Marrakech
We landed in Casablanca on a sunny and crisp morning, and the plan was to meet our driver and be driven to Marrakesh, which is about 3 hours south on a nicely paved highway. After reading glowing reviews on the web, I had exchanged several emails with a transport company explaining our itinerary and settling on the price. A couple of weeks prior to the trip, I reached out to ensure everything was in order and received a response back asking – ‘Who Are You?’. After a quick clarification and reminder, I was assured that everything was in order. Now, under ordinary circumstances, I would have left it at that. However, the ‘Who Are You’ question had made me kind of jittery, so 2 days before the trip, I reached out again to confirm, and what do you know – I had to provide details of my identity again.
It is fair to say that the ‘jitteriness’ accompanied us on our flight Casablanca.
However, as soon as we stepped out of the airport, our mind was put to ease after seeing our driver Soufiane patiently waiting for us. We were led to a very clean and comfortable Mercedes van. To add to it, Soufiane spoke impeccable English and was not only a great driver and guide all through the trip, but also became a good friend. (And thankfully Instagram has made it easy to stay connected!)
There is not much in terms of scenery on the drive from Casablanca to Marrakesh, which worked out just fine for us as the kids (and adults), we able to catch a few winks. Soufiane dropped us at the Jemaa-El-Fnaa, from where we were picked up by the owner of the Riad, who then guided us to his beautiful Riad, which was about a 10-minute walk away. We were exhausted and jet lagged by the time we got to our rooms, but we were finally here! Marrakesh is the melting pot of Morocco and has several impressive monuments like the Koutoubiya Mosque, the Bahiâ Palace, the Ben Youssef Madrasa (unfortunately closed for renovation while we were there), the Saadian Tombs and the Dar Si Said. Mix all of these with the bustling Jamaâ El Fna and the souks, and you have the recipe for a great trip.
Here’s how we spent the next 2.5 days soaking in all of these in.
Day 1 (afternoon/evening)
Our Riad was located in the heart of the Marrakesh medina. A medina is referred to the old historic part of a town surrounded by high stone walls. Scattered all through the medina amongst other things are mosques, hammams (bathhouse), madrasas (educational institutions) and communal bread ovens. While I was familiar with the first three, this was the first time I heard or saw a communal oven, and found the idea to be very fascinating. The only thing that topped the smell of the freshly baked bread, was the actual bread itself, which we bought from a vendor, who was selling them on his cart just outside the doors.
The souks (name for an Arab market) in Marrakesh is a sight to behold. In the olden days, these generally open-air markets sat on the trading routes, and merchants from all over passed through them and traded the wares and goods. As time passed by, the souks grew in size and today it is a complex labyrinth of a few thousand shops that sell everything you can possibly imagine. Navigating the souks without getting lost is almost impossible for the first-time visitor, as the plethora of narrow alleyways that snake off to more thin passageways start to look very similar after a while. Wandering the souks with a local guide is the best way to explore, especially if time is short. We did just that by contacting our Riad in advance and booking a licensed guide.
The guide promptly showed up at or Riad, after we had a chance to freshen up get a little bit of rest. We spent the next couple of hours navigating the souks with his help, during which he explained several of the products on display and introduced us to a few of the local artisans. It was hard to resist the temptation to buy, as we had saved a few hours to do just that on our last day in Marrakesh. (more on the shopping later on in this post – Day 3)
TIP: You can book the guide for either half or full day and can tell him in advance what you would like to have him show you. If you are visiting the souks, the guide will usually take you inside some of the larger shops where they explain how the products are made, eventually hoping that you will buy something. If you do not want to spend too much time inside or want to avoid the obligation to buy, just tell the guide that you will visit these places later at your convenience.
From the souks, we headed to the Koutoubia Mosque, which is just across the Djemaa El Fnaa. Though non-muslims are not allowed to enter, the exteriors – especially the minaret is an architectural marvel. The minaret is 77 meters tall and has inspired other building such as the Giralda of Seville and the Hassan tower in Rabat. We were there just as the sun was going down, and the glow of the setting sun produced some amazing shots.
By definition the Jemaa-El-Fnaa is a large open market place inside the medina of Marrakesh. In reality, it is the heart of Marrakesh. After the sun goes down, this large square transforms into a street theatre, and almost everywhere you look there is some live action in progress. From snake charmers, to musical performers to tattoo artists, you will find them all. One end of the square transforms into a food court, where restaurants fires up their grill and beckon every passerby to come in and try their food. This was probably not the most favorite food we had, but it sure was one of the most memorable experiences we had all through the trip.
Considering that just about 24 hours ago we were several time zones away in Los Angeles, we were all really proud of all we had accomplished on our very first day.
