Last
weekend, my friend and i went to Marrakech for a 4-day citytrip. We had some ideas of what to
expect, because we have visited Istanbul once before. These two cities are not
the same, but they both share an Islamic culture.
Marrakech
is 3,5 hours of flying from Amsterdam. The airport is very close to the city,
what is a huge plus! In aprox. 30 minutes you will be able to check into your
hotel. Be aware of the time difference in summer (2 hours) and winter (1 hour GMT
time +1).
The city is
located in the west of Morroco and is very near to the ‘Atlas’ mountains. By
arriving at the Menara airport, you will be amazed by the view on the snowy
tops of these mountains!
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| Menara airport, with in the back.. Atlas mountains |
Our hotel
was in the ‘New city’ district. This modern district is built to keep the
authentic and old centre of Marrakech, with its famous square: Djemnaa el Fna
and the surrounded souks.
The new
district is divided in two parts: Hivernage and Gueliz. You can find many
luxury hotels, clubs and trendy bars in these places.. Shop-addicts can find
their way to the ‘Place de 16 Novembre’ for a lot of European chain stores
mixed with Arabic ones. If you are into fashion definitely pay a visit to one
of the Marwa stores. This Morrocan fashion store is in prices comparable with
H&M and Zara and offers adorable trendy blouses, tops and pants with
matching accessories. A must see for
fashionistas would be the ‘Rue de la Liberté’
as well. This street is filled with small boutiques of amazing
designers. Take a lunch-break at the trendy
Kechmara café on its great roof-terrace!
This café
is owned by a French guy, which is noticeable in the delicious variety of the
menu..
We like to
enjoy our evening while having a good glass of wine, nice atmosphere and
delicious food. Of course you can enjoy the real Morrocan kitchen on the big
square and experience the ultimate Arabic atmosphere, while having a cheap but
delicious dish of Couscous, tajine, or soup with lentils.
If you are
not into that, do like us.. Browse through the trendy hotspots, make some
reservations and decide later on where you would like to go;) Works best for us
and you even have the possibility to discover some new, trendy bars!
Because we
both like Sushi, we decided to visit the Red Sun restaurant. This Japanese
restaurant has also 2 branches in Holland and is known for its delicious food
with a great atmosphere and bar.
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| Entrance of the Red Sun, Marrakech (Photo: theredsun.com) |
The Djemaa
el Fna square is filled with snake charmers, story tellers and artisians. Later
on, in the evening the place is used for Morrocan people to come together and
enjoy a typical Morrocan meal. You might think that hygiene is not a common
thing around this busy area, but the government pays a lot of attention to this
important subject. Around the square you will find tons of artisans with their
little shops and selling all handmade products, like leather handbags, ceramic
tajines, ashtrays and typical bachouks (cotton
shoes for men). Remember, lower your price as much as possible!;)
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| Djemaa el Fna square |
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| Handmade bags |
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| Morrocan spices.. |
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| Typical Morrocan 'babouches' |
After
walking around the souks all day, we found a great restaurant in a beautiful setting.
It is called Café Arabe. You can sit at the roof terrace, take place on the
comfortable cushions, or enjoy a great dinner in the courtyard downstairs. We
even had our own lounge sofa and enjoyed a meal of couscous, pasta and grilled
vegetables.
Because of
the Islam culture, alcohol is kind of a no-go in these countries. Although,
Marrakech is a modern city, in a lot of trendy bars and restaurants you can
enjoy a glass of delicious Morrocan wine or a home-made cocktail.
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| Beautiful interior @ Café Arabe |
The upper
east side of Marrakech, is called ‘Hivernage’. Here you will find big lanes
with proper buildings and houses, surrounded by big palm trees. A small
shopping area is build, with shops like Louis Vuitton, Missoni and La Perla.
Hotels that you will find in this area: Sofitel, Club Med, Novotel and other
nice places to spend your high-class holiday.
For a cup of
coffee, or an afternoon tea.. Visit café Extrablatt on Avenue Echouhada. With
its big terrace that is always filled by the trendy high-class society. Next to
this café you will find ‘Le Comptoir’. This restaurant/night club offers drinks
and cocktails and has a huge interior for many people to spend their night in
style. On Wednesday and Sunday, live bands will play all night long..
A yet
undiscovered hotspot would definitely be ‘Azar’ restaurant. On the corner of
Rue de Yugoslavie and Avenue Hassan ll, you will find this trendy restaurant/
bar with delicious Libanese/ Arabic dishes. We shared a plate of hummus, tabouleh
accompanied with Turkish bread and a salad of Artichokes and goat cheese. Even
your visit to the toilet is an experience.. Check it out yourself! In the
night, Dj’s are playing and belly dancers will seduce the men;)
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| Lunchbreak @ Café Elite.. |
For lunch,
we loved to sit every day at ‘Elite Café’. Next to the Place de 16 Novembre,
with all the big chain stores like Zara, Mango etc. After shopping, a perfect
break to relax on the terrace and spot the people on the streets!
For more impressing culture: Visit the tanneries on the outside of the centre.. Here you will find a small village with families working together to finish all the leather skins that will ultimately be used by the artisans in the city that makes bags, accessoiries and clothes of them. People are working in the old way by only using their hands!
After, take a taxi to the 'Majorelle' gardens of Yves Saint Laurent. Definetely can't miss this beautiful garden with colorful trees, ceramics and flowers..
After all, a unique an inspiring city to visit and discover the magical atmosphere of Northern Africa!
