July 20, 2019
Marrakech Podcast:
A Marrakech visit is an absolutely delightful way to spend your vacation! Since this would have turned into a small novel if l decided to just write about it, l added an accompanying podcast so as to squeeze in as much information as possible. Our journey started out a little rough when l realized upon getting to the airport that l had forgotten my luggage at home :-(. I only had my purse and toothbrush on me!
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A trip to the souk fixed that upon arrival though. Marrakesh deserves your visit. Here are the reasons why l think more and more people are discovering a part of Africa that has long been a playground for the extremely rich and very famous people like The Beatles in their prime, The Rolling Stones, and Winston Churchill.
Reasons to visit Marrakesh:
- Majorelle Gardens
- Medina
- Cheap flights
- Ben Yousser Madrasa school
- Agdal Gardens
- Koutoubia Mosque
- Bahia Palace
- Favourable currency exchange making for a cheap holiday in Morocco
- Menara Gardens
- Saadian Tombs
- Hamaam Experience
Cheap flights to Marrakech: A great reason to visit Marrakech
There are lots of airlines offering cheap flights to Marrakech. These airlines include big companies like KLM and Iberia. Right along with them are no frills airlines like Vueling and Ryanair. Since we lived in Seville, our flight was less than $50 RT per ticket and we flew Seville to Marrakech on Ryanair. The journey time was just under an hour which was absolutely fantastic. To find great flights to Marrakech, I suggest using a website like Skyscanner to find the best routes and prices.
History of Marrakesh:
Turbulent history- Marrakech went through so many power struggles and captures in it’s over a thousand-year history. It still managed to rise from the literal ashes and stands as a true testament in the face of adversity. It was ruled at various times by the Almoravids, the Marinids and the Saadians. It ultimately became a French Protectorate and home to stars like Maurice Chevalier, Edith Piaf and Josephine Baker. Marrakesh became independent in 1956.
The new city (Ville Nouvell), now called Gueliz was formed by the French diplomats, and planner Henri Post was commissioned to design it in 1914 on the outskirts of the Medina walls. Marrakesh became a “hippie Mecca” in the 60’s and a lot of the rock stars and fashion designers made homes there. Moroccans launched a grand plan to rid themselves of the long-haired westerners and their drug culture, clearing them out by the mid 70’s. French expats then moved in and began renovating the old town. It became a UNESCO heritage in 1982. Gueliz is where you would find all the modern conveniences of life, like banks, ATM, mall, theater etc. I prefer the old town.
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Connection to South Spain (Andalusia) and Seville in particular. The Koutoubian mosque minaret is actually a twin of the one at the Giralda. Same thing for the one at the Hassan Tower in Rabat. Since the Giralda was used as a model for so many other church towers, like Moscow’s Red Square ones for instance, you could say it’s influence is indeed far-flung.
Arabic is the official language, with French being the second language. It makes sense therefore that most of the tourists are French people. A lot speak English as well, especially the younger ones, so don’t let that stop you.
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Where to stay in Marrakech:
Our fantastic Riyadh Farhan experience, right in the middle of the Medina. Don’t even think of staying anywhere else 🙂
Find fantastically priced Hotels in Marrakech
What to see in Marrakech: Not to miss places
The Djemaa el Fna Square
The main square in the Medina. Huge and lively. This is where you find the snake charmers and some scary looking monkeys and their handlers. Do not take pictures of them though, unless you are willing to shell out €1-2 per picture. No, thank you!
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Majorelle Gardens Marrakesh:
Why is there a monument to Yves Saint Laurent you ask? Because he donated it to his adopted city. He was a famous designer and this was his primary house that he shared with his partner for many years. This is a bit far from the old Medina, so you would need to take a cab. It’s worth seeing though. The beauty of the garden and the house itself is quite lovely. He had good taste and he was beloved by the people.
Agdal Gardens Marrakesh: Must see place in Marrakech
Loads of Palm trees jostling for space with super humongous estates, and camels too! You can do a camel ride here for cheaper than most other places. It’s a gigantic Botanical Garden.
Menara Gardens is a must see in Marrakech
Reservoir with water from the Atlas mountains. Wonderful history behind it. Our guide was really nice and very knowledgeable too. It’s a big hangout for families on the weekends we’re told. This is a 12th century Botanical Garden. Orchids and Olive groves and beautiful.
