We just got back from spending Thanksgiving weekend in Marrakesh, Morocco! I’m so giddy and still excited from this trip. I keep looking through the photos, thinking about the experience and wishing I was back. As cheesy as it sounds, it was a dream come true! This was my fourth trip to Morocco. I first visited in 2017 during a retreat with two other women led by the wonderful Zim Flores (founder of Travel Noir). Without going into too much detail about that life changing first trip (it’s on the “future piece” list), I was only there for a few days that first trip and didn’t build in time for doing much outside of the retreat activities. Because we live in Spain, which is a kiss away from Morocco, I figured I’d come back at some point with Chris and experience it together. Thankfully, no pun intended, we were able to squeeze in this final international adventure before preparing to return to the States. Visiting the Red City proved a beautiful bookend to the last five years of overseas adventure and visiting a MENA (Middle East and North Africa) nation brought things full circle, since our first Thanksgiving overseas was in Oman.

Getting to Morocco is a trip (ba dump). Because of where we live, you have to move mountains and split seas to get anywhere within a reasonable hour and at a decent price. So, just as I shared with our trip to Chefchaouen, getting to Marrakech wasn’t a simple feat. You would think that flights are frequent and easy to come by. Nope. Ryan Air is, hands down, the most affordable option. But pay attention to hidden fees, policies written in braille, and the moon cycle, because they only fly there on certain days of the week. You have to pay extra for all sorts of bags, and really, print out your boarding passes and check in online because you’ll be paying for that too. We flew TAP Portugal, another discount airline. This meant we drove 1.5hrs to Seville, flew on a puddle hopper to Lisbon and a slightly larger plane down to Marrakech. Our itinerary was tough with early morning departure and late evening arrival on the return trip. But it was the best and most affordable option for our dates.

Marrakech airport is gorgeous, bright and open and easy to navigate. The two times I’ve gone through have been seamless. I’m sure traveling in November versus May or September had something to do with it. But for all its easy navigation, I will say I have two noteworthy airport stories. The first time I went through passport control, the guard asked me if I was the same person on my passport. I was looking a little rough and my passport photo was once praised for looking like a model headshot. Apparently I didn’t look like a model that day. This second go round, the passport control officer was dabbing a piece of tissue at a bloody corner of his lips. This freaked me out because a) he was touching my and my daughter’s passports; and b) as a public health professional and just a squeamish person, the last thing I wanted was whatever he had caught. But overall, we were good, got through in record time, grabbed our bags, exchanged our cash, marveled at our daughter, who walked more than she had before while waiting for the luggage, and made our way out into the bright afternoon sun of late November where we met our driver to the hotel.

Despite being a quick 3 days (more like 2.5) we experienced a lot in a short time. For this reason, I’m breaking this post into two parts (yaaaayyy!). Part 1 focuses on our day exploring Marrakech with highlights on the how, what and where of it all. Part 2 focuses on our experience staying at the incomparable oasis that is Jnane Tamsna in the Palmeraie district located 20 minutes outside of the medina.

Part 1: Sight, sound and color - exploring the city in a day

We set out with our guide, Abdul Tahiri, to explore key areas of Marrakesh for a full day tour. We started at 10:30am and arrived back at our hotel by 9pm. There’s nothing wrong with starting earlier. We just wanted to enjoy breakfast with friends and account for traveling with a baby.

Our first stop, the Kasbah Mosque is the central and highest landmark in the city center. Our guide gave us a brief history lesson before walking us through the park. We learned that the Koutoubia minaret is sister to the one that we’ve seen often in Old Town Seville here in Spain.

Medina

The medina is the heart and soul of Marrakech. It’s a fortified area enclosed within an ancient wall with a few “gates” or entry points. It’s a busy area, teeming with sounds, smells and life at all hours. From donkeys and zooming motorbikes, to horse drawn carriages, taxis, vans and pedestrians, the medina rarely rests. The walls are peppered with holes, which our driver told us were bird houses, and the buildings are washed in a shade of sunset pink. It’s easy to get lost in this city center and my first trip to Marrakesh put my landmark skills to test as I made note of every hanging carpet and low underpass to avoid getting off track. There are no street signs, and if you stand out as a tourist, you will be approached by many an opportunistic young man looking to “help” you find your way. So, pay attention or work with a guide if you’re not comfortable going solo.

We drove to the oldest door of the medina before arriving at a nearby women’s co-op to purchase Government authorized Argan Oil, spices and products. Morocco only has a limited number of hectares of land dedicated to Argan production. Because it’s so lucrative, many companies have gotten into selling Argan oil, but they cut theirs with other oils, making it less pure and potent. The secret to good “pure” argan oil is how fast and well it dissolves into your skin when you apply it. If it sits on your skin, the person who sold it to you ain’t your friend. If it disappears, you can smile wide from ear to ear.

