I just got back from an adventurous, beautiful amazing holiday in Morocco. We went to Marrakech for 6 days, a trip which was postponed from March 2020 but on the bright side, this meant we got to experience sun and hot weather in the middle of October which I highly recommend especially if you have six months of no sunshine waiting for you.
Being Pakistani, I expected Marrakech to be a similar experience when it came to the markets, the roads, the locals and culture so I was prepared for the hustle and bustle of the city I had heard so much about. In Marrakech you have the old town and then you have the new town, the old town is where the souks are and where the biggest most colourful market called Jemaa el Fnaa is located.
We stayed in the Old Town, in a Riad of course which was so opulent, I felt like Princess Jasmine in my own beautiful white palace, something I am certainly not used to in London with skyscrapers and apartments only. A Riad is traditional large house with a central courtyard with an open roof so you have the beautiful sun or stars to look at whilst you relax and sip on traditional mint tea. Some riads even have a beautiful turquoise coloured pool inside for you to lounge in if you feel like a quick swim after a long day of shopping at souks. Think very lavish, like a dream even with a little fountain centred in the middle of the room with rose petals floating inside.
The New Town is where all the fabulous five star hotels are, the big main roads, the flashy restaurants with the expensive cars parked outside are, very much Knightsbridge London vibes, you would not be able to tell the difference.
I packed more maxi dresses and some traditional Pakistani wear because I wanted to be respectful of the country that I was visiting and to be honest, it is the best time to wear all the colours you want because in London you’ll only find me in my usual monochromes.
Below are the things we did during our stay;
- The Islamic Garden aka Le Jardin Secret
It is one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen, so green with a gorgeous fountain in the middle. The garden consists of exotic plants from all over the world and can be described as the oasis of the city. It is also described as peaceful which I agree with because as soon as you step inside it is so quiet, so calm and it is meant to remind you of the description of heaven in the Quran. It was my favourite spot to visit if I am honest, it is so carefully constructed even to the finest and littlest detail. Especially the art work on the doors, I had never seen anything like it, the choice of colours were exquisite. You can also visit the rooftop where you can have the view of the Medina which is absolutely stunning, you feel like you’re in another world.
2. Ourika Valley
You need a full day to do the Ourika village as it is an hour’s drive from Marrakech. Ourika is a little valley located high up in the Atlas mountains and if you are a hiker, you are absolutely going to love this. I am no hiker for sure but it was a challenge that I enjoyed thoroughly. There are so many beautiful waterfalls, scenic views from the top and the people there are so lovely too. We had a private tour guide who helped us get to the top as I would not advise doing it by yourselves with just the assistance of google maps! On the way to the top there are little shops for soft drinks, colourful carpets or little souvenirs to buy but then the footpath to the top gets narrower and narrower which is where you would need to be super careful. After working up an appetite climbing all the way to the top, we had a late lunch in a restaurant by a shallow river, sitting on gorgeous pillows and a Berber rug. Of course, we had tajine! I have never had a dining experience like this before, people usually take their shoes off and have a soak in the water whilst enjoying a long lunch with the view of the mountains.
3. SPA Day – The Four Seasons
Hammam is a Moroccan traditional bath and the locals do it weekly maybe even twice a week. Now I am only used to my quick daily showers so this was something new as I am also not much of a bath girl either. We booked ourselves a Hammam at the Four Seasons and a massage after so we indulged in a total relaxing package. I had my Hammam bath with a therapist who thoroughly exfoliates and scrubs your skin all over using special treatments including a clay mask. You also get to relax in a steam room for a bit before it is washed off completely.
Once we dried off we had a couples massage which was just what we needed after a week of hiking, running around, sight seeing and just generally being busy in London. It was for 50 minutes and of course I chose the Moroccan oil for my skin and head, I was glowing! It was the best self care day ever.
