Morocco

Morocco offers a complete change of surroundings to you, in the purity of its light and the beauty of its landscapes: from the Sahara to the Atlantic, from the Mediterranean to Mauritania, sands of the desert to snows of the mountains, we take you along to discover authentic Morocco.
In sync with the rhythm of the excursion, Morocco is an enchantment for your eyes where tender greens of irrigated terraces mix with the reds of the clay slopes, ochre and oranges of the Kasbahs and the fairness of the barley fields.....all under the blue azure skies.  the glance where mix the tender green of  irrigated terraces, the red of the argillaceous slopes, the ochre and  orange of the Kasbahs, the fair one of the barley fields... the whole under a blue azure sky.
Let the Atlantic shores guide you while encountering fishermen, or submerge yourself in the sublime landscapes colored by the Atlas mountain range.The legendary hospitality of the Berber people who live in these mountains, their devotion and even their conception of society can only hypnotize you.
Traverse these wild grounds, favorable to meeting, alongside these proud and interesting men, and share our passion for this country of contrasts!

• Specialists in walking trips: more than twenty years of experience, always innovative, professional well trained guides.
• Guarantee of a highly reliable organization and team, thanks to our own attentive and effective agency in Marrakech, to better serve you!
• A constant desire to continue to improve our voyages: all of our circuits are the fruit of our own exploration and are created in collaboration with our local guides. These trips make you discover authentic Morocco, and allow you access to privileged encounters with the inhabitants.
• An exceptional price/quality ratio, with very high quality services, in particular for lodging and logistics.
• Guaranteed departures with 4 participants.

Mediterranean climate in the North, Atlantic coast climate in the West, Saharan in the South, Continental inside the territory; the climate presents violent contrasts according to the area. Morocco is either very hot or very cold or very wet or very dry. Only the coastal areas have a moderate climate.
Because of the rough winters in the Atlas, the best season for hiking in the mountains of Morocco is from spring to autumn (April to November), with pleasant temperatures and the possibility of refreshing yourself in the water points. In altitude (area of Toubkal or at the foot of Mount Goun), it happens that it can freeze during the night, even in summer. However, the sun can also be very hot!

Average temperatures in Marrakech 1,566 feet high (maximum/minimum in Fahrenheit degrees):

Jan	March	May	July	Sept	Nov
63/43	72/50	79/55	97/68	90/64	72/52

For spring time departures: you will enjoy the greenery, the flowers.....in brief, the re-emergence of life !
For fall departures: the occasion to admire the beautiful colors, the great lights, and the transparency of the air.

Population	33 millions habitant
Surface	172,414  squares miles
Capital	Rabat
Main Cities	regarding our circuits : Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Essaouira, Agadir
Peaks	Toubkal (13,671 feet) - M'goun (13,323 feet)
Official Language	Classical Arabic (official language)
Local Language	Dialectal Arab, Berber, Spanish, French is commonly spoken
Religion	Islam  (99 % of Muslims originally  Berber, Arab or Sudanese)
Head of the state	Its Majesty, the King Mohammed VI
Political Status	Constitutional Monarchy
Time Shift	http://www.worldtimezone.com/utc/utc.html

The national currency is the Dirham (MAD)
Exchange rate in 2008: 1$ = 8,5 MAD
Take dollars, preferably, in small increments ($50 maximum). You will be able to exchange them upon arrival at the airport or in the big hotels and banks. Credit cards are accepted and there are many ATM machines.

