Top tips for visiting Morocco
Dar Batha Museum – Art, Craft and History
If you have an appreciation for art, craft and history, the Dar Batha Museum located in Fez, Morocco is a must-see attraction. This excellent collection of artifacts is housed in a Hispano-Moorish palace that dates back to the 19th century – a beautiful piece of art in itself.
So exactly what sort of traditional artwork can you expect to find at the Dar Batha Museum? Most traditional forms of art were also practical in nature so they usually took the form of furniture that was given a decorative touch. Therefore you can expect to enjoy intricately carved wooden furniture, wrought iron with decorative finishing touches, carpets, embroidery and jewelry.
The Dar Batha Museum also has a great collection of ancient coins. All of these intricately worked masterpieces of functional or decorative art are beautiful to behold and visitors may find themselves struggling to decide where to start and which item to look at next.
The best part of the museum, however, is undoubtedly the pottery room where you will find an unbeatable display of ceramic objects that have been masterfully crafted by Fez craftsmen through the centuries. Of particular interest are the articles dating back to the 10th century which contain items of ‘fez blue’. At the time, this relatively groundbreaking way of coloring pottery involved the use of cobalt to obtain the bluish coloring. Typical ceramics feature a white enamel background with stylized floral motives interweaved on them in brilliant shades of blue. The floral motifs are both sophisticated and harmonious and are a delight to behold.
Also worth seeing are the astrolabes – a display featuring a variety of fascinating astronomical instruments that were created and perfected by learned Arabs. They are not only functional, but wonderfully decorative with intricately worked metal and inset jewels. You’ll find the Dar Batha Museum at Place du Batha in Fez.
The Dar Batha Museum is close to all the Fez hotels and riads listed on Morocco Gateway which you can view by clicking here.
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English-owned Riads and Hotels in Morocco
We are often asked about English-owned and therefore English-speaking riads and hotels in Morocco – Marrakesh and Fez in particular.
There are a number of these riads and hotels, which we have listed here for viewing ease.
It is useful to remember that whilst these riads and hotels are owned by English people, that is not to say that these owners are there on site when guests are there. Often, in our experience, the English owners (like French and other nationality owners) will travel to and from Morocco throughout the year. Do not expect them therefore always to be your hosts.
Often however, the English owners are on site or can be contacted during a stay if needed. They also tend to ensure that their staff speak a high standard of English.
Dar Zemora was purchased in summer of 2001 by its English owners and opened in September 2003 as a guesthouse comprising four suites and three bedrooms. Created as a “country house hotel” Dar Zemora is a convenient retreat, situated in the peaceful Palmeraie area but within a short drive to the city of Marrakech. Read more about Dar Zemora here.
Dar Zemora pool above.
Originally home to a fortune-teller, Riad Zamzam is located in the historical and religious site of Zaouia Sidi Bel Abbess, the shrine of Sir Bel Abbess. It is now owned by Emma and Marcus Joyston-Bechal who moved to Morocco from the UK in order to restore the riad (you read more on their adventures in coming to Morocco at their blog here). Or read more about Riad Zamzam here.
View over Fez from Dar 47
In Fez, Dar 47 was purchased in 2007 by owners Michael and Emma Crane for its panoramic views of the medina. The house offers exclusive rental from two to nine people, with a minimum of a two-day stay. Located near the centre of Fez, guests can expect a short drive to the city centre and places of interest, or slightly longer walks. Read more about Dar 47 here.
A full listing of English-owned and English-speaking riads and hotels in Morocco can be viewed by clicking here.
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Family friendy Morocco
We wrote a blog post back in July 2010 about Family friendly holidays in Morocco. This post received a certain amount of attention and so we thought we would put together a list of hotels across Morocco that we believe are particularly good at catering for families. You can view this hand-picked selection by clicking here or view the orginal blog post by clicking here.
We have also written about a number of family activities in Marrakech and other places across Morocco that you may wish to view and be inspired by! Examples of these are Riad Attajmil’s new working farm (which can also accomodate – great as a combination with a stay in Marrakesh, Fez oe Essaouira). Also, for people staying in Marrakesh is the Oasiria Water park, which you can read more about here.
We also have some useful articles written for us by the experts on the main site about Mountain Biking and white-water-rafting.
All of the hotels that we have selected for Morocco Gateway can provide guests with good tips and advice for families staying in Morocco. For multi-family parties, you may also want to look at a choice of riads and htoels that cater for large parties by clicking here.
