Morocco has always been fascinating to me and I’ve always wanted to visit. The food, the colors, the people, the markets… it all seemed so foreign. The fact that it’s just a few hours flight from Paris made it my destination of choice for a quick few days. The fact that the sun shines there on the regular solidified our plans.
Marrakech is an incredible place. It’s busy and it’s loud. The food is pretty fantastic and the people are absolutely lovely. You’re meant to get lost here, and you should. Our digital maps were completely unreliable, and the paper map from our hotel wasn’t really all that grand either. Streets have been renamed a number of times, from the original Moroccan names, to French names during their colonization of Morocco, and then back to Moroccan names… it doesn’t seem that anyone really knows where anything actually is. But that’s OK, because you’ll always be able to find your way back to the main square. You just have to know how to get home from there. If you are lost, go inside a shop and ask the shopkeeper for directions to the square… they have to stay at their shops, if you ask someone on the street they’ll take you there, but they’ll want money for their service.
We stayed at Riad Diexneuf La Ksour and were so happy. It’s a lovely little hotel with just six rooms. It’s inside the Medina (the old walled city), but far enough away from Jemaà el Fna (the main square) that it’s quiet and we felt safe walking home at night. The couple that runs the hotel was incredibly helpful with recommendations and advice and the staff made sure we were completely taken care of. I can’t recommend the hotel enough!
Our first night in town, we ate dinner at the hotel. A private table in front of the fireplace was set for us, and we were served the most incredible four course meal with some pretty fantastic Moroccan wine. It was perfect! We ate at two restaurants within the Medina: Cafe Arabe & Terrace des Epices. Typically, Moroccans don’t eat out at restaurants, so most of them will be geared towards tourists. Cafe Arabe was lovely with two dining areas, one in a courtyard under orange trees and the second on the roofs. Terrace des Epices was also a rooftop dining area, with the tables tucked into little alcoves. Food was great at both, but I preferred the atmosphere at Cafe Arabe. Our last evening, we went outside of the Medina to Comptoir. It’s just outside of the old city, in an area of only hotels. It’s known for it’s belly dancing show, which starts around 10 pm. Super touristy, but the food was pretty good and the show was a lot of fun. Most of Marrakech is dry, but you can find alcohol at all of these places, as well as at Kosy Bar, a great bar with fantastic views of the city. The other option for food is the night market in Place Jemaà el Fna. There are food stalls, some offering full menus, some offering very specific dishes. There are also performers (some of whom are very insistent on taking photos with you, all of which will want money from you, generally around 100 dihram or $12), musicians and games. We didn’t eat here, but walking around is an adventure in itself! We did try some fresh orange juice (it’s everywhere!) and mint tea (also everywhere!). The tea service is an art and beautiful to watch. The tea is sweet and flavorful… definitely try some.
Marrakech is a shopping destination. The main souks spread out from Jemaà el Fna and are a tangled web of leathers, carpets, shoes, scarves and wood. Shopkeepers here can be a little bit abrasive, and Chris & I are still deciding if it’s better to start here, to get the feel for the markets and be completely overwhelmed, or to start on the outskirts and get used to them little by little. The markets around Cafe Arabe are a bit less overwhelming and where we spent most of our time. For the hard sellers, a polite but firm “No, thank you” in French, Spanish or English will generally work after the fifth try. A few times we met people in small corridors who followed us and hounded a bit and it can be scary. Realizing that they only want your business is important. Generally speaking we felt very safe, but it’s a completely different culture and not always comfortable. Keep your belongings close & secure (Chris spotted a small boys hand in my purse before I did).
We were only in town for three days, so we didn’t get to everything that I would have loved to do. If we’d had the time, I would have loved to go to a more traditional hammam (a Moroccan spa) and take a day trip up into the Atlas mountains. There are tons of tours advertised, but definitely something worth checking out.
Definitely book a taxi through your hotel from the airport if you’re staying in the Medina. Cars aren’t really allowed within the inner walls and the taxi will drop you on the street. Our driver was in touch with the hotel and we were met by the staff to walk us to the hotel door. Also, make sure you have a pen with you at the airport. You’re required to fill in a form, but there are no pens and your fellow travelers aren’t very keen on letting you borrow. On the way home, security lines at the airport are separated by gender, men on the right and women on the left, so don’t stand in the wrong line.
We loved Marrakech and it was the perfect few days away from the grey skies in Paris!
