Marrakech

Having visited Tunisia a while ago, I was keen to return to north Africa. As several friends had recommended Marrakech, this seemed to be the place to go! Only 3 hours from the UK (if you don’t count the 30 minute touchdown in Casablanca), Marrakech is ideal for a 4-5 day break or extra-long weekend. We booked through Classic Collection Holidays (www.classic-collection.co.uk)

I thought early May would be a good time to go, especially as I am not overly keen on too-high temperatures, but this spring seems to be unusually hot in Marrakech, and still we sweltered in the mid-30’s, even though the high-20’s are more normal for the time of year. Never mind, as long as you’re sensible, this needn’t be a setback, and at least it’s a dry heat.

We stayed at the 5* Les Jardins de la Koutoubia (www.jardinsdelakoutoubia.co.uk), just off the main square, Jamaa el Fna, so only a few steps from the hustle and bustle. The 73-bedroom hotel stands on the site of the 13th century Riad Ouarzazi and is of traditional design, that is, where everything emanates off from the central courtyard area, in this case, the swimming pool. Sunbeds surround the pool, which is, in turn, egded by beautifully well-kept gardens, offering a tranquil calm, not to mention a haven for the countless little garden birds. At the bottom end and on one side of the pool are cool salons in which to relax and take respite from the heat, on the other side, the open-air restaurant, serving drinks and light snacks during the day. The top end is the main hotel lobby, and off to the side of this, the delightful Piano Bar. In the evening, aperitifs and cocktails can be enjoyed, whilst looking out over the gardens.

The hotel offers several dining options, in addition to the all-day snack bar: an Indian/Oriental restaurant newly opened during our stay, situated at the top of the hotel overlooking the Koutoubia Minaret; traditional Moroccan cuisine, and a short walk around the corner, The Grill, serving steaks and fish dishes, grilled on an open flame. All the hotel rooms are air conditioned, spacious and have plenty of storage space, and lovely large bathrooms with separate w.c. and bidet. Some have balconies. Although satellite TV is offered, the only English-speaking channel available was BBC World News, and even this was a patchy service. But who goes on holiday to watch TV anyhow? There is also a Spa, offering Hammams (£6 - £18), massages (£18 for 30 mins - £30 for 50 mins) and other specialised treatments, and a Clarins Beauty Salon (full cleansing, masking and massage is £21 for 45 minutes). There is also a small fitness room and a warm indoor swimming pool to relax in or beside after your treatments, if you wish. Towels for use by the pools were complimentary.

The hotel staff were very attentive and friendly. Towels were changed twice-daily, if required, and beds turned down and scattered with rose petals to greet you when you arrived back at night! As we were there outside school holiday time, the only children present were pre-school and very well-behaved, and interacted well with the staff. There was also an ATM located just off the lobby.

Once outside the confines of the hotel, you enter into the mayhem that is the Medina! Turning left as you leave the hotel, just a couple of minutes walk sees you at the south-west corner of the main square. During the day, the square is filled with street traders: orange sellers, ladies waiting to adorn your hands with henna designs, carts laden with colourful spices (moulded up into sharp points that surely defy gravity!), dates and olives, and herbal remedies spread out on blankets on the floor alongisde the occasional goat’s head! But by late afternoon and on into the evening, these are replaced by BBQ stalls and snake-charmers, story-tellers and musicians. People swirling all around, each hurrying off to their own place, competing for seats at the restaurants edging the square or rushing off into the alleyways of the souks or heaven-knows where. Beware of traffic ~ just because the square is full of pedestrians, cars, taxis, scooters and bicycles pose a constant threat … there is no rhyme nor reason as to routes taken; anything goes and you must keep your wits about you.

