thepinkginpassportThis was my first trip to the African continent and we had an amazing time. This is the perfect long weekend getaway, only a 3 hour flight from London and you’re quickly immersed in a unique culture, cuisine and landscapes. This guide will help you make the most of your time from where to stay to what to do in the city.
Where to stay in Marrakesh?
My Mum and I stayed in a Riad in the Medina (the walled city). A Riad is a traditional boutique hotel and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a more authentic stay rather than a 4 star hotel outside the city (where it would feel like you’re in any country). We stayed in Andalla Spa, the rooms, facilities and staff were excellent even arranging our airport transfers for us. As it was my first time in the country, as always I rebooked airport transfers with the hotel as it always gives me that extra confidence safety wise. Saying that, we felt very safe in Marrakech even when walking back from dinner at 11pm.
What to do in Marrakesh
The perks of staying in the Medina means we were a short walk away from the famous Souk markets. Staff at our Riad had given us their WhatsApp number so that if we wanted to purchase something we could take a picture of it and send to them and they would advise what price we should pay (as it is a haggling culture there). The small roads are busy, with traffic passing through but we felt very safe. As with any city keep your belongings close to you (same as London or Paris).
We also visited Madrasa Ben Youssef, a 16th century building and prayer hall which was so beautiful with a small entry fee. I would recommend visiting early in the morning while it is still cool in the summer as it gets very hot throughout the day.
When in Morocco, you might want to try a hammam. It’s a deep scrub and word of warning it’s when you’re completely naked and buckets of water are chucked over you. We booked ours through our Road which had its own hammam and had a massage after. I would still recommend as it’s such a big part of the culture there but maybe wish I had looked up what it was rather than it being a surprise! Goes without saying that men and women have separate hammams.
We also found walking through the city it was super clean. When we were up early for day trips at 6/7am there were lots of street cleaners out keeping it pristine.
Restaurants in Marrakesh
The food and famous Moroccan cuisine was a highlight of the trip for us and here were our favourites:
La Pergola
You certainly need to book a 9pm dinner reservation at this Riad/Jazz Bar. The evening live jazz band was fantastic. While the food wasn’t our favourite but would still recommend for the great cocktails and fantastic atmosphere. Very central location too so we had no trouble walking to and from here from our Riad.
Kabana Rooftop
Beautiful rooftop restaurant just outside the city walls of the Medina. We visited at lunchtime for wagu burgers and cocktails but it would also be perfect at sunset (pre booking required). They also serve sushi which looked incredible but as our Riad had warned us against eating seafood in the city we chose to be cautious.
Cafe Des Epices
Very close to the Souk, this is the perfect spot for lunch so much so we came back twice. I loved the chicken burger which was more like a pita with potatoes and mum got the lentils. I’d say this was the best food overall we had on the trip (and very reasonable prices).
What to wear in Marrakesh?
As a Muslim country you absolutely have to dress conservatively to respect the local customs and not draw unwanted attention to yourself. Everyone’s experiences are different but both myself and my Mum did not feel any unwanted attention on our trip but we also dressed appropriately. We wore long linen trousers, vest tops and long sleeved cotton shirts to feel cool and covered. Some days or evening I would switch this up with a maxi skirt and blouse. This is also important for if you are visiting mosques as you simply won’t be allowed in if your shoulders and knees are not covered. This also meant we didn’t get sunburnt as most of our skin was covered.
In terms of beaches, I would only wear a bikini if you are staying at a private resort with their own beach. When we visited Casablanca for the day we did not see anyone in a bikini and all the women were still wearing their full burkas at the beach with only men and children in the water. This might be different in other towns/cities especially if they are known for surfing along the East Coast (Morocco is a big country!)
Day trips from Marrakesh
While you could spend a weekend just in Marrakesh as we were visiting for 4 days we wanted to see more of Morocco.
Night in the desert
Our first evening we booked camel riding/dinner in the desert. This was our least favourite trip as what took 6 hours could have been 2 and it felt like a lot of waiting around. Also the camels didn’t look very well looked after so I wouldn’t do this again. Instead, if I was visiting for longer I would book an excursion to the Sahara Desert instead. Having dinner in a desert camp with the stars above is something I loved when I visited Jordan but I just don’t think you can experience that so close to a city.
Ouzoud Waterfalls
You can visit one of Africa’s largest waterfalls as a day trip from Marrakesh to the lower Atlas Mountains. This was our favourite trip as while it was a 3 hour drive each way, once we were out of the van it was action packed walking down to the waterfalls, having a boat tour up close to it, lunch and then more viewpoints. We also got to see wild monkeys and as always kept our distance (they seemed a lot more chill than the monkeys in Bali etc).
Casablanca
I would recommend a day trip to Casablanca rather than staying in the city itself as we found the main thing to do there was visiting the mosque Hassan II (second biggest in the world) which was very impressive and beautiful.
Atlas Mountains
If I had more time or revisited I would do a day trip to the Atlas Mountains maybe even in winter time to see them covered in more snow as I have heard such good things. Like with all trips there is always more you can do and a reason to come back. This is a destination I would say is great for solo travellers, friends, mum and daughter trips, couples and groups (hen parties seem to be becoming more and more popular here).
