Visiting Morocco
Family holidays to Morocco
Morocco is a great destination for all the family. A family trip to the North African country promises adventure, excitement, the chance to experience an ancient culture, and a large smattering of fun.
Generally, Morocco is very welcoming of children and a child friendly country to visit. Depending on your destination and the age of your children, there are a range of activities for all the family to enjoy.
Activities such as camel trekking are a great way of entertaining older children and teenagers, enabling them to get out and about and experience the richness of Moroccan countryside and stunning Atlas mountains.
If you have younger children, a family excursion in a jeep may be a better option, enabling the younger ones to have a sleep if the heat gets too much for them.
Visiting Marrakesh is an excellent family holiday because there’s lots to do within easy access of the central city. Oasiria Water Park is open throughout and a shuttle bus runs from the city to take you there. There is also an amusement park adjacent to the water park, with bouncy castles and other entertainment to keep the young (and young at heart) occupied.
In the Menara Gardens you can go on cycle rides, climb trees and enjoy a picnic, while at the Royal Equestrian Centre the whole family can have riding lessons and go for a pony trek.
If your children like to try new foods, you can usually ask for a smaller portion of food. In Marrakesh there are also familiar chains such as KFC and Macdonalds. You can also get pizza quite readily here.
Many of the Morocco hotels and riads that Morocco Gateway work with are family friendly, although it is always best to check before making a booking. In general, however, the noise and buzz that children create is welcome and expected in Moroccan destinations.
You can find Morocco Gateway’s family friendly riads and hotels here.
Image credits – CCA: Camel by Mr Angeloux; Marrakesh by Cafe du Monde.
Moroccan treats – argan oil
One of Morocco’s most famous products, argan oil is now a staple ingredient in many kitchens. Produced from the kernels of the argan tree, which is only native to Morocco and Algeria although it used to be prevalent across North Africa, argan oil has a distinctive, nutty flavour and is used in cookery and as a dip for breads, drizzle for couscous or dressing for salad. When visiting Morocco you’re sure to encounter argan oil, or ‘Moroccan gold’ in a range of dishes.
Argan trees are very well adapted to arid, desert-like conditions, which means it grows well in drought prone areas such as south west Morocco.
The trees have been harvested since Berber times and they are also popular with the free-roaming goats, which like to climb them to feast upon the leaves. An entertaining sight for visitors to Morocco is that of the goats balanced precariously in
This, combined with an increasing demand for wood, means that the trees have become increasingly rare, and are now protected by UNESCO.
The oil itself is extracted from the kernels of argan nuts, and in certain areas of Morocco you can see Berber women bashing the kernels with stones to prepare them for oil extraction. These women’s co-operatives are vital to the economies of many parts of Morocco and help keep the villages alive.
Argan oil is such in vitamin E and fatty acids, and can be used in such products as soap, massage oil and anti-ageing cream, as well as for cookery.
You can pick up argan oil throughout Morocco at a fraction of the price you’d get it for in the UK. Therefore, it’s well worth stocking up before your trip home.
Image credit – CCA: Treegoats by Ryantron
Hotel of the week: Riad El Cadi
Fancy a Moroccan holiday in a riad steeped in culture? If visiting museums and antiquing are among your favourite pastimes, a hotel full of artefacts will suit your perfectly. El Cadi, a riad in Marrakesh, is that hotel.
Hotel: Riad El Cadi
Address: 87 Derb Moulay Abdelkader, Dabachi, Medina, Marrakech
Rating: ***
The central building of Riad El Cadi was originally a 14th Century house owned by a nobleman. Far later, a former German ambassador combined that dwelling with seven surrounding buildings to create a larger than average riad.
The result is a spacious and winding guesthouse and a meander through the courtyards, staircases and corridors of the seven houses providing the perfect view of ancient Moroccan architecture.
Clay pots, watercolour paintings and prints – artefacts you’d expect to find in a museum – line the walls of the 12 guest rooms, but there’s more. Not only are early Berber textiles, Islamic and Byzantine art worked into the rooms, there are also many pieces of modern art produced by friends of the ambassador.
Outside in the courtyard there are alcoves perfect for reading and relaxing and there are plenty of shady areas to take a break from the sun. There’s also a roof terrace where you can sunbathe, with sun shades available, overlooking the medina.
Just minutes from the main Jemaa el Fna square, Riad El Cadi offers all the benefits of a city centre riad while remaining quiet and peaceful.
Because of the design of the building, many of the guest suites interconnect, making it ideal for groups and families travelling together. Many of the suites have a private balcony or access to the courtyard.
