Morocco Travel Answers

Okay, I have just returned from a visit to Marrrakech, Erraouria and the High Atlas. It was an interesting country ---I especially liked the scenery, the people and finding out about the cultures. As a person with an epi-pen due to my nut allergy, I can tell you that Morocco was an awful experience food-wise! A lot of the food contained nuts and I was on bread and water for two meals (not joking) because the cafes could not provide me with anything that didn't contain nuts. I have no gripe about the lack of choice for someone with a nut-allergy. I knew that it would be like that and I made that choice. However, I would urge your son to show his French/Arabic cards in every situation involving food. Do not rely on the local guides. Also, never eat the cakes/sweets/candies. If your son likes chocolate, it would be worth buying a quantity of before he enters Morocco. It kept me sane. Anything else?

Okay, I have just returned from a visit to Marrrakech, Erraouria and the High Atlas. It was an interesting country ---I especially liked the scenery, the people and finding out about the cultures. As a person with an epi-pen due to my nut allergy, I can tell you that Morocco was an awful experience food-wise! A lot of the food contained nuts and I was on bread and water for two meals (not joking) because the cafes could not provide me with anything that didn't contain nuts. I have no gripe about the lack of choice for someone with a nut-allergy. I knew that it would be like that and I made that choice. However, I would urge your son to show his French/Arabic cards in every situation involving food. Do not rely on the local guides. Also, never eat the cakes/sweets/candies. If your son likes chocolate, it would be worth buying a quantity of before he enters Morocco. It kept me sane. Anything else?

Morocco is chock full of nuts and by products and is part of a main staple there. If your son is hyper-sensitive to nuts, i would not let him go there himself as he doesn't know the language and health-care there is non-existence. i had a friend that travel to Tunis and almost died just because of dehydration. it was hard to find a doctor that spoke English and with a little help we found one doctor on top of a cafe that spoke French. Lucky he saw the lifeless sign when she kept on vomitting and with the help of our driver to translate, she was saved. Not to alarm you too much, but I would worry because of our incident, and we were adults doing the tourist thing and had good common sense but just couldn't stand up to the heat. cheers tommy x

Tommy, the son is travelling with his *school*. Ample provision will have been made for medical care, emergencies included. Of course Morocco's health care is not 'non-existent'. I think the most sensible thing is for the poster to discuss the whole trip in detail with the lead teacher/s. They will be able to give much more info about what is to be visited, what will be eaten and where, what precautions will be taken and what will be done in case medical help is needed (for any student). If this is a UK school trip there are vast quantities of health & safety-related paperwork which have to be done and I can reassure the poster that all and every potential difficulty will be fully thought-through and provisions put in place to deal with it....long before the trip actually takes place!

Lecis is right on a school outing. It's just my opinion that a person with SEVere allergy has to really be careful when they travel to a foreign country because of substandard medical care. Reading about a child that died in the USA at school was bad enough for me because of a peanut butter sandwich particles in a school cafeteria. I am just thinking how many different foods are made over there with nuts that people do not know about. Many. Desserts and even cooking oils can trigger an attack. I had a allergic reaction to seafood in USA. Never was allergic before, but first I broke out in hives, then my throat swelled up and couldn't breathe well. Lucky me, I was home and was taken to the ER.a few blocks away This happen so quickly as my body deteriorate rapidly.. Still couldn't pinpoint. The real culprit, but alive today cause of quick response. True story in Tunisia too, just dehydration could have kill my friend and lucky we found a doctor. That could see the vital signs and had the I'V to replenish fluids rapidly be side icing down her body. Just thought I put in my insight, but the child can still go on his trip Cheers tommy x

While there maybe some dishes that contain nuts, there will be plenty of alternatives on the menu that your son can eat, Salad is readily available and so to is omelettes, Chicken and vegetable tajine are also dishes that do not contain nuts.

Tommy, you may be interested to know that the majority (probably all) UK school meal prvision is nut-free3(and that includes nut oils etc) and that many (possibly all) school are also nut-free in terms of what children are allowed to bring to school and eat on the premises (sandwiches, snacks etc). Nut and other allergies are *extremely* high-profile in UK education, which is why I suggest talking in detail with the lead teacher/s. They will, I am sure, be fully able to reassure the poster.

I'm sorry, last poster, you are wrong! In the High Atlas some of the cafes and even one of the 'Retreats'/trekking centres had NO choice! As a teacher, I know that the health & safety paperwork is vast! I would suggest that you do put your concerns not to just the teacher in charge of the trip but also the Headteacher. Also, do make sure that your son carries a good supply of epi-pens. As Leics. mentions, there is health care in Morocco ---but up in the passes in the High Atlas...

Sorry Leics! The 'last poster' refered to WindCity. I agree with you about UK schools supposedly being nut free ---but I know that in primary education we are often dealing with families disregarding the school or LEA rule. As for staff rooms...!!!

The school will already be fully aware of the allergy and the Epipen, of course. but talking to the lead staff is the only way to find out exactly what will be put in place.

To Crazyman, I have lived in Morocco for 7 years and travelled all over the country including the Atlas mountains, and from my experience you can always find grilled meat, salad, ommlettes, fresh fruit and yougurts, so no need to go hungry. The one thing that should be avoided is Amolu, usually served with breakfast, it is a dip made from Argan oil and Almonds.

I often wonder if the bean is like a nut, and in the same family group? It is pretty close in the food family. And many people in the region make food spreads and dip there. Anybody's thoughts? Cheers tommy x

I often wonder if the bean is like a nut, and in the same family group? It is pretty close in the food family. And many people in the region make food spreads and dip there. Anybody's thoughts? Cheers tommy x

Well Windcity I suggest that you look at my travel pages: there are two cafe/hotels there that offered no choice whatsoever! I would also inform you that I was close to using my epi-pen in the best hotel in Marrakech: I had a reaction to some vegetables that I chose from a buffet only to discover that there had been some cross-comtamination through the serving utensils. I compare this to the support that I receive when I am on a cruise. On a ship a senior member of restaurant staff will take my orders and then check with the chef about the suitability of the food. Even then it will be prepared in a separate part of the kitchen. If I want to order food in another outlet on the ship, advice is sought by the serving staff. It has gone wrong, twice! On both occasions it was the ice-cream.

This isn't the place to discuss the potentials of why nut allergies exist. It is not just a matter of choice when eating. As Crazyman noted, it is a matter of potential cross-contamination. Which is why I again refer the poster to the lead teacher/s, because the whole issue needs discussing in depth. An epi-pen is only a 'holding' tool...it's not an instant cure..and so the poster needs to be reassured that its use is not likely to be required in terms of the food which is planned for her son. But it may be that the question refers only to the (presumably short) 'free' times her son will have with his friends. In that case, I would suggest he eats nothing during those periods because of the potential for cross-contamination. This sort of trip is usually offered to older students, so I imagine he is sensible enough to understand why this precaution might be necessary.

There are still some flights I take that still have nuts on board. If you have a severe allergy I would be careful when I travel. cheers tommy x