After we stocked up on spices and oils, we made our way over to Bahia Palace.

Bahia Palace is breathtaking, with a large area to explore you can’t make a wrong turn. Even the area leading to the restroom is eye candy. Let’s pause here to talk about the reality of traveling with a baby. Not every place has changing rooms and we knew this going into our trip. But know that, like us, you might find yourself working as a team in a narrow bathroom stall to change the diaper of a very busy baby. Such was our case, and fortunately that caca diaper didn’t land on my outfit because I had the audacity to wear white.

Ok, so the palace, though full of fellow tourists, is gorgeous. I’ve been to a few MENA countries at this point and inside a few mosques and Andalucía is a land formerly inhabited by North Africans with evidence of it in the tiles and palaces. And no matter what, I remain in awe of the attention to detail and care given to the buildings. The heart and soul of the artist is seen in every space from the marble geometric patterned floors to the carved, wooden, painted ceilings.

Ville Nouvelle

By the time we finished walking the palace, it was time for lunch and Lavender was hitting a wall. Thankfully, she fell asleep and stayed asleep, while en route to eat. Let me just say, I had no idea where we were going, nor did I know where to go for lunch. I love to eat, but, for some reason, I forgot to look up that detail. I’m so glad we trusted Abdul to lead the way because we apparently hit a jackpot. The decor and feel was pretty upscale and swanky. Located in the Ville Nouvelle district, Grande Cafe de la Poste is primarily French cuisine, but we ordered the obligatory tagine dishes and ate until we almost joined Lavender in that midday nap.

Jardin Majorelle & Musee Berber

Following lunch, we found our way to the blue gem of the Red City, Jardin Majorelle & Musee Berber. While it was still busy with tourists, it seemed mellow. That could have been the time of day or even the time of year. But walking through a garden on the outskirts of the city was a treat. I could have spent more time there. We paid an extra fare to enjoy the Musée Berbère, which is located in the garden and pays homage to the indigenous people of Morocco. Sidebar, Berbère translates to “barbaric or barbarian,” and is the term used by outsiders, colonizers, etc. to describe the indigenous people. That shut me up and had me upset so I needed to know what to say. Our guide told us that the people call themselves Amazigh (or “free people” in their native language). The museum doesn’t allow cameras and we’re glad it doesn't. We definitely got lost in the landscaping and made sure to snap a few shots anywhere we saw the exquisite Majorelle blue stand out.

Dar El Bacha

As it often goes, these little streets and paths are full of magic and mystery. You pass a door, and on the outside it’s a simple, unassuming door. But, you walk in, and you’re transported to another land as if you walked through the wardrobe of Narnia. This was the reality my first visit to Marrakesh when I stayed at a riad in the Medina. And the Medina, with its mysteries and sweet surprises, didn’t fail me this time around. I sent Abdul a list of several places to visit, one of which was Dar Si Said, a mansion and smaller version of the Bahia Palace, also in the medina. But, by the time we made our way to the central souqs, I realized it was probably too late. Abdul was still willing to take us if we wanted, and that’s when I looked up and saw a wall that read, Dar el Bacha, Museum of Confluences.

“What’s this?” I asked. We all turned to face the entrance.

Abdul politely offered, “It’s a little like Dar Si Said, would you like to go in?”

“Sure!” I said, “Why not?”

Side bar: Never be afraid to get off the beaten path. Besides, the beaten path might just have a lot of potholes and rough patches. Try something new.

This little Dar el Bacha is like a “best kept secret.” It didn’t pop up on any of the “must see” lists of things to do and places to visit in Marrakech. It was quiet, had very little foot traffic and plenty to see. It houses museum exhibits, a sample hammam, orange trees, fountains, intricately carved tiles, columns and woodworks as well as the elegant Bacha Coffee Room & Boutique.

The Central Souqs

I’ll admit that I was a little nervous about going to the souk (souq). My first encounter with the Marrakesh markets in 2017 wasn’t that great, as a few aggressive vendors tried to coerce a few of us to purchase things and then proceeded to badmouth us when we refused. I didn’t get the same treatment while traveling with my husband. I’m no stranger to souqs. We lived in Bahrain for two years, where I became well acquainted with the art of negotiating. Add that to watching my New York bred father and I’d say I’m on my way to a certificate in haggleology. While I don’t like to do it in the middle of the night, while I’m hungry and my baby is fussing, I’ll gladly talk down a vendor to a reasonable price. It’s like a game and because it’s part of the culture, the people expect it of the buyer. On an ideal day, I would have gone in, but we had limited cash and didn’t want to spend the time or energy. That doesn’t mean I didn’t score two pair of Moroccan slippers at an incredible discount. For future reference, most places don’t have card machines, so bring cash and be ready to walk away from the deal if the price isn’t right.

