Morocco
We spent 4 nights in Morocco experiencing the chaotic and captivating city of Marrakech, the stunning beauty and tranquillity of the Atlas Mountains and the coastal resort of Essaouira. 3 very different experiences but a 3 centre holiday that is very achievable in a week giving you the opportunity to experience and savour all sides of what Morocco has to offer.
Our hotel in Marrakech was the 5 star Movenpick. This hotel provided beautiful modern bedrooms with large bathrooms and very modern and bright feel to the rooms and we were made very welcome with excellent service and good food. This is a large modern hotel catering for both families and couples alike and is within reach of the hustle and bustle of the busy Medina if you fancy testing out your bartering skills. I am a sucker for anything with a bit of bling and came back with 2 very sparkly pairs of flip flops at a reduced price of course!
We also visited the The Royal Palm Hotel and golf course which is around 20 minutes from the Medina. Morocco is an excellent destination for a golfing trip and given the flight is under 3 hours, is a great place for a short 3- or 4-night break. This hotel is of an extremely high standard offering a fantastic golf course. From here we visited the luxurious Royal Mansour hotel which is a totally different experience and has accommodation ranging from large private riads to beautiful unique hotel rooms with lots of character and charm and with a completely Moroccan feel. This is the place to go for that special occasion and for the absolute wow factor. We were treated to a 5-star meal where the food and service were second to none. We were extremely honoured as this hotel doesn't usually host visits so we were very lucky and very impressed by what we saw! This property is around a 5-minute walk from the Medina and main square so close enough to be in the middle of it all but still set in its own haven of peace and tranquillity.
From here we were taken to a cookery class at the Riad Le Maison Arab. This was an amazing experience and one I would recommend my clients to book. We were given a brief history of the Moroccan way of cooking with a demonstration and then proceeded to cook our own chicken dish using the authentic Moroccan Tagines and I have to say our attempt was pretty tasty and not too bad at all given I am definitely no cook!
The following day we travelled to the Atlas Mountains which is about an hour and a half away from Marrakech and the journey was worth it! We arrived at the Luxury L'Amandier hotel and the only way to describe this was a little bit of heaven. What an absolutely breathtaking location the hotel is in. The private villas with pools are absolutely out of this world and I can't recommend this property enough and would without a doubt definitely recommend to twin this up with a couple of nights in Marrakech. For pure relaxation, excellent food and amazing, family-run hospitality this is the place to go. They can also arrange weddings here and private massages and beauty treatments. This is on my wish list to revisit but this time for my own holiday.
The highlight of the trip up to Essaouira was without a doubt the goat tree. Yes, this is exactly what it says - a tree filled to the top with goats. Great photo opportunity and not a sight I have seen many times before! We also visited the argan oil factory too en route which was interesting.
Our base for the night in Essaouira was the lovely Atlas Spa hotel and from here we visited the Sofitel Hotel and Golf course. Beautiful hotel with some fantastic quirky metal sculptures and a very modern and trendy feel to it. Next stop was the Medina of Essaouira which is a complete contrast from the craziness of the noisy Medina in Marrakech. My preference was the quieter feel of Essaouira and my recommendation for a trip round the Marrakech Medina would be to have a guide as we did, as it could be a little daunting at times if you are on your own and very easy to get lost as it is like a little hidden city. The Moroccan tourist board surprised us with a wonderful sunset cocktail party overlooking the sea on our last night with an amazing Travel Counsellors cake. Very special memories.
Whist in Morocco we were lucky enough to be hosted at some wonderful restaurants all of which I would recommend and would need to be pre-booked, my personal favourite was Le Palace, a great fun night with exquisite food.
The Salama Restaurant just off the main square in Marrakech was the venue for our first night. We were all provided with a Fez hat (good photo opportunity) and then were presented with an array of food all mezze-style and were entertained by dancing girls before going up to the beautiful sky bar to eat dessert and for those who wanted to try, smoking the shish.
Le Palace - This is a Premier club with fine dining and a singer whilst dining and turns into a nightclub once the meal is finished. It is safe to say we all danced the night away and all had such a good night with lots of laughs - highly recommended
Jad Mahal - This is in Marrakech and was a sit down 3-course meal complete with show including dancing girls, fire-eaters and then after the meal a live band playing into the early hours. Another great night and great venue and another one to recommend.
The L'Heure Bleue - A fine dining Relais and Chateaux restaurant in Essaouira. A completely different dining experience from the others and the place for a quiet intimate meal in ornate surroundings
Morocco is a diverse country with lots of different experiences to be had, for more information and to make a booking or get prices please give me a call and I will be happy to talk to you in more detail about my trip.