Logistics and Need to Knows

Trip Dates: December 29, 2013 - January 8, 2014

Credits:  Undergraduate: 3 credits (CONF 385) / Graduate: 3 credits (CONF 695)

Cost of Trip: Approximately $4,200*.
*Includes 3 credits, lodging, in-country transportation, and most meals. Additional students costs include airfare and some meals.

Lodging: The team will stay in hotels and/or Riads (traditional Moroccan houses).

Transportation: The team will travel in a private bus/minibus. There will be a professional guide with the team at all times.

Meals: Breakfast and dinners will be provided. Students should expect to pay for their own lunches.

Money: Bring some cash, but ATM's are available. You can also use your credit/debit cards. Currency accepted in Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham. If participants are exchanging money, they should do so at legitimate banks and exchange bureaus. Be sure to let your bank and credit card company know ahead of time that you will be in Morocco, and check with your bank that your ATM card works outside the US.

Cell Phones: If you have a phone with SIM cards, you can buy a Moroccan card upon arrival. Otherwise it is possible to purchase an inexpensive cell phone and pay as you go (students can also share phones)

Internet Access: There will be internet access at AALIM and elsewhere in internet cafes.

Passport Required At Time of Departure
U.S. students should visit the Department of State website for information passport application information, prices, and time of delivery.

International students should visit their home country embassy or passport websites for travel information. The following steps from Diversity Abroad may also be helpful:

• Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months. If it has already expired, look up your country's embassy and find out the cost and timeline to renew the passport.
• Know all of the restrictions associated with your U.S. student visa. Does your visa allow you to enter and leave the U.S. freely? Will you still be 'enrolled' in your home institution if you go abroad?
• Check the visa requirements for students for your home country to get a student visa from the country you're going to study abroad in.
• Be sure to check with your study abroad advisor for further details.

Please visit the U.S State Department web page about the Country Specific Information: Morocco

Visa Not Required For U.S. Passport Holders
Advance visas are not required for U.S. Passport holders traveling to Morocco for less than 90 days. For students who are not US citizens, please contact your embassy to verify what, if any visa, you require. We urge you to start this process well before the departure date of the trip as processing can sometimes require a great deal of time.

To contact the Moroccan Consulate in New York City, please visit:  http://www.moroccanconsulate.com/

Immunizations: Required At Time of Departure
All participants must have the requisite vaccinations and medications as recommended by The Center for Disease Control and by your doctor.

The MD Travel Health- Morocco website also has very useful information regarding suggested immunizations, medicines, and medical care in Morocco

Safety and Security:

• All participants will be covered under the international travel insurance provided by T.W. Lord.
• All participants will be registered with the State Department's S.T.E.P. (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program).
• U.S. Embassy in Morocco Contact Information: 
  • 2 Avenue de Mohamed El Fassi
    Rabat, Morocco
  • Telephone: (212) (522)-26-71-51
  • Emergency After-hours telephone: (212) (661)-13-19-39
• All participants will be asked to abide by the Ethical Code of Conduct for Faculty and Students, and the Rights and Responsibilities of Participants in the Morocco Intensive Course

The secret of being a good traveler is to take as little as possible and yet have everything you need. The general rule in determining what you need is to lay out what you think you will have to take and leave half of it at home. The vacant space in your luggage will soon be filled with the treasures you come across during your travels. Don’t load yourself down.

Consider both the physical and social climate; dress accordingly. Take drip-dry, no-iron clothes. Comfort and practicality are the keys for both clothing and shoes. Roll your clothes instead of folding them to save space. Use plastic bags to organize (you can later use the bags to separate damp items from dry, or dirty clothes from clean). Don’t overstock on toiletries; most things are available in major cities abroad.

Identify the type of luggage best suited to your needs (suitcase? back pack? carry-on/day pack?). Clearly identify your luggage inside (name & permanent address) and out (name & address of destination). Ask your airline whether you should lock your luggage before checking it at the airport.

Check your airline’s website for the most recent regulations on luggage weight, size, and number of pieces. In your carry-on, keep one change of clothes, toiletries, identification (passport, visas, ID card, etc.), and any medication. Pack everything up; carry it around for a while by yourself (up and down the stairs, around the house). Then unpack, eliminate the nonessentials, repack, and try it again.