The sun had already set and the souq wasn’t as busy by the time we arrived. Because we only wanted two things, the djellaba robe and babouche slippers, we were pretty focused. Eventually, as we made our way past well lit stalls and beautiful light fixtures, I remembered that Christmas was around the corner and I wanted to pick up a few things that I promised a few people. So we stopped at a spot that took cards, and made a few purchases before hoping back onto the narrow, moped littered streets. Side note, look out for mopeds. They are everywhere and zoom in and out of the streets. Stay off your phone and hug the edges of the roads to avoid an accident. We were both surprised and annoyed and overwhelmed by the noise and odor. It reminded us of our time in Naples a few years back when we had to play “dodge moped” in the narrow streets in search of food.

After a filling, but not heavy, dinner at NoMad Restaurant in the city center, we made our way back to the van, cutting through Djemma el-Fna where the International Film Festival took place amid the usual Saturday evening turn up featuring music, dancing, live chickens and a missing cobra (just kidding about the cobra).

Food (recommend reservations for all):

Grand Cafe de la Poste - French restaurant in Ville Nouvelle with delicious tagines and a swanky atmosphere.

Bacha Coffee - A hidden gem located in the Dar el Bacha Museum of Confluences, this recently opened international coffee shop features coffees from around the world. The atmosphere is luxurious and refined, the menu is extensive (over 200 coffees!), and includes a variety of blends, suggested coffee for certain times of day, decaf coffees and food. We enjoyed a lemon and date croissant and shared a pot of Yemeni coffee and an almond flavored blend with coffee from Turkey.

NoMad Restaurant - This rooftop restaurant plays no games when it comes to gustatory treats. Even Lavender ate all her food! We enjoyed the view of the lit up Minaret in the distance while relaxing in the comfortable evening air. NoMad is the first restaurant I ate at when I visited Marrakesh 2 years ago, and I knew I had to return. Chris and I sat in roughly the same exact section of the restaurant that I did when I was there for the retreat. We scored the last few reservations for that evening and enjoyed everything on the menu including the two different desserts and the spiced Moroccan coffee!

Guide

Let me tell you about Abdul Tahiri. He was an absolute pleasure to work with. He was patient, informative and great with Lavender. He didn’t rush us and he also made sure we kept a steady pace so as not to get too far behind. And he took a lot of pictures for us, which is why you see a lot of great shots on this post. I met him when I first visited Morocco in 2017 for the retreat. He was a patient and trustworthy person with a pleasant and welcoming spirit. I distinctly remember him checking a group of young men one who said a few inappropriate things about the group of us women during that first trip. And he was always friendly and pleasant when we interacted with him. So when the time came to plan this trip, I made sure to reach out and find out if he still did tours and arranged transportation. Which he did, and for that I’m so grateful. I believe he can also assist with tours to neighboring areas outside of Marrakech. But, If you’re planning to visit Marrakech and looking for a reputable guide, please reach out to Abdul and tell him Acasia sent you.

Highlights:

Weather: The weather was perfect. Felt like late spring, but we did pack a jacket since it gets chilly at night.
Driving: The driving impressed me. In all of the MENA countries we’ve visited, I can say that Morocco, and specifically, Marrakech has great driving. Yes, there are moments when your eyes double in size, but Marrakech was the first country where I saw a designated motorcycle lane on the roadway and most busy areas have traffic police to help the flow of traffic.
The call to prayer: It had been some time since I last heard the call to prayer. I do miss it.
The use of all your senses, including “common cents”: The sights, sounds, colors, smells, textures, all come alive and on another level in Marrakech. It’s also common to tip everyone from the bathroom attendant to your guide. They say “Tipping is not a city in China,” so don’t forget to tip.
The food: Chris and I commented on how, while filling, the food wasn’t heavy. And the flavors! Saffron, date and chocolate cake a la mode for the win!
Landmarks: I liked every site we saw, though Bahia Palace felt overwhelming because there were a lot of people. Dar el Bacha kinda made up for it.
The grass is always greener, and the discount leaner: Haggling my way down to a steal of a deal for my shoes while my husband scored baboucha’s for significantly less than I did without having to haggle. I’m still proud of my “accomplishment” but couldn’t believe it.
Being present: There is so much to see, do and experience. It's great to be present and take it all in.

For information on where we stayed, visit Marrakech PT2 here.

Marrakech: PT1