For those requiring a more intimate room, the petite suite is a cosy choice, while the Blue House is a good choice for groups who want to stay together, with two bedrooms, kitchenette and own courtyard.
Riad El Cadi serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The former meals are usually light in style, while dinner is a three course affair. The cuisine is traditional Moroccan fayre with a few international touches. El Cadi’s chef can cater for a range of diets – including fussy eaters!
From the riad’s central location you can visit many of Marrakech’s attractions on foot, and the hotel can also arrange local activities such as tennis, golf and camel riding.
For special deals on Riad El Cadi, contact Morocco Gateway.
We can also offer a range of special offers on many Morocco riads and hotels.
Things to do in Morocco – interview with a tour guide
Pete Reed worked as a tour guide and driver in Morocco. Here he shares his recommendations for things to see and do on a trip to the North African country.
“The souks in Marrakech have to be seen to be believed,” says Pete. “They’re full of food, colourful spices and artisans selling leather goods and metal lanterns. These metal lanterns are very popular, you’ll see them all over Morocco.
“One of the best places to go in Marrakech itself is the Djemaa el Fna square, an open-air festival with drummers, storytellers, musicians and so on.”
Marrakech has a myriad attractions, including the amazing architecture of the Ben Youssef Medersa, the unmissable Koutoubia Minaret, the Jewish quarters and the Saadian Tombs. Especially in the summer, finding good refreshments are also essential.
“One of my favourite places is the grass Place et Mourabitoune,” Pete adds. “Here you can hire horse carriages and get your hands on the best ice cream in Morocco.”
Many visitors to Morocco will want to see not only the city but also the surrounding countryside.
“If you’re taking a driving holiday, the Tizi-n-Tichka pass from Marakech to Ait Benhaddou is a real drivers’ road,” comments Pete. “Be careful if you’re traveliing in the winter, though, it can get snowed up.”
Ait Benhaddou is a ksar or fortified city on the old caravan route between Marrakech and the Sahara Desert. A World Heritage Site, Ait Benhaddou will be familiar to film buffs – many movies have been shot there, including Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth, Time Bandits, The Mummy and Gladiator.
“For a more challenging drive, there’s the Tizi-n-Test pass, which is far smaller and windier,” Pete continues. “There’s an old mosque here that everyone – not just Muslims – is allowed inside, because it’s no longer in use. Though it’s abandoned, it’s fascinating for people who are into history and architecture.”
Care should be taken on this road as it is very narrow and windy in places, and local truck drivers travel at speed because they know the route very well. It’s best to proceed with caution as a tourist.
The journey is worth making, however. You’ll pass Mount Toubkal, the highest point in North Africa.
“Another place you should take a trip to from Marrakech is the Cascades D’Ouloud, the stunning tripple waterfall just a few hours from the city,” says Pete. “The falls are amazing and you can swim if you like.”
Travel down the coast and you will come to a city with a very different atmosphere.
“You have to go to Essaouira,” Pete enthuses. “It’s like a chilled-out version of Marrakech, about 100 miles down the coast.”
Essaouira means “image” and is certainly a picturesque location.
“It’s a walled city on the coast, with a crescent shaped beach where you can ride camels,” says Pete. “From there you can take a place on either a small or large boat to the islands off Essaouira; there’s a bird sanctuary there where you can see the Eleanor’s Falcon [an endangered species}.”
As for where to stay on your journey, Pete is clear:
“I recommend staying in Moroccan riads,” he says. “Essentially family homes, they are small and comfortable.”
For information on Moroccan riads in Marrakech, Essouira and beyond, visit Morocco Gateway.
Picture credits, from top – CCA: Mararkech, by reservasdecoches, Tizi-n-Tichka by zongo69, Sea at Essaouira by chigle
Reiki and yoga at Marrakech riad
Feeling stressed? Under pressure? Just a bit down? If you’re keen to get away from it all for a while to relax, recharge and rebalance your life, a four-day retreat of self-exploration, relaxation, yoga and reiki in a riad in Marrakech could be just what the doctor ordered.
Journey of Awakening is a chance to find your inner magic at the heart of Marrakech’s walled medina.
The four-day treat is a chance to find yourself in one of North Africa’s most beautiful and historic cities.
Taking place at Zamzam Riad, a three-star hotel in Marrakech’s central area, Journey of Awakening offers Ashtanga yoga and reiki.
