OUR MEMBERS CHOOSE MOROCCO TO:
- Enjoy a short break in the boutique hotels and riads of Marrakech and Fes
- Be inspired by traditional Moroccan and Moorish interior design
- Take a cheap beach holiday or trip to the Atlas mountains
Morocco is as full of experiences as its souks are of carpet sellers. Here are some of Ten travel expert Gengis Khan's recommendations:
MARRAKECH
Marrakech is firmly on the market as a short break now there are cheap direct flights. Four days is the perfect length of time to enjoy life in a riad (traditional Moroccan houses or palaces with interior courtyards or gardens) with forays into the chaotic town square to jostle with carpet salesmen, fire jugglers and snake charmers. If you want to shop in the city's noisy souks and pick up colourful lamps, blown-glass vases and carpets at bargain prices, talk to Ten about shipping your goods home.
After a hot, hard day in the souks, you can relax at one of the city's high-end spa hotels. The newly built Murano Oriental Resort, with its striking red-coloured swimming pool, is popular with members. Ask Ten about booking.
La Mamounia, inside Marrakech's old city walls, is Morocco's most famous palace hotel and has been closed since 2006 for refurbishment, under the guidance of French designer Jacques Garcia. It'sluxury rooms (171), suites (57), restaurants and bars are scheduled to reopen in late 2008, within the 17 acres of tropical gardens. Some members have been holding off on their next visit to Morocco until it reopens. Call us about securing rooms.
ESSAOUIRA
Essaouira, on the Atlantic coast, has everything you could want from a North African holiday spot. It's a romantic destination, with boutique hotels established in traditional Moroccan riads and a large sandy beach. It's also windy, which makes it ideal for windsurfers and kite surfers but you may want to book into a hotel with a sheltered terrace and a swimming pool.
The Gnaoua World Musical Festival, which happens in Essaouira in June, is arguably one of the world's most interesting musical happenings. Gnaoua music is hypnotic and is created with lutes, drums and chanting, with songs lasting up to an hour. The festival attracts artists from around the world
Agadir, further south along the coast from Essaouira, is a well-known beach town, but members say it has become a touristy ‘bucket and spade' resort.
DESERT & MOUNTAINS
Members looking for luxury accommodation in the Sahara desert may be disappointed because camps need to be mobile due to the threat of sandstorms. For short trips we can organise excursions in 4 x 4s from Marrakech, but it's also possible to journey through the Atlas Mountains along remote trails. We can arrange transport - whether you want to cycle or relax in a jeep - and put together a route that will take in sights such as 16th-century desert kasbahs. If you'd like to camp, then Ten can arrange Bedouin tents so you can bunker down between the dunes and sleep beneath the desert skies. Call us to find out more.
Kasbah Tamadot, Sir Richard Branson's boutique retreat, is set within a walled garden in the High Atlas. It has a spa, hammam, infinity pool and floodlit tennis courts. One member booked his honeymoon with Ten and chose a two-centre stay at Kasbah Tamadot and then a visit to Essaouira. Call us if you'd like a similar itinerary that takes in both the mountains and the sea.
CASABLANCA AND FES
Casablanca and Fes are also popular cities among members. Casablanca, in Western Morocco, is the country's largest city and chief port, heavily influenced by its French colonial history. Wealthy Moroccan families often holiday there.
Fes is some years behind Marrakech in tourism and has retained its spiritual and cultural centre (and has a little more labyrinthine mystery to its cheaper souk shopping).
Food
Morocco has for centuries been a meeting point for many different civilsations, and this diversity has left an indelible mark on its cuisine. Moroccan food uses spices extensively and it influences include Moorish, Arab, Berber, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean African, Iberian and Jewish foods. Beef and lamb are the most popular meats, while seafood is also widely available. Typical dishes are tajine (named after the pot in which the food is cooked), couscous and kofte (meatballs).
Our members' favourite restaurants include Dar Moha Almadina in the Medina near the Dar Marjana. Its serves contemporary Moroccan cuisine in what was once the French designer Pierre Balmain's private residence.
Yacout is one of the best known Moroccan restaurant in Marrakesh, and booking is essential. The restaurant is in an old palace situated in the heart of the Medina and members report that the setting is stunning, although the food sometimes doesn't live up to its surroundings.
For a traditional meal, try Tigmi. Situated about 15 miles outside Marrakech, the restaurant is located in a Berber village entirely maide of pise (reinforced mud). It has 360 degree views of the surrounding countryside and High Atlas Mountains and serves village home-cooking. Reservations are by appointment only, so ask us to arrange.
A good way to sample a range of different foods is to head for the stalls in the Djemaa el Fna market place in Marrakech. The aroma of grilled meats and spices that hangs over the square will ignite your appetite and send you straight to the nearest vendor for some lamb couscous or a shish kebab.
GETTING THERE
Direct flights from the UK are operated daily by BA and Royal Air Maroc to Marrakech. The budget airlines Atlas Blue and easyJet also fly into the city. Marrakech looks like a modern international airport, with clean marble floors and facilities, but customs is strict and it's a busy, chaotic place. Taxis are usually parked outside to meet incoming flights, but ask Ten to arrange transfers to hotels so you can avoid the rush.
To travel to other destinations in Morocco, members will need to take indirect or domestic flights. The train from Marrakech to Fes takes seven hours, and it's a four-hour journey from Marrakech to Casablanca, with services running regularly. Talk to us and we can book for you.
