Visiting Morocco
Valentine’s day in Morocco and Marrakesh
With Valentine’s day 2011 already on the horizon, there are fewer better places for a romantic weekend than Morocco. Just a few hours flight time from the UK and Europe, Marrakesh is an ancient city of intense colour, culture, escape and romance. And a number of the riads and hotels featuring on Morocco Gateway are offering Valentine’s Weekend special offers.
In Marrakesh, Riad El Cadi is a fourteenth-century house only a two minute walk from the local souks and a five minute walk from the main Jemaa el Fna square. The riad is offering Morocco Gateway users a romantic lunch on the roof terrace, sun-drenched and decorated with rose petals. For more details on Riad El Cadi, click here.
Riad El Cadi roof terrace
Still in Marrakech Riad Mezouar offering a Valentine’s Special of 2 nights in a junior suite with arrival and departure air-conditioned transfers from the airport, in-room breakfast, three-course menu romantic candlelit dinner for two, perfumed bubble bath with rose petals and a pampering massage for two. Price for two persons for two nights is only €545 (valid 10/02/2011 to 15/02/2011). See more details here.
Riad El Mezouar room
Riad ZamZam is offering a special 3 courses valentines dinner by its top chef for €50 per person. The dinner includes, Mojito cocktail, canapes, smoked salmon and buckwheat blinis with creme fraiche, chicken trid or lamb tanjia with vetable couscous, chocolate and fig torte with vanilla ice cream, moroccan petit fours and tea or coffee. Zam Zam can also advise and book romantic trips ie caleche rides, hot air ballooning, etc. For more details on Riad ZamZam click here.
Riad ZamZam room
At the more luxury end of the market, the award winning Ksar Char Bagh is offering 3 nights accommodation in a traditional Harim Suite (of approximately 70 square meters with private terrace or private garden], a Valentine day dinner for 2 persons (beverages not included), daily breakfast and airport transfers for €565 per person over for 3 nights (Based on a double occupancy and excluding local taxes and 10% government taxes. View more details here.
Delivering beauty treatment which speak of centuries of deep Moroccan hammam expertise, consider also the range of spa hotels as a gift to female partners in particular – by clicking here - or you can see our full listing of romantic riads and hotels in Morocco by clicking here.
Honeymoon options in Morocco
For soon-to-be married couples who are planning a honeymoon in Morocco, there are many good specialist honeymoon providers who offer a full service including flights, concierges, activities and transfers. A google search will uncover these providers.
But they can charge royally for these services and this can be expensive on top of the cost of the wedding.
Fortunately there is a good alternative in going for a self-arranged honeymoon. Not only is this far cheaper, it is also more personal as you have control and discretion over all elements of the honeymoon.
For couples looking for a high-end luxury bolt-hole, good options include Ana Yela, Jnane Tamsna, Riyad al Moussika , Tigmi (image below) and Dar Zemora. More luxury hotel and riad options can be found here.
We have also put a list together of romantic hotels and riad getaways across Morocco which is a good starting place for accommodation ideas. You can view this list by clicking here.
If there is more of a budget, there is a good range of mid-priced riads and hotels in Marrakech including Riad L’Orangeraie , Riad Dar One, and Riad El Cadi. More mid-price option in Marrakesh can be found here.
People tend to head for Marrakesh as a first option on an honeymoon, but Fes is also worth considering– it is less visited than Marrakesh but perhaps more intensely romantic. There is a good selection of mid-priced boutique riads and hotels listed here. Riad Fes and Riad Alkantara are good starters for a search in Fes.
Finally, who can beat a trip to the Sahara desert for a honeymoon?? We list a number of kasbahs and hotels which are familar with taking care of people on their honeymoon. You can view these by clicking here.
Remember that all the hotels and riads listed on Morocco Gateway can arrange transfers to and from these desert hotels for those honeymooners who want a mix of sand and city.
.
children-free, honeymoon fes, honeymoon fez, honeymoon in Morocco, honeymoon marrakech, honeymoon marrakesh
Morocco self catering accommodation
For people looking a self-catering accommodation option in Morocco, many of the riads and hotels clearly do not fit the bill.
