Culture Shocks of Morocco Overview:
From wind-swept sand dunes and dazzling beaches to high mountains and narrow, fortified medinas, Morocco is a country of many splendours. Whether you are going on a desert tour from Marrakech or heading to the blue city, Chefchaouen, this article covers 15 culture shocks of Morocco that tourists encounter and cultural differences that travellers should keep in mind to have the best holiday possible in Morocco.
Without further ado, here are our picks for 15 culture shocks of Morocco:
1- Balak Moment:
The first thing that’s going to shock you when you come to Morocco is your first “Balak” moment. If you don’t know what “Balak” means, it is a sort of like watch out, heads up, or pay attention. You will have that a lot whether you are going down the narrow alleyways or wandering the medina and cars are going by or a bike is going by. You will have those moments.
But the best moments of it is when you are walking through the medina. A donkey is going by with construction equipment, or there is a moped with a trailer on the back going by with a hundred other people around you. You get that moment of what’s going on here.
When you are in Morocco, that is the first shock that you will have. It might be when you leave your riad or hotel and head to the medina for just the first five minutes, you will have your first “Balak” moment. So just be prepared for that first cultural shock.
2- Too Much Bargaining
The second shock you will have when you arrive in Morocco, especially in the medina and the local marketplace, is the amount of haggling you will have to do. Negotiating and bargaining is a part of Morocco’s course, so be ready for it, and the thing is, the vendors are not trying to rip you off. It is just how business is done there. So, make sure you are prepared to spend some time bargaining for that rug or that cool lamp.
When you are negotiating, please realise that the price they are starting with will be way more than what you should pay. That price will probably start higher if you are in a touristy place like the Medina in Marrakech or souks in Fes. The price you should pay is about 25 to 50% less than where you start.
Also, if you don’t feel comfortable buying anything, it is okay. The vendors are not going to be pissed off forever that you didn’t buy something. They know how these things work. In fact, the key to negotiating is to know what price you are happy to pay! Once you have a price you are okay to pay, then it is no big deal.
Take that experience and use that bargain time to get a lot of mint tea when you are in the local markets because you will get a lot of mint tea when you are doing your bargaining.
One of those things that get frustrated with that bargaining is that you will agree with the price, whether with a taxi or with a shop, and they will never have change. So, always have the correct change that you are bargaining with to make your shopping experience in the medina easier.
3- The Medina Experience:
The third thing that will shock you when you visit Morocco wraps together the first two. It is your medina experience. Look, the medina, the old town, the local markets in the city, where all the small lanes are, will shock you when you are there. Because one, you are going to get lost, and that’s okay. The people are friendly, and they will help you find your way out if you get lost. If you are interested in going on a guided itinerary, you can book a Marrakech sightseeing tour, to explore the city with a local guide who will take you to places that you will not get to on your own.
But it is such an incredible experience when you see all the sights, the sounds, the colours, and the spices. When you see street vendors chopping up the meat and hanging it, this is an amazing experience. Still, it can be pretty overwhelming and shocking for some people. I have seen tourists that are about to lose it. So, if you feel like you are about to lose it, go into your riad or a café, take a break, collect yourself, and come back.
Because honestly going to medina and exploring these things is one of the most important things you need to do when you are in Morocco. It can also be shocking when you have all the people going by and all these things going on, but remember, exploring the medina will be one of the main highlights of your holiday, so you need to do it! You will be surprised how much you will love it and how much it will drive you a little crazy. But it’s something you have to do because it is a fantastic experience.
4- Helpful People
The fourth thing that’s going to shock you is how helpful and kind the people are in Morocco. They will go out of their way to help you. I know some people will say they are doing that for a tip. Some people do that, but in general, the Moroccan people are hospitable, so helpful. They will give you so many ideas of places to see, things to do, where to eat, and how to explore different parts of the country.
It’s just a wonderful experience, and you want to meet those people because people are fantastic. Another thing that will shock you about Moroccan people is how they will switch from French to Arabic, throwing some English here and a little Spanish there. This is a multicultural country, and it shocks tourists when they realise that. Communication will not be a problem in Morocco.