Saadian Tombs on your Marrakech Itinerary:
Grand final resting place of the Saadian rulers, and dates back to 1578. The tombs were discovered in 1917. There is a gigantic mausoleum inside holding the remains of about 60 members of the Saadi Dynasty. Absolutely grand and amazing, befitting of royalty. Make sure to check out the room with the 12 columns that has the actual grave of the Sultan’s son Ahmad al-Mansur (Sultan from 1578-1603) and the most famous ruler of the Saadis). It’s very impressive with the Italian marble and stucco work.
Ben Youssef Madrasa school of Koran:
A grand old school for teaching the Koran is one of the highlights of a Marrakech visit. The rooms are so tiny and it’s hard to imagine a person actually being able to live and sleep in there. It is the biggest Madrasa in Morocco. The inscription at the entrance reads ‘You who enter my door, may your highest hopes be exceeded’. It was used for teaching for over 400 years and it’s definitely worth seeing.
Bahia Palace:
Old deserted secondary palace, signs of its grandeur exist in the interior at least. Built in the late 19th century, it was meant to be stunner, the mother lode of palaces, but it never came to be. Bahia means Brilliance. It’s kind of sad that it doesn’t get any use, but it’s worth seeing for the stunning detailed work and you can imagine how grand it must have felt back in the glory days.
My Hammam experience in Marrakesh: (not on podcast)
I chose to have a private Hammam scrub at the Les Cinq Sens in the Djemaa el Fna Square. It is a female only beauty center. The Hammam is the Moroccan version of the Turkish bath. I had this lady who was so thorough, so good. You are first put into a room, given a locker to store your stuff and told to strip, leaving only your panties if you want. I was then taken into this huge steam room. She filled up a huge vat with warm water and lathered me with some sort of licorice soap. I was left to steam, (the room smelled of Eucalyptus) for about 15 minutes.
Next, I was taken to another room and told to lie face down. She put on a glove and went to work. She scrubbed every single part of my body, every nook and cranny, right down to a shampoo. There was no hiding anything from that gloved hand :-). You look at all the dead cells and dirt that are scrubbed of you, and you’re just like wow! because you can’t believe it. I had never felt cleaner, even though l was left with a few tiny bumps on my body.
My skin felt baby smooth, and l loved it. Finally, l was wrapped in a huge comfy bathrobe and led to a bed where l promptly fell asleep for a few minutes after sipping on some mint tea. I added on a tonic massage to my scrub, so another girl came to get me when she was ready. The massage was so good, and yes, l nodded off too. It was a great afternoon. My husband wandered around the square while l enjoyed myself. You definitely want to do this. My bill was €32, worth every penny. There are public Hammams which are much cheaper. They are usually €1 to enter and get the scrub, then you tip your scrubber about €5 bringing your total to €6 as opposed to my €12 for the private one. I prefer private 🙂
Helpful Hints for visiting Marrakech:
Haggling at the Souk: Don’t accept the first price they ask you as it already has a “foreigner” addition. The belief is that all visitors have money to burn and will think the prices are still favourable when converted. While true, it doesn’t mean you should overpay as your money will not last long. My rule of thumb is always to come 35-40% of the asking price and then work your way up. Trust me, as a Nigerian, you’ll pay closer to the actual value this way. If it’s absolutely undoable, they won’t even bother with a counteroffer. Now, you know it’s too low, go to the next market offering the same and start a bit higher :-).
Respect the country and cover up : Being a Muslim country, please dress respectfully. This is no place for your short-shorts or tank tops. Jeans, tee shirts are acceptable. Carry a versatile scarf with you to cover up in case you need to enter a mosque. Remember you are a guest and should not force your beliefs on them.
Food in Marrakech (what we ate on our Marrakesh visit)
Pastilla:
Charwama:
Tagine:
Any food cooked in a tagine is bound to be delicious, be it chicken, beef, veggies or couscous. Try them all
Street food was a big part of our Marrakech visit:
Going to the medina for dinner should be done at least once during your Marrakech visit. Prepare to be hassled though. The vendors are relentless to the point of exasperation, all in an effort to get you to eat at their stall. You might have to get a bit stern to get them to back off.
Mint Tea: A fitting end to every meal. It is a great way to digest your food and it tastes great. Very refreshing.
Don’t forget that this is a Muslim country. You should not expect to find alcohol in most places. Your hotel might have it, ours did, but it was €4 for a 250 ml can 🙁 and a glass of wine was l think €6..yikes!