Day 2
A hearty and satisfying Moroccan breakfast is a great way to start the day. Even though breakfast in Morocco is quite a basic affair, all the different types of bread, pastries and fruits the Riad served, provided us with much needed energy for all the sightseeing and adventures that lay ahead.
We headed for the Saadian tombs, which was a 15 minute walk from our Riad. These tombs date back to the Saadian dynasty and are located on the south side of the Kasbah Mosque. Abandoned for centuries, the tombs were rediscovered in 1917 by aerial photography and are a major attraction due to the splendid intricate architectural beauty. There is a nominal entry fee to see the tombs and it is totally worth it.
From the tombs, we walked through the cobbled streets to get to the Bahia Palace. This is another architectural masterpiece, and was built in the late 19th century, intended to be the greatest palace of its time. Though only a portion of the palace is open to the public, the floor to ceiling decorations in almost every rooms is enough to impress any visitor. Some of the most picturesque shots can be obtained here and we probably had a couple of hundred pics at the end of the 2.5 hours we were there.
TIP: There some great Moroccan restaurants around this area, and having a meal here provides a good break from the food at the more touristy restaurants closer to the Jemaa-El-Fnaa.
After an awesome lunch, we walked through the famed spice markets and made our way to Dar Si Said which is the home to the Museum of Moroccan Arts. On display is a collection of granary doors, leather bags, ceramics, intricately embroidered carpets, weaponry, and Berber jewelry. We spent about an hour so here. It was already evening and we were quite saturated with everything we had seen so far, so we called it a day and decided to head back to our Riad. It was a longish 20-minute walk, but it allowed us to see more of the souks and experience some treats at a sweet shop on the way back.
There are several restaurants and cafes surrounding the Jemaa-El-Fnaa, and most of them have rooftop terraces and balconies that offer panoramic views of the square. Also, all of them fill to the brim right before sunset. Seeing the sun go down across Jemaa-El-Fnaa with a cool drink in your hand is a great way to wrap up your day. Most visitors stick around well after sunset to witness the scenery as the square lights up; and the aroma of the sizzling kebabs, and the instruments of the performing musicians makes its way through the swarms of people and delights their senses.
Also, several of these cafes serve pizza! The kids had a satisfying dinner (there is only so many tagines you can have in a day! ?), while the adults gazed at the spectacle below and realized how special Marrakesh was.
Day 3
And just like that, it was our last day in Marrakesh. It was also Vaishakhi’s birthday!
We started the day by visiting the Le Jardin Secret, also known commonly as The Secret Garden. This is one of the largest private Riads and was recently opened to the public after several years of restoration. There is an entry fee, which allows you to experience the lush gardens, tranquil settings and a beautiful pavilion which sits right in the middle of the interior section. We spent about an hour, which was sufficient to enjoy the setting and take some beautiful pictures.
To celebrate the special day, we had lunch reservations in the Italian restaurant at the La Mamounia Hotel. This hotel has stunning architecture and has several accolades to its name including being the #1 hotel in the world in 2018 and the only hotel in Morocco being on the 2019 Gold list. The food was no match for the décor (we have had better Italian food elsewhere). However, it was time well spent as it allowed us to indulge in the amazing ambience, have a leisurely meal and capture some of the beautiful architecture through our lenses.
Tip: There are some sections of the hotel that are accessible only to the residents. However, to access all the other parts of this property, you do not need to have a lunch/dinner reservation. You can always come in and enjoy a drink at the bar or one of the cafes.
The only other activity for the day included shopping to our hearts content in the famed Marrakesh souks, and fill up the empty bags we were carrying! We took a horse drawn carriage to get back to the Jemaa-El-Fnaa and back to our Riad. After a quick break we were ready to head out again. Having done the guided tour of the souks a couple of days prior, really helped ensure we had a good idea of our location. However, getting lost is inevitable, and generally part of the fun in exploring the energetic souks.
Ceramic and pottery stalls can be found all around – Tagine pots come in all sizes! Bowls, vases and serving plates are also very common. Argan oil, along with aromatic spices seem to be vibrantly lit up with the glitter of the Moroccan lamps and lanterns. Traditional woven Moroccan carpets and handmade Berber rugs are proudly displayed at numerous stalls. Leather goods, especially shoes, slippers, bags, and wallets come in all shapes, sizes and colors. its hard to keep track of time when you are surrounded by all of these and are trying to make up your mind on what needs to carried back home, and in that process haggling like you have just been robbed of your last penny!
Well, we finally ended our last evening in Marrakesh, where it all started – the souks. Except this time we left with several bags full of memorabilia and souvenirs to help keep the sights and sounds of Marrakesh fresh in our memory for a long time.