Marrakech is a wonderfully exotic place to visit considering it is only a three and a half hour flight from London, it is also now very accessible as Easy Jet fly there and therefore the price of flights is now affordable.
It has always been a place to visit from it’s hippy days to being incredibly trendy and this has increased recently with many buildings in the old part being converted into small hotels called Riads which in fact is the name for the courtyard they are built round.
When you arrive at Marrakech airport there are taxis and a local bus but if you are staying in the old part get your Riad to arrange your collection because you will need to be taken to wherever the car can get to then taken through the maze of streets with your baggage.
Dirhams the local currency is not available outside the country but euros are widely accepted and you can use your debit card to withdraw dirhams at any of the many banks.
If you are staying in the old part to get to the new part called Gueliz get a “Petit Taxi” which takes three people and is a very cheap way to travel, there is also a local bus service the No 1 goes from near the Kotoubia Mosque to Gueliz.
There are lots of big hotels in both the Hivernage and the Palmeraie areas but to really experience the city stay in one of the numerous Riads in the Medina these are split into North of the Jemaa El Fna Square (the heart of the city) and South of the square.
There are a number of web sites these days to check out but one that I would recommend is www.morocco-gateway.com. This is run by a couple Tim and Nicola who are passionate about all things Moroccan and they have a selection of riads throughout the country on their site plus lots of additional information including some on responsible tourism.
Of the o ther sites from which to choose your Riad some of the best are www.riadsmorocco.com, www.riadselection.com, www.riads-marrakech.net, and www.hipmarrakech.com there is a huge range of prices and also a wide variety of areas, personally although there are less I prefer the Southern Medina, it is more relaxed and there are a couple of excellent places for eating and drinking.
The Riad Clos des Arts is in the same area and is also a lovely building and is run by a charming French couple, it is also available via Riad Selection or their web site. €€
There is loads of choice Moroccan, French, Italian, Thai, even Indian. I have divided them up into the old part the Medina and the new part Gueliz. Nearly all the cheaper places in the old part will not sell alcohol the more up market ones and the ones in the new town will and there are some good Moroccan Wines, look for Cuvee de la President in red, white or rose.
Jemaa El Fna Square eat at one of the dozens of stall that come out at night stick to cooked items such as Kebabs and Cooked Vegetable dishes wander round until you find one you like you have to walk round at least once to listen to the patter from the men on the stalls.
Chez Chegrouni Place Jemaa El Fna- Sit down wait till you get a menu then write your order on the piece of paper you are given, this will then come back as your bill. The food is excellent and incredibly cheap, tajines (stews) and cous-cous be prepared to share one of the long tables. €
Argana Place Jemaa El Fna Go up stair to one of the two terraces for a great view and excellent Moroccan food some different such tagines such as rabbit. €
Le Marrakchi Place Jemaa El Fna Is more expensive but on the second floor it does have a great view of the square it sells wine but the food is probably not as good as either of the two above.€€
Narwama Rue Koutoubia not far from the square does Moroccan and Thai in a beautiful building with an amazing flaming fountain the food is
Good but the place is more the thing it also serves as a bar for pricey beers and cocktails.€€
Le Foundouk, 55 Souk El Fassi Kaai Ben Nahid near the Medersa Ben Youssef is worth seeking out very popular and booking at weekend nights essential go instead for lunch the menu is Moroccan and French the service wonderful and the building is beautiful €€
Sur une Ardoise Route de Targa, Gueliz is a fabulous French restaurant with top notch cooking and excellent service, wonderful value for money
Worth seeking out it is on the continuation of Avenue Mohammed V opposite Pizerria Niagra. €€
Kechmara Rue de la Liberte Gueliz, a very smart modern French restaurant with a great set lunch menu and a la carte it is very smart with good service and also worth visiting just for a drink at night €€
Al Fassia 55 Bld M. Zerktouni, is a very well know women run Moroccan restaurant booking essential the food is fine and the service good but perhaps not as good as it was €€
Le Comptoir, Avenue Rechouada, Gueliz/Hivernage is the trendy place to eat in Marrakech but don’t be put off book on a Friday or Saturday and as well as enjoying the cabaret enjoy either a French or Moroccan menu which is good and very reasonable priced for a place with such a reputation €€
La Tanjia 14 Derb J’Did Mellah, just next to Place des Ferblantiers and owned by the same people as Marrakachi this is a new restaurant, bar and terrace the food is good and very reasonably priced for the lovely surroundings entertainment some evenings €€
Dar Moha, 81 Rue Dar Bacha, Northern Medina it’s reputation is for the best Moroccan food in Marrakech and it is wonderful, the setting, the service, the food is all top nitch it doesn’t come cheap but worth every penny you are also entertained by some amazing musicians the terrace is best if the weather is good €€€
Rotisserie La Paix, 68 Rue du Yougoslavie, Gueliz, great for grilled meats with a lovely garden and a roaring fire if the weather is cold €€
It is possible to go for a welcoming beer or wine in Marrakech but it is much easier on the new part. In the old part there are a couple of places.
