New here and hoping to learn - Morocco

[Amber & Ahmed 133]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I have a personal hurdle to overcome - I am terrified to fly. I always said I would never fly. Well guess what - I happened to fall in love with a man halfway around the world. It looks like I can get a flight from Miami to Spain (I forget which city) and then a flight to Casablanca. I can and will do this. But I'm extremely nervous. I just have to focus on why I am doing this and if I ask myself "is he worth this?" the answer is YES!!!

I had the same problem. I had flown domestically but never internationally. I went to my Dr. and she gave me zanex. I took 1 30 mims before my first flight which was still wirhin the USA then 30 mins before my flight to Turkey I took 2. Then on my last flight to Egypt I took 1 more. Let me tell you girl it worked like a charm! Now I am NOT one for taking medicine but in this case it was the only thing to be done. So my advice is talk to your Dr. you will be happy you did!

[abbi627 43]

Thanks again everyone. I do plan to talk to my doctor because my fear is big enough that I may just need some medication to make it through this flight. But I'll do whatever I have to do because not going is NOT an option.

[Peace.... 281]

Hello,

I have been to Casablanca 6 times and I can tell you one thing for sure that you need to do. TAKE SOME EXTRA CLOTHES IN A CARRY ON and your personal things. OMG that freaking Royal Air lost my luggage all 6 trips. The first time I travelled to Morocco, I waited until every person was gone at the baggage claim. A worker came to me and said, you need to file a claim. God forbid, I was like OMG every thing I own is in my luggage, I only had some extra make-up in my purse. It took 1 week to retrieve my luggage, thank God I was staying for three weeks or else I would have been pretty upset. I had to buy a few things to wear, but some friends there let me borrow other things like blow dryer, etc. But I can tell you one thing for sure, I packed enough clothes for 2 weeks packed in one of the sealed bags you can buy and vacuum seal it, worked great and nothing was wrinkled.

Oh and another thing, IDK if any other ladies had this problem, but the voltage outlets are crazy. My curling iron would sizzle my hair LOL as it got so freaking hot plugged in. I had to actually go out and buy a curling iron just to use in Morocco and it was a bit expensive for Morocco like 350 dirhams.

I just adore Morocco and the people there. I always felt safe except when it came to the police. They seem to hound us for money all the time for just being together side by side. Got so tired of dealing with them to be honest and some days, I didn't even want to get into the car and drive as I knew it was just gonna be trouble for us.

Wish you a great trip and a wonderful stay.

p.s.

If your staying in a hotel, be extra careful about having your fiance come to your room, this could cause a big problem for him, but I am sure he already knows the end's and out's of personal affection in public

Edited June 15, 2012 by foreverwaiting

[Shoot Em Straight 385]

Hello,

I have been to Casablanca 6 times and I can tell you one thing for sure that you need to do. TAKE SOME EXTRA CLOTHES IN A CARRY ON and your personal things. OMG that freaking Royal Air lost my luggage all 6 trips. The first time I travelled to Morocco, I waited until every person was gone at the baggage claim. A worker came to me and said, you need to file a claim. God forbid, I was like OMG every thing I own is in my luggage, I only had some extra make-up in my purse. It took 1 week to retrieve my luggage, thank God I was staying for three weeks or else I would have been pretty upset. I had to buy a few things to wear, but some friends there let me borrow other things like blow dryer, etc. But I can tell you one thing for sure, I packed enough clothes for 2 weeks packed in one of the sealed bags you can buy and vacuum seal it, worked great and nothing was wrinkled.

Oh and another thing, IDK if any other ladies had this problem, but the voltage outlets are crazy. My curling iron would sizzle my hair LOL as it got so freaking hot plugged in. I had to actually go out and buy a curling iron just to use in Morocco and it was a bit expensive for Morocco like 350 dirhams.

I just adore Morocco and the people there. I always felt safe except when it came to the police. They seem to hound us for money all the time for just being together side by side. Got so tired of dealing with them to be honest and some days, I didn't even want to get into the car and drive as I knew it was just gonna be trouble for us.

Wish you a great trip and a wonderful stay.

p.s.

If your staying in a hotel, be extra careful about having your fiance come to your room, this could cause a big problem for him, but I am sure he already knows the end's and out's of personal affection in public

AIR FRANCE

[Shoot Em Straight 385]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I have a personal hurdle to overcome - I am terrified to fly. I always said I would never fly. Well guess what - I happened to fall in love with a man halfway around the world. It looks like I can get a flight from Miami to Spain (I forget which city) and then a flight to Casablanca. I can and will do this. But I'm extremely nervous. I just have to focus on why I am doing this and if I ask myself "is he worth this?" the answer is YES!!!

