any must see recommendations for a 7 day stay in Marrakech ???

[MR. FUSION]

Sadly not going in the MH as I vaguely planned a year or so ago, but staying in Marrakech in an all in flight/hotel deal with squeezy jet.

Any must sees and do's whilst there ???

 

[Hollyberry]

I've never been, always wanted to but I reckon the medina ( the huge market) is a must see.
I'm very envious ---it was on our list of places to visit

Enjoy!

 

[hilldweller]

Centre of town basically. Just remember incha'Allah. When you go to cross a road, do what the locals do, walk steadily and trust in Allah. Nothing else will get you to the other side. He treated me favourably.

So daytime view of huge square. Nighttime view of huge square.

Then delve into the souk and see some sights you'd rather not. Your food won't look the same after this.

 

[wivvy's dad]

We are going there next week - for a week also.

This is what a friend who was out there a few weeks ago recommended.......

Jemma El F'na - the main square - a spectacle and worth having a cheap dinner there one night you can expect to pay about £5 for the two of you.
You can get fresh OJ for a quid (10 dirham)
Cafe nouss nouss (glass filled half w expresso and half w milk) - best bet!
Harira - is the chickpea soup with bits of pasta in it. Usually served in the evenings.

The Souk - get lost, haggle and shop!
Inside the souk there is a wonderful rooftop terrace restaurant called Terrasse de Epices(spice terrace) - google it for the exact address and phone number but worth stopping for lunch here.

Culture
Maison de la photographie, 46 rue Ahl Fes, off rue Bin Lafnadek
This place is lovely. An oasis away from the chaos of the souk but within the medina. It has a roof terrace that looks directly at the Atlas Mountains - stop for a drink or sweet mint tea

Ben Youssef Medersa - Quranic school and close by Dar Bellarj (formerly a hospital for storks)

Hammams - for a scrub and or massage. You should both try one of these. They are an experience and you can go really local or top end. Ask your hotel.

Sights
Koutoubia Mosque
Bab (gate) Agnaou - beautiful archway made of stone!
Kasbah Mosque
Saadian Tombs
Badii Palace and the mini bar (it's part of the Minaret not somewhere for refreshment)
If you can do a day trip to the mountains, well worth it!!
Do the Tanneries, well worth a look.

Day of pampering and living it up
La Mamounia
Book now!!! Day pass is about £90 per person but includes use of the pool, a massage and a 2-course lunch. Make it clear that one of you is veggie!

Nice dinners

*Azar, Rue de Yougoslavie - 16-types of mezze, book restaurant downstairs, also has belly dancing. - in Ville Nouvellle
*Amaia, 84 Avenue Hassan II - didnt get a chance to eat here but it was on my list, has south east asian dishes as well as french, comes recommended. Also in the same area.
*Grand Cafe de la Poste, Place 16 Novembre, behind the post office - (upmarket) french bistro, again didn't eat as was out of my budget, but it isn't expensive for UK prices
*Masion Arab - came here for a drink, the restaurant it supposed to be great for Haute Moroccan cuisine, booking essential, looks a bit old school.

Essaouira - on the coast and is gorgeous

Superatour is the fast and efficient posh bus to Essaouira. Takes three hours. The bus station is 2mins from the train station and your ticket will be about 6/7 quid. You have to register your bags (5dirham) on the day of departure before you board. They give you a ticket which you stick on your bag and you keep the receipt to collect it at the end of your journey.
You must go and stay for a couple of days here it is fabulous. Look at Bookings.com and type in Essaouira and riads, there are some amazing deals and the places are stunning.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Essouria is a good day out -its a walled fortified town by the sea with a fishing port-I'm sure you can get bus from Marrakesh. You can have a fresh fish lunch on the Quayside cooked to your liking for a few dirams. Not sure how far it is but we did it years ago in hire car from Agidir.

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[Lenny HB]

We left most of our stuff at the hotel hired a car for 24hr drove over the High Altas mountains, nearly ran out fuel & it was snowing. Managed to find some fuel as it was getting dark from a garage that looked closed, carried on found a guest house in the Sub Shara for the night great fun.

 

[MR. FUSION]

Thanks to everyone who posted and to Wiveys dad for the recommendations!! Did most of those, wow the souk and square....what a ride, particularly at night, makes Glasgow on a saturday night look like a tame picnic.
But seriously would you drive a MH through Marrakech ?? I saw a French couple doing it, I would be amazed if they got through unscathed!!
Lots of pickpockets and assorted dodgemiesters in the square, I kept all my valuables in a security holder under my clothes, bus some guy still 'bumped' me for my loose change in my wallet, but all he got was a tug on my wallet security chain

Did a couple of tuk tuk rides through the souk, now there is driving on the wild side, and great driving skills from the one legged tuk tuk driver and his adapted vehicle.

went to Essouria, lovely place but only did it on a day trip on a minibus 200 dhs each and it DOES need at least 2-3 days. Saw some MH's tucked around behind the dunes near the coast. Nice relaxed place indeed.

