover of mother nature, then that is something else. But on the awkward side, like I said, you're a 22 year old girl and this is a country part of a region where hostilities are rising to westerners. So camping is an option that isn't costly, and across the country there are camping sites reserved for foreigners only ( i.e. Moroccans are not allowed ). Inside, you are allowed legally to consumme alcohol ( though only privately, public intoxication is a severe felony ), cook your own food, and parking is usually provided for your car for an additional dollar or two. Swimming pool access, security guards, football / basketball / tennis / sports lounge access may also be available at an additional extra. The swimming pools are often cleaned and taken care of regularly and treated with chlorine. To be a reservist, nobody goes to swimming pools in Morocco: there are plenty of beaches accessible to the public. Anywhere you see crowds in bathing suits will do, there are life guards officially appointed to protect your life during the summer months, and police is often around all year around. Most sea resorts offer restaurants and coffee shop and a "corniche", where ice cream, chips, and muffins are sold to visitors.

Away from the shore though things may get a bit rougher. Roads offer excellent access to major cities and areas of interest, however, certain places are a bit rough to get to, or at least, the last 8 miles tend to be at best. Unpaved roads, expensive guarded parking, and distance from civilization are all restrictions you may find when trying to get to certain places.

The waterfalls, rivers, and water sources are an excellent destination during the spring, and many local families like to perform local tourism by picnicking mostly around such areas. You are allowed to barbecue your own meals, however, be advised to take all precautions relative to fire hazards.

If you bring with you a camping caravan, you will find propane is available at certain gas centers ( where gas bottles get refilled ) in Kenitra, Mohammadia, and on the exists of most urban metropoles. It is preferred that you come equipped though, as it may be sometimes hard to find a refill for your bottle, or a replacement. Locally, the cooking gas used is butane, and the electric voltage in outlets is 220/240 Volts. Certain industrial zones do offer 380 V, but it would be difficult to get access, unless you find a guard or employee or responsible to let you hook onto a power outlet in their company, you might want to try transformers instead.

The water is pretty much clean from the tap in most big cities, however, be advised that sometimes even locals use bottled mineral water. Most restaurants and fast food places also provide mineral water but watch the cost...

Accomodation is going to be a burden. If you're camping, depend on spending at least 5 US$ a day for accomodation ( if you bring your own tent, 20 dh or 2.5 US$ for the spot, 10 dh or 1.5 US$ for the parking if you have a car, usually 10 or 20 dh or 2.5 US$ for the electriciy if you need it ( usually it is charged automatically as the power outlet is active anyways ), and water also. You get access to hot showers ( sometimes at additional extra, sometimes you pay per usage: around 50 cents to 2 US$ per use ).

Food is alright, your budget would be anywhere between 2 US$ and 200 US$ a day for food, depending on whether you prefer fast food or fancy dining and wining. A lot of the seafood places are genuine, and the upscale ones offer excellent service. The local wine is also something worth trying, especially in the coastal regions ( Tangiers, Asilah, Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Essaouira, ... ).

Car rentals require you to deposit a credit card advance and your passport. The deposit is around 500 US$, sometimes they don't even charge the card and simply keep the tab with the card information. The companies available at airports usually charge an additional 10 US$ for the service proximity, and that's very good. The cars are often in good shape, although most of them have manual transmission. Expect to pay around 50 US$ for a hatchback, around 60 to 80 for a sedan, and a 100 to 300 for a Van/SUV.

Public Transportation is also good. The train fares are approximately 2 US$ per 40 km stretch, so a ticket to Rabat from the Airport is around 78 DH ( or 8 US$ ), and a ticket from Rabat to Casablanca ( City Center ) is around 32 DH ( 4 US$ ). Cab rides from the airport ( GMMN / Mohammed V Airport - Casablanca ) is 600 DHs ( 80 US$ ) To Casablanca, around twice that for Rabat, and three or four times for Marrakech. Normal cab fares are around 5 dh per 20 km stretch, for the big mercedes carrying 6 people. The local cabs only carry three people and have a different color for each city, and the fair is 1.4 dh ( 20 Cents US ) for start up and 20 moroccan cents per increment ( usually 100 m ), i.e. approximately 3 US Cents.

There are airports at major cities: Agadir, Essaouira, Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, Rabat, Fes. Only major airports offer international flights to most parts of the world, although even regional ones started offering service to Europe a while back. Economic flights from Europe can cost you anywhere from 40 to 300 Euros, and a regular ticket with the local airline RAM might cost you as much as 800 Euros, depending on how soon you book and the class you purchase.

There are many local tourist attractions. The local food is good too. There are many local traditional restaurants offering services to tourists.

If you need a guide, try to find one with a badge. There are guides in most tourist attractions and big tourist destinations such as Marrakech, Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, and Tangiers.

You can exchange money all weekdays during working hours ( usually 9 am to 4 pm with a lunch break between noon and 2 pm ). There are also ATMs in major cities that provide exchange services, try with Banque Populaire. There are also kiosks offering exchange services, and these might be offering their services late at night up to 9 pm and sometimes also work during weekends.

Try to respect the local customs and traditions, and the laws and regulations.

Have fun, stay safe.

