Marrakesh- Morocco

Jojo T
Apr 7, 2017
3 min read

This February I travelled to Marrakesh to attend the wedding of my good friend and watching her get hitched to the lovely Steve- I wish you both many many years of blissful marriage!

This was the first time I have ever visited, travelling alone, I was a little hesitant from all the stories I have heard, and to be honest, if you are reckless or a little careless there are ways in which you could make yourself a target to those seeking a free picket from you. SO, remember wherever you are keep your wits with you, don't leave them at home, you'll need them!.

So, lets get back to the holiday, so the first part was dedicated to the wedding, but the rest of the time I had lots of time to explore and if I am honest, I really should of planned my excursions better, I mean I could of done a trip to the Sahara desert if I arranged this before I left- look you live and you learn- as I don't think that you can spend more than 3 days there without feeling you have been there and done that.

I stayed at Dar (not a Riad) called Dar Tasnime which was about 10 minutes walk from the main square Jemaa el-fna where every route will lead you to a different part of the souks, so make sure you get a map and don't look lost! The owner of the Dar I stayed was a host of information and tips and hints to make your stay safe and enjoyable. Chakib the owner lives there with his wife and two daughters, if you are looking for reviews, find me on Tripadvisor where I wrote a review on my stay. I would really recommend this location if you are not looking to stay in the hustle and bustle of the souks but not too far to head into it if you are looking for a bargain or two!

Ok, the Souks, let me tell you that its not as scary as you think and if you do get lost most store owners are helpful- be careful not all of them- though to be honest most of them just want you to go into their shops to buy something. If you are looking to buy, please remember 'haggle' unless the prices are listed then there are no haggling required (my favourite-only cause I'm not very good at haggling, I must have the words easy target to rip off across my forehead!) My tip would be is to not engage with random people who are offering to help you, as I was told by Chakib that they want to lead you astray and then ask you for money to get you back to the path you was looking for. A few people at the wedding I attended had some scary experiences and I am sure they were the exception rather than then norm, cause I never experience anything like what they did.

To be honest I think that due to the culture of the Moroccan people they are very respectful to women and yes, I had a few store owners hassle me, which happens in most tourist places I have visited, they would normally leave you alone as long as you remember to say 'no' or 'next time' with a smile. Remember you are on holiday so don't get too worked up, I think people forget that while the flights to Marrakesh is just over 3 hours away, we are in Africa and the culture is different and as long as we respect their culture they too will return the favour!

Some of the best tourist attraction I visited which I love I have listed below and I will do a separate review on them, so please come back later as I promise I will try to get them up on my blog.

1- Jardin Majorelle

2-Medersa Ben Youssef- The Oldest School in Marrakesh

3- Saadian Tombs

4- Palais El Badii

5- Palais de le Bahia

6- Secret Garden

7- Musee de Marrakesh

8- New Town- in case you get bored of Tagines

There was definitely a lot more places to visit and try, but here are some pictures as taster of what there is to come.