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WINGS Birding Tours – Information

Morocco in Spring

Tour Information

Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for this tour. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they take this tour. Although we do our best to make sure that what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here. 

ENTERING MOROCCO: Travelers to Morocco must have a passport valid at the time of entry and with at least one bank page for an entry stamp. Visas are not required for American tourists traveling in Morocco for less than 90 days. 

For further information on entry requirements for Morocco, please contact the Embassy of Morocco at 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, NY10016, telephone (212) 758-2625, fax 212-779-7441. The website for Morocco: http://www.embassyofmorocco.us

COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can review the U.S. Department of State Country Specific Travel Information at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Morocco.html, and the CIA World Factbook background notes on Morocco at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mo.html

PACE OF TOUR AND DAILY ROUTINE: Typically we drive to various locations and make fairly short and slow walks from the vehicle. There are several longer strolls (two hours or so). There are a few longer drives (on a couple of days much of the day is spent travelling) but the scenery is always changing and there will be birding stops as and when we see anything of interest. Breakfasts are usually around 7:00 a.m. and are often very simple with coffee, juice, bread and jam. There may be an early start where we return to our hotel for a late breakfast. On some days lunch will be a picnic at a birding site.

HEALTH: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all travelers be up to date on routine vaccinations. These include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot. 

They further recommend that most travelers have protection against Hepatitis A and Typhoid. 

The most current information about travelers’ health recommendations can be found on the CDC’s  Travel Health website at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/morocco.

Elevation: We reach 2,600m (8,500 feet) in the Atlas Mountains of northern Morocco. The walking here is not strenuous and mostly on level ground. We reach similar altitudes driving over the Tiz N’Tichka pass. The Sahara Desert is a relatively high desert at around 900m asl (3,200 feet) and we’ll spend several days at this altitude, where the weather can be surprisingly chilly in the very early morning. 

Miscellaneous: Mild intestinal disorders are difficult to avoid completely and we suggest that you bring diarrhea medication such as Imodium. Water in Morocco is generally safe in the larger towns but we would recommend that you do not drink tap water, or eat salad anywhere on the tour. As an extra precaution, the leaders even use bottled mineral water for teeth-brushing etc. Bottled water, beer and soft drinks are widely available. 

We are unlikely to encounter mosquitoes or biting insects except at the Souss estuary, and some of the desert oases and lakes are as much a magnet for insects as they are for birds.  

CLIMATE: It is generally warm to hot and dry throughout the year but in spring it can be cooler in the north and very cold in the mountains and desert areas. Temperatures range from 10-15°C (50-60°F) at night to daytime highs of 15-30°C (60-90°F) in lowland areas. In the mountains temperatures are usually 5-10°C (10-20°F) lower but even in March it can be below freezing for most of the day at the ski resort. Rainfall is low in the desert (a shower every four years or so) but moderate in the Atlas (whereas at this time of year it may still fall as snow) and along the coast. We may experience some windy days especially in the mountains and desert which can make an otherwise warm day seem very cold. 

ACCOMMODATION: Our hotels are all comfortable, modern hotels with Wi-Fi and en suite facilities. 

FOOD:  

Breakfast usually consists of a simple selection of bread, eggs, jam, orange juice, tea and coffee. Lunch will either be a picnic with fresh bread, cheese, tinned tuna, plus lots of local fruit, olives, cucumber, tomatoes and onions, or we will stop in cafes, offering tajines, brochettes or omelettes, and hopefully on the coast some very fresh seafood. Dinners are often excellent, ranging from tajines of chicken, lemon and olive; or lamb, prune and almond to couscous with lots of local vegetables. In the more touristy areas there will likely be a large dinner buffet.

Drinks: Bottled water and a soft drink or a beer is provided at lunch and dinner, as is coffee or tea. All other drinks or ‘personal’ drinking water for use in your room is the responsibility of the individual. Bottled water is provided in the tour vehicles during the day.

Food Allergies / Requirements: We cannot guarantee that all food allergies can be accommodated at every destination. Participants with significant food allergies or special dietary requirements should bring appropriate foods with them for those times when their needs cannot be met. Announced meal times are always approximate depending on how the day unfolds. Participants who need to eat according to a fixed schedule should bring supplemental food. Please contact the WINGS office if you have any questions. 

TRANSPORTATION: The transport for the tour will be by minibus or small coach. On one day in the desert we will transfer to 4x4’s. We will not cover large distances in these vehicles but they are essential to reach some of the key birding sites.  Participants should be willing and able to ride in any seat in the tour vehicles.

Updated: 06 April 2022