As an organizer of worldwide trips, Mountain World Travel is concerned for our guest’s safety and security. We always keep ourselves up to date with current travel warnings and always consider the government safety advices, while organizing and preparing our different trips. Please double check on the official government website regarding each country’s warnings.
US Government Travel Advices

The spirit of Mountain World Travel voyages was born in the Moroccan Atlas!
It is under the impulse of Mike Vibert, French mountain guide, that the Morocco destination is measured: the first Morocco booklet is born in 1995. Mike caught passion for the country and the richness of its human contacts, and decides to create a reception agency in Marrakech.
Mike Vibert then meets Xavier, serious traveler impassioned by Africa, who agreees to leave his luggage in Marrakech. Today, with the help of Hassan, a Berber mountain guide, "responsible for the mountain and desert activities", the three men share and communicate their ‘entrepreneur' passion, their faith in the job of guiding and their know-how organization to the entire team on the terrain.
Here, a true partnership was born with the team and the guides.
The rich personalities of each of these men insures them a place of choice within Mountain World Travel and with their guidance, we promise you the opportunity to experience an unforgettable experience in Morocco! Exchange, shared trips, reciprocal discoveries, all contributed to our forming a relationship full of loyalty and confidence.
Our Moroccan team, proud to work with us and truly representative of the spirit of Mountain World Travel, is composed of experienced guides and a local reception agency; professionals who guarantee your safety under any circumstance. Impassioned by their country, these men, so rich in personality, will share enthusiastically their culture with you.  
In addition, this Moroccan team is particularly attentive to respecting the environment and respecting the people of the country. Our guides are regularly involved in local projects, and we support them from the framework of our philosophy for responsible tourism.

Mountain World Travel has been involved for a long time in a responsible and sustainable approach to tourism in Morocco.
Here are some of our actions in this country:
- In 1999: drilling of a well for the nomads in Aït Atta country. Thereafter, we have regularly taken an active part in the maintenance and consolidation of this well.
- In 2005: collection of schoolbooks organized by our teams to supplement the very recent collection at the library of the Tabant college, in the valley of Aït Bougmez.
In 2005, we organized, with the assistance of our guides, mule driver and Moroccan cooks the first cleaning operation to be organized around the Toubkal camp. The objective was to limit the pollution of the river, the source of water supplying the villages downstream, and of the high meadows, pastures for the herds. Ten Mountain World Travel trekkers, Moroccan guides and the villagers of Imlil joined our team. The result: more than two tons of collected waste (then transported to the Marrakech recycling center).

- Assif: river
- Douar: hamlet
- Agadir: collective agricultural storage
- Irhil: the "arm", lengthened peak
- Akka: deep canyons
- Jbel (Arab word): mountain
- Arhbalou: source
- Kasbah: strengthened house
- Azib: animal barn
- Wadi (Arab word): river
- Luck: state of grace
- Souk (Arab word): market
- Bled (Arab word): village in the countryside
- Tizi: pass

You can ask your guide how to pronounce these key words; your voyage will only be richer by your attempting to speak the local language. 

Our proposed trips take you along to encounter the Berber people, particularly captivating population due to the organization of their society. Descendants of the Paleolithic population on one hand and the Proto Mediterranean's on the other, the Berbers were converted to Islam by Arabic in the VII century A-D. However, they preserved their own societies' structure: families, villages, clans, tribes and confederations. The Berbers are monogamists, and the woman holds an important place in the family, where she is paid great respect. She does not veil herself; her face is tattooed with her tribe or her clan marks and signs to keep away the evil eye. Berbers are tolerant people. Divorced women do not have a hard time finding another husband, and sexuality is much freer than in the Arab society. You will often see, during your stops close to the villages, mischievous and laughing women coming to observe you and trying to communicate with you.

Which (S) language (S) does one speak in Morocco?
The use of French is extremely widespread.
The official language is classical Arabic, or literary Arabic, the only one which is printed, which is written; it is the language of the Koran, but also one of the media, law and sciences. The Arabic dialectal one or "vulgar" Arabic is the only language spoken by Arabic-speaking people from the cities and the campaigns countryside.
Berber is the rural language. It is only oral and spoken in family. It includes many dialects. A growing number of Berber people are, nonetheless, Bi or trilingual.

How to visit Marrakech peacefully?
Marrakech is a superb city. The medina (old city), with its Souk and the square Djemaa El F' Na, will project you into the past. Mountain World Travel guides, are not authorized to guide a visit of the city. If you want to get the most out of your visit without being misled by fake guides, there are approved tourist guides holding specific diplomas which, for a modest sum, will guide you and guarantee your peace!

