Explore Marrakech

Among the recent tragic news was the bombing in Morocco, which will undoubtedly decrease tourism there. However, don't write this lovely country permanently off your list. We visited in the spring of 2001, and felt blessed by the hospitality and friendliness of the people and the great beauty and variety of the landscape. We stayed in Marrakech, with side trips to Ouarzazate and El Jadidah. We bought our food (and many other things) in the souks and went to Berber farm markets in the mountains. We learned a little Arabic from the local baker and the small children who were our guides wherever we went (there are now a lot of kids in Marrakech with Canadian key chains!) We heard the haunting calls of the muezzins and enjoyed fresh orange juice and dates in the Djemma El Fna (the central square). One advantage to Canadians is that virtually everyone speaks French. Often, the children in the hill villages speak three languages -- Berber, Arabic and French. I remember a lovely picnic beside a river near the Dades Gorge, where we learned to count in Berber from a boy who also learned to count in English from us. On another day, we climbed to the top of the huge kasbah in the desert at Ait Benhaddou where the film Jesus of Nazareth and many other films were shot.

Quick Tips:

Dress conservatively, especially in rural areas (men too!). This means, don't show your shoulders or wear shorts. The local people see this as distasteful and disrespectful, and you will not be treated with respect yourself if you're wearing a tank top. Foreign women do not need to wear a head covering, though local women usually do.

Best Way To Get Around:

In Marrakech, you can rent a car but walking is a wonderful way to get around, and is the ONLY way to navigate the souk with its narrow alleyways. For variety, you can take a horse-drawn carriage through the main streets. Taxis and some hotel shuttles are available from the airport. To go to other cities, there are some train routes and the long distance buses are quite comfortable. There are "grand taxis" that you can hire for your own long-distance itineraries.

Best Things Nearby:
French quarter amenities such as supermarket and internet cafe, many shops.

Best Things About the Resort:
It is luxurious, and the staff is friendly.

Resort Experience:
This is a tipping environment - you really need to leave tips for the cleaners (who tidy your room every day like in a hotel). Some hotel staff speak English, but most speak French and Arabic. The in-house restaurant is good but VERY expensive.

• Unit Type: Studio
• Activities: Fair
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Excellent

Rather than talk about a particular restaurant, I want to mention the food in general.

Try tajines, baked in a special bowl with a tented lid. Common varieties involve lamb or mutton or chicken, preserved lemons, olives, and spices. There are an enormous variety of olives here.

A large supermarket in the French quarter of Marrakech will provide staples, but go shopping in the souk as well! We bought some of the characteristic spice mixture Ras El-Hanut and added it to our home cooking. We also went to Berber markets in the mountains and bought local vegetables such as red leeks.

Finding it is fun because you can have a first stab at the souk and can combine a trip here with a look at the Medersa (old Islamic school), which is also open to tourists. If you like traditional ornate arches and fabulously intricate carving, as well as examples of modern Moroccan art, you will love it. It's open seven days a week.

For such a dry place (when we were there, Morocco had suffered a 10 year drought), Marrakech has its share of gardens, and they're worth visiting for a change from the hot dry streets and crowded souk. The most ornate and organized is the Jardin Majorelle, which also contains a museum of Islamic art which is worth a trip. It was created by a Frenchman named Jacques Majorelle early last century, and opened to the public in 1947. There is an entrance charge, but other parks in Marrakech, such as the Jardin Menara with its olive groves, have no such charge.