Marrakech

Amazing architecture with striking details, colorful debris buildings, unique mosaics, hidden gardens and magnificent Riads; the souks with their people who try to attract your interest and sell their goods, children and young people who will try to show you the way (in order to gain some money), women who only reveal their eyes, faces troubled and wounded by the desert but also smiling ones, elderly porters with an old wooden trailer for your bags and horse-drawn carriages, colorful carpets, straw bags and elaborate lighting. Marrakech is a patchwork of the old and the new, the West and the East.

Accommondation – During our stay in Marrakech, we had a plan which we called: Riad Hopping, so we stayed in 3 unique Riads. The first Riad was Numa Marrakech, near Place des épices, with lovely minimal décor. Then we stayed at La Sultana, a hotel that gives you an idea of life with… the Sultan. We spent our last days at  Tarabel, a Riad with a classy French aura. Most budget accommodation is situated south of the Djemaa el Fna.

Food –

• Nomads during the sunset
• La Trattoria Marrakech for a romantic dinner
• Limoni Restaurant for Italian dishes
• Le Jardin Marrakech for the beautiful decoration, apart from food
• La Table du Palais, a restaurant in a charming garden

Transportation – In Marrakech you can easily move around with the charming tuk tuk, especially in the Medina. A taxi in Marrakech costs around 20 dirhams. It is a good idea to discuss the price before you get in, as many taxi drivers ask for 40-50 dirhams.

By Air: Marrakech has an international airport which is brand new (Menara Airport) with direct scheduled flights coming in from London and Paris and many charter flights arriving from all over Europe. If you are flying from the US, Canada, Asia or elsewhere, please note that you’ll have to change planes in Casablanca.

The airport is only about 4 miles (15 minutes) from the city. You can take the bus No. 19, which runs every 20-30 minutes and costs 30 dirhams (about half an hour’s drive to Jemaa el-Fnaa). But I would personally recommend you to take a taxi, which you could request to be arranged by your Riad, with a pre-agreed fare because outside the airport every taxi driver asks for whatever he wants. We paid 20€ (we were 2, so 10€ per person) because it was a private company. Normally the taxi fare is around 100-150 Dirhams but if you are a Pro in bargain you can get it up to 80 Dirhams.