• > How Strenuous are these Trips?
• > Group Participants and Tour Leader
• > Private Tours and Custom Dates
• > Local Transportation
• > Accommodations
• > Meals
• > Climate
• > Travel Documents
• > Flights
• > Airline Tickets
• > Money
• > Health
• > Luggage & Clothing
• > Resources
• > Communication

How Strenuous are these Trips?

Group adventures (with our Dutch groups) tend to be longer programs and are often more challenging than our private journeys in several ways. Participants, of all ages, take hearty hikes and will rent bikes to explore. The Dutch have spent their entire lives on bikes so even older travelers are good endurance. Be sure to ask the guide the nature of any hike and opt out if you feel it will be too much.  (This is also a great argument to lobby for bike paths in the States!). The infrastructures in many of the countries we visit can be very undeveloped compared to the States. Long road trips on bumpy roads can be uncomfortable for some travelers. On several of these trips, we spend a day or two in remote areas that may require a willingness to “rough it”. Roosters will crow, lights may dim, and a cold shower may be expected on these days. On some of our group adventures, we stay for a night or two in indigenous lodgings which can be basic or very primitive. Some have no formal bath facilities. Be sure to check the weather conditions for the dates you are considering at worldweather.org, and pack appropriate shoes and clothing for these trips. At most hotels there is no porter service and you must be able to carry your own luggage.

Our semi-private and private trips are less challenging. While these trips are also quite active, there are fewer physical challenges. Also some hotels and modes of transport are upgraded for the private/semi-private trips, and there is a little more one-on-one assistance from the guide.

Group Participants and Tour Leader

 Please consider the descriptions below before booking a trip with an international group.
On these trips, you will travel with groups of 8 to 20 travelers, of all ages, mostly from Holland and Belgium. These trips are great for our more active, independent minded travelers who welcome the added element, and occasional challenges of cultural immersion. This adds another element to your international experience. There are usually only one to four North Americans on any trip. We found that an even split of Dutch and North Americans sometimes created a cultural divide, and our intention is to blend travelers and to maintain the European feeling of these trips. True to the European style of travel is a diversity of ages represented in our groups. These active  travelers blend well and participants of all ages take hearty hikes, bike rides and welcome independent explorations.
The Dutch are typically very social and have a great command of English. It is inevitable that the participants will lapse into Dutch from time to time at meals and on the bus, until they get to know you. The guide will help to integrate you, but you will enjoy this trip more if you are the type of person who is also comfortable initiating conversations, from time to time. If you have a travel partner, it will be easier to find your way into the conversations or at least to have a buffer during times when the group is chatting in Dutch. After a day or two, you will normally get your rhythm.  You can probably expect lively conversations about world politics, especially in today’s climate.  Depending on your personal politics, this can be lots of fun, or not. The Dutch tend to be fairly liberal minded.
If this description sounds daunting or unappealing, then these trips are probably not for you and you may wish to consider our private and semi-private journeys, instead. They  offer plenty of excitement without some of the challenges. Please call us with questions.  Over half of our travelers prefer to travel the “Dutch way” booking these programs again and again.

Guide
The Dutch guide (a logistics coordinator, not a lecturer) will address the group in both Dutch and English. You will hear more Dutch than English, but you will get the important information. Guides will organize and accompany some activities and meals, but not all. They will offer suggestions for you so that you can also explore and dine safely on your own. These groups welcome these opportunities.
Our guides go through a period of training at our headquarters office in the Netherlands. In each country, they are in close contact with our land agents. Most of our land agents have worked with Djoser for 10 or more years. Their staff is there to help and are on call in the event of an emergency.

Private Tours and Custom Dates

This trip may be organized for private groups of 10 or more. Discounts will apply to larger groups.

Local Transportation

During the entire trip, we have our own comfortable bus at our disposal. Because we have our own transportation, it is always possible to make a stop along the way for pictures, or to visit a little market or go for a walk along a beautiful stretch of nature. There are some long travel days; the day you drive from Fez to Erfoud and from Zagora to Marrakech. Within cities, we typically rely on the local forms of transport, cab, bus, or we walk to nearby sites. Use the following link to view slides of the transportation we use: http://www.djoserusa.com/transportation

Accommodations

We spend the night in comfortable clean hotels. Everywhere there is a shower and bathroom in the room. In many hotels, air conditioning is available. Wherever possible we use hotels with their own special character, which are centrally located. In Tanger and Rabat, for example, we spend the night in atmospheric colonial style hotels and in Zagora; you can take a dip in the pool at the hotel where we stay. In the magnificent and isolated Gorge du Todra, we spend the night in a simple hotel where electricity is produced by a generator. The lack of comfort, however, is rewarded by its splendid location. Use the following link to view some of our lodgings: http://www.djoserusa.com/hotels

Unless you request a single room, you will be matched with a roommate of the same sex. On the 11-day program, If you request a roommate, and we are unable to match you, you will be charged one half of the usual single supplement. You will find the cost of a single listed on the price chart. For the 21-day program, if we cannot match you with a roommate, there will be no additional charge for the single room.

Meals

The breakfast served at the hotel is included in the price and usually consists of fresh baguettes, butter, jam and honey. The food in Morocco is diverse, inexpensive, and quite good. You pay between $6 and $11 per meal. The Moroccan tajine is a famous steamed dish consisting of meat and vegetables; it is possible with just a little money to eat at every terrace at each restaurant. You also come across couscous of every variety and price range. In addition, the French Colonial rule left her mark on the menu. In addition to baguettes, for breakfast the salade nicoise is often served. On the coast you can sample many fish dishes, prepared to perfection, particularly in Essaouira. Typical of Arabian fare are the many salads that are often served as side dishes. Also popular are skewers with meat, a sort of Moroccan sate. The tap water in Morocco has an unpleasant taste. We therefore recommend that you drink bottled water, readily available everywhere.