We brought back with us a couple of tagines to cook with. We also splurged on some really good quality saffron. Very pricey, even there as we wanted the best quality one. We had one of the hotel staffers purchase it as part of their order and it was worth it.
Marrakech Visit Total cost :
Flights, accommodation and shopping total came to roughly $700. The flights were the cheapest flight, The figure is slightly high because as l mentioned earlier, I forgot my suitcase at home and had to purchase clothes, undies and slippers etc to wear whilst there.
Was it worth it? Yep! absolutely.
Is Marrakech safe to visit?
Safe? Yes, Marrakesh is a very safe place. I think it has to do with the fact that there is little alcohol available. It reminds me of Istanbul in that aspect. Lovely! I think for the most part, most Muslim countries are safe to visit as the laws are pretty strict with regards to stealing.
Do you need a visa to visit Marrakech? People from the U.S. will not require one to visit for up to 90 days. All you need is a valid passport. The same goes for people from E.U. countries and Canada. Most other countries would require a visa for entry, so make sure you check before making your arrangements if you are from outside the above countries.
Plan on getting lost in the Medina. Oh..it’s going to happen a lot!!! Find your way back to the hotel or Riad with the help of the locals, but make sure you negotiate a price before you have them lead you. Those little kids can be aggressive and will demand a ransom so you need to be firm, or find an officer.
What do you think of Marrakesh? Have you ever been? Did you like it? and would you recommend it to others? If not, does this sound like a place you would like to visit?
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Nice post Kemkem. I was there over 30 years ago and I remember the poverty and people with weird diseases begging for money. And lepers. First lepers I ever saw. I was 17 and it was a shock to the senses.
Looks a lot more civilized now.
But my question comes from Spanky: did you buzz cut your hair or do you have a pony tail going on? Hair has become an issue on our travels with her having that Afro/Latino hair that frizzes up and breaks, or just explodes in humidity. She’s thinking of buzzing it all off like that black lady did in that season of the Amazing Race. She’s just working up the courage. So I guess the question is what do you do with your hair 🙂 Enquiring minds want to know.
Frank (bbqboy)
Thanks Frank. Yes, it has changed quite a bit. I can’t even begin to imagine how it must have been all those years ago. Aaah..the hair. It is a buzz cut! At various times in life, l have had short and long hair.When my sister’s hair fell off and she shaved it off (chemo), l shaved mine as well. Her hair grew back, even after the second round 2 years later. Mine never did. Her hair was longer than mine when she passed away. I decided there were more important things in life than hair, like Life! :-). It’s good though, l think of her every time l rub my head, which is quite often..and my hair cost is like zilch..just Federico’s clippers! Tell her to ..just do it! Very freeing.. 🙂
What a sad story, I didn’t expect that. I’m sorry to hear about your sister. I always tell her the same, who needs it – women go crazy about their hair and I don’t get it. When you have a pretty face, who needs stupid hair covering it up? 🙂 I much prefer she concentrate on the important things, like wearing tight skirts and showing a bit of cleavage. Ok, just kidding 🙂
Thanks Frank. Hah hah! Federico says the same thing! He’s like “who cares”. I guess we are just conditioned that way.. I’ll bet you’re only half kidding 🙂
Yeah, only half kidding 🙁
Overall how did you find the shopping experience? Did you enjoy haggling with the merchants? I loved that about Morocco overall. Also how tightly they’ve held on to their traditions given their proximity to Spain and Portugal. Very impressive.
I love haggling! Don’t forget it’s in my blood. My mom was a master at it, and l have gone shopping with her. Once in L.A, we were in the same store for like 5 hours in a fabric store. She and the man, who was Lebanese went at it. We had lunch and tea with him over all the negotiations back and forth.. :-). We left with tons of stuff, but both sides were happy. The man was so thrilled.. hah hah! I did have to leave Federico outside a few times. He has no poker face and is willing to pay whatever is asked which totally ruins my game. I’m glad everything is still like it was in the Medina. Hope it never goes away. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
Marrakesh and Morocco have long been at the top of my buckest list. Just reading about it makes me want to go there even more. Looks like an awesome trip.
I hope you get to go soon. It really is a fantastic place with an interesting history. I would love to experience Fes now, so l can compare for myself. Thanks for reading and for the comment.