Cheers

@Cruentos Solum

This is utter nonsense:--

" Inside, you are allowed legally to consumme alcohol ( though only privately, public intoxication is a severe felony )"

Drunks get 48 hours in the clink to sober up and may get a small fine. It is certainly not a "severe felony". In addition, in general,  wherever foreigners are allowed to drink, so are Moroccans. This changes during Ramadan when special rules apply.

This is utter nonsense:--

"There are some aspiring club scenes, however, my advice is, unless you are rich or have friends with guns from Russia, to stay away. "

No one on a budget or even with an adequate sum of money would go to clubs every night, but there are clubs in most larger towns which are accommodating and friendly - and not too expensive. And I know that the club I go to in my town is not full of Russian gangster guns.

Whose visitor's blog did you C&P this from? It in no way helps someone who wishes to live in Morocco but gives (poor) advice for visitors and was clearly written by someone who does not know the country well.

For once I agree with you laduqesa. Public intoxication is not a felony in Morocco.
One rarely get arrested unless they are literally loaded and they do 48hrs at the police station, no fines included.

Man, I get it. You are following me. Okey Okey,

This is your territory clearly. Can I join you?

I don't copy man, please don't do that.. Anyways, the Russian Mob thingy was a metaphor. I didn't want to bring the Moroccan Mob into this. Notice, I used "mob", so they're just part of the "general public". No pointing fingers now.

Whoever said anything about going clubbing "every night"? Oh, wait, but this is a girl, see, I'm Moroccan, and there is one thing I hate: prostitution, and sexual harassment, and slavery. Well, that's three, but how a teen girl ( okey, some are 24 but they didn't go to school! ) end up going to the club every single night... I guess they don't pay then, hein? Or do they? In other ways?

Euh, you are allowed "to consumme alcohol indoors" in international camping stations in Morocco. In other words, you are not allowed to consume it in public, so if you drink inside your caravan or tent, you are not going to get arrested. Going out and making a scene afterwards reeking of alcohol is another matter though.

Euh, up north things are more relaxed, I've had beer on a sidewalk table before in Fnideq, on a cool seafood restaurant in the corniche ( sea front ). In Rabat, the Capital, things like that aren't allowed, but more pubs, and clubs, and bars offer expats home like sentiments. Try:

Safari,
Puzzle ( still open? Don't know havent' been there for a while )
Bario
San Fransisco
La Felouque
Pachanga
Amnesia ( a bit overdone, a bit of an old one, but still a classic )

There are many more in agdal and hassan in Rabat, also, the beach area in Temara has a few decent places, while Casablanca, and Marrakech are also full of new places that will satisfy you.

Many told me "public intoxication" is not severe in Morocco.

You are wrong. And here is why.

Every time the "felony" is involved, it is invoked "after" another barrier has been broken, and it is often "tahrid bilfasad" or "fasad 3alani". This means you're either mouthing off or something, otherwise, they'll be like "you're trying to spark public unrest / public intoxication / etc. They usually go in couple, the charges, in such cases... So ask a good lawyer, BEFORE it happens to you. They'll drop the "drunk" charges and keep you in jail for 10 years if you open your mouth.

Cops can ask you for id for verification, and this happens normally when they are stationned somewhere, so unless you bring attention to yourself, they won't go out of their way to get you into trouble, they might scrutinize you for a bit, shake you, but they're busy with other things. You know, the real thieves and troublemakers.

Cruentos Solum, I thought you were Muslim?

"Every time the "felony" is involved, it is invoked "after" another barrier has been broken, and it is often "tahrid bilfasad" or "fasad 3alani". This means you're either mouthing off or something, otherwise, they'll be like "you're trying to spark public unrest / public intoxication / etc. They usually go in couple, the charges, in such cases... So ask a good lawyer, BEFORE it happens to you. They'll drop the "drunk" charges and keep you in jail for 10 years if you open your mouth."

It's such nonsense and from someone who alleges they are a Muslim Moroccan.

No one gets arrested for drunkenness in Morocco UNLESS they are "mouthing off" as you put it. This is when they get put in the clink for 48 hours. It's for "mouthing off", being "drunk AND disorderly". That someone claiming to be Moroccan can say something so stupid as any such miscreant will get 10 years is an utter joke.

<"you are allowed "to consumme alcohol indoors" in international camping stations in Morocco. In other words, you are not allowed to consume it in public, so if you drink inside your caravan or tent, you are not going to get arrested."

Well of course not going to get arrested, seeing as most supermarkets sell alcohol as off sales. Of course not, seeing as most towns have bars and clubs. Of course not, seeing as many hotels have bars and sell alcohol for consumption in rooms too. And of course not, even if you go out "making a scene afterwards reeking of alcohol" - the cops will generally not arrest foreigners for any such thing. In addition the "scene" has to be pretty extreme for them to arrest Moroccans and lock them up for 48 hours.

In any case, I know you are C&Ping from other people's work/blogs. How? When it's your own post, you make spelling mistakes. When it's C&P, the English is far better.

Hello Im frome morocco , exatly Rabat Morocco is a nice chose where can the human live , there are a lot of wonderfuls places here and a nice people if u need help im here

Hello Im frome morocco , exatly Rabat Morocco is a nice chose where can the human live , there are a lot of wonderfuls places here and a nice people if u need help im here