We found a restaurant on one of the corners of the square, El Marrakchi. It’s in all the guides although if it wasn’t for the colourful mosaic interior or the belly dancers, it would be easily forgettable, however conveniently located. Another restaurant, also just off the square, but by personal recommendation this time, was by complete contrast. Al Baraka (www.albaraka.to) serves traditional Moroccan cuisine in an al-fresco setting in a pretty garden courtyard (although there were dining salons around the edge, which presumably are used when the weather is cooler). The tajine I had was absolutely divine. The restaurant offers a choice of four traditional set menus, each with four courses: a selection of traditional Moroccan salads, savoury pastries, Tajine ~ I chose veal with prunes and honey ~ served with couscous, plus desert, if you could fit it in! Moroccan wines were available for 150 DH (about £9), and were all delicious. We tended to favour the rosé, simply because rosé wine seems to taste better in a warm climate (but at other times had both red and white, and all equally as palatable).

We sampled a light lunch at Es Saadi, a 5* hotel in the city. About 10 minutes walk from the Koutoubia Minaret, in the restaurant overlooking the pool (we sat inside but you could eat outside under parasols, but it was just too hot for me). We both chose the Chef’s Salad, a delightful plate with everything on: Fois Gras and warm toast, smoked salmon, prawns, smoked duck breast, palm hearts, sweetcorn, celeriac salad, asparagus and endive. Very pretty and extremely tasty. Close to the Es Saadi is the site where the hotel La Mamounia(www.mamounia.com) is being renovated. One of the Leading Hotels of the World before renovation, this is going to be something stunning when finished! Quoted by Winston Churchill as “the most beautiful place in the world”, the Art-Deco hotel is currently scheduled to re-open early next year.

Another evening we decided to dine at La Sultana,(www.lasultana.com) another 5* hotel and member of the Small Hotels of the World. Set back close to the Kasbah and just within the Medina walls, you would never know it was there. The rooftop restaurant wasn't open the evening we were there, but the other restaurant was set around its pool, shrouded in palms and Bougainvillea and other exotic flowers, with soft and romantic lighting enhancing the experience. The most original menu of our whole stay and totally exquisite. I started with Carpaccio of Shark with Sauce Vierge and a little spoonful of berries doused in cinnamon as a garnish ~ don’t ask me how that works, but it was delicious ~ followed by perfectly cooked Smoked Duck Breast sitting atop a bed of vegetables, drizzled with a red wine sauce, and to finish, a brochette of exotic fruit with a red berry coulis and an artistic swirl of chocolate. I’m not really a dessert fan but my husband’s warm Chocolate Cake (with a runny chocolate centre) and home-made Coffee ice cream was to die for! For a special occasion, I thoroughly recommend it, but unless you are a guest, you must book a table in advance. www.lasultanahotels.com)

Classic Collection Holidays feature Les Jardins de la Koutoubia, La Sultana and Es Saadi in their Summer 2007 brochure.

Sightseeing opportunities are plenty, but in these high temperatures, I would suggest you plan your day. We left immediately after breakfast to walk up to the Majorelle Gardens, (www.jardinmajorelle.com)and by the time we were half-way there, the temperature was already sitting at 310. However, once there, the gardens are beautifully tranquil and offer plenty of shade. 45 minutes would give you a leisurely visit and a little longer if you want to take refreshment in the little courtyard snack bar. On the belief that you see more on foot, we decided also to walk back, but by a slightly different route. However, the traffic is so intense that the fumes are unpleasant after a while and we would have been better to take one of the beige ‘petit taxi’ back. A taxi almost anywhere costs between 20-30 DH (65p to £1) but agree your price before you set off. As we walked back down one of the main roads ~ Avenue Mohammed V ~ we popped in to the Ensemble Artisanal (hand-made crafts), where the traders are busy at their crafts, and the prices are fixed. Items on sale include the usual Babouches (slip-on slippers of all types and styles), lanterns, silver jewellery, leather goods, wooden crafts, fabric and tassles, paintings and carpets. There is another fixed-price outlet, ETS Bouchaib, located close to La Sultana, but this is altogether a far more ‘european’ shopping experience, with everything on sale and then some, including all the items you would see elsewhere, plus ivory carvings, designer bags, clothes and antiques. Although you are shopping in air-conditioned comfort, I felt a pressure to buy that wasn’t present anywhere else, and consequently left with only a few postcards. To give you an idea of how upmarket this place is, it even has a website: (www.bouchaib.net)!