How does the Moroccan economy function?
Three important sectors are distinguished: agriculture employs 40% of the working population (barley, corn, wheat, groundnut, cotton, beets, sugar, citrus fruits, etc); tourism, in constant progression, is the second influx of money, after taking into account, the income from Moroccan immigrants who send back part of their wages earned in Europe, industry employs 20%.of the working population (phosphate transformed into artificial fertilizer, money, coal, copper, lead and salt.). There is no oil, but natural gas.

Gifts and tips
They are not necessary, however, they are always appreciated, but must be given correctly, as a thank you for work well done.

What are some interesting souvenirs to buy?
In the Souks of Marrakech and along the voyage in the villages, you will find typical objects: carpets of different styles according to the areas' sources, Tuya tree wood craft, pottery, objects of tender stone, copper plates, Damascus weapons.

Advice from Mike Vibert, head of our Moroccan trips:
In a small corner of Africa, Morocco marks the transition between two civilizations and two cultures. It is a particularly sensitive country, where two worlds co-inhabit. His Majesty King Mohammed VI and the government endeavor to offer to the outside, an image of a dynamic and modern population resolutely turned towards Europe.. But the Moroccans, a very young population, (60% are less than 20 years old) and rather rural, sometimes have difficulty following his lead. The difference in culture is particularly marked between the rural areas and cities.

What are the rules of bargaining in Morocco?
To not bargain is to not respect the salesman. Don't hesitate to go really low on the price and then to gradually go back up. In general, we advise you to divide the price by three. The best price is the one which satisfies everyone! Arm yourself with patience and

Electrical plugs
US electrical devices are not compatible with Morroccan electrical plugs.
We recommend that you carry an adapter, because the plugs are 220/230 volts.

The Atlas lion can only survive now in a zoo (even if the question of reintroducing it in the Middle Atlas is pending). The mottled fawn-colored panther and the hyena are threatened by extinction. The big horn sheep is quite present in certain protected sectors of Toubkal. The most numerous bird species are the most numerous (black Milans, warblers of the Atlas, partridge, gambra, falcons of Cruelty, etc). With luck chance, and depending upon the circuit, you will be able to see bands of Magot monkeys running in the trees.
In Morocco, the flora is very varied, because of the diversity of the natural environment: oaks, cedars, eucalyptus in the North, argans, almond trees and date palms in the South. The forests, distant from each other, occupy approximately 12 millions of acres..
We count on you to leave the natural spaces that you cross as clean as possible, including your camping sites.
Michel, Hassan and Xavier, founders of our Moroccan agency, advise you:
- To respect all of the trees and the new plantations (wood is rare and expensive in Morocco), particularly the fruit trees (orange trees, walnut trees, almond trees, argans, apple trees, olive-trees, junipers), which are protected.
- To pay great attention to water.
- To remain, as much as possible on the paths, because around you, all of the fields are cultivated.

At the Western end of North Africa, Morocco is the most predominant Maghreb country (name of the geographical area, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) characterized by people of the Mediterranean world, the Oceanic world, the Saharan world and the Eastern world. Its 446,768 square miles (if the Western Sahara is included) shelters a large variety of landscapes. A sea country with nearly 18,645 miles of coastline, Morocco is also a country of mountains.
The broad outline of the reliefs is rather apparent so that one can distinguish various zones:
- Rif, in the North, succession of littoral sea front mountains range.
- The long mountain range of the Atlas from south-west to North-East, in which one distinguishes: the High-Atlas in the north of Marrakech, the Middle Atlas even further north and the Anti-Atlas stretching all the way to the Atlantic. Thanks to the climate of the mountains, Morocco has a hydrographic network more pronounced than Algeria and Tunisia combined.
- The Western area between Atlas and the Atlantic is a zone of plateaus;
- The East and South extreme grounds are the dune fields.
Morocco shares borders with Algeria, Mauritania and Spain.