Clothing styles differ all over the world, so there is no way to generalize what one should or should not wear. Research clothing styles ahead of time, blend in, and above all else, respect the customs of your host country.

Dress is casual but professional. Leave your holey jeans and ripped t-shirts at home. Clothes should be hand washable and dry quickly. Both men and women should bring long pants and shirts with sleeves for when the team visits people's homes or walks in c

Bring:

1.     Shirts – multiple t-shirts/shirts with sleeves; at least one long-sleeve shirt (no tank tops or spaghetti straps)

2.     Pants – khakis or jeans

3.     Skirts – knee-length or below for women

4.     One business outfit – (tie/sport coat for men, dress shoes, etc.)

5.     Underwear, socks, sleepwear

6.     Light-weight sweaters

7.     Raincoat

8.     Closed-toed boots/shoes or sneakers.

9.     Rain Boots (Soacha can be very muddy after the rains)

10.   Hats/Sunscreen

11.   Bathing suit

 Recommended Items:

• $300 additional funds for personal use
  
• Digital camera with significant chip storage
  
• Battery operated alarm
  
• Small journal for daily entries / pencil or pen
  
• Locks (padlocks for bags, backpack)
  
• Small umbrella (for both rain and sun protection
• Electricity adapters and/or tranformers
  

Leave at home:

• Entire contents of your wallet, multiple credit cards, other plastic
• Valuables or sentimental objects
• Perfumes, dressy clothes, etc.
• Hair dryers, other electric items
• Knives of any length, or cutting instruments of ANY kind (metallic or non-metallic) including carpet knives, box cutters and folding or retractable blades regardless of length, ice picks, straight razors (safety/disposable razors ARE allowed), and elongated scissors.
• Recreational drugs.

Airline criteria will be posted as soon as the flights are scheduled, but most airlines have the following baggage requirements:

- 1. ONE check-in bag

• Maximum 50 lbs (23 kg), maximum size 62 inches (length + width +height).

Some airlines allow two checked bags per passenger that meet size and requirement restrictions at no charge, but we will not have room for that many bags in the van. So, it’s ONE CHECKED BAG per student. If you think you will be taking back souvenirs and need extra room, pack an empty duffel bag in your suitcase. You can put all your dirty clothes and other soft items in the duffel on the return trip, and put more fragile items in your suitcase.

- 2. ONE carry-on bag (A carry-on bag must fit under your seat or in the overhead bin.)

•  Carry-on bag dimensions cannot be more than 9" x 14" x 22" (length + width +height) or 45 linear inches (the length, height and width added together).

It should be large enough to fit one change of clothes, essential toiletries in a clear 3 x 5 plastic bag, books, travel pillow, camera, etc.

- 3. ONE personal item (such as a purse, briefcase, or laptop computer); you should have the following items:

•  FLIGHT ITINERARY:
  • 1.  Copy of flight itinerary with your home address and phone number plus a copy of our itinerary in Morocco.

•  IMMIGRATION DOCUMENTS:
  • 1. Passport with one completely empty visa page.
  • 2. Airplane tickets

• MONEY: Enough to pay for incidentals (e.g., some meals, snacks, souvenirs, local transport, recreation in Morocco)
  • 1. US $ / ATM card (for airports)

• PHOTOCOPIES: (packed separately, i.e., both suitcase and carry-on)
  • 1. Passport (one extra color copy on you at all times)
  • 2. Photo ID card (student ID card or something other than passport)
  • 3. Traveler’s insurance card
    

• IMPORTANT ITEMS TO PACK IN CARRY ON:

Personal care/medical:
1. Medication - at least 31 days of any medication & supplements (e.g. malaria medication, birth control, inhaler, insulin, vitamins, etc.)
2. Travel Medical Kit
3. Sun protection: Sunscreen, sunglasses, hat
4. Insect repellant with DEET
5. Toiletries (tooth brush & paste, soap, deodorant, shaving, shampoo& conditioner, moisturizer, sanitary pads/tampons, toilet paper/tissues, etc.)
6. Spare eyeglasses/contacts
7. Ear plugs (anticipate loud noises from neighbors and friends!)