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What to pack for Morocco
Most of us have been on a holiday where we have forgotten an essential item which has somehow plagued us for the rest of the holiday. We know that there is no single check-list that meets everyone’s needs but here is one list of items to prepare before traveling abroad to Morocco which may be useful:
- Sun hat
- Sun cream (at least factor 20)
- Insect repellant
- Plug adaptor (Morocco uses French styled 2 point sockets)
- Travel insurance (and the provider’s helpdesk number saved on your phone)
- Mobile phone with European/ North Africa coverage
- Cereal bars (just in case there is nothing appealing for lunch where you are)
- Salt pills (in the event of diarrhea and dehydration)
- Ear plugs (we never travel without)
- Wet-wipes (for hands before eating)
- More….
To see the full list of items to pack for a trip to Morocco and Marrkaesh, click here.
If you are missing any of these items when you arrive, all of the hotels on Morocco Gateway have been selected as they will be able to help you out.
Erg Chebbi – Sand Dunes on the periphery of the Sahara Desert
Morocco’s Erg Chebbi sand dunes are located close to the town of Merzouga, which is located about 45 kilometres south east of Erfoud and about 35 kilometres southeast of Rissani. Click here to see a map of Merzouga and the nearby towns or here to start looking at hotels and kasbahs close by.
The Erg Chebbi is roughly 20 km long and 5 km wide and belongs to the Sahara desert.
Image by atsjebosma
An erg is a large, relatively flat area of desert covered with windswept sand with very little or no vegetation. The term takes its name from the Arabic word erg, meaning “dune field”. An Erg is defined to be a desert area that contains more than 125 square kilometres wind-blown sand and where sand covers more than 20% of the surface. The largest hot desert in the world is the Sahara (9,000,000 km²). It contains several ergs such as Erg Chebbi.
Activities that people are drawn to in Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes include:
- Sunset or Sunrise Camel Trekking
- Sand Board
- Quad Adventure
- Desert Hiking
- Night Camp Oasis inside the Dunes
- 4X4 Around the Dunes Tour
- Local Berber Culture experiences such as live desert village music
All of the hotels and kasbahs shown here will arrange the full range of these activities as well as offering good value accommodation. These are Auberge Derkaoua, also known as Desert Inn, in Erfoud, Kasbah Ennasra in Rissini, and Ksar Jenna and Dar Azawad in Zagora. We have negotiatied unique special offers with many of these for Morocco Gayeway users – so look out for these!
All these hotels are within a short car journey of the Erg Chebbi and benefit from being away from Merzouga, which is more of a functional gateway town than a destination to stay in.
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Getting hassled in Morocco and Marrakesh
There are a number of simple rules and actions that visitors to Morocco and Marrakesh can take to avoid the street hassle having a negative impact on their stay. We have summarised these steps into 5 simple steps:
- Wear sunglasses which will avoid you having eye contact with any street hawkers and other nuisances.
- If you are approached, give a firm and polite “no” with a shake of the head, and walk on decisively (a smile also seems to help we find).
- If lost, better to retire to a nearby bar and get your bearings over a quick drink.
- Morocco is a liberal Islamic country and locals can be offended by western females who walk about in public in skimpy tops and shorts. The best solution is for us ladies to dress with more a little more modesty than usual, perhaps covering our shoulders and legs with a sari or sarong.
- Finally, remember to relax! A few unwanted comments are frankly only a nuisance if you react to them. Better to accept that this still happens, smile, and rise above it all. In the end there are too many enjoyable things to do in Morocco than get upset over comments from people who have nothing else to do but hang about and annoy tourists!
For the full length version of this article, click here.
All of the riads and hotels shown on Morocco Gateway will also advise guests on how to deal with any hassle that they experience.
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Archeological Site of Volubilis
The Archeological Site of Volubilis represents beautifully preserved relics of the Roman era and was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1997. Volubilis can be easily visited in the day from any of the riads and hotels In Fez and in Meknes here.
It is believed that this spectacular city was constructed around 40 AD and that it was built on an old settlement which dated back to the third century. It became the administrative capital of the area and was known as Mauretania.
The extremely fertile lands that surrounded the city produced olive oils and grains that were exported to Rome.
It is also known that after the Romans withdrew from Morocco – which happened around the end of the third century – the city was not left uninhabited.
French archeologists started excavating the site in 1915 and more than 2,000 excavations by numerous institutions have followed. Today visitors will be able to view the Thermae, the Orpheus Mosaic, the Temple of Jupiter, oil presses, the Capitol, the third century Triumphal Arch and the Casilica.
This wonderfully preserved site should be visited by everyone who comes to Morocco as it provides a rare glimpse into the past.
