Marrakech, Morocco

Marrakesh, the famous red city of Morocco provides platform to visit a destination with sight of donkey carts, orange trees, horse carriages, camel rides, spice sellers, and snake charmers intermingled with luxury spas, coffee shops, palace like hotels and resorts.The city contains a number of culturally and architecturally important sites and Marrakesh’s medina was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

Dive right into the hustle and bustle of the souks and explore the maze-like skittle playing lanes of the medina in Morocco’s Red City.

When to visit

The summer months in Marrakesh last from June–August can be unbearably hot, often topping over 40°C. Plan your trip for the spring or autumn if you don’t want heat waves.

Moroccan winters are generally mild, making visits more inviting to the city.

We visited during early March, maximum temperature was up to 20 degree Celsius which was just perfect to explore the place with my 9 months old.

Our visit was more of a family time and relaxing holiday to spend time with the little one,so we stayed at Riu Tikida Palmeraie, there was shuttle pick up from Menara airport to the hotel, which took around 30 minutes for transfer.

This hotel looks like a little village, with annexes sprinkled around 13 acres of gardens. It’s in the smart Palmeraie district of Marrakech which is half an hour away from medina.

You need to get taxis to get anywhere or get your timings right and book in advance for the shuttle bus.

The nursery facility at the Rui Tikida was helpful, as kept my little one busy and entertained.

Tikida shop is well stocked with amazing souvenirs, traditional clothing and all essentials was very handy.

There was buffet for lunch and dinner. You can never starve as some eating corner was always open, just expected a bit more variety as buffet and breakfast were repetitive.

Things to do

Jemaa el- Fnaa
Jemaa el-Fnaa can be a fun experience, but it can be overwhelming, especially with so many vendors trying to get you to buy their wares.Its better to visit during daytime.

Koutoubia Garden and Koutoubia Mosque

Another garden we enjoyed was the Koutoubia Gardens situated behind the beautiful Koutoubia Mosque – which is the largest mosque in Marrakech and you’ll see the large mosque from the main square of Jemma El Fna. The garden is free to enter and features roses, flowers, orange trees, and palm trees and is quite popular with local families in the evening. Great place to relax, take in views of the Koutoubia Mosque, and stroll around with a snack in hand.

Ben Youssef Madrasa

The Ben Youssef Madrasa an Islamic college in Marrakesh, Morocco. Functioning today as an Islamic historical site, the Ben Youssef Madrasa was the largest Islamic college in Morocco during its time.It’s mid way through a two year refurbishment programme and expected to open in 2020.

Hammam Experience

Don’t miss being steamed, soaped, scrubbed and massaged with rose, jasmine or orange blossom oils into a state of utter relaxation – there’s everything from a traditional no-frills public hammam, to a luxury spa experience.

Shop-till-you-drop in the souks

The bowling like passageways of the souks are devoted to everything from fragrant spices to leather bags, slippers to carpets; with artisans weaving, hammering or carving out their various wares.

Sampling Moroccan Cuisine

Food is relatively inexpensive in Marrakech and it is easy to find local dishes all over the city. We enjoyed a good range of Moroccan delicacies at the hotel, so kept the street sampling food to minimal.

Some lip smacking cuisine which we loved and recommend are mechoui (spicy lamb roast), khobz (bread), fresh olives, dates, harira (tomato soup) couscous, tajines, and sweet mint tea.

Day trips

To add excitement, zeal and adrenaline pumping to your holidays, try to organise the some day trips. You can use hotel advisors to book one, where you stay if facility is available or can book one yourself.

Explore foothills of the Atlas Mountains

Agafay Desert

Escape the city hubbub and head 30 miles south to the fertile Ourika Valley for some energy fuelled activity.

Tips

I would consider hiring a guide or booking a tour if I was not staying at Rui tikida, as the Tui representative were absolutely wonderful to guide and help you with travelling and exploring the city to the best of their knowledge and awareness, hence one could decide plan and act accordingly. It was treasure of information for us, as with a toddler most of the time was occupied.

Very little information is available in most of the museums and palaces, and a good local guide can provide a large amount of background and context for your visits, if it’s your area of interest.

Dress appropriately: It’s best to keep shoulders and knees covered to avoid unwanted attention.

Vendors and shopkeepers range from being polite to downright aggressive, so just be prepared for this before going into the square or medina through the souks. If a henna artist grabs your hand or a performer tries to drape a snake around your neck, be prepared to firmly say “no” and walk away if you are not interested in buying anything or paying for a photo opportunity.

The tourist police patrol fairly regularly, but be cautious with your wallets and any valuables as open gardens of square and walking places, it is a common place for pickpockets to operate.