Aisha Barzaghi will teach the dynamic practice of Ashtanga yoga, bringing strength and vitality to mind and body through breathwork and pranas. She is based in Marrakech and currently teaches yoga classes at Kasbah Tamadot, Sir Richard Branson’s Kasbah.
Reiki attunements and group practice will be led by Rebecca Hutley, a master of Usui and Tibetan Reiki for more than ten years.
To compliment the retreat you will also enjoy a tour of Marrakech medina, the places of the 7 Saints and will take a mule trip into the Atlas mountains.
Zamzam Riad is a beautifully complimentary location for this chilled out course. Originally the home of a fortune teller, the Marrakech riad has been lovingly resotred by Emma and Marcus Joyston-Bechal.
A hammam and plunge pool are available for use by guests and there is a lounge full of board and card games for evening entertainment.
Prices are all inclusive (except for flights). You will get:
All classes (Ashtanga Yoga and Reiki)
Spa – 1 Hammam, 1 massage, 1 Reiki session
Reiki Practitioners course
Medina Tour including the Seven Saints of Marrakech
Walking in the Atlas Mountains with a guide and mule, afterwards lunch at Kasbah Toubkal
Accommodation, food, drinks (not alcohol), transport, trips, guides & airport transfers.
Prices: £800 per person (based on two people sharing)
£700 per person (based on three sharing – men only or women only if you don’t know your room mates)
A £500 surcharge applies for the five nights if your require your own room.
Book the course here.
Morocco Gateway can offer special rates for Zamzam Riad throughout the year. To make an enquiry, contact Morocco Gateway.
Visiting Marrakech in May
Coming in to land at Marrakech Menara airport in May, the view from the plane’s window is one that will take your breath away – especially if this is the first time you’ve visited Morocco in Spring.
First to catch your eye is the unique, complex and beautiful colour palette made up by Marrakech’s earth, fields and buildings – sun-faded oranges, ochres, dusty browns and nuanced pink and ivory hues.
But overlaid on this palette – both in irregular, mottled brush-strokes and geometric designs of agricultural fields – can be seen verdant springtime greens. At angles from the tilting aircraft these become luminous under the fixed gaze of the North African sun.
Once you’re on the ground you will be greeted by a kaleidoscope of springtime flowers that seem to have rushed themselves into life as if aware of the daily-increasing power of the sun, which will soon exhaust Morocco over the baking summer months ahead.
Whites and pinks of the lauriers, iridescent reds, purples, oranges of the bougainvilleas, royal yellows of the hibiscus, to the ice blues and violet pinks of the clematis – colours heightened by the backdrop of a mid-blue azur sky that is unblemished except for a few drifting, whispy cloud flourishes.
Take a moment to stand back and breathe in the cool springtime air of Morocco – lightly and intermittently perfumed by the smell of the flowers, a change from the heavier spice and fruit aromas that suffuse Marrakech air at the end of summer and autumn when the sun has relentlessly strained, sweated and squeezed the oils and fragrances out into the air.
For information on hotels and riads in Marrakech and beyond, visit Morocco Gateway.
Speak Moroccan Arabic: Food
If you’re visiting Morocco soon, there are many phrases that could come in handy. Among the most important are types of food, so you can ask for exactly what you want and be sure of what you’re getting.
That’s why in our series of Moroccan Arabic phrases, this week we look at food and drink.
Coffee – qhwa
Tea – atây
Milk – 7lîb
Sugar – skkar
Juice – 3aSîr
Vegetables – khDra
Salad – shlâDa
Meat – l7m
Fish – Fish
Cheese - frmâj
Bread – khobz
Cake – 7lwa
Banana – banân
Apple – tffâ7
Watermelon – dllâ7
Tomatoes – maTîsha
Lettuce – khss
Celery – krâfS
Aubergine – dnjân
For a full list of Moroccan Arabic food phrases and other useful phrases for your travels, visit Speak Moroccan.com, a comprehenisve language resource.
Hotel of the week: Riad Bahia
Travelling as a family or group of friends, there’s nothing nicer than having a hotel or riad that’s exclusive to your party for the duration of your stay. If you are visiting Morocco as part of a group, chances are you’ll be searching for Moroccan riads and hotels of a smaller, more intimate nature. One that we can highly recommend is Riad Bahia, situated in Meknes.
Hotel: Riad Bahia
Region: Meknes, Fez
Address: Tiberbarine, Ancienne Médina,
Rating: **
Riad Bahia was a family house for four generations before being converted into a riad in 2003. Designed around the traditional internal courtyard, Bahia has four bedrooms on the upper floors.