You can get by in French or English, and if you know some Spanish, some parts will get you by. It’s just such a joyful experience with the people. You will love it and met some incredible people. And one thing that shocks you is how open and friendly the people are, which is a cool thing.
5- Toilet paper
If you have to get to the bathroom quick and you are trying to find a public toilet, but when you get to it, you run by this lady in there, and you are like, what was she there for. Then, you sit down and do your business and look around and go, and there’s no toilet paper! Look, you need to bring toilet paper with you. You don’t need to have a whole roll of toilet paper, but it is recommended to always have a couple of packets of tissues with you, just in case.
Because you will be shocked how hard it is sometimes to find some toilet paper in the toilets, you don’t need to worry about it when you are in your hotel, but it’s when you are out and maybe finding a restaurant or a café shop so you can use theirs. Usually, it’s just for clients, but it is okay for you to use it!
6- The Weather in Morocco:
The Sahara Desert is a part of Morocco. In the summertime getting the 50 Celsius that you are the 100 degrees in Fahrenheit isn’t uncommon. So, make sure you cover up as much of your skin as possible when you are in that heat to protect you from the sunlight. Wear light, loose-fitting clothes that are going to help out.
The shocking part about the weather is that if you are coming to Morocco from November through March, it gets cold. If you are here in the evening in Marrakech or exploring the medina in the morning, you will need to wear a jacket or a sweatshirt; otherwise, you will be chattering your teeth. During the day, it gets warm-up, but be ready for the cold evening.
Suppose you are going to visit the Sahara Desert. In that case, you need to know that there are extreme temperature fluctuations during the day versus at night. It does surprise some tourists because they are not prepared for it. Bring the right kind of clothes, whether it’s layering or long clothes, to be ready for it.
7- Morocco is a Big Country
Another shock that you might have is realizing how big Morocco is. Many people look at a map and think Morocco is a normal-sized country compared to Germany. What you don’t realise is Morocco on a map has the reverse Greenland effect. If you look at Greenland on a map, it looks enormous, but Greenland is not that big in real life. Morocco is a lot bigger than you would expect.
So, if you are going to visit Morocco, I recommend choosing different regions to stay at. There are four different regions here in Morocco that tourists will be interested in. You have got the fantastic Atlantic Coast, where the country is developing many resorts to make it a travel destination. Then, you have Marrakech, Fes, and the other Imperial cities. You have the Sahara Desert that you should visit. People think it is possible to visit the desert on a day trip from Marrakech, but it is eight to ten hours in a car to get down to the Sahara Desert. Then, you have the Atlas Mountains. So, you have a wide variety of regions to choose from.
I recommend picking a couple of regions to explore, such as Marrakech and the Sahara Desert, or Essaouira and Marrakech, or you do the Mountains and Southern Morocco.
But don’t get too much because it’s such a big country. A lot of people are surprised when they realise how big Morocco is. So be ready for that because if you want to go to the blue city and think it’s going to be a day trip from Casablanca, no, that’s five hours in the car. The thing is, though, there is a good transportation network. So, you can take buses and the train network.
8- Architecture
The eighth thing that’s going to surprise you when you visit Morocco is the difference between the exterior architecture and the buildings’ interior architecture. If you look at the exterior architecture in Morocco, it’s not that impressive aside from the mosques and the doorways, which are gorgeous to look at. Just click on Morocco on Instagram; you will see thousands of insanely beautiful doorways that are there now. I will say that that blue city is pretty cool to visit from the outside.
But in general, it is almost drab on the outside, but the thing is, you will be pleasantly surprised once you go through those beautiful doorways. Once you walk into a riad, the interior design is phenomenal. The real beauty and artwork of the architecture and design of this country are inside the buildings. So, when you are going to the palaces, to the riads and the hotels or someone’s home, you will notice that the inside is decorated with beautiful courtyards, geometric architecture, cedarwood artwork, plasterwork, which is just phenomenal. But it is beautiful to see the mosque, and it is lovely to see the doorways. So, you do want to see those.
