Busses and trips during Ramadan

I suppose buses are going as normal when it is Ramadan. And you not need be worry about eating, at bus you not need eat or drink, have with you some tic tac or simile from pharmacy. To eat and drink you can do when the bus make stop at some restaurant there you can eat and drink anyway.

Otherwise on touristy places it is no problem anyway as far you are careful and not eat just in face of some local or so.

But, one other thing is to take a camel trek. You can do it and locals they arrange it for you anyway. Think only through if you want that they go with you in hot sun and sand in hours without to eat or drink. So it is up to you how you decide.

Hi Napster,
it will be really a hassle to travel a whole 30 days in morroco during the month of Ramadan, I had not been there on that particular month but after travelling to scores of moslem countries incuding Morroco and almost all arab countries, my ramadan info is quite good.
The bad thing is that on 2013 the ramadan is about 9 of july till 7 of august one day plus or less maybe, the obvious result is that the fast will require long hours, around 14 every day and the abstaining from drinking while travelling in the day heat will be really unsupportable.
The local restaurants close some hours and the locals go there mostly for iftar dinner, you may find some restaurants open before the iftar time (around 8pm this year) in tourist places, but be discreet.
Locals also prefer to travel long trips during the night. Expect some adjustment on bus schedules, but transport there is.
Overall business is down on ramadan, especially with this unlucky july timing.
Obviously I should advice any traveller do not travel a whole month of ramadan there in summer..
but you are already on this time schedule, so what you should do?
My personal advice:
Take things in a more relaxed time schedule, if one should travel on ramadan has to be less active about his travel, may be sleep more hours during the afternnoon siesta. And expect to miss some of the sights because of closure.
Accept things to be done with less time accuracy. Summer morroco ramadan dont expect things to be punctual.
Whenever possible do as the locals, you may take breakfast before sunrise and dinner on iftar. You are not expected to fast in the day but be discreet. This will apply on your whole behaviour on ramadan. For example dont consume beer on public anytime.
As for the camel travels on july during ramadan, personally i would not do that.
But everything is up to you. Everyone travels with different aspirations and is allowed to organise things his way.
We re here wishing you happy travels and expecting to hear your experiences!

...... some of the following I copied from my earlier posts.

See how you cope in the Summer heat away from the Desert, watch the weather forecast because in July and August the Desert can be hit with a heat wave, rising dangerously high into the high 40's and last year tipped 50c. In these conditions a trip into the Desert is hazardous.

Summer temperatures and Ramadan take a huge toll on Moroccan Staff, there must be a element of danger involved, fasting drivers weakened and fatigued, road accidents rise during this time especially High Summer latter in the day/ evenings. Journey times late in the evening are coordinated around Iftar (prayers for/and breaking the fast), try to get you eating time into step with everyone else.

You don't say where you arrive and depart ?

For cooler Summer temperatures consider the Atlantic coast, more comfortable with refreshing onshore winds, find a base there to settle in. All bets are off when at times in High Summer the wind comes off the Desert area strongly, then its hot everywhere.

The daily length of fasting varies, for the upcoming Ramadan I estimate at 06.0h for Suhoor and continues until Iftar about 21.00h., this is a rough guess, nothing scientific. Fasting for about 15 hours, awake earlier, it has to affect how efficient and safe work is carried on.

An old post on Ramadan....http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2197578

Edited by: moroccotraveler

Hi Ben,

Ramadan is taken very seriously in all Moslem countries: I was told when I arrived in Dubai that, even as a foreigner, I could be arrested in the street for chewing gum, let alone drinking or eating something.

Most people on this forum cannot tell you what it is like to spend Ramadan in Morocco, because they simply would not dream of visiting at what is, effectively, the worst time of the year for tourists to visit.

Firstly, as moroccotraveler explains very fully, it will be boiling hot: it was 40 degrees already in Marrakech last week & by July, it will be topping 50 with no breeze at all.

As life is so challenging during this time, any Moroccans who can, will leave the cities and return to their family homes in the countryside for the whole of this period: this means that a significant number of businesses, including many in the tourism industry will be closed, as it is normally a very quiet time for them anyway.

Publicly owned or run buildings, such as museums, will be closed, as will most food shops, between sunrise and sunset - so it is not just a case of not eating in front of locals, depending on your schedule, you may find it very difficult to buy any food at all, especially outside of the big cities.

You ask whether, during Ramadan, people eat at home with their families. The answer to this is 'yes' - but then they eat with their families in their own homes almost every day anyway. Family & privacy are central to Moroccan culture, so you simply do not see tables full of families in moroccan restaurants at any time of year. Furthermore, with an average annual income of around £1500, most people could not afford to eat out even if they were so inclined.

My best advice to you is, therefore, to move your holiday away from July & August, as you will not be able to enjoy Morocco & Moroccans at their best. If you are not able to change your dates, then you need to start making calls now to find out which trips and services will be running during this period.

I hope we have explained, between us all, that Ramadan is definitely not the time to arrive at Marrakech airport with nothing booked - and just trust to luck.....

I think, Ben, if Morocco and Islamic culture are entirely new to you, you should take Truman's advice to heart; that is, if you want to have a pleasant holiday. You just need to rethink the whole idea.

On the other hand, it does not hurt to go and learn about the culture, although Ramadan time can be a little difficult for the people who do not know how to do in that time. But for all of us it was the first time when it was Ramadan.
I remember myself, it was on my third visit to Morocco when I was there during Ramadan and it was not hard to adjust me there. Instructive and interesting was there too. I have experienced it as only positive.

Hey,

thanks for all the replys, after discovering my unfortunate timing I just read some posts and decided it wouldnt really affect my travelling, but now after digging into it more certain, I am clear that I have to abandone the idea... i have travelled alot but always through very "easy" and open countries, as this would be the first time to be in a muslim country I just dont feel comfotable and next to ramadan comes the indescribable heat that would make one of the most astonishing points of the journy almost absent, the trips to the desert.
Of course I already booked with ryanair and you all know their cancellation policy... Burnt money !
But that will be a lesson for me to research better next time, thank you guys !
cheers

Napster, I live in Taroudant where it can be a real inferno during July/August, and I just stay inside during the hottest part of the day.

I made my first trip to the Erg Chebbi sand dunes at Merzouga middle of last November. Weather wise it was perfect, although there was a little rain. Go to the desert on your next trip.

Please, please, please, don't cancel your trip to Morocco and lose your money to Ryanair. Just change your itinerary and go to places along the coast. You will manage, and in the process learn about Moroccan culture. It's not true that shops are all closed during the day; that's when Moroccans stock up on food to be eaten after sundown. You can do the same and eat and drink in your hotel room whenever you like. Enjoy the early mornings and stay out late at night. Take a nap in the afternoon.

Enjoy your Moroccan holiday.

I am agree with David, don't cancel your trip, it would be really pity. Stay near the coast, there you have so many nice places and if you are inside the country, stay during the hottest time inside and go out at morning and against evening. You will enjoy, don't be worry about that.
Coffee and restaurants have open anyway, people are sitting there too but not eat and drinking. You can in any case get something to drink or eat there.
I remember when I was there in Ramadan, they were so nice that they opened for me :) and made coffee and they were so happy to talk with us, it was no problem for them. And it was on the way between Tata and Akka, on the countryside. In the cities it will not be problem at all.