Mysterious Morocco

Helen Wilson on 27 March 2017
I'd never visited Morocco before so to be offered a trip to Morocco, along with 40 other Travel Counsellors was an ideal opportunity to see for myself what Morocco has to offer! We flew out to Marrakech on the 21st March 2017 and on arrival at Marrakech airport I immediately felt safe and welcomed into this colourful and culture rich country.

Medina/Souks.

We had the pleasure of staying at the Movenpick Mansour Ebdhabi Marrakech hotel for 3 nights and after settling in and having lunch we was taken to the Medina, Souks within the iconic Jamaa El Friaa Square where we were given the opportunity to browse and shop the stalls offering leather bags, purses, sandals and shoes galore. For a lover of shoes and bags I was in HEAVEN!

Winding little alleyways filled with shiny lanterns and explosions of colour and sparkles from all the beautiful scarfs and kaftans. The souks are a beautiful site. It's fun to be able to barter with the sellers to get the best price on your purchase. It is advised to barter the sellers down by a third of their original asking price to get a real bargain and believe me in most circumstances and the odd 'its OK I will leave it then', this did work and I got some real bargains. The souks/medinas are a hectic but fun place to be. The best time to visit the medina is from around tea time, 5pm onward, as this is a beautiful time to watch the sunset and atmosphere the medina at dusk.

Restaurants and nightlife

Restaurants are plentiful in Morocco serving traditional Moroccan food to include tapas style starters of vegetables, salads and olives to main courses of tagines filled with lamb, chicken and potatoes. Lots of fish dishes are available too. You can pretty much order anything your taste buds desire. On arrival to your table you will usually be welcomed with a cup of mint tea, which was very nice. Desserts varied from locally baked pastries to the traditional Ktefa (or ktifa) Moroccan Pastry with Custard Sauce (looks a little bit like poppadoms/pancakes with custard) unusual but very tasty.

There are lots of nightlife spots available in Marrakech, from the contemporary sit down meal where you will be entertained by belly dancers and dancers with trays full of candles on her head, to upbeat night clubs offering fine dining, cocktails and dancing. We had the pleasure of visiting the following restaurants;

Le Salama Le Palace Restaurant Jad Mahal L'Heure Bleue (Essaouira)

During our time in Marrakech we had the chance to visit some amazing hotels (names of which I have detailed below) but as well as working we had the chance to do Go Karting which was great fun, whilst others went off for an afternoon of cookery in true Moroccan style. Morocco is also host to some world-famous golf courses and as a lot of the courses are within hotel grounds this makes an ideal base for couples or groups of friends looking for a mix of relaxation whilst also being able to have a round or two of golf.

Ouirgane Valley and the Atlas Mountains.

One of the days we was in Morocco we escaped the hustle and bustle of Marrakech to discover the natural beauty of the Ouigane valley. Here we visited the L'Amandier boutique hotel which just blew us all away. Located with a view of the lagoon at the foot of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, this was a perfect place to lay back, enjoy the sun and admire the view. The L'Amandier Luxury Boutique hotel is a new hotel with rooms and private villas. A little piece of heaven on earth!

Essaouira - Morocco's windy city on the Atlantic coast, argan oil factory and TREE GOATS!

Three hours' drive from Marrakech is the beautiful coastal resort of Essaouira which we had the opportunity to visit to see a different side to Morocco.

Before travelling to Morocco we was told about the tree goats and en-route to Essaouira we pulled up on the roadside to witness that very thing.....GOATS PERCHED IN TREES! This was a fascinating site but also very valuable to the farmers of the goats. These goats climb the trees to eat the Argan fruit, the stones/nuts of the fruit when pooped out by the goats are then sold to local community, cooperative workers who grind them into the very famous Argan oil, which leads me nicely onto our next stop, The Cooperative Marjana. This is were argan products are produced and sold. Local women work tirelessly, sat on the floor in clean, well ventilated conditions, grinding stone by stone, nut by nut to make argan products for their country and sold to locals and tourists alike.

On arrival in Essaouira you immediately knew you was away from the madness of Marrakech. This beautiful coastal resort was a picture perfect, sandy beaches stretching for miles, people enjoying camel rides, windsurfers riding the waves and horses galloping into the sunset. The Medina we visited was a lot more laid-back than those in Marrakech therefore allowing you to browse a little easier. I would definitely go back to Essaouira knowing of its laid-back atmosphere and beauty. This was an ideal place to end our trip on a high.

Overall my experience in Marrakech and Essaouira was truly wonderful. I can honestly say I would be more than happy to recommend this clean, vibrant, picturesque and mysterious country to my customers, whether it's for a break away with friends, as a couple or even for a corporate golfing trip, or a family holiday residing in one of the Riad style hotels. Honeymooners would be in heaven particularly at the L'Amandier boutique hotel at the foot of the Atlas Mountains (most hotels offer weddings packages)

The hotels we visited on this trip are as follow;

Movenpick Hotel Mansour Eddhabi - Marrakech Beachcomber Royal Palm - Marrakech Royal Mansour - Marrakech L'Amandier - Ouirgane Valley Atlas Hotel & Spa - Essaouira Sofitel Essaouira Mogador golf and Spa - Essaouira.

Thank you for taking the time to read my Moroccan experience and please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or are thinking of visiting this wonderful country yourself.