9- Mosques in Morocco
The next shock I have for you is that you don’t get to enter the mosques if you are not Muslim. In Casablanca, you can explore Hassan II mosque. But in general, in Morocco, unless you are Muslim, you can’t go in and see the mosque.
From the outside, they are gorgeous. If you know how much better the architecture is inside a usual building in Morocco versus outside, you would wish you could go in because it is gorgeous inside. If you are not sure what it looks like, go to the internet, click on some pictures and look at them. Because unless you are Muslim, you’re not going to be able to go into the mosques.
10- Lots of Cats
Another thing that might shock you when you come to Morocco is that you will actually notice that there are many stray cats. You will see stray cats all over the place and all over the country.
But no stray dogs! Well, very few street dogs, but the cats are all over the place. Remember, you don’t want to pet stray cats because they might have fleas or diseases. Leave the stray cats alone. I know they are adorable, and they have lots of little kittens going around but heads up for that one.
11- Alcohol in Morocco
The next thing that’s going to surprise you when you visit Morocco is alcohol. A lot of people think Morocco is a Muslim country, there Is no alcohol. You can have some great wine when you are in this North African country. Some of the riads and restaurants have alcohol on the menu.
You get grey wine, red wine, and white wine; there are some excellent wines. It is a shocking thing like, wow, I didn’t think I get to drink when I’m in Morocco. But you get to have perfect wine and drink alcohol in Morocco, which is fantastic.
12- Hashish
Continuing with Morocco’s cultural shocks, you will also be surprised by how much you will smell and see hashish. You will see people smoking either on the street or in public places. You are like, whoa, what’s going on here! I smell this quite a lot.
Look, even as a tourist, you need to realise it is not legal. The locals are not going to get arrested for it, but you probably will. So, be careful with that, but don’t be shocked if you smell it quite often or you see guys in back alleyways in the evening time sitting there and having to smoke with their friend just chatting away.
13- scams
The last thing it’s going to shock you when you visit Morocco, especially Marrakech and Fes, are scams. I am going to put a bunch of the negative shocks together here. Because honestly, you will have a wonderful experience in Morocco. It is beautiful people, excellent food, the sights are amazing, the architecture and the design are phenomenal; all of these things make it a fantastic place to visit. With natural beauty, all the different regions, it’s just a fantastic place.
But there are some negative things. If you are a tourist and are going through the medina, it is recommended to have your bag on the front. You will see pickpockets in busy areas, and touristy places just like anywhere in the world. So that could be something!
14- Tipping in Morocco:
This is not necessarily a bad experience, but one of those things that annoy people. It is all the tipping you will need to do when you are in Morocco. Yes, you do tip in restaurants when you eat there and tip for the little service. You are always going to have a tip for a guide, and you are going to have a tip for the person that helps you with the luggage and so on. So, make sure you have small bills and small coins that you can easily tip people.
Also, you have to realise if you are going to be taking pictures, you might be surprised that some people won’t let you take their picture. You are going to have to pay to take their pictures, sometimes. If you take pictures of people, taking normal pictures in the marketplace, that is all fine.
But if you are walking through the medina and taking a picture of people’s shops or taking pictures of people, you need to ask them, and some people say no. It would be best if you respected them for that. A lot of people get shocked! Wait I can’t just take a picture when I walk around? No, you can’t. You need to respect the people that way so that it can be kind of shocking for people.
15- Female Traveller
The last kind of culture shock of Morocco that’s out there concerns female travellers in Morocco. I have seen a vast improvement from what I have read online, and I have prepared for the scams, and the tipping all this kind of things is a lot less than they make it sound like online.
But there’s one issue that you need to know about, and that is actually female travellers. When they come here, they might be shocked by how different they are treated versus male travellers. So have a heads up for that.
Culture Shocks of Morocco Closing Note:
When you come here, you will love Morocco. The people are fantastic, and the food is fantastic. You will be pleasantly surprised by how much you enjoy your time and holiday in Morocco. The people are fantastic, and the food is outstanding.
Now that you know everything about the culture shocks of Morocco and custom adaptation, you can use this handy travel guide to learn about the best things to do in Marrakech and make the best of other aspects of your holiday in the red city. Please feel free to add a review or a comment.