You can chose from standard double or twin rooms and more spacious mini suites. The rooms face either the courtyard or the street, and it’s worth bearing in mind there can be some noise from the street.
Meknes, in the Fez region of Morocco, has many attractions, all of which are in walking distance of Riad Bahia.
Bahia is located behind the museum Dar Jamaï of Moroccan decorative arts and there are also hammams and swimming pools close by. Babal Mansour (town walls) is another popular attractions in the vicinity.
In addition, staff can arrange excursions to the Atlas Mountains, cider forest, archaeological site Volubilis and the coast.
Facilities within the riad include a courtyard that includes plenty of shaded areas, as well as a roof terrace for sunbathing. Inside there are lounges with satellite television and a small library that guests can use.
The restaurant serves lunch and dinner, all made from fresh ingredients found in the local medina. Vegetarian meals are available although regrettably other specific dietary requirements cannot be catered for. Riad Bahia does not serve any alcohol but there are delicious fruit cocktails available, along with the ubiquitous mint tea.
Riad Bahia is an environmentally conscious establishment – plants are specifically chosen to defend the riad from insects instead of using pesticides, natural fertiliser is used to grow them, and baskets are used for shopping instead of plastic bags.
Morocco Gateway can offer you special rates for your stay at Riad Bahia. Just follow the link to make a booking or enquiry.
We also have information on a wide range of Moroccan riads and hotels, including exclusive discounts.
Tips on visiting Morocco: Arriving at Marrakech’s Menara airport
Travelling through Marrakech’s newly-built, gleaming white Menara airport last week for the first time since its reopening in 2009, I was struck by how much first impressions for those visiting Morocco have changedrecent years.
The old Menara airport was a sad affair, unapologetically looking back to an age when foreign visitors to Morocco consisted of diplomats, businessmen, bohemians and genuinely intrepid travellers.
The new airport sets out Morocco’s stall to be a modern and stylish tourist destination, and with its lofty arrival hall, elegant white concrete and glass geometric patterned shell, air-conditioning and series of local boutiques it does this all rather well.
Some things, however, don’t change and if you are travelling to stay in Moroccan hotels or riads, a few simple pointers will make your transition through the airport an easier one.
There is still a certain amount of confusion in passing passport control and in buying purchasing money (which still cannot be bought outside of the country due to currency restrictions). So here are some tips to navigating your arrival.
Once you have collected your bags and before queuing for passport control, all EU including UK visitors have to fill in a small white landing cards (called ‘carte debarquement’).
You’ll find these cards on shelves around the structural pillars of the passport control areas. It’s worth knowing that there won’t be any pens in the near vicinity, so be sure to have one to hand.
To complete the card you’ll need to know the name, address and telephone number of the hotel in which you’ll be staying, as well as your passport and flight details. Fill the card in before you begin to queue; thankfully, the queues move quickly.
It’s worth noting that you will need to fill one of these cards in upon departure too – again make sure you have a pen handy on the way home.
Once through passport control, the next thing to do is buy some currency, called dirhams. As you enter the arrival hall, the money desks are on your right-hand side and currently consist of two foreign exchange desks and two ATMs.
Note that the foreign exchange desks only accept cash, not credit cards, so you need to bring either Sterling, Euros etc to use them.
If you want to use the cash machines, it’s a good idea to work out what you need first as you will be asked what you want in dirhams.
When we tested the machines in May 2010, the right hand machine didn’t accept international Switch/Maestro or Visa, but the BMCE bank worked with all cards. The BMCE bank machine also asks which account you want to take money out of – Savings, Checking or Other. In our experience, it made no difference which we selected.
Finally, for the first time visitors to Morocco it’s worth noting there are cash machines throughout the main towns and cities managed by the well-known Moroccan and French banks (Credit Agricole, Credit Lyonnais etc) – so you can take more money out later.
For more information about hotels and riads in Morocco, check out our hotels section.
Picture credits – CCA: Menara Airport by Mark Chapman; Marrakech by night by Geoff The Ref
Ash cloud shuts Moroccan airports
Five Moroccan airports have been closed today due to the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud.
Casablanca, Rabat-Sale, Tangiers, Tetouan and Essaouira airports are expected to remain closed until at least 18:00 GMT as the ash that has casued so much trouble in European air space moves on to North Africa.
The Eyjafjallajokul volcano erupted in mid April, causing five days of chaos for European travellers.
If you are travelling too or from any of the affected airports, we advise you check with your airline before setting off. Flights to Spain, Turkey and the Canary Islands have also been affected by this latest cloud