3 years after our original trip was cancelled, we finally made it to Marrakesh! We were staying at Sakkan, one of the many Riads which are small hotels built around courtyards, and ours was lovely. It’s amazing how the hustle and bustle of the medina (old town) disappears once you’re inside and it feels really peaceful.
We were a little behind schedule so after a quick freshen up we set out and stomped all the way to the southern end of the medina and our lunch spot, Les Jardins de La Medina. The food didn’t blow us away but the lush garden setting was nice and a cold beer in the hot sun was very welcome after the freezing temperatures in the UK. After lunch we visited the Saadian tombs & Bahia palace, both beautiful examples of the ornate architecture found here. We walked back through the maze of shops and cafes and did walk though Jemaa el-Fnaa which is the main market square full of all sorts of stalls, but to be honest there were a lot of animals which are maybe not very well treated so we didn’t linger.
In the evening we headed to El Fenn rooftop for cocktails while the sun set over the city before dinner at Narwama. This was actually Thai food but was followed by 2 mini shows featuring traditional Moroccan music and dancing, the chaps with the spinning hats were great fun!
The next morning we had breakfast on the Riads rooftop and organised a guide for a couple of hours as we wanted to visit the souks and knew it would be a maze, we were also slightly worried some of the sellers might be a little intense. This was a great shout and our guide showed us lots of things we would never have seen otherwise and told us all about the local culture. One of the stops was Ben Youssef Medersa which used to be a school and has recently finished a 3 year renovation. This building really was spectacular!
We soon entered the atmospheric souks where you can see many of the wares sold in the medina shops being made. We bought a few gifts for people at home including a wooden puzzle which the owner told us would be free if we could work it out. Sadly we couldn’t but apparently nor could Leonardo DiCaprio, Ainsley Harriet however did manage it so good for him. Once we emerged our guide dropped us at Nomad for our lunch reservation, this is one of the many terrace restaurants with a cool vibe and the food was pretty good, enjoyed with some traditional mint tea.
In the afternoon we were booked in for a traditional Hammam which is a big part of Islamic culture, this is basically the process being scrubbed within an inch of your life in an extremely hot room. The amount of dead skin coming off was fairly disgusting but our remaining skin was so soft after! We followed up with a massage and left feeling very clean and very relaxed. We stopped at Cafe Arabe on the way home for a sunset beer on the terrace before making use of the cute, and heated courtyard pool at our Riad, complete with hanging vines. That evening we went to Pepe Nero for an Italian take on Moroccan food. The candlelit Riad was a lovely setting and Dan demolished a huge Lamb shoulder!
Last day, after a lazy morning and a bath we set out to Jardin Majorelle which was super impressive. The colours and the cactus are amazing and we spent a very happy hour or so pottering around taking 100s of photos and even bought some prints to take home. Top tip, visit the YSL museum first and you skip the queue as well as seeing some of his iconic pieces. We then walked through part of the new town but there really isn’t much to see so we jumped in a taxi to La Mamounia. This is a super fancy hotel and we had a lovely lunch on one of the terraces before heading back to our rooftop to enjoy the sun for a couple of hours before leaving for the airport, which was nothing short of carnage as it was the World Cup final!
So a great weekend, Marrakesh felt different to anywhere we have been before, but probably closest to Peru. Didn’t love the food we had, but some stunning buildings and lovely to see the sunshine, plus it was a little quieter in December so didn’t feel overrun with tourists which is always a winner, and loved our little Riad oasis.
If you like Piña Coladas... 