The Barbary Macaque of Morocco
The Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus) resides chiefly in Morocco and in the mountains of Algeria, with a much smaller population making their home in Gibraltar. The species is considered one of the Old World monkeys and are the only free living primates in Europe, with the exception of humans. Often referred to as the Barbary Ape they are however true monkeys.
Morocco’s Barbary Macaque measures somewhere between 38 and 76 cm in length and has a mass between 5 to 13 kg. They are tailless macaques and their front limbs are longer than the hind limbs. The fur of the Barbary Macaque is yellow-brown to grayish with paler undersides. Their faces are a dark pink color. In general, they are recorded to live for approximately 22 years.
So where will you find Barbary Macaques in Morocco? They are typically found at elevations between 1 600 and 2 100 m or higher, in the Atlas Mountains. They prefer forests consisting of oak, cedar and pine trees. Their waking hours, which are during the day, are spent both in the trees and on the ground. They are an herbivorous species and thus feed on fruit, leaves and roots, but are also known to nibble on insects.
Barbary Macaques are gregarious and live in troops of between 10 to 30 monkeys. It is a matriarchal system, which means that the head female leads the group. However the troop is generally a blend of males and females. The lead female is determined through family lineage and the entire troop hierarchy is also run according to lineage. Barbary’s are unique amongst the macaques in that the males play a vital role in rearing and caring for offspring. They participate in grooming and playing with the young monkeys and thus form close social bonds. They have even been noted to have favorite youngsters with whom they spend more time. It appears the females prefer to select males which show greater parental ability and willingness.
Mating season for the Barbary Macaques is between November and March. Following conception, the gestation period lasts 196 days. The female will give birth to a single offspring. These young monkeys will only reach maturity at around 3 to 4 years of age.
Sadly, the Barbary Macaque is under threat due to habitat loss and ignorance. The IUCN Red List has added the species to the “Vulnerable” list.
The Barbary Macaque can be seen in the OUzoud valley, a day trip from any riad and hotel in Marrakesh and from any hotel in the Atlas Mountain area.
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Marrakesh’s Dar Si Said Museum
The DAR SI SAID MUSEUM is a sumptuous palace in Marrakech which houses the very quintessence of Moroccan art.
On the ground floor you can find clothes, objects in beaten copper, arms and Berber jewellery.
Splendours from the past? Not at all, for many of the objects on display are still used and worn in mountain areas of Morocco.
The first floor salon impresses with its Hispano-Moorish decoration and elegant furniture in cedar wood.
The other rooms are filled with an abundance of carpets such as those originating from the Sahara region, characterised by the use of leather, and large, simple mats evoking the dry beauty of the semi-desert.
A remarkable collection of door and window frames is to be found around the courtyard, all encrusted with delicate and refined ornamentation.
And once back in the streets of Marrakesh, one can often better appreciate that the City’s inhabitants know how to keep the traditions of their culture alive.
The DAR SI SAID MUSEUM is located within a short distance of many of the riads and hotels of Marrakesh listed here.
Oasiria Water Park, Marrakesh
The Oasiria Water Park in Marrakesh has already been open for 5 or so years now and provides a great day out for families and couples alike.
A more recently added 300m heated pool tucked away from the rest of the park in a beautiful secluded garden with its own restaurant is the perfect place for any sun worshippers to spend the day soaking up some rays.
In another area of the park, children, they will be thrilled to climb aboard the pirate ship and sail the Marrakesh seas. Then they can ride the artificial waves as they crash down onto the Marrakesh beach the Park has created, and like all good beaches you can have a game of volleyball or football.
As water slides, the Park offers the Anaconda, the Boa and the Cobra. For the bravest visitors, there is the 17m high Kamikaze slide.
When your energy starts to fade you can take a dinghy and lie back and be carried along by the lazy river.
The Park also provides a choice of 5 different restaurants and snack bars so you will never go hungry. Each restaurant menu offers a variety of choice from snacks and pizzas to a full sit down multi-course lunch.
After lunch, you can take a stroll through the 10 hectares of shady gardens.
Oasiria is easy to get to as the park provides its own bus shuttle service to and from town. Click here for a timetable.
For a full day at Oasiria in the summer season that runs from The 27th of March to the 31st of August you can expect to pay 180dhs (€12-14) adult and 100dhs per child (€6-8) whilst children under 80cm go free. For just an afternoon its 140dhs per adult and 80dhs per child, and again children under 80cm go free.
The Oasiria Water Park is a short distance by taxi from any of the hotels and Riads of Marrakech listed here.