Kosy Bar Place Des Ferbantiers (near the Badil Palace) is a wonderful place, a restaurant with two bars one on the ground floor with live music at the weekend and a rood top terrace bar which is a great place to chill out with a beer or a glass of wine and the music choice is excellent open till 12 or 1 am at weekends.
Hotel Gran Tazi corner of Avenue El Mouahidine and Rue Bab Agnaou is an old fashioned hotel which serves a very welcome cold beer or wine if you take a seat on one of the many sofas in the lobby only open till 11pm it is very handy for the Jemaa El Fna.
Chesterfield Pub, Hotel Nassim 1st Floor 115 Ave Mohammed V Gueliz,
A very handy old-fashioned hotel bar with a terrace by the pool very popular with visitors wishing to chill out with a beer open till 1 am
Kechmara in Gueliz and Narwama nr the Jemaa El Fna are both mentioned above as restaurants but can also be used just for a drink.
In the Medina near the Souks is Café Arabe Rue el Mouassine which is a restaurant, café and bar with a lovely terrace.
La Tanjia, see above excellent for a drink and just close to Kosy Bar
In the Southern Medina visit the Bahia Palace, the Badil Palace and the Saadian Tombs.
Shop in the Souks, go once to get the layout, the second time to start pricing things and the third time to bargain and buy. Although people will obviously try and get you into their shops the only hassle is near the dyers souk and the tanneries (which are not a particularly pleasant place to visit).
Visit the Majorelle Gardens in Gueliz these are owned by Yves Saint Laurent and are beautiful with amazing colours they also are very busy.
There are loads more things to see just go and soak up the atmosphere. There is a tourist bus that does two circuits of the city to give you an overview.
Essaouira is on the Atlantic coast about two and a half hours from Marrakech by bus or taxi, Supratours who are owned by the Moroccan Railways run the most reliable service with the best drivers, the depot is next to the Railway Station, Tickets should be booked in advance and cost about £4 each way, although before you board the bus you have to register your baggage and pay a small supplement. When you arrive outside the city walls porters meet the buses to transport your bagge to your Riad.
Essaouira is a beautiful blue and white town with amazing ramparts, a huge fishing port and a lovely beach. It is very laid back and has loads of restaurants and cafes, places for a drink are harder to find but worth seeking out.
Ryad Watier, 16 Rue Ceuta www.ryad-watier-maroc.com is a beautifully converted school owned by a charming Frenchman called Jean Gabriel.
The whole building, its rooms, terraces and staff are all wonderful if you visit Essaouira stay here €€
La Licorne 25 Rue du Skala, mainly Maroccan dishes, lovely setting, friendly service and very reasonable prices €€
Restaurant du Port Chez Sam, on the waters edge, it looks like a boat go for lunch and sit on the terrace and have a freshly caught fish lunch good quality and very reasonable prices €€
Fish Stalls at Place Moulay Hassan have to be tried for lunch there are set prices posted at the entrance and you just need to pick which one you like the look of still room for bargaining depending on what you want to eat
Elizir, 1 Rue Agadir, is owned by a charming Maroccan guy who spend a long time in Italy and this shows in the cooking it is top notch, service good and prices amazing for the quality. He collect Retro plastic furniture and other objects which make the place quirky !
Taros Place Moulay Hassan (shut on Sunday) is a restaurant, gallery and bar with fabulous terraces and great cocktails, lunch on the terrace looks good and a cocktail until the stars with music is wonderful
Samarkand part of a totally OTT new Riad is a trendy bar restaurant with DJ’s worth going along to see the décor it is just off Avenue Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah and is signed
For totally the other end of the scale if you are brave is Le Trou Rue Mohammed El Ayachi (stand with your back to the clock tower facing Hotel Sahara and go down the alley turn left and it is the last door) a Moroccan mail drinking den where they don’t seem to mind the odd visitor who pops in for a beer
Next to the Hotel Sahara on the left through the garden and restaurant is another small bar frequented by locals
About an hour and a quarter from Marrakech up in the Atlas is the small town of Ouirgane which has a couple of places to stay but before you come to Ouirgane is La Bergerie, Km 59 Marigha Route de Taroudant,
www.labergerie-maroc.com.
It is a wonderful place with lovely accommodation, go for one of the suites which are in lovely self contained buildings with terraces and wood burning stoves a necessity in the winter, the main building near the pool contains the bar and restaurant.
Accommodation is on a half board dinner basis and the menu is varied and good, they can arrange trecking and also horse riding.
The views are fantastic and you could quite happily chill out for a couple of days round the pool.
