A day in the life of a Moroccan

Travelling with Morocco Travel Plan and our Morocco adventure tours means really experiencing the country and the local way of life. And who better to teach you about Moroccan culture than the Moroccans themselves? When we’re visiting a new country, we like to find out about the values and traditions of the locals. We feel it’s an important part of the travel experience and that's why we include it in all of our Morocco itineraries.

In Fes we went on a tour with local guide Kamal Lahmamssi. Recently he moved to a new part of the city, but he grew up in the old medina in Fes. During our tour at midday we heard chanting from the mosque’s minaret calling everyone to prayer. Kamal excused himself for 10 minutes to pray. On your Morocco travels you’ll regularly see people performing their daily prayers.

Food and hospitality

Hospitality and food go hand-in-hand in Morocco and food is nothing less than a feast. For the Moroccans presentation is just as important as the food itself. They use lots of different ingredients, often chicken, lamb and fish. Couscous is a popular Moroccan dish that consists of semolina wheat served with stewed vegetables, spices and meat.

On our walk through the medina Kamal took us for lunch at a tiny restaurant where he let us try all kinds of traditional Moroccan dishes. It was a great experience enjoying all this amazing food in an authentic setting surrounded by just locals.

Experience the food on your Morocco self drive or, if your short for time, cover the highlights in one week.

If you choose our Morocco off the beaten track tour, you'll stay in an authentic Moroccan house where you'll be treated as the guest in a Moroccan family home. They’ll go out of their way to make you feel at home and you’ll find a traditional Moroccan meal will be cooked for you by the family. As you enter the small guest house, you'll be welcomed by the host and made to feel at home.

Traditionally a glass of sweet mint tea is served before dinner. The teapot is held as high in the air as the tea is poured so you get a nice foamy glass of tea. Once everyone has washed their hands the table is laid out and the array of dishes served. Moroccans eat using the first three fingers of their right hand (thumb, index finger and middle finger). The left hand isn’t used as it’s considered unclean. If you’d like to have a go at preparing a Moroccan dish, check out our module Marrakesh city tour.

Haggling

Everywhere you go in the medina you’ll see colourful little Moroccan shops. For Moroccans bargaining is a sport, so a ‘sporty’ attitude certainly helps.

Determine a price before you start (start at a third of what you want to pay), and keep a maximum in mind so you don’t end up paying more than you actually wanted.

The more often you bargain the easier it gets, and a general rule is the more you buy the more you can haggle. If you’d like to explore the souks of the royal cities then you can choose from our mini Imperial cities tour or, slightly longer itinerary.

Celebration time

The Ramadan is one of the most important months of the year for Moroccans. During this months of fasting they will abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. Kamal told us it’s quite tough but the fact that everyone around him does it makes it easier. Fasting makes him aware of the fate of those less fortunate. During your stay in Morocco you’ll see that many shops and restaurants are closed during the day during Ramadan, though in most hotels the restaurants remain open. Before sunrise and after sunset everyone gets together with family and friends to eat together. Kamal told us that during the Ramadan the street life is a lot livelier in the evenings than usual.

The end of Ramadan is celebrated with the Eid-ul-Fitr, to mark the end of fasting. The night before Eid-ul-Fitr it’s determined the new month has begun and whether the period of fasting can be broken. Eid-ul-Fitr lasts for three days. The official end of the fasting period is marked by eating something sweet just after sunrise and after a sermon by the imam everyone wishes each other a blessed holiday. Then there’s more food with lots of sweet dishes. People give each other piles of presents and running conflicts are resolved. The women decorate their hands with henna. It’s a very special time of year to be in Morocco during Eid-ul-Fitr and chances are you’ll be invited to join the celebrations.

Shaking hands or kiss on the cheek?

At the end of our tour through Fes Kamal greeted us in a Moroccan way. First a handshake, but not a polite shake like we’re used to. You wrap thumbs and bring your open right hand to your chest. It’s a warm gesture. A common greeting is “As-salam Alaykum” (Peace be with you). In Morocco it’s also very common for men to kiss each other on the cheek as a greeting.

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