But good news! There are a small number of riads and private apartments which do offer self-catering, most of them also providing a house-keeper who can very usefully assist with food ingredients buying and preparation.
Located near the centre of Fez, Dar 47 offers exclusive rental from two to nine people in its five bedrooms. Dar 47 has two terraces – the front terrace is a good place for guests to sunbathe with sun loungers, parasols, tables and chairs and a “rainforest” shower to cool off in while the rear terrace on the other hand becomes an al-fresco venue. A built-in barbeque, dining table and lounging chairs adjoins to a terrace kitchen which is fully equipped for guests to use. Although Dar 47 is generally thought a self-catering accommodation choice, the live-in housekeeper provides breakfast and daily cleaning. Additionally, guests can request lunch and dinner for a supplementary cost. Read more about Dar 47 here.
Dar 47 terrace above
Chez Rebecca in Essaouira on the Atlantic Coast is a self-catering apartment in Essaouira’s historically listed medina. The house itself is round 150 years old and renovated in 2008 by four English friends and managed by a Moroccan team of staff. Its location is central, with food souks on the doorstep, and the beach only a ten minute walk away. Chez Rebecca includes a fully-equipped kitchen, spacious living room and dining area. Read more about Chez Rebecca here.
Chez Rebecca terrace above
You may also want to look at the private riad and house options across Morocco here which do provide all meal catering but without the need to share with other guests.
.
New year in Marrakesh and Morocco
For those people who have not yet arranged their new year’e eve and day, Morocco and Marrakesh in particular represents a great destination, only a few hours from the UK and Europe, and offering sun, clear skies (usually!) and a party atmosphere!
Most riads and hotels stay open for the Christmas and New Year season, and some of these have interesting special offers for their remaining rooms – you can read more about there in our recent article on special offers here. Remember that most of these special offers have been negotiated by Morocco Gateway and are therefore only available through ourselves.
For those people who want to get away but for peace and quiet, there are a number of riads and hotels on the outskirts of Marrakesh such as La Palmeraie area, which are always popular over the Festive season. We have listed these in a selection called “Marrakesh Borders” here.
Almost of interest may be our list of clubs and restaurants in Marrakesh here.
For family trips in Marrakesh and across Morocco, have a look at our selection of family-friendly riads and hotels here, and for multi-family parties, you may also want to look at a choice of riads and hotels that cater for large parties by clicking here.
.
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.
Vegetable Tagine recipe
Here is a great recipe I found for vegetarians who want to try a tagine courtesy of the Blog site Fes Cooking. You usually don’t find vegetarian tagines in the bigger cities, but you will find them in Berber communities and with this recipe you can eat it at home.
Image by L’Aubergine Grillée
For 2-3 people:
- 2 sliced onions
- 2 heads of garlic
- 1 potato, peeled and cut into circles
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into circles
- 1 cup of peas
- 2 tomatoes, cut into circles
- 2 hot chili peppers diced
- ½ cup of chopped cilantro
- ½ cup of chopped fresh parsley
- salt
- pepper
- powdered ginger or fresh ginger
- cumin
- paprika
- olive oil
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a big pot, or tagine. Add the onions. Cook for a few minutes, until the onion starts to change color. Add garlic, spices, potatoes, carrots, peas, and chili peppers. Add one cup of water to the pot. Cook for 10 minutes on a low flame. Add the tomatoes, parsley, and cilantro. Cook for 10 more minutes and serve!
This dish can also be cooked in the oven: Start the onions on the stove, as above. After they finish cooking, add all the ingredients to the pot and put in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes on 180-200 ° C.
For people who want to take an interest in Moroccan food further, there are a number of riads and hotels running cookery courses for guests at resaonable prices. You can view these riads and hotels by clicking here.
Remember to ask about the cookery courses in any enquiry that you submit to riads and hotels via Morocco Gateway.
.
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.
.
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.
.
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.
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.