Making friends in the local community is often a main priority for students. It’s not always easy to meet people, especially people your own age—doing so will likely require initiative on your part and also courage and perseverance. Never hesitate to ask the staff at the Center for guidance—they will be glad to help you! Think about how you get involved at your home campus and seek out opportunities to do something similar while abroad—this is just one ways you might meet people. Here are some examples of how previous students got involved in the local community: Find a sports club or take a...

All amounts listed below are in the local Moroccan currency, Moroccan Dirham (MAD): Food & Drink Breakfast at a restaurant 30 Lunch at a restaurant 50 Dinner at a restaurant 60 Soft drink 18 Coffee 15 Meal at a university dining facility 60 Housing Linens (if not included in housing option) 200 Personal Necessity Toiletries per week 50 Laundry per week 30 Social Activity & Entertainment Movie 50 Theater performance 50-250 Museum entry fee 20 Fitness club membership per week 75-300 Dance club cover charge 200 Communication Internet use at a cyber café per hour 10 Pre-paid International Calling...

Currency The Moroccan monetary unit is the Dirham (MAD or DH). The dirham is subdivided into 100 centimes. The centime is the smallest unit of currency. Coins are denominated in 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, as well as 1dh, 2dh, 5dh, and 10dh. Dirham bills are available in 20dh, 50dh, 100dh and 200dh. Credit cards and debit cards are accepted in most ATMs and some larger stores/restaurants in Morocco. However, most transactions are made in cash. Visit www.xe.com or www.oanda.com for current exchange rates. Handling Money Abroad Since the Moroccan Dirham is a closed currency, you will have to wait to...

Public Transportation Most students get around on foot or by taxi. The "petit taxi" is a small car used for getting around the city. The color of the petit taxi varies from one city to another. The color is red in Fez, blue in Rabat, yellow in Sale. Up to 3 passengers can fit in a petit taxi. At night, there is a 50% surcharge added to the price displayed on the meter. The trip from the medina to the IES Abroad Center should cost around 10 MAD. A grand taxi is usually a white Mercedes used for city to city travel and also inside of the city of Rabat. Up to six passengers, in addition to the...

Rabat enjoys a relatively mild climate year-round due to its location on the Atlantic Ocean. However, it can become quite hot and dry in the summer months and chilly and rainy in the winter. Rain is common between November and March, so it is advisable to bring rain gear. Temperatures fluctuate between day and night; it is advisable to bring a warm sweater, and a heavy coat for when temperatures drop the most. In addition, central heating and insulation are not common in Morocco, so bring warm clothing for chilly nights.

Located at the mouth of the Bouregreg River on the Atlantic Ocean, Rabat was once a prime port location due to its close proximity to Europe and other parts of Africa. Walking through the quiet streets, it is hard to imagine that the city was controlled by pirates for two centuries. Yet, the city’s history is alive in its architecture, culture, and people, whose ancestors from the Middle East, Europe, and other parts of Africa, laid claim to the city over the years. Rabat is therefore a complex cosmopolitan mix of European modernism with North African and Islamic tradition. Although open to...

Morocco operates on a different voltage than the United States. You will need a transformer and an adapter to use U.S. appliances in Morocco. It is easier to purchase small appliances (e.g. iron, hair dryer) upon arrival in Morocco. Most laptops have a built-in transformer; however, you will likely need to purchase an adapter because the plugs in Morocco are shaped differently than in the United States. You can easily purchase travel adaptors at a local pharmacy or grocery store. We urge you to conduct some research on adaptors, converters, and transformers for Morocco to find out what you...

Students are able to receive letter-sized mail to the IES Abroad Center. If you are shipping a debit or credit card, we recommend that you disguise it as regular mail (i.e., put it in a birthday card or use a cardboard FedEx or UPS envelope). Mail should be addressed to: IES Abroad Quito & Galápagos Islands ATTN: Student Name Avenida República de El Salvador N35-40 y Portugal Edificio Athos, Piso 7. Oficina 702 170505 - Quito, Ecuador We urge family and friends not to ship any packages to you while you are abroad. However, if necessary, packages should be sent to your housing address after you...

All costs below are shown in US dollars ($). Category Cost Food & Drink Breakfast at a restaurant $5 USD Lunch at a restaurant $4-8 USD Dinner at a restaurant $10-18 USD Soft drink $1.50 USD Coffee $1.50 USD Housing Toiletries per week $15 USD Local Transportation Local Transportation per week $20 USD One-way Ground Transportation from airport to IES Abroad Center $30 taxi or $8 bus USD Social Activity & Entertainment Movie $8-12 USD Theater performance $15-25 USD Museum entry fee $5-10 USD Fitness club membership per MONTH $50-60 USD Dance club cover charge $15-25 USD

Making friends in the local community is often a main priority for students. It’s not always easy to meet people, especially people your own age. Doing so will likely require initiative on your part and also courage and perseverance. Never hesitate to ask the staff at the Center for guidance. They will be glad to help you. Think about how you get involved at your home campus and seek out opportunities to do something similar while abroad. This is just one way you might meet people. Ecuadorians tend to be very hospitable, warm, and friendly. Students often regret waiting a month or more to...