Clothing
What clothing to pack is going to be an important issue for students and their parents. Obviously, Morocco is a hot country, and they need to make sure they stay cool. But Morocco is also a Muslim country, where the dress code is more conservative than most students will be used to.
Attitudes do tend to be more liberal in the cities and more conservative in rural areas but modest dress is advisable everywhere to avoid causing offence.
But what does modest dress mean? Strictly speaking, modest dress in Muslim culture means being clothed from wrist to ankle for women, and from over the shoulder to below the knee for men.
Essentially, both sexes should stay away from shorts or skirts cut above the knee and sleeveless t-shirts. Women do not need to wear a headscarf (although they are welcome to).
Travelling during Ramadan
If you're travelling to Morocco during Ramadan, you'll have a brilliant experience of Moroccan and Muslim culture. But you will need to make your students aware that this is a sacred time for Muslims and there are a few things they need to be aware of to make sure they don't accidentally offend anyone.
As you're probably already aware, Ramadan is a holy time for Muslims, where they fast during daylight hours. This doesn't just mean they don't eat; they also don't drink water or even chew gum. Fasting is obligatory for practising Muslims, although there are some exceptions (including pregnant and nursing women, and young children).
Of course, if you’re not Muslim, no one will expect you to fast. But you should avoid eating and drinking in public, out of respect for those who are fasting.
Some restaurants may close during Ramadan, and some may alter their opening hours.
Iftar is the traditional meal at which the fast is broken. You should note that there will be a higher demand for taxis and public transport at this time, so if you can avoid travelling, it would be advisable to do so.
Dining
Another thing your students will need to be aware of is the etiquette around eating.
In Arabic culture, the left hand is considered unclean (as that's the hand traditionally used for sanitation). So Moroccans only use their right hand to eat (this is particularly important to remember if you're sharing a tagine).
Tipping
Another thing you'll want to be aware of is the tipping culture - and it is expected in some situations in Morocco (so, factor this in when working out how much spending money your group might want to bring).
In restaurants, you should expect to tip around 5dh in local restaurants (and up to around 10-15% in more upmarket places).
Museum and monument curators will expect around 3dh – 5dh, porters who load your luggage onto buses will expect around 5dh, and waiters in cafes will expect around 1dh per person at the table.
Thinking about arranging a school trip to Morocco?
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