Due to the Icelandic volcanic ash debacle our trip to Morocco was extended and our stay at Le Dromadaire Bleu riad went from 5 days to 10 days! Fortunately for us, Marrakech has an endless supply of nooks and crannies to explore accompanied by laughs from our US and Belgian-based friends who joined us for some or all of this wonderful holiday.
Morocco has a population a little larger than California and several well-known cities like Casablanca, Fez, Tangiers as well as a desert, the Atlas mountains and the Atlantic coastline. On this trip, we took a day hike in the foothills of the Atlas mountains (about 1.5 hours from Marrakech by car), through Berber villages and had a picnic lunch made by local gentlemen who hauled in the food via mules. We also did a day trip to Essaouria on the coast - a longer drive of about 3 hours on some good and bad roads - here you can ride a camel on the beach, lounge in seaside trendy cafes, and tour the medina of the town in which you find most of the same merchandise that is available in the Marrakech souqs.
It's hard to sum it all up as Marrakech offers a lot of everything: you can get lost in medieval souq alleys where donkeys haul loads of fresh mint (or people, or building materials) or you can spend a day poolside at a luxury resort hotel and have your skin scrubbed off in a too-hot hammam. One thing we all agreed on: the people are wonderfully sincere, have a friendly sense of humour, and have amazing traditions that made all of us really feel transported somewhere totally different from our everyday lives. I highly recommend a visit!
1. Get lost in the souqs, including the Bab Doukkala food souq (insane!)
2. Engage with the Marrakechi locals by negotiating a purchase in the souq
3. Drink fresh squeezed orange juice in one of the cafes on the Djemaa-el-Fna square in the early evening
4. Visit a hammam for a gommage treatment (a serious scrubdown!)
5. Spend a day poolside at one of several incredible resorts - most allow day visitors for a small fee
6. Dine in riad courtyards
7. Hike in the Atlas foothills
1. 'guides' will come up to you and ask where you are going..usually they say you are heading in the wrong direction, that the street ahead is closed all in the name of getting you to 'hire' them to lead you around. We did use a guide twice...but most of the time avoid it if you can.
2. negotiating in the souq is part of the fun and a way to interact with the locals. They expect you to do this. They will suggest a price usually almost double what they are willing to take. They will ask you what you are willing to pay...be ready to buy if they agree to it, otherwise be prepared to be followed around the souq for awhile and harassed.
3. for the tourist restaurants, which are mostly what I recommend below, call to reserve in the morning or the day before.
Cafe du Grand Balcon: on the south side of the Djemaa-el-Fna square, a place to have a tea or orange juice at sundown and watch the action on the square.
Djemaa-el-Fna food stalls: eat dinner ONCE just for the experience, walk through it a couple of times and let the hawkers try to convince you to come to their stall, when you finally make your choice ( mostly all the same offerings ) the vendors will clap with joy! You can eat lambs-head, entrails, grilled-meat kabobs, fried seafood..all of it reasonably safe but probably not totally sanitary as there is no running water in the square! (how do they wash the forks?!).
Dar Moha: upper end Moroccan food, we had a many-course, fixed-menu lunch here but would also be a nice dinner place. Ideally, reserve a day ahead and ask for a courtyard table.
Le Tobsil: upper end Moroccan food, finding it is a challenge as it's buried in dark, twisty alleyways. We walked by the derb (alley) entryway twice before we saw a guide from the restaurant who led us down the path. This riad is filled with candles and atmosphere and two guys were singing and playing traditional instruments beautifully (and at low decibel). Consensus from our group is that this was one of the best for local food and atmosphere. Reserve a day or two ahead.
Azar: trendy Lebenese in La Nouvelle Ville (next to Le Chat qui Rit, see below). Due to our large group we had a set menu of typical Lebanese mezze followed by various typical main dishes. The restaurant interior is modern Marrakechi and there was live music during our meal. As a break from Moroccan food, this is a great choice.
Jardin des Arts: upscale intercontinental & French in Gueliz (about 10 mins cab from the medina). Our Asbury Park friend, Christine, suggested this place as her friends are owners. We were there on an off night so had the entire place to ourselves. Food and atmosphere all modern and I expect on a Friday/Saturday this place would be packed.
La Terrace des Epices: in the heart of the souq in a penthouse of a shopping arcade, this place is my favorite for lunch. Modernized decor, comfortable all outdoor seating shaded or optional straw hats to wear. Salads, fresh fruit juices, sweets, teas etc. A great break while shopping in the souq. A couple of recommended shops are downstairs (see below).
Le Crystal: located at the Pacha Marrakech hotel, this high-design, French/Moroccan restaurant gets busy around 10pm. The atmosphere, decor and food are all excellent. The location is about 10 mins by car from the medina. There's a big nightclub here that draws internationally known DJs (e.g. David Guetta).
Le Foundouk: this restaurant is ranked either #1 or #2 depending on who you ask among our group. It is nearly impossible to find on your own as it deep in the souq so paying a local 20 dirhams to help you find it is well worth it (you will have many offers for guides...who already know what you are looking for). The place is inside a riad that has been perfectly decorated, very serene atmosphere, perfect service, moroccan food.