Dramamine was enough to calm me and also helped if we had to circle before landing

[abbi627 43]

Thanks again for all of the great advice. I'm glad you mentioned about losing your luggage so I'll be sure to take some things with me as carry on. All of your advice has been very helpful. This is very exciting but a little stressful. I leave on August 24. I fly from Miami to Madrid and then Madrid to Casablanca. Thanks again and I really appreciate any and all tips/advice.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

AIR FRANCE

Air France couldn't find my luggage when I got to Casa, and it took them two days to find it. At least they paid me $100 for the inconvenience

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Air France couldn't find my luggage when I got to Casa, and it took them two days to find it. At least they paid me $100 for the inconvenience

Ha they lost Mahmoud's luggage, too. Other than that they were very nice and helpful... although he thought they should have woken him up when they served dinner... he was hungry

[Shoot Em Straight 385]

Yes AF did delay my luggage on one trip...but after foreverwaiting mention Royal Air Maroc lost her luggage each trip (6x) I assumed it might be time to try a new airline.

Plus the one time I flew Royal Air...Checking in was a throw back to the service of "Eastern block Countries" traveling and once onnthe plane each stewardess was rude and had bad customer service training..(if any) The way they spoke to the passengers was a joke. Like we were cattle....

So I really recommend AF. Just from personal experiences in flying to Morocco. Oh and if it is closer to your final destination...RABAT!!! They have a newly renovated airport which is smaller, clean and sooooo pleasant compared to CASA.

[Mithra 1,185]

Is Lufthansa expensive to Morocco? I loved my experience with that airline. I even got an upgrade.

[sandinista! 1,816]

Lufthansa was not expensive comparatively, when my husband flew with them. And he thought the Frankfurt airport was cool. They were one of two international flights out of PDX, and now they're gone here.

Flight experiences are totally subjective though. In the four times I ever went on a RAM flight, everyone was really, really nice, and no luggage was ever lost. YMMV.

[Sarah B 26]

I've always found Air France to be ok, but super condescending and rude. I much prefer Lufthansa

[texascamelqueen 1]

It seems like folks here are giving you advice about the actual getting there, but I have just some practical, little tips for the time you will actually be in the country that I've learned from my trips:

1. Always have a package or two of travel-size Kleenex and hand sanitizer with you for using the toilet; most toilets are "traditional" and have just a faucet and bucket of water for cleaning yourself (on that note, skirts are a lot easier to manage when you have to squat).

2. Dress conservatively--cover your shoulders, don't wear anything that shows a lot of cleavage or skin, and don't wear anything that shows a lot of leg (nothing at or above the knee) or that is too tight. I just found that I drew less attention this way. If you can get a few loose-fitting cotton tunics, that would be good, since it will be hot. Take at least one scarf with you that you can use to cover your head in case you need it (I'm assuming you are not Muslim, so I apologize if you already wear hijab). If you are going to be there for a while, you might want to just buy a jellabah and wear that. It's so much easier to just throw it on over your clothes, and much cooler and so comfortable. Of course, how you dress will also depend on if you are in a small city or village versus a big city like Marrakech.

3. Remember that in greetings, men won't necessarily want to shake your hand. You might want to ask your fiance about the appropriate ways to greet different people.

4. Learn some basic words and phrases in Moroccan Arabic.

5. If anyone offers you "chocolate", don't take it (unless of course it is actual chocolate). "Chocolate" is the nickname for hashish, which is illegal. It's everywhere in private, but not good to have in public.

6. Don't take pictures of people without permission, especially women and children.

7. Drink only bottled water and don't use ice--locals can drink the water, but they are used to it; if you drink it, you will probably get sick (diarrhea). On that note, see if you can get a prescription (http://www.wellontheroad.com/illnesses/diarrhea.html) for travellers' diarrhea in the event that you do get a severe case.

8. Don't walk into or wander too far into any medina by yourself--not because of safety reasons but because they are like mazes and so easy to get lost in!

9. Don't be too friendly (and I mean just being friendly, not flirting) with men who are not your fiancee--it can be taken the wrong way (as flirting) very easily, as relationships between men and women are very different there compared to the U.S. Also keep in mind that a man and woman who are not married are not allowed to stay in the same room together in a hotel, and public displays of affection aren't as acceptable.

10. The people of Morocco are so wonderful and kind and I hope you enjoy it! We miss it so much and hope to get to visit soon.

=) Samantha

[abbi627 43]

Thank you for the tips Samantha. They were very helpful. As it gets closer to the time of my trip and I am getting a bit nervous but also very excited and eager to go. I have asked my fiance about a million questions about some of the things you mentioned such as appropriate ways of greeting people, etc. Sometimes I ask so many questions I am sure he wants to tell me to stop - but he just smiles and patiently answers my questions. And looking back at the beginning of our relationship I can remember that I asked some really stupid questions. But again he always answered whatever I asked - but I'm sure he was wondering "where is she getting some of these ideas?"

[karlo 1]

Hello everyone. I have been reading your posts for a while now and decided to join so I could start posting. I am preparing to take my first trip to Morocco to meet my fiance and start the K1 visa process. I have been in contact with a few attorneys and I have read tons of information and realize we have a daunting process ahead of us. Reading the ups and downs you have all been through both scares me and gives me hope. I live in the US in Florida and I have noticed some of you live in this area so I wanted to say hello to all of you. And I hope to continue to learn from you and I wish all of you the best of luck. And congratulations to those of you who have made it through this process!

Welcome to your new home VJ, this I was told when I joined a couple days ago..lol