4. El Badi Palace
We went to a few palaces but the El Badi Palace was one of the largest. It was constructed in 1578 and not that they are similar in any shape or any form but it reminded me of the time I went to the Roman forum, see pics below;
5. Yves Saint Laurent Museum
A museum dedicated to the fashion designer himself! I didn’t know YSL was actually born in Algeria and Morocco was a major influence on his work especially when it came to colours according to the YSL Museum website. The best part about the museum is the Jardin Majorelle right next to the museum which has all these huge cactuses everywhere and a cobolt blue house in the middle. Its amazing for pictures; all the fashionistas are there posing so best to go there pretty early so you can also find a little spot for an instagrammable picture. There is also a little cafe there if you would need to hydrate yourself with some fresh juices after being in the Moroccan heatwave. I also liked how it was based in the new town as it was a completely different vibe overall compared to the old town where we were staying.
6. Dine at Dar Yacout
We went to many restaurants in Marrakech but this one deserves a shout out as it was our favourite from all the restaurants we went to. If you want an authentic, traditional and cultural dining experience then this restaurant is the one. It looks like an Arabian palace, open rooftop, little pool in the middle, huge golden lanterns and the staff in fez hats. When we entered the restaurant, we were guided to the rooftop for a drink where they had traditional live music being played by men dressed in traditional clothes. Once we finished our drinks we were seated at our table which was right by the pool/water which is so romantic by the way! White table cloths, pink and white rose petals and lit up candles too, I was obsessed with the whole vibe.
Now you can’t go there not feeling hungry or feeling peckish, you need to make sure you are super hungry because the portions are very generous, there are three main courses. We started with a whole chicken, then lamb, then dessert and they all come in these huge tagine pots which are so much fun to look at.
7. Coffee at Bacha
This is the most luxurious coffee shop I have ever been to! Stop by here for lunch or even just a coffee and cake and you’ll want to just relax there for hours. The interior is simply the best, so trendy and chic at the same time and probably one of the most largest and the most varied coffee menu that ever existed. I wish they had something like this in London! Apparently it was built in 1910 but it was closed for 60 years and now they are back better than ever offering 100% arabica coffees from around the world.
Hospitality is very similar to the hospitality you get in Pakistan and the Maldives. They really want to make you happy and ensure you have the best time ever and they will do everything possible to make sure your stay is absolutely comfortable. We like to travel not only to relax but also to get to know the locals because we absolutely love to learn about other cultures. My highlight was sitting every evening in the rooftops, watching the sunset and hearing the call to prayer, I felt so at peace with the warmth of the sun surrounding us.
We visited a carpet shop where we got a whole overview to how hand woven carpets are made, how long it takes to be made and what they actually signify emotionally and traditionally. I even got my own little tutorial which I thoroughly enjoyed. Women back in the day were only allowed to work from the home so they specialised in carpet making and each carpet is unique in design, it’s an art form. It can take months or even years to complete a Moroccan carpet/rug and is also a lifelong luxury present for the house which families keep for generations. No carpet is alike, each carpet is different and tells a story with all its spectacular colours and designs. You can even find some of the finest and oldest rugs in museums to get a better understanding of their history and get a better understanding of how important carpet weaving is in their culture.
There are so many things to do in Marrakech and I don’t believe six days is enough to experience it all but it’s a start. You have to go there ready for an adventure but if you want to relax by the pool and enjoy the glorious sunshine you can do that too. I am already looking forward to a time when I can go back and check out other cities like Casablanca, Fez and the blue city, ‘Chefchaouen’. I would advice that if you go to Marrakech is to ensure you know your way around the city otherwise some locals will try to make a quick buck trying to give you wrong directions and I would suggest you stick to the routes your hotel has provided.
Like in Pakistan, you can see the struggle of people if you look closely and it may be upsetting to see especially as nowadays we can all sometimes get lost in our little bubbles. One thing I admired was the hope of people there, no matter what they were doing they were always smiling which was very inspiring. Our private cab driver, he made us laugh the entire time he drove us around the city and the staff at the hotel, they made sure we were always happy with everything. They even let us check out very late because our flight was in the evening, I mean which hotel does that nowadays? I will always remember and appreciate that. You can tell they miss their tourists very much and I genuinely hope that that more and more people visit this amazing country again, Morocco is so rich in colour, kindness and beauty.
This blog took me longer to complete than usual but I hope you enjoyed reading about my little winter vacay, I sometimes struggle to find the time to write and get lost looking for writers inspiration but it feels so good to finally hit that publish button when I do get the chance. Until next time xoxo
Coffee, Cupcakes and London 