Useful morocco information

Useful morocco  information


On this site, you can find plenty of information about the stand-alone SF workshop 2012, logistics, expenses as well as about Morocco and Casablanca.

Quick links: Basic Facts | Logistics and Expenses | About Morocco and Casablanca

Basic Facts:

Dates

15 March 2012 - Arrival day
19 March 2012 - Departure day
Location:

Casablanca (Morocco)
Workshop Theme:

Mid-Carreer Pathways


Logistics & Expenses:

Senior Fellows with the financial means are encouraged to contribute at a higher ratio to support others with lesser means. In some countries, donations are tax deductible.

The Melton Foundation encourages Senior Fellows to travel with their partners or families. However, the foundation will not be able to cover any direct costs for non-SF participants. For more information, please also see the MF Guest Policy.



Board & Accommodation:



The workshop participants will be accomodated in the Moroccan House Casablanca, a small and friendly hotel in the style of the traditional Moroccan Riad. It is situated in the heart of the city with the Medina of Casablanca and other major attractions within walking distance.

All SF participants will be asked to contribute at least 20% of the costs for board and accommodation, which will not exceed a total of 150 USD.





Travel:



For information on the airport and on local transportation at the airport, see CMN / Mohammed V Airport.

Travel expenses for SF participants will be reimbursed as soon as the confirmed SF participant has purchased the ticket to Casablanca and handed in the receipts.

The MF has specified fixed Benchmarks for Travel quoting well-researched airfares from the most relevant airports of departure to Casablanca. To promote equal opportunities for all SF participants regardless of their geographical location, the MF will contribute to travel expenses at the followingrates:

benchmark up to 500 USD                 - the MF will cover 60% of the actual travel expenses within the benchmark
benchmark between 500 - 1000 USD - the MF will cover 70%
benchmark of more than 1000 USD   - the MF will cover 80%


Visa Information:



Citizens of Chile, Germany and the USA do not need a Visa to enter Morocco.

A Morocco tourist visa is required for citizens of China and India. The fees for single entry tourist visas will be covered by the MF upon presenting the receipt.

Also consider the information below or consult the Moroccan Embassy in your country.



General visa information
Morocco in China
Morocco in India


About Morocco and Casablanca:






Independent since 1956, Morocco is a young country, yet a land of ancient cultures, religions, and traditions. Morocco’s very distinct geographical regions, its millenarian cultures, the hospitality and generosity of its people, and the fusion of modernity and tradition allow for an incredibly huge variety of impressions. Morocco offers a variety of distinct places to go to in Northern Africa.

Morocco’s history is as vibrant as the country itself and starts around a similar time as ancient Egypt. In the late 7th century, the native people embraced Islam overwhelmed by the power and perseverance of Prophet Muhammad’s followers. Since the beginning, the land has seen the rise and fall of many Islamic dynasties and it has experienced many foreign rules and influences - from Phoenician tradesmen and Roman soldiers and settlers in centuries around the beginning of the common era till the French occupation in the 20th century - all of them shaping the face of the country and its people.

Casablanca is not the romantic and mysterious place that some may expect from the classical movie which goes by the same name. It is a bustling, cosmopolitan port city, which deserves to be called the country’s economical and cultural capital. Casablanca is full of contradictions and marks an excellent starting point on the journey to understand an unfamiliar, traditional Islamic culture and experience both tensions and symbiosis that result from the fusion of Arabic tradition and western modernity.

Some facts to consider:

Next to Arabic, the official language of Morocco, French is considered the unofficial second language and spoken by the majority of educated Moroccans until today. Also the local Berber dialects are widely spread and used. Although the importance of English has increased significantly in recent years, it is not yet a commonly used language.

The climate in March is gentle and enjoyable with an average daily max./min. of 26/18°C (79/64 F) and little rain. Spring is considered the ideal season to experience the country, as the Moroccan summer can get unbearably hot.



If you are interested in general facts and figures about Casablanca and Morocco, take a look at Wikipedia: Morocco.
To get a general idea about culture, language, customs or etiquettes and manners, check out Kwintessential Morocco.
For information on travel and places to go, we recommend to browse trough Morocco Travel, Morocco Explored, Lonely Planet, Frommer's Travel or Wikitravel.
Or maybe you want to walk through some photos, then you should definitely visit Scenes From Morocco or brows through galleries like Pbase Photos or Trekearth Pictures.
You may want to install some applications or plug-ins like e.g. Train Times Morocco which provides offline journey planning in Morocco. There are also some interesting podcasts in I-Tunes.


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