Holding hands in Morocco

Professor Knowall

Going to Morocco for a few days with my wife. Is it ok to hold hands in public? More of a security thing than affection.,

Also, have been reading up on the local 'left-hand' bathroom hygiene. Is there a danger that the men selling goods in the medina have an 'unclean' left hand and therefore could clothing and leather items be covered in bacteria?

rowanh

I wouldn't worry too much about either.

LiamMc

Holding hands is the norm in Morocco.

Running water is a tradition in Muslim countries, both in private for cleanliness and in public for calmness.

coylemj

Look at the person's fingernails, that will tell you all you need to know about their personal hygiene. In general Muslims are pretty fastidious about their cleanliness, I wonder did you get your information from the Daily Mail or a similarly skewed source?

sarkozy

It's not a problem, but, yes, cleanliness is valued and appreciated. The question is whether you're asking so as not to cause offence, or so as not to be offended by others' reactions? In both cases, Moroccans, in my experience, are very polite and hospitable people who are well used to people of different cultures (i.e. tourists).

tatli_lokma

and in terms of handling items, always a good idea to carry anti-bac hand gel. Even the cleanest of hands are washed in water with a high mineral content, and this can lead to stomach upsets for a lot of travellers. So a small hand gel with you is a must.

two wheels good

The anti-bacteria hand wash is a good idea.
Don't let your concerns re. hygiene put you off eating from the stalls in the main square at night. This is one of the delights of Marrakesh. I looked for places popular with the locals. Drinking the fresh orange juice was fine too but I insisted on it being squeezed as I waited. I didn't suffer any problems drinking the tap water anywhere in Morocco.
Security is good - just take the usual precautions. Keep your wallet in an inside pocket.