Riad 72: a small hotel riad (just 4 rooms) but beautifully designed, we stopped by to have a look and decided to reserve for dinner in their courtyard. We were served a menu of delicious carrot/orange soup and a tagine of beef. A very typical meal served by very kind staff. You can chat with the cook while she's preparing the meal - recipe for carrot/orange soup: 2 kilos carrots, 1 potato, vegetable broth, zest of two oranges, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper (stew and then puree) serve with dollop of creme fraiche. Mmmmm.
Grand Cafe de la Poste: is a converted former post office that has a french colonial feel to it. It is VERY touristy and well known, located in the Nouvelle Ville. I would say for lunch sit outside on the porch or for dinner sit inside. We didn't have a reservation so we were relegated to a back corner near the kitchen and had fairly poor service. In spite of all that, I would give it a second chance but reserve ahead.
Le Chat Qui Rit: located in the Nouvelle Ville, next to Azar (see above) and a good lunch spot to either sit on the porch or inside. The place serves Italian food and good salads and you can get a tap beer in a frozen glass. For a break from Moroccan food...
Souqs: there are two souq areas we shopped in: one above the Djemaa-el-Fna where you find the leather souq, the slipper souq, the jewelry souq etc., the other is in the Bab Doukkala neighborhood which is more local and here you find the food souq and many other little shops.
Akbar Delights: this tiny shop is in the square just north of the Djemaa-el-Fna where you will also find a handy ATM machine. You might need it if you make a purchase in the shop as everything here is top end, including beautifully crafted tunics for women and lovely objects well-chosen by the owners. They also operate a shop in the Nouvelle Ville called Moor, which has more tunics and more homewares. They can ship to locations outside Morocco if needed.
Lalla: is a home decor shop in the same building as Terrace des Epice restaurant in the souq and well worth a look. Several of us made purchases there. Top quality items, well-chosen/edited. Much of what you find in the souq repeats so these small upscale shops help short-cut the entire experience. Across the courtyard you will find Stephanie Jewels, which offers delicate, beautifully designed jewelry.
Atelier Moro: is a hidden away shop (buzz to get in) in Place de la Fontaine in the souq. Here you find a selection of souq merchandise that is a cut above and edited down.
Michi: unique products, small selection, tucked deep into the souq (slipper souq, I think) specially designed slippers by the Japanese owner with small well-chosen household items. A nice break from the endless souq shops whose merchandise can seem repetitive.
Al Kawtar: disabled women have formed a cooperative and produce lovely, hand-crafted linens and clothing. A purchase here is a great way to support this and come home with something unique.
Hike in Atlas Mountains: this can be arranged as a day trip or for 2 or more days depending on how much you want to be in the outdoors hiking through villages and experiencing the Atlas mountains. I found Mohamed randomly via google and he gave us a perfect experience: arranged van/driver from Marrakech, guided hike by him, picnic hot lunch of local food, for about 35 euros a person! The driver stopped for an hour on the way back at Richard Branson's boutique hotel so we could have a drink and look.
Mohamed Aztat Mountain Guide & Trekking organizer Imlil-MoroccoTel (Mobile ) : 00212 6 68 76 01 65 www.atlastrekshop.comhttp://toubkl.guide.free.fr Guest House in Imlil " Dar Adrar"www.daradrar.com
Pool/Spa Day at La Mamounia: this is one of the most traditionally elegant hotels I've been in and puts the Ritz Carleton into perspective. The hotel just completed a billion dollar renovation a few months ago so everything is new and gorgeous. The staff/customer ratio is ridiculous (e.g. getting out of the pool someone is there to put a towel around your shoulders). You need to wear nice clothes (no shorts) to get past the front gate. Once inside, it is easy to act like a guest - make your way to the poolside restroom to change into your swimwear and enjoy the pool and gardens. Otherwise, pay 50 euros for a day pass to feel more entitled. The hammam in the spa area is incredible. There are several restaurant options - all very expensive but fun to indulge. Drinks on the terrace at sundown is fantastic.
Les Bains de Marrakech Day Spa: a much less expensive but equally satisfying option to Mamounia spa. This spa is nicely designed, modern but with local touches and the prices were reasonable for the treatments. It is located in the Kasbah area (within the medina) where you can also check out the Saadi Tombs nearby. The thing to do at any hammam/spa in Marrakech is the gommage treatment. You sweat for 15 mins in the hammam, then the attendant rinses you off and covers you with some goo, more sweating, then she/he scrubs you with a kessa (special loofa glove) that scrapes off the first layer of your skin. Yes, it sounds painful, but it's tolerable and totally exhilarating. After this, I had an hour massage - and slept through most of it.
Dar Cherifa: this well-preserved historic riad provides visitors with a calming environment either rooftop or within the courtyard where you can relax, have a tea, lunch or dinner. A wonderful place to take a quiet break from the souq.
