Marrakech was assaulting on the senses.. I've done a lot of travel to a lot of countries and I have never felt more culturally exposed than here. It was such an experience and I loved every second of it.. well almost! The souks are crazy, I can promise you that the street that leads you in will never lead you out. Everyone wants to sell their goods to you, it's all about being patient, this is their way of life remember! You will come across the most amazing colours, we got lead into the dye markets where they colour the materials that are then turned into scarves ( I did end up buying two ) It's unreal. There is beautiful jewellery, shoes, bowls and tea sets and I can not forget to mention the cheeky boys at the orange juice stands, they will make you laugh, want a photo and present you with the best orange juice ever!
It does become very draining though, each day was exhausting. We got lost and then found our way and then got lost again numerous times and on the second night we were lead back to our riad by a local guy and by the time we got back there there were several guys surrounding us asking to be paid hundreds for their services. If you ever get stuck in one of these situations, you have to stand your ground. We were so lucky that the manager of our riad was standing at the front door and came out and helped us.
I loved our riad. We stayed at a Mr & Mrs Smith boutique hotel, P'tite Habibi - which translates to "Little Darling" - and it was.
Abdul and the ladies were so welcoming. Upon arrival we had mint tea and sweets and Abdul showed us everything on a big map. From there we had the option of taking a taxi from the riad every day but instead we decided to walk halfway into Jemaa El Fna with Abdul each morning getting a local feel of the place.
Ben and I had the whole riad to ourselves and were lucky enough to stay in the white room. They are all decorated so beautifully, each room different the next.
Breakfast every morning was bliss. Enjoyed in the sunshine on the rooftop we had pomegranate seeds with yoghurt, moroccan flat breads, fresh fruit and coffee. Yum!
Three days was definitely enough time to explore the city. It has so much to offer, you really need to get amongst it.
A definite highlight was Yves Saint Laurent Gardens, so peaceful, stunning colours met by intricate designs spread throughout the gardens. The mint tea there was so nice too.
We came back with about 20kg more luggage than when we left :) a sign of a successful trip if you ask me!
(please note all photographs are owned by Jenna Moss. If you are interested in any shots please contact.)