Looks beautiful! I don’t know if I could pull off an outfit like that though =)
Oh, you could totally carry it off. There were lots of westerners wearing this. The only down side were the merchants constantly bugging me trying to sell me the same thing in other colors :-)… And for cheaper, they would say.. Hahaaa!!!
My favourite bit of Marrakesh was the market. I love haggling with the merchants and got a fab deal on pashmina scarves. I hope to go back some day and I’ll drag Yomi along!
You??? Haggling?? I can’t picture it :-). I didn’t even think of getting scarves there! Will have to next time… I hope to go to other parts of Morocco too. I think your husband would love it as well. Thanks for the comment my love!
Oh no you forgot your luggage! Haha this reminds me of traveling to Japan with my sister only to find her luggage got stuck back in NYC–we had to live out of my suitcase for a few days!;-) This trip looks INCREDIBLE! The food, the markets, the colors…would LOVE to visit exotic Marrakesh!
Yep! I was so busy making sure l had all the dog stuff for the pet sitter :-). It didn’t even click when we dropped them off and opened the trunk to get the stuff..duh. It was only at the airport when we noticed.. Hah hah! Lucky your sister was able to share your stuff. I did end up wearing one of Federico’s t-shirts. Looking back at the pictures, l see it says f***king 1964!!! Which is why l didn’t post any, l just saw 1964 and Los Angeles 🙂
Love your images. You sure made me wanna visit Marrakesh now.
It makes me feel good to hear that.. :-). I hope you guys get over there at some point. Thanks for the comment.
I can’t believe you forgot your luggage. I thought of your mom with a giggle as soon as I saw the word “Haggling”.
I’m loving your posts……I’m getting to travel with you from home….,miss the travel in person though
Ha ha! I knew you would get a kick out of the haggling part..she was the master of haggling :-). I’m glad you’re loving the posts. I miss our travels as well, perhaps we can do a side trip in November when we all meet up?
I really wasn’t expecting Marrakesh to be as impressive as you made it look like – and the photos do back you up! The food looks indeed amazing, stuff that I never tried and I’d love to. I like the fact that the food seems pretty healthy compared to what you are offered as a tourist everywhere else.
You left out a bit on the Total Cost – I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but I really was curious to see the numbers :))
PS: You’ll have some fierce competition from Federico with the podcasts. I did listen to it a bit, even though I don’t know any Italian, and he sounds nice and smooth too!
I didn’t know what to expect going in. I was pleasantly surprised, especially because it was nice to see that the old part is left intact, and the western influences are outside of the gates in the new city. I love that! Yep, you would love the food. The only “new junk food” place close to the Medina is a KFC just outside of the city wall. It looks so out of place to me, but let’s hope it stops there. I left out the total cost on purpose so you would have to listen to the podcast.. :-). You can be sneaky and go towards the end, and l have the costs listed.. Speaking of which, it might be his first and last podcast, l don’t need the competition.. LOL! 😉
I loved everything in this post! Definitely bookmarking. And I wouldn’t dare staying anywhere else… looks amazing! I’d love to have a spa experience like that but I don’t think I’m brave enough 😉 Thanks so much for sharing.
Happy travels 🙂
Thanks Lauren! I wasn’t brave enough for the public spa experience this time, but might try it next time. It wasn’t bad really, as it was just me and her. After the first few nervous seconds, l was over it and smiling the rest of the time. Are you still in Europe? If so, l hope you’re having a wonderful time.
Kemkem..how on earth did you manage to forget your luggage??!! I have seen and heard so much about Marrakesh that I really want to visit now. Looks like you had a wonderful time. Is there anything you didn’t do/see that you wish you had?
Anyway I heard this song and thought of you (for obvious reasons) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC8feW4gomo
Rachael, it was so funny (later on). I was in such a rush to gather everything for the dogs :-). I still can’t believe that l didn’t think about it, even after we got to the sitter’s house, getting their stuff from the trunk..and mentally seeing his luggage, it still didn’t click until we got to the airport..Hah hah! I wish we had gotten to see the other palace that was under renovation. It looks so neat from the pictures. I am glad that we did hire a tour guide who was really good, and all these place were €1 each entry fee!, a bargain. I liked that video, l just wish l had the afro to back up my name..lol. You think if l add the e to my name, my hair will grow? 😉
Jave and I were just talking about possibly taking an anniversary trip to Morocco next spring, so this is a timely post! Marrakesh looks wonderful! I skipped the Turkish bath experience in Turkey, so I’d love to get one in Morocco. I think it’s worth the extra cash for a private experience. This post really has me pumped now! 😉 Great picture of you, by the way!
