Good to know : Daily life in the city of lights

Getting about in Marrakesh At the airport (Located 6 km South of the city-centre) Taxi fare from airport to city-centre. Change only the minimal sum you will need at the airport. The exchange rate is much better into the city. Small taxis (For journeys within the city, limited to 3 passengers) Small taxis are not allowed to leave the town. Fares are very affordable. They are always equipped with a meter. If a taxi has no meter do not use it - the average price of a journey within the city is 10 MAD. This fare is increased legally at night time and the amount on the meter will be increased by approximately 50%. All baggage is subject to an additional supplement. Taxi stations include: Place Jemaa El Fna, Bab er Robb, Bab Doukkala. Large taxis (For journeys within the city and its environs, limited to 5 passengers) Big taxis are usually Mercedes balèze and they are authorized to leave the city. They are similar to a bus or shuttle, but have no designated stations and can be stopped anywhere. There is a fixed price of approximately 50 MAD per kilometre and per person. Of note these large taxis only leave when full, you can however pay for the empty spaces for an immediate departure. Always negotiate the price before departure. Calèche « horse-carriage » (limited to 4 passengers). There are 150 of these in the city and they represent a mode of transport that is removed from the ordinary. Always negotiate and fix the price before setting off. The hourly cost can vary between 120 and 150 MAD. It is recommended that you negotiate a forfeit for a particular circuit rather than paying by the hour. It is normal to tip the driver after once you have arrived safely. Tips A tip (of a few dirhams: 10 or 15 % of the bill amount) is often expected in restaurants, but also for certain services (porterage, etc.) Some Arabic words Yes No Thank you No problem Ok It is all,that is enough Hello Good evening Are you OK ? Good bye na’am, iyah alla Choukran, barak allah oufik la choukrane ala ouajib wakha (kh pronounces as J Spanish, r hoarse) safi, baraka es salam alaikoum (answer alaikoum salam), sabah alkhair msa el kheir labès ? besslâma Getting your bearings in Marrakech Marrakech is composed of the old town ‘The Medina’ and the new town. Both are of an equal size (600 hectares). One should count a good half an hour’s walk from the centre of the new town to the Djemaa El-Fna, the main square of the historic old town. The MEDINA The souks (where thousands of small artisans are to be found) as well as the principal religious monuments are situated to the north of the square with the palace to the south. The south is easily identifiable with the famous Minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque clearly visible. The famous ramparts of the old town of Marrakech have been significantly modified by the different dynastic reigns, and numerous new gates (Bab in arabic) have been added. Today the walls stand between 8 and 10 meters high and are 19 kilometres in length. Guéiliz (North) and Hivernage are the two most important quarters of the new town GUELIZ Gueliz was the first quarter to be established outside of the ramparts. It is today the commercial centre of the town where all major banks and boutiques are located. HIVERNAGE Situated to the south west of Gueliz is a residential and leafy suburb with stunning villas and a number of hotels. Opening hours Banks : Generally open Monday through to Thursday (08:30 am /11:30 am and 02:30 pm /04:00 pm). They are open on Friday from 08:00 am to 06:30 pm Friday, but one should note they close between 11:00 am to 3:00 pm on Friday for prayers A number of banks have a bureau de change open on Saturday. Shops: From Monday through to Saturday/Sunday (08:30 am /01:00 pm and 02:30 am /07:30 pm) Souks : From Monday through to Saturday/Sunday (08:30 am /01:00 pm and 02:30 am / 06:00 pm). Some shops do close on Fridays. Post offices: the main ones are open from Monday through to Friday (08:30 am / 04:00 pm) and also on Saturday morning. Stamps can be bought at the tobacco shops or at your hotel reception desk. The yellow post boxes are plentiful and easy to locate Museums: In general open daily from 09:00 am to noon and from 03:00 pm to 06:00 pm. A few are opened non stop from 09:00 am till 06:00 pm. Potential closing day: Tuesday. To call : When calling Morocco from abroad, dial 00 (International), followed by 212 (Morocco) and the number of your correspondent without the initial zero. When calling abroad from Morocco, dial 00 (International), followed by the country code and the number of your correspondent without the initial zero. Morocco to Morocco: The country is divided into two different dialling zones: 02 for the south and 03 for the north. Numbers are of 9 digits including the initial zero. Please note Maroc Télécom may modify dialling zones in 2008. Moroccan telephone information: Dial 160 (from a fixed phone) To visit and discover the “red city” : Official tourist guides The official guides are generally dressed in a white djellaba and provided with a red badge and a identification as a guide of the Ministry for Moroccan Tourism written in French. You will find them at the tourist Office or at the reception desks of the hotels. Their wages are fixed according to an established scale. MARRAKESH Tourist Bureau Located at the corner of Mohammed-V Avenue and Yougoslavie Street. Phone : 044.43.61.31 ou 79. Fax : 044.43.60.57. Opened from Monday through to Friday - 8:30 am / 4:30 pm. Saturday 9:00 am / 12:00 am and 3:00 pm / 6:00 pm Morrocan dishes: The tajine: dish slowly cooked in a conical pottery of form out of terra cotta and left several hours on a soft ember. This is a Poultry, lamb or fish dish accompanied by vegetables. The méchoui: A traditional festive dish. Whole spit roasted lamb cooked over a wooden flame. The pastilla: A local delicacy. Almond puff pastries stuffed with minced pigeon (or chicken) and lightly sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon Shopping / souvenirs to take back home: With the exception of art or collectors’ items there are no particular formalities to be followed concerning local Moroccan souvenirs etc. For the former an authorisation for import is needed from the Department of Cultural Affairs. For further details please visit the Morrocan Customs Site