Marrakech en famille
Our destination was the Club Med resort of la Palmeraie, situated a short drive from both the airport and the town centre. Having never been to a Club Med before, I was taken by the size (240 hectares, if this means anything to you) but I was assured that some resorts are much larger. Our first impressions were good as we were met in the lobby by a lovely GO (it's a Club Med thing) who poured us mint tea and offered us dates, apricots and hot towels, before our luggage was taken to our room. The rooms were lovely and spacious, with a good shower and terrace out to the garden, and inter-connected to our friends next door.
There are two restaurants on the resort, the main buffet restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and also the El Kebir restaurant which is a la carte (no additional charge). The quality and choice of food was great being a French company, I had been told that the food and wine were good, and we were not let down by either. Lovely cafe au lait, fresh orange juice, croissants and fresh fruit for breakfast (or pancakes with chocolate sauce seven days in a row if you are eight years old) was a great start to the day. The evenings were themed with an optional dress code and we sampled langoustines, steak and pasta as well as delicious Moroccan specialities.
So far so good, but what really makes Club Med stand out from any other holiday is the range of activities which are all included in the package. The children’s club (separate groups for ages 2 – 17) was good, although the first few days there were no other children the same age or who spoke English. They still took part in tennis lessons, trapeze, archery, football tournaments, table tennis and two shows, but they enjoyed it a lot more when a few older British kids arrived. As for the adults, there was a nonstop programme of golf, tennis, mountain biking, fitness classes and a lovely spa (which was at additional cost). The GO’s who arrange all of the activities are always smiling, always happy to help and make great friends with the kids.
There is a 5 “Trident” (Club Med for 5 star) luxury space within the resort called Le Riad and I was shown round by the Sales Manager, who obviously knew a lot of the repeat guests. There are 60 spacious suites with private garden or terrace, which are more luxurious, but the best thing was the heated pool! The main pool is not heated and was bearable but pretty icy. There is an adults only quiet pool which is heated, but this wasn’t much good for our kids who would have loved to have splashed in and out of the pool all day, if only it was warmer!
Club Med have a complimentary shuttle bus to take you in and out of the centre of Marrakech, but they also offer a range of excursions where you can explore further afield, into the Atlas Mountains or to the coast at Essouria. You can even spend a day with the Berber people and experience their way of life.
We were all excited to see camels, and loved the exotic Medina with its snake charmers, monkeys and traditional craftsman hand making anything from shoes and belts to bird cages. We hired a guide to help us explore the tiny alleyways and hidden passageways and he was a mine of knowledge about the gardens, palaces and souks of the city. It was definitely worth having someone to show us around and explain things to us.
All in all, it was a great value holiday with easy flights from the UK and no time difference. The amount of activities included, as well as the fantastic food and drinks make the Club Med hard to beat, but you need to get out and experience the real Marrakech too.