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Holidays in Marrakech, Morocco

Boutique hotels

Self-catering properties

Marrakech Overview

Morocco

Cityscape
Minarets and mountains
City life
Mint tea, mules, medina mayhem

Berber, Arabic and Moorish culture, oriental spices, desert landscapes, glamorous hideaways... all with a French accent.

Marrakech is a city unlike any other: nowhere is exoticism better showcased than in this ochre-and-rose-hued North African hive of activity. Indulge in a hammam at your tile-and-tadelakt riad before bartering for treasures in the kaleidoscopic souks, then snack on pigeon pie from a stall in the grand place, amid snake charmers and belly-dancers. To escape the hurly burly of the medina, sup on tajine and couscous in a chic cushion-filled restaurant in the Kasbah, or sip Cristal by candlelight in a hip muslin-draped, after-hours hang-out in the new town of Guéliz. And more adventures await, with the Atlas Mountains, Sahara Desert and coastal town of Essaouira all but a drive away.

Marvellously Marrakech

Wander the labyrinthine souks – not just to barter for a rainbow of treasures, but to soak up the sights, sounds and smells of the medina, and to spy all the different craftsmen at work. But it’s not a shopping terrain for the faint-hearted: prepare to haggle your heart out. Good buys include leather bags and slippers, pierced metalwork and spices.

 

Local Knowledge

Taxis
Small cabs (or 'petits taxis') take up to three passengers and stay within the city limits. They are metered; sit in the front seat so you can keep your eyes on the ticker, or make sure you agree a price before setting off. Big cabs ('grands taxis') take up to six people. It's always best to establish a price for your journey regardless of the government's attempts to enforce standard rates. Always have small change on you: it may be hard to get the correct change without hassle. Taxis tend to be pricier after 20h.

Tipping culture
In eateries, leave around 10 per cent tip; sling porters and anyone who helps you out along the way maybe five or 10 dirhams. Taxis tend to overcharge, so don’t feel you need to add extra.

Siesta and fiesta
Lunchtimes are slow, with many shops closing between 12h and 15h. Friday is a holy day, and consequently some places do not open, particularly in the afternoons. In Guéliz, timings are more along European lines, with shops closing on Sundays.

Packing tips
Leave space in your suitcase for new purchases; take bubble-wrap for fragile trinkets; a French phrasebook; and warm clothes for the evenings, especially in winter, when the temperature can dip surpsisingly low.

Recommended reads
Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud; A Year in Marrakesh by Peter Mayne; The Spider's House and The Sheltering Sky, both by Paul Bowles.

Cuisine
Mint tea, tajines, couscous, and pastillas – pigeon pies laced with icing sugar and almond – are the ubiquitous dishes here; you'll either love or hate the sweet/savoury combination of spices and fruits, but you should definitely try them at least once. Other fare on offer includes French fusion dishes, often featuring seafood, and the simple but tasty grilled skewered meat, fish and vegetables on offer at stalls all over the Djemaa el Fna square (aka the 'grand place').

Currency
Moroccan Dirham (Dh); there are around 16Dhs to £1; euros are also accepted in many places, although you will get a poor cash equivalent of €1 to 10Dhs.

Time zone
GMT -1.

Dialling codes
Country code for Morocco: +212; Marrakech: (0)524 for land lines, (0)624 for mobiles.

Do go/don't go
It’s great to get your Christmas shopping done here, and New Year is fun, but this is prime time, so it's busy, with prices pushed up accordingly. July and August are unbearably sweltering, while spring and autumn are delightfully balmy – October/November and February are wonderful times to visit. Things can be slow during Ramadan, when Muslims fast during daylight hours.

Don't go home without...

… trying a hammam treatment, a traditional bathing ritual in which you are scrubbed with exotically scented savon noir (usually made with olive oil, and sometimes with added cedarwood, eucalyptus or cinnamon) and exfoliated until your skin is as soft as the proverbial new-born baby's.

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