I stayed half board for a week at the Hotel Dwaine, with squeezyjet about £320 all in from Glasgow, to be honest I found the evening meals in the hotel much better than anything in the square or around, but we did eat one night in the square for a fiver, for the vibe.

Nice visit to the Maison de la photographie and the rooftop cafe, although I needed to hire a tuk tuk to get there the first time, second time for the nearby Madrassa visit I used my phone GPS compass and a map, and then navigated back with nokia here maps for android. Which did a much better job than Google maps in the souk which was useless due to the inacurracy of the direction compass, Nokia here was spot on and easy to understand with a highly accurate GPS direction compass.

The only thing to see I would add to Wiveys list is a visit to Jardin Majorelle, currently in the news for the royal Becks visit, get there early tho to enjoy the tranquility of the gardens, and the...er rather suggestive memorial!

Avoid the panorama bus, commentry is dire, the only thing it gives you is a better view of the mayhem in town, and the outer route served only to confirm we did the right thing by staying in a city hotel and not being stuck out in the tourist compounds outside the city next to the camel tourist rip off honeypot. Many people hire a taxi for a few hours at an agreed rate or use a better more local tour.

Would I go there in the MH, probably yes, and down the coast only, and would definately avoid driving in cities.

We did not get the shits at all, but we did drink and clean our teeth in bottled water only, only ate cooked foods and were very careful about chicken, avoided all salads and unpeeled fruit, water melons etc, and used copious amounts of alcohol wash on our hands, after taxi bus rides etc and before meals etc. That regime seemed to work out fine.

Very enjoyable holiday, and a cheap local data card too, to get internet and help with GPS navigation! I worked out three would have charged me about £1500 for the amount of data I used, and the local card was £4 total. Well worth the effort in getting one.

 

[makems]

We have been to Marrakech now 5 times in the MH.
Only had one problem driving through when our SatNav decided to takes us through two arches at 90degrees to each other. A 9metre MH wasn't going to get through so we had to reverse back 50 yards and round a corner to turn round. Difficult enough in normal circumstances, but when trying to do it against a constant flow of donkey carts ,cars and mopeds it was "exciting" to say the least.
Marrakech however is not our favourite city in Morocco because it's not typically "moroccan" if you know what I mean. Too touristy and everybody wants to shake you down or sell you something.
Never had any trouble with pickpockets though. (Maybe I don't look like I have anything worth pinching)

 

[MR. FUSION]

We have been to Marrakech now 5 times in the MH.

Oh well I am officially a MH driving coward !!! Glad you got through Ok.
I dont look like I am worth anything at all when I go out, but I guess to an African tea leaf any westerner is worth a pop at.

Have you been down the Moroccan coast in the MH ?? any recommendations ???

 

[JJ]

I hope you saw/see the "Story Tellers" and street performers in the main square and of course, not to be missed, the Teeth Man!


JJ

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[MR. FUSION]

I hope you saw/see the "Story Tellers" and street performers in the main square and of course, not to be missed, the Teeth Man!


JJ

I saw the teeth man....and wondered where did all those teeth originate from?? The story teller crowd was where I got 'bumped' into by the pickpocket!!! Anyway quite an experience, did you MH down there JJ ???

 

[JJ]

did you MH down there JJ ???

No... I flew in to do a bit of work...


JJ

 

[Carol]

Sounds as though you had an enjoyable week, if you have time have a read through the Morocco Threads for 2013/14/15. Lots of us had a wonderful time exploring Morocco in our Motorhomes, one of the funny ones was 5 funsters in convoy driving through the centre of Marakesh taking a wrong turn and ending up outside the Kings Palace and been waved frantically away, though they all lived to tell the tale. Essouiara wonderful we camped right in the centre for 5 days finding our way around what is a delightful city.

 

[TerryL]

one of the funny ones was 5 funsters in convoy driving through the centre of Marakesh taking a wrong turn and ending up outside the Kings Palace and been waved frantically away, though they all lived to tell the tale.

Guilty!

 

[Hollyberry]

I have to know ----what / who is the "Teeth Man"?

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[MR. FUSION]

I have to know ----what / who is the "Teeth Man"?

Sets of Falsies for sale, lots of them and all individual......so either relatives sell them or ??????