Climate

Morocco has a mild climate with cool winters and warm summers. In the mountains and on the coast the temperature is quite different than the inland: in the mountains it is cooler and on the coast, mild. In spring and fall, it can be cool in the mountains and you may need a sweater or overcoat. The summers in Morocco are warm but also dry making it easier to tolerate the heat. In the mountains and on the coast it is also cool in the summer requiring a sweater.

Travel Documents

American and Canadian citizens need a current passport but you do not need a visa. If your passport is of a different nationality be sure to consult the Moroccan embassy or consulate for your home country as requirements may vary. 1601 21st street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, telephone (202) 462-7979 to 82, fax 202-462-7643, or the Moroccan Consulate General in New York at 10 E. 40th Street, New York, NY 10016, telephone (212) 758-2625, fax 211-779-7441. The website for Morocco is http://www.embassy.org/embassies/ma.html.

If you need rush service for processing your passport, we recommend a service called It’s Easy, located in New York. It’s Easy honors Djoser customers a 10% discount on their processing fee. You can check their website http://www.itseasypassport.com for passport requirements and to download the current forms and rates and processing fees. Or you can call them to fax you forms if you do not have Internet.

It’s Easy  (Passport & Visa Service)
Satellite Airline Terminal
125 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Phone - (212) 286-8500,
Fax (212)-490-3224
Website   http://www.itseasypassport.com
E-mail     mail@itseasypassport.com

Flights

It is recommended that you book your domestic Add-on (connecting) flights through Djoser in association with the international flight. To avoid penalties for flight changes, do not book your own domestic add-on (connecting flight) without first receiving a printed copy of your flight record from Djoser confirming your actual departure and return flight times. Flight times are subject to change. You will find that our trips are priced departing from Los Angeles and New York City. Departures from many hubs throughout the United States are available. You can find them on our website www.djoserusa.com. Please see ADD-ONS on the home page. Add-on rates are calculated over the New York and Los Angeles prices (our lowest contract rates). However, your actual routing may not go through these cities.

The time difference: Morocco is 7 hours ahead of East Coast Time and 10 hours ahead of West Coast time.

Sample flight with Northwest/KLM

Usual flight times – Subject to Change

Airline Tickets

You will receive your tickets or E-tickets 10-12 days prior to your departure date.
In case the airline uses E-tickets you will receive two documents:

•    A document that shows the E-ticket number & flight itinerary (sent by email & mail).
•    A receipt of the E-ticket (sent by mail).

The first document listed is needed to check in at the automated kiosks. If you check in at the
E-ticket desk you don’t need any of the provided documents, you can simply show your passport and you’re good to go. Both the automated kiosk and the e-ticket desk insure a much faster check in than at the regular check in desks. It is important to hold on to your e-ticket receipt, as you might need it to claim your mileage credits (if the airline awards mileage for this particular flight).

Money

Refer to www.exchangerate.com for the most current exchange rate.
As of 12/1/05, one U.S. dollar equals 9.25 Dirham in Morocco.  At many places in Morocco, you have access to ATM machines although the machines are not always in working order. Since it is not allowed to import the Dirham to Morocco, you may not to bring Dirham in with you from home. Upon arrival at the airport in Casablanca, you have the opportunity to exchange money. In Morocco, you will spend a minimum of $180 per week for extra expenses such as meals, entry fees, optional excursions, etc. This estimated amount does not include personal souvenirs.
 
Tipping
At the beginning of your trip, your tour leader will collect a “tip pot” of approximately $2 per land day, per person. So that you will not be burdened with tipping those who assist you along the way, this sum will dispersed by the tour leader as tips for the driver, local guides and hotel staff. The tip pot does not include the tip for the tour leader. A typical guideline for an American tip would be $2-$3 per day but the amount is at your discretion and should be based on his/her efforts and your satisfaction level. Dutch tipping habits are different than North American guidelines. You may feel more comfortable tipping your guide privately to avoid the great cultural tipping debate. However, it’s up to you! We take pride in our Djoser guides who do their utmost to make your experience great. We do ask that you bear in mind their extra challenge of a dual language group. 

Health

Even though vaccinations for Morocco are not mandatory, the Center for Disease Control recommends that you take the following immunizations: DTP, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, and Malaria tablets CHECK THESE. You should check with the CDC for the latest recommendations at www.cdc.gov. 1-877-394-8747, Fax 1-888-232-3299. Check early with your doctor regarding the recommended timing for these inoculations. Even though the hygienic circumstances in Morocco are reasonable to good, it is handy to bring something for your stomach, such as Imodium, and a salt solution for dehydration. The guide has a medical kit with sterile materials in case of an emergency.

Luggage & Clothing

Try to keep the weight of your luggage below 28 pounds. A duffle bag or frameless backpack is ideal for packing on the bus. Hard suitcases are difficult to load. Morocco is an Islamic country and even though it is rather progressive it would appreciated if you take this into consideration when you packing. Shoulders and knees should be covered. Also, bring along a beach towel as you can swim at the beach and the pool. You will generally carry your own luggage so be sure to bring what you can comfortably lift. 220 V (a converter is required).

Resources

Communication

With all of the modern telecom equipment these days, it is easy to reach you in Morocco. In most towns you will find internet cafes, where for a small fee, you can send and receive emails. Access by cell phone will depend on your phone instrument and carrier plan.