Marrakesh Travel Guide

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Famous Sites in Morocco

Sand-dunes to snow-skiing, lush vineyards to hot deserts and mix in sandy beaches, Morocco has it all! This North-African region is often a sensory overload and multi-colored mesh of culture and design. Travelers will likely be awed by the beauty and timeless magnificence of this nation that may be resplendent in its culture, heritage and art.

Be allured from the breath-taking architecture of Morocco's mosques, palaces and historical websites which have been by the hundreds all close to this region. Leave your map behind as you visit the labyrinth of Marrakesh where by streets are filled with numerous distractions from snake-charmers to silver leather poufs. Dive into the myriad of stores in Marrakech's markets in which 1 can uncover anything from olives to carpets.

Then head on to Fès, the cultural and religious center of Morocco in which dynasties originating from Muslim Spain and Arab East collided. Along with its bazaars, mosques, medersas (theological colleges), tanneries and crammed streets; Fès has a certain spirituality to it that's a testament to its centuries-old heritage and traditions.

Go to the well known Casablanca in which Morocco is most cosmopolitan. Famed for its rich art galleries and clothing designers, this position exudes its richness and achievements on the world. The stifling traffic jams and shanty towns are contrasted through the city's hotels, parks, fountains and colonial architecture.

All these places have enjoyable backdrops of spots like the Sahara desert, the mountain ranges of High atlas or even the Oregano Mountains. If your looking for relaxation, traveling on the fishing villages of Dakhla along the Moroccan coast or on the beaches of Plage Quemada.

Never forget to see the a number of museums like the Museum of Antiquities or the Museum of Moroccan Art exactly where collections of historic manuscripts, pottery, jewelry and other old objects can be found. Entertainment doesn't stop there! Morocco's theater scene showcases the Shakespearean plays and different modern productions that are overflowing with Moroccan tradition and folklore.

Spring-time (mid-March to May) is when Morocco looks lush and green while autumn (September to November) is when the climate has cooled off. Be conscious too of the timing of the Ramadan since metropolis establishments close throughout the day and operate hours are concentrated.

Be certain to choose official guides in preference to faux guides that garner their commission from particular hotels or articles sold to you from particular stalls. Ladies should be alert to a certain level of sexual harassment that may be incurred from wearing improper clothing or by making eye-contact. If especially harassed, threatening to file a study for the tourism police or the brigade touristique can be very effective.

About the Author

How many wonders have you visit during your lifetime? Visit famouswonders.com and see the top wonders of the world and also have a look at morocco tourist attractions.

Morocco Marrakesh city tour


marrakesh travel guide
marrakesh travel guide
marrakesh travel guide

Marrakech Travel Guide

marrakech travel guide"marrakech travel guide"

On Location Nov 07 - Marrakech

I turned back in disbelief. Yes, my eyes weren't deceiving me: it was an open top double-decker bus loudly proclaiming its 'Hop on, Hop off' tour of the city. Had my worst fears been realised in the ten years since my last visit? Had Marrakech sold out to the lure of the tourist dollar? Undoubtedly there has been a huge increase in visitors yet I am pleased to say, that in spite of the influx of tourists, Marrakech has managed to maintain much of its character as is still well worth a visit.

Like any self-respecting tourist I headed to the huge square at the heart of town, Djemaa el Fnaa. The origin of its name remains unknown: it means Assembly of the dead in Arabic but as the word djemaa also means mosque in Arabic, it could also mean place of the vanished mosque, in reference to a destroyed Almoravid mosque. Never has a square been so inauspiciously nor inappropriately named.

Today it is a seething frenzy of entertainment, a cacophony of sights and sounds. Water sellers in colourful costumes with traditional leather water-bags and brass cups, Berber dancing boys with spinning hats and clanging cymbals, the rhythmic background beat of drums and blaring pipes of snake charmers trying to coax their cold, and hence unenthusiastic, charges to entertain.

Magicians enthrall bemused audiences, dentists armed with pliers await the unsuspecting, tattooists force obliging tourists to have their hands adorned with henna and peddlers of traditional medicines sit patiently among the ebb and flow. One in particular, his face dark and African, caught my attention. Not so much for his ancient array of exotic remedies - from fried chameleons to hedgehog skins, from everything to nothing - but that amongst this medieval playground he pulls out his mobile phone.

Crowds, largely Moroccan, gather around flamboyant storytellers and listen intently. They 'ooh' and 'aah' at the flights of fantasy and nod their heads knowingly at the denouement. The raconteurs' power is still in evidence and I loiter on the periphery of one particularly engrossed crowd. I strain to make sense of the stream of Berber words, wanting to be part of this old and mysterious world that still holds sway over the modern escapism of television and film. Reluctantly I admit defeat and move off to become consumed by the atmospheric al fresco dining of this vibrant square.

As the sun goes down, the bright white lights of the little open-air food stalls, give a fantastical air to the whole place. Salad, vegetables, spices, flat bread and an assortment of meats lie neatly stacked on each stall. Clouds of white smoke waft up from kebabs and lamb brochettes sizzling on open fires, and the smells that rise with them are irresistible. So too, the incessant and good humoured banter of the stalls, my favourite line being, "Marks and Spencer quality, Asda prices."

It is said that Djemaa el Fnaa never empties but I retire to save my strength for what lies in wait tomorrow.

