MARRAKESH

Anne H here. I was lucky enough to spend a week over New Year in Morocco visiting Marrakesh with some friends and being joined by my daughter for a few days.

THE MEDINA 

We were based in the Medina (the old town with its distinctive high walls) for the duration of our stay, which was the most amazing experience. This is a particularly busy time of year as not only foreign tourists visit, but there is a massive migration of Moroccans to Marrakesh as well.  This sometimes made navigating the streets quite an arduous task, but once you were off the main routes getting about was relatively easy, especially with the help of Google maps!

There are plenty of restaurants in the main square that overlook the market on the outer edge of the Medina, and many an hour can be spent there over a mint tea just watching the world go by.  One thing to note is that many of the restaurants within the confines of the Medina are "dry" and if you want alcohol you need to venture to the outer edges or into the larger Hotels more appropriate for tourists.

Shopping is an absolute dream, I could have filled a container with amazing handcrafted items but managed to contain myself. Rugs are something for which Morocco is world famous and we saw some absolutely beautiful examples. Bartering is the norm in Marrakesh and takes some getting used to. If you can't cope with the slight aggressiveness of the bartering system there is a shop called Establishment Bouchaib  that has lots of examples of  gorgeous jewellery, artefacts, rugs and furniture where the prices are fixed and where we spent many happy hours.

The hustle and bustle of the place is amazing and the colours are dazzling.  But there are opportunities to escape down quiet alleyways if you crave some peace and quiet.

One thing to be aware of is being pointed to the direction of somewhere and then being picked up by people who will show you the way and then demand payment.  We made this mistake on the first day when being pointed to the Leather area, being told that it was only open that day as the Berbers were going back to the mountains for the holiday.  It wasn't the worse experience in the world but did involve paying our guide who was waiting for us when we came out of the final stop which, of course, was a shop!

Our impromptu tour involved visiting the leather tanning area which actually turned out to be very interesting.  On entering we were handed a spring of mint to help mask the smell of urine which is used in the process. The shop we were then taken to included leather, carpets, lamps and furniture and there were some lovely examples of all.  I succumbed to a suede jacket and my friends bought a carpet .... pretty much guaranteed one of us had to leave with one, though how they managed to get it home is still a mystery!

WHERE WE STAYED 

RUE JEMAA DABACHI 

We booked accommodation in a Riad via Booking.com  ( A riad is a type of traditional Moroccan house of palace with an interior garden or courtyard. Nowadays the term is used to refer to a hotel or guest-house style accommodation with shared common areas and private rooms), and stayed at the Riad El Bellar which was in the centre of the Medina down a quiet alleyway (above). They organised a pick up at the airport and met us at the big square to guide us through the Medina to their location, which we certainly would not have found without their help.  But thereafter we managed fine by getting a SIM card that allowed us to access Google maps on one of our phones.  Data charges otherwise are prohibitive and you go through your capped limit in the first day very easily.

RIAD EL BELLAR 

The Riad El Bellar was clean and comfortable and included a lovely terrace where you could sit out and get the afternoon sun.  Breakfast was served in the courtyard area above and we were looked after really well.

PLACES TO EAT 

We had one local restaurant which we frequented a lot called the Chez Brahim on the Derb Dabachi which served amazing Tagines and was incredibly reasonably priced. 

TERRASSE DE LA FONTAINE 

We enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Terrasse De La Fontaine and loved its decor as well. We also enjoyed a marvellous meal on the roof terrace at Nomad admiring the views of the medina and the Atlas mountains.  Nomad is part of a chain which includes Le Jardin which we also visited and highly rated. Although more expensive than the Brahim they were both very affordable and the surroundings were beautiful.

NOMAD ROOF TERRACE 

GARDENS

JARDIN MAJORELLE

A short cab ride from the Medina (and cabs are not expensive)  is the Jardin Majorelle which was stunning. As one of the most visited sites in Morocco it is worth getting there early so that you can wander the gardens and enjoy the peace and tranquility.

Created by French painter Jacques Majorelle over a forty year period the use of plants and colour is inspiring and just made me want to get back to my own garden, though the weather is not very inspiring for English gardens at this time of year.

Interestingly, the garden was falling into disrepair after the death of Majorells in the 60s and was bought by Yves St Laurent and Pierre Berge in 1980 who saved by them from being turned into a hotel complex.

The site also includes the Berger Museum and the gardens of the Villa Oasis.

LE JARDIN SECRET

A true oasis of calm in the hustle and bustle of the Medina is the Le Jardin Secret. Set in a traditional Riad, the garden is housed in the centre and is protected by high walls. Comprising of two gardens - The Exotic and The Islamic Garden, both have water features fed from underground channels via a hydraulic system, and there is a cafe and plenty of areas to sit.

We had also ventured into the newer commercial area of Marrakesh but really it was totally overshadowed by the wonders of the Medina.  I think if I ever returned I would make a point of taking excursions to the coast and the Atlas mountains to experience the variety that this beautiful country has to offer.