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Marrakech

Updated: Jun 22, 2024

Introduction

Marrakech is one of those hidden wonders of the world. Hustling and bustling with people, animals (!), delicious food, oasis experiences and a rich heritage and culture. This visit was a solo birthday excursion, so the recommendations below are based on my personal experience with some colourful visual representation as well. The following was for a 4 night trip and I spent a total of just over £1,200 including flights from London Stansted airport with Ryanair.


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Pricing

Cost wise, Marrakech is a pretty affordable city break. You have the option of splurging on accommodation and meals out, or you can spend a bit more time exploring the myriad of alleyways for something more cheap and cheerful. As it was a birthday trip for me and the first time in the city, I played it safe with my selections. Nothing that broke the bank, but definitely a bit more luxurious than I would usually opt for on a city break.

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Accommodation

For my choice and definitely a recommendation for accommodation, it has to be Riad Elegancia. Now, there are a number of all inclusive and luxury options in Marrakech. TUI have a couple of resorts there themselves. Morocco is synonymous with riad style homes and hotels (a riad is a building with rooms and common areas around a central courtyard), and to really experience the culture and incredible hospitality, you must stay in one if it's your first trip. Elegancia is the smaller sister Riad of La Maison Arabe (though this is a more luxurious and therefore more expensive location). The Riad itself is nestled away behind a small market near Bab Doukkala which is a pretty central location. Be prepared to get lost down the windy, tiny streets to find it but Google Maps is actually pretty accurate if you go slow and follow it properly. There is also usually a helper from the hotel situated off the main market to help you down the side streets. All rooms generally come with breakfast included which is an absolute feast! It's like a never ending barrage of food which is intrinsic to Moroccan culture. Oh and don't forget the mint tea on tap. The Riad has two quaint courtyards which are stunning and a small rooftop pool & hot tub. The decor is to die for, and the staff and the most courteous I've met. As it was my birthday whilst I was there, they surprised me with cake and a song for breakfast which was genuinely adorable! And most importantly, the hotel has its' own SPA! Yes you heard that right, you can have an authentic hammam right in the comfort of the hotel. I think the pictures speak for themselves really..




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Sightseeing / Experiences

Marrakech is filled with beautiful and historic architecture for your exploration. As someone with a great love of amateur photography, I actively seek out unique locations to explore and photograph. Marrakech did not dispoint. Below is a list of the places I visited with corresponding website links, pricing, recommendations on the best time to go. Don't forget to check out the gallery at the end of this guide for all the photos from the wonderful spots.


  1. Le Jardin Majorelle - owned by YSL and Pierre Bergé, but originally designed as a botanical garden with french influence. It's absolutely stunning. You have to book tickets in advance, and I definitely recommend booking the earliest slot available AND getting there well ahead of time because it gets extremely busy. It's set over a couple of acres, includes a cute cafe in the centre so you can take a break and refresh. I bought a combined ticket which also gave me access to the main YSL museum which is just down the road and this cost me 300dhs (MAD) which is about £24.

  2. Le Jardin Secret - I stumbled upon this next oasis by chance. I'd found out about it when I was researching the trip before I went, but I had a couple of hours to kill before a dinner reservation and just walked round a corner in the Medina to the entrance of this garden. The one thing Marrakech does well is secret oasis gardens. Entrance was 100dhs (MAD), around £8 but this does differ depending on the time of year and if you are eligible for any concessions.

  3. Bahia Palace - a 19th century palace and a great representation of Safi influence and the classic Moroccan Riad style homes, even grand ones such as this. I managed to go around lunchtime, which was pretty darn hot in June, but that also meant that the palace wasn't completely overrun with tourists. You can relax is the many nooks of the courtyards, or just enjoy the vastness of the space. Entrance is 70dhs (MAD), around £6.

  4. El Badi Palace - what once would have been a grand palace, now lies in ruin for tourists to visit. Representative of the Saadian dynasty, the palace fell into ruin after the Sultan who resided there passed way in the early 1600's. You have to use your imagination when you wander around the grounds and reflect on how this grant estate would have been used in its' hey day. Entrance is 70dhs (MAD), around £6 and children can enter for free.

  5. The Medina - I didn't get many pictures at all of the medina as the vendors can get very funny about that and force you to buy something. The windy, dark, narrow streets of the market are like a rabbit warren full of colours and smells. An absolute assault on the senses, the Medina is not for the faint hearted. I didn't experience much of the shouting to buy something that I was warned about, but it's still a very full on experience. But, with that said, it's absolutely the heart of Marrakech and a must visit. You can buy pretty much ANYTHING in these tiny stores, but they specialise in spices, intricate lights, and of course the all famous tagines of Morocco. Google Maps is pretty accurate here but just go slow and stick to the streets with more shops which are the main arterial routes through.

  6. A Cooking Class @ La Maison Arabe - A highlight of my trip and a definite recommendation. I'm a big foodie and love to cook so I definitely wanted to learn how to cook a traditional moroccan meal. The team at La Maison Arabe were absolutely amazing. The attention to detail on teaching everyone the different spices used in moroccan cuisine, to even teaching us how to make authentic mint tea. It was such an amazing experience and money well spent. On the menu was a simple shirazi salad, a warm aubergine and tomato salad and a classic chicken tagine. All cooked following the expert guidance of the head chef. This does need to be booked in advance and costs 600mad (about £48) for the workshop or 800mad (about £65) for the workshop with wine pairing. That's the best bit, you eat the food you've cooked after!


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Food

The star of the show of course, Moroccan cuisine. I splurged on this trip and went to pretty upmarket places rather than trying the market stalls. Given I was travelling solo, I just didn't want to stress about being overwhelmed with too much choice of nice food as well. I've uploaded a few photos and named the restaurants within the captions, but I did have a couple of delicious meals at my hotel which were all prepared at the main hotel La Maison Arabe, 100% recommended.

  • Nomad Marrakech - a multi-level restaurant with focus on local, fresh and seasonal cuisine

  • La Maison Arabe - slightly more upmarket, traditional morrocan cuisine with live music in the evenings

  • Naranj - lebanese influenced cuisine, easily missed restaurant but utterly delicious food

  • DarDar Rooftop - Now this is a stylish, if a bit cheesy, rooftop bar & restaurant. There's a DJ, great cocktails and pretty delicious food. It's on the higher priced side I would say, but worth it for an escape







 
 
 

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