Oooh.. I think you guys would love Morocco! I think l would repeat the private Hammam experience. I would be too shy with so many people. I think it’s worth the €12 for the private. It was so good, and it was right in the Djamaa el Fna square. I went in, had everything done, and continued traipsing around the square.. Cool, l’m glad it’s got you excited, the prices are cheap too. We rarely paid more than €4 per person for food.
Wow what an article talking about one of my favorite cities! Marrakesh is as crazy as fascinating! Riyadh Farhan looks amazing really! Hum… those tajines look amazing by the way. Big kiss all the way from Ouarzazate – south Morocco.
That is an awesome compliment coming from someone very familiar with the city :-). We had a great time, and yes the Riyadh was fantastic. The tajines were good, just missing more meat.. (sorry, l know you don’t eat meat). Next time, we hope to do Fez so we can compare. I have to check out your area too! Thanks for the comment..
I can’t belive that you left your stuff behind kemkem! I would have gone in a bit of a panic especially with my shoes. I have large feet LOL! Anyhoo! Marrakesh looks absolutely define. I’ve never been but I really want to now. Do you have a link to the riad? And the souks look great and cheerful. And the food looks yum. Sign me up! Sign me up!
Oh l did! :-). I decided to just laugh it off and deal with it as l always do. It wasn’t too bad as the weather is pretty pleasant, so l know l could get away with slippers, and l did have the ones l was wearing. When we got to the riad and told them what happened, one of the workers took us to the Medina, and waited with us the whole time. It was kind of tricky as they are cracking down on unlicensed tour guides, so we had to stay a few yards behind him so we wouldn’t get stopped by the cops.. :-). The food was great. I will email you the riad’s website.You should visit!
I certainly will!
Good. I have also put in a link for the riad in the post. I hope you get to visit and stay there. You would love it, and l know the tall young gentle man and the music producer would like it as well 🙂
Thank you. I’ve put it on my file for when we visit. Probably next year though as 2015 is for Europe…. 🙂
YOUR FABULOUS BLOG makes me want to get on a plan this morning!
Haha! Thanks for that. You should get on the plane… 🙂 ;-).
Wow you make me so excited for my Morocco getaway! Those photos are stunning, i bet you intentionally left your luggage to have an excuse for shopping galore!
I’m sure you’ll have fun! Thanks for the compliment and comment. I was stunned when we got to the airport to find my suitcase awol.. 😉 . You’re right though, it was fun shopping. Can you believe we brought tajine back and we have yet to use them. I am such a lazy twat 😉
Great post, Kemkem. Love your photographs. Both brought back fond memories. Your hamam experience sounds amazing. I found the “pay-for-photographs” practice disconcerting. My dorm mate at the hostel was caught taking a picture of the snake charmers, and once she’d made an appropriate contribution she was allowed to take a few more (which she shared with me). I ended up using them for a blog post on animal welfare and tourism (https://packinglighttravel.com/other-travel-tips/animal-welfare-tourism/). Visiting Marrakech was an interesting experience, and I’m pleased it challenged me to think more about the use of animals around tourists. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
I swear it was all l could do to stop Federico from wanting to harm the monkey handlers. Those poor things looked so miserable :-(. It’s just insane, there are more people waiting to catch people taking photographs than spectators it seems. I will definitely check out your blog post. Thanks so much for you comment. Yeah, it really is an interesting place. Thanks for the compliment too. Much appreciated 🙂 .
Marrakesh is on the top on my wish list, I really want to visit these wonderful cities and of course eat some of those delicious foods. Thank you for giving me foundation of my vacation trip.
Good. I hope you get there. It is really a lovely city, and yep..delicious food. You would have a great time, so much history. Thanks for reading.
Very timely and informative post, Kemkem. Going to Marrakesh with family in December and currently making plans for everyone. Did you visit any other city in Morrocco (this time or previously)? We are also traveling to Fes.
Oh how nice! It’s a pretty unique city, chaotic but fun. Unfortunately we only did Marrakesh. I’ve heard good things about Fes though, like the merchants are less aggressive in the souk and l think they also have the goats on the trees which l would have liked to see. I hope you all have a wonderful time in Morocco :-).