The early morning light breathes life into the quiet square, one of many interspersed amongst the souqs of Marrakech that pour through the medina in a maze of narrow streets. Veiled women sit patiently by neatly stacked piles of colourful woollen Berber hats, absentmindedly watching motorbikes putter past. Beslippered old men shuffle and hobble by. Heavily laden carts are pushed through the throng. Tourists strut nonchalantly past, hanging onto their guide's every word. A scrawny cat rummages hungrily in a pile of rubbish.

I could sit here for hours people watching but I rouse myself from my reverie and enter the foray. In one alley, shafts of sunlight stream through from slats of wood and battered corrugated iron overhead, water is sprinkled by attentive shopkeepers to keep down the dust. Seated outside his stall, an old man murmurs to himself whilst reading from the Koran. A woman passes, dressed in white. She is in mourning and will dress in white for four months and ten days, after which time she will know whether she is pregnant and thus can remarry.

Further along, in contrast to her sorrow and the old man's murmurings, the souq erupts into a blaze of colour and riot of noise. A kaleidoscopic rainbow of slippers, the glistening black of olives, garish glassware, patterned pottery and a tint of dyes. Here there is bustling life, everyone bargaining among the whining mopeds and handcarts piled high with firewood or goatskins. Wafts of musk, spices and soaps mingle with donkey dung, and every now and again the soaring wail of an amplified muezzin does battle with a braying donkey or the plaintive serenade of ancient ballad.

I swirl through one vortex of salesmanship after another, from the carpet souq through the jewellery souk to the souks of handicrafts and metalware. The banging, clanging, sawing, hammering and polishing produces sparks, shards, chippings and shavings. Everywhere I turn there is industry, skill, craft and ingenuity. And not just in the work. The showman is in his element, desperate to distract, keen to grab the passerby's attention. Young boys juggle hammers, salesmen perfect their banter.

I am intrigued by one man carving the wooden handle of kebab skewers with his feet whilst his hands spin a rudimentary lathe. His skill and dexterity is captivating. He looks up at me grins and says proudly, "I'm better than Black and Decker."

Marrakech was once a haven to flee to, an oasis to escape the desert. Not much has changed in this respect.

About the Author

Steppes Travel specialise in luxury holidays, and tailor made holidays

Top 10 Travel Attractions, Marrakech (Morocco) - Travel Guide


marrakech travel guide
marrakech travel guide
marrakech travel guide

Marrakech Travel Guide

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Monumental Marrakech

If you're looking to escape the dreary days of winter and experience a different culture, Marrakech is the ideal destination. Go for the weekend, for a quick taste of its cultural richness, or spend longer and get a full dose.

The hop-on-hop-off bus tour (which has become a popular tourist activity in cities across the world) is probably the most convenient and efficient way to see the main sights of both the Medina, or old fortified city, and the adjacent modern city. This makes it one of best Marrakech tours and one of can't miss things to do in Marrakech. It is also how my friend and I spent our first day in Marrakech - sightseeing.

We even did the ‘Morocco Romantique' leg of the tour in order to see the Jardin Majorelle, a pretty garden owned by Yves Saint Laurent that (in my opinion) fails to live up to the beauty depicted by photos of it.  Then, we drove past one of the most elegant golf courses I've seen (complete with fountains), but I'm not exactly an avid golfer. There was no educational commentary for this part of the tour, instead Alicia Keys and someone singing about how he "didn't want to go to bed mad at you" serenaded us as we observed camels lounging at the side of road.

To catch the bus, we had to make our way to Djemma el Fna. You'd think this would not be such a trying task (it is one of the busiest squares in the world) but seeing as there aren't really any street signs (or streets for that matter) in the Medina, it's easy to get lost in the complex alleys filled with souks (or markets) selling candles, lanterns, food, shoes that resemble oversize colourful elf footwear, jewelry, purses and other leather accessories, and tons of souvenirs. Luckily, all you have to do is pull out a map, ask for directions, or just appear lost, and children seem to instantly appear out of nowhere like mini tour guides to take you wherever you need to go – for a small fee, of course.

When we arrived at the square, I unfortunately needed to use the bathroom. In Marrakech, this requires three indispensible items: money, toilet paper, and antibacterial. My friend had item #3 and I should have had item #2 after having previously traveled through Thailand and parts of South America, but since we had just arrived the night before, we still did not have any dirhams. So we set out on a mission around Djemma el Fna for a bank machine and a pharmacy. We found a bank machine without too much trouble, except for the fact that a Moroccan band (for lack of a better word to describe Moroccan men with instruments) forced us to take a photo with them and then were very unpleased when we did not have any dirhams to give them. We couldn't find toilet paper, though, and I had to settle for a napkin provided, grudgingly, by the lady at a gelato stand. So an hour and a lot of effort later I had relieved myself and we were ready to board the bus.

That night we ate a traditional Moroccan dinner of couscous, lamb tagine, chicken pastilla (aka, according to me, sugar chicken), delicious sugary pastries, and Moroccan tea (best described as mint tea with a lot of sugar – do you sense a pattern here?) at a fabulous hidden gem of a restaurant called Dar Zellij. It's located in the Medina, behind one of those inconspicuous doors I was referring to. Our table was strewn with rose petals, no surprise there (the bed and bathroom at our riad were both similarly adorned upon our arrival). Romance seems to seep out of this city and followed my friend and I everywhere, like some sort of pesky shadow – which makes it a great place to visit with a boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife!

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Marrakech holiday guide Part 1 מרוקו المغرب


marrakech travel guide
marrakech travel guide
marrakech travel guide