The term Marrakech comes from the Berber mur (n) kish, Land of God. Or so it seemed. After almost a year of blogging and a lifetime of traveling you feel you know it all. You’re forty, independent, and have seen some World. You walk the streets of any country with a collection of passport stamps and lots of memories within you.
contrast is a thing that you can feel all over the city :
In case you visit Gueliz (the western portion of the city) and get interior the dividers of the ancient Medina , the environment is totallydistinctive .
A fewboulevardsinterior the ancient medina are maze-like, boisterous , grimy and exceptionally provincial .
Interiora few other places , shortage , poverity is all over.
In the event that you get interior a riad , it is clean , comfortable , well brightened and so modern ,in spite of the fact that .
Marrakech depends intensely on Tourism industry and it is sprouting fantastically.
For the final 2 decades , the number of visitors who come to Marrakech has expanded , as a result .
It is no pond era few individuals, interior the souk , will thrust as much as they can to offer you something .
Other than , you'll take note that there are more men than ladies interior the ancient medina , particularly in coffeshops .
The Arab Culture make men to be in control , especially inside the souk where most vendors are men .
Yes Marrakech is safe even for solo women travelers , though.
Let go all these negative pictures of Marrakech and you will draw a nice experience to you, for sure .
The trip to Marrakech is an adventure and you have to look at the positive side of it , nomatterhow.
All in all , you have to know the tricks to deal with your adventure to have a good experience in Morocco.
It takes few days to have a good stay in Marrakech , preferably 3 days .
The secret of the enchanting city is its location :
40 kilometeres to Agafay
90 kilometeres to Imlil in the High Atlas Mountains
560 kilometeres to Merzouga
191 kilometeres to Essaouira
In Our Blog , we recommend you stay in marrakech 3 or 4 nights to have a fullfleged picture of the red city.
Furthermore, if you plan a trip to Morocco, it is much better to start first with Marrakech .
Marrakech Travel Guide : Best Places To Visit
The Jamaalfna Big Square : comes at the top of the list in Marrakech Travel Guide
There is nothing like the square on earth ,a very unique place .
Snake charmers, watersellers , monkey tamers,acrobats, musicians,traders, tourists,drummers entertain passers-by every day.
During day time , the square is not crowded but you can t find your out of it at night time .
Our blog tip is : everything has a price in the square.
Expect to give some money if you take pictures of entertainers.
Have a cup of mint tea on the rooftop which looks upon the hustle and bustle of the square.
Recently, tripadvisor has described the square as one of the Top Rank Places in Morocco. Don t miss it please.
The Maze of the old medina :
The old medina is so vast ,big and its labyrinth is confusing .There are many streets , alleyways, dead ends and nowmatter what you know , you get lost .
If you want to venture inside the market , please book a certified guide .
Our blog tip is to help you understand and get knowledge about Morocco but you can book directly with us if you would like private tours and well organized holiday.
Bahia Palace :
A showcase of the beautiful palaces which combines andalusian and moorish architecure , a masterpeice.
The place dates back to the late 19 century and was owned by the chamberlain of the king at that time .
The courtyards in it , the tiles ,the marble , the painted cyderwood- ceilings and the carved plaster add up to the place s beauty and splendour.
The place extends over 8 acres and has more than 150 rooms that worths a tour .
The bahia palace was thought to be the first conscruction in north africa to use the stain glass for its embellishment.
If you love taking pictures of palaces , i think you are in the right place .
Our blog tip is to take a certified tour guide to know more about the history of the palace.
Menara Garden :
The Menara garden is a spacious ,beautifil heaven , away from the noise of the old medina and it dates back to the 12 th century.
History has it that Almohads use the pool inside it to train the soldiers on swimming to be well prepared for war battles .
Today , the garden is a place of disconnection , meditation and relaxation .
the old olive trees ,the landscape , the pavillion which was built in it refects itself on the water of the basin is a view not to miss.
Sultan Abd al Rahman used the pavillion as a summer risidence .
Our blog tips :
Buy some bread inside the garden and feed the carp fish inside the Menara pond.
use a hat because it is hot on summer time .
Evyes Saint Laurent Garden
Originally , the garden is named after the french painter Jack Majorelle ,who came to Marrakech during the 1920 s .
Afterwards , Yves Saint Laurent and Piere Berge’ restored it and made it so pretty .
The garden has ,approximately, 350 botanical plants and the most dominating colour in it is dark blue.
Besides , it is a peice of heaven on earth and it is the right place away from the hustle and bustle of the old medina .
Travel tips : the Beber museum is very intersting as it will help you to understand the berbers better .Don t miss it please.
The garden has also a souvenir shop and Evyes Laurent s artwork to have a look at .
Finally , make sure to go early to the garden, during the high season, to avoid the long lines of visitors.
Stay in a Traditional Riad
The best way to experience Marrakech city is to stay in a tradional riad inside the old Medina .
The word riad means a garden on the inside with a fountain and an open ceiling .
Originally , riads were owned by the rich families in Marrakech and other cities as well .
Today , riads (guest houses) are one of the lucrative businesses we have in the city and most of them are owned by the French.
Riads are special because they look old on the outside, but when you go inside they are pretty and magical.
Riads are very calm and peaceful places to relax in. They are a good escape from the loud and crowded streets of the old medina.
To sum it up : staying in a riad inside the old medina of Marrakech is an authentic and unique experience . Go ahead and do it .
The souk :
One of the main tourists attraction in Marrakech is the market that we recommend it highly to see .
The history of the souk dates back to the foundation of the city during the almoravid and almohad dynasty.
Marrakech was and still is a busy place for buying and selling, and the souk is the most important part of the old city. So get ready to use your senses when you start in this big market with over 2000 stores.
The smells of spices , the vivid colours of the scarves , the hustle and busle of the streets , the atmoshere of the whole place is miraculous .
The souk has everything and anything you want to buy or look at (rugs , slippers, caftans , spices , lamps and much more) .However, the whole market is divided into sections depending on the items for sale .
Having said that , start from the square Jamaalna to get inside the souk and get a map .
Besides , negotiation is a must .
If you want to know more about shopping ,haggling and the souk , Please click here .
The Saadian Tombs :
The saadian tombs is one of the highlights of the kasbah and our blog recomends it highly to anyone visiting Marrakech.
The whole site dates back to the 16 th century when Morocco was at the pinnacle in culture, architecture and power .
The french excavated the royal family cemetery in 1917 and opened it to the public , afterwards .
The 12 columns chamber is the best within the whole graveyard and it holds the most important members of the royal family :
Ahmed Al Mansour Dahbi .
Don t miss to see the golden ceiling ,the colourful tiles and carved- marble walls of the middle chamber .
Travel guide tips : you should also go early to visit the site to avoid the long queues during the high season.
The Traditional Hammam :
Marrakech can be so chaotic , noisy , hot , dusty, stressful and the best way to feel good is to indulge yourself in a hammam.
The Marrakechi people go to the public bath at least once in a week and our Marrakech Tour Guide blog recomend it for you too .
A comunity hammam is fine but if you want some privacy or 5 stars treatments , we recommend the private bath for you .
The unique experience of the Hammam will make your body and mind releived and rejuvenated .
In Marrakech, hammam varies from affordable to luxury ones .
Blog tips : do some researchs on line before you go through the experience .