Trips into the souks are nothing short of an experience in itself. It goes without saying, you will get lost, and at times wandering around the alleyways and tiny narrow streets that all look very much like each other, can be a bit overwhelming. If you are happy with haggling, I’m sure you can pick up some bargains, however some of the larger shops adopt the policy of ‘choose everything you want and I’ll pick a random price out of my head at the end’. It will be impossible to find out how much any one single item cost as nothing is priced. But you can be sure you will more than likely have got a good bargain. If haggling isn’t your style, try one of the fixed-price places mentioned above. Alternatively, take a trip to the Gueliz district where the shops and boutiques adopt a more European style of shopping.

One afternoon we visited the Palace de Bahia, then wandered into the Jewish quarter, Mellah and into the Berber Market, where a Berber trader showed us his array of herbal remedies, perfumes and spices, and proffered a glass of Berber tea as hospitality. Another day we were taken to the Tanneries, well, more-like marched to the Tanneries actually. It is usual for locals to come and ask you if you need a guide to somewhere and they can be quite persistent and persuasive. Be firm and they should leave you alone ... we obviously weren’t quite firm enough on this day! Although it was interesting to see how the skins and pelts are prepared to be made into leather goods, it was rather smelly and not for the feint-hearted. Next we found ourselves in a carpet market within the Medina, where the techniques of how the carpets are made and the traditions behind them were explained to us, whilst sipping yet more mint tea. Whilst the carpets were exquisite, unless you’re in the market, be firm or you may find yourself spending rather more than you bargained for!

The Classic Collection local representative, Mohamed, visited us at the hotel and offered various sightseeing excursions, from half-day trips around the Medina and souks, to full-day trips into the Atlas Mountains or out to Essouria on the Atlantic coast. Although a trip away from the hustle and bustle of the city would have been enjoyable, we didn’t take him up on any of his trips, simply because the half-day and day trips generally involved spending many hours travelling in a car on windy roads that were often unmade. Perhaps, on reflection, one of the Medina trips might have been beneficial, but I still think most people would be inclined to get completely lost, once left to their own devices. One suggestion would be to take the Marrakech Tour, a hop-on-hop-off double-decker bus service that would probably help visitors to get their bearings. Tickets are valid for 24 hours from ticket purchase. Another alternative mode of transport would be to take a horse and carriage ride, available at about 100 DH per hour, although as the terms seem to vary, agree the price beforehand and be firm with the driver if you have a particular route/destination in mind. Once again though, in temperatures such as we experienced, these rides are probably best avoided during the middle of the day, even though shade can be provided.

As our last day was my husband’s birthday, we decided to go out with a bang, literally. We booked the tour ‘Chez Ali’s Fantasia’, an extravaganza and feast, featuring daring gun-toting horse-back riders, acrobats, local tribespeople and other assorted entertainers. After you are paraded past a dozen or so different tribes from the various regions in Morocco, you finally arrive at your luxurious tent, lavishly decorated in rich reds, mauves and golds. Your 4-course feast is served to you in the biggest Tajines you’ve ever seen! Starting with lamb and vegetable soup, then (if you opt for the VIP feast, as we did) a whole shoulder of BBQ’ed lamb, followed by couscous piled high with vegetables, then a sort of filo-pastry dessert and finally (phew!), a bowl of fruit. Washed down with a bottle each of sparkling water and red wine, the cost for the whole evening, including private transfers there and back, came to just about £100 for the two of us. Not cheap, but it was an evening to remember, and a perfect way to end a perfect trip. Going out with a bang … literally!

Please note:
All sterling prices quoted are approximate and applicable to the time of travel, i.e. May 2007. Also note that Moroccan Dirhams are a closed currency so you will not be able to change your money until arrival. It is a suggestion to take Euros as these are more readily exchangeable than Sterling.

Gill Fisher visited Marrakech in May 2007