I recently travelled to Marrakesh in Morocco and it was truly the trip of a lifetime for me. It was a sensory overload in the best way possible, but it also felt calm and safe which is something I didn’t expect, especially travelling as a female.
There is so much to explore, including the unbelievably amazing Arabic architecture which I love, to the endless stalls within the souks selling spices, rugs, tableware and gorgeous hand made pieces. There are also the tanneries, gardens, mosques, beautiful doorways and so so so much more in a relatively small space.
Explore Marrakesh
Atlas Mountains
The Atlas mountains are the ideal place for a camel ride into the desert to experience something truly Moroccan and super special. We rode camels into the desert for around an hour or so and eventually met a family who made us Moroccan tea and pancakes and it was a really magical experience, made even better by the baby camel who followed us to be by his mum the entire time, and our guide stopping to help a goat give birth halfway through our trek!
It was a great way to experience the culture and the scenery whilst relaxing with my friends chatting whilst we slowly rode across the desert – it was like being in a dream it’s definitely a day I’ll never forget.
YSL Gardens
The YSL gardens are probably one of the most beautiful gardens you will visit. As well as the gardens there is the main house and a cafe so you can relax and refuel. I love the colours and vibrancy of the gardens and surrounding buildings, and it felt like such a special place to spend a few hours.
Jemaa el-Fnaa
Jemaa el-Fnaa is the heart of Marrakesh and is probably already at the top of your list if you’re planning a visit to Marrakesh. The central square is busy, full of people, food, drink, animals and bars, and is like nowhere else.
You can find stalls with food, drinks (and not so lovely leathers and snake charmers), along with cafes and restaurants. This is the most perfect place for people watching if you love to sit and relax watching the sunset and seeing what everyone else is doing (which I love to do).
Nomad
This restaurant is one the few places where you can eat while enjoying alcohol in Marrakesh. I travelled with friends in a group of 6 of us, and we ate three courses and had drinks all evening and I think the total bill was around £20 each.
It is incredibly cheap and was absolutely one of the best restaurants I have ever eaten in. I highly recommend eating here especially if it’s for a special occasion as you really are so well looked after.
I was quite worried about what the food was going to be like in Marrakesh as I do have to be careful, but to be honest I really didn’t need to worry at all. There were plenty of places nearby which accommodated a more ‘touristy’ diet such as burgers and chips, salads and snacks.
The best food was obviously the typical Moroccan cuisine was consisted mostly of tangines. I have never had such amazing food and everyone in Marrakesh are unbelievably accommodating and made any changes to the recipe to ensure that I was fed.
The Morroccan culture also consumes a lot of green and mint tea which is right up my street (obviously), so I was never far from a fresh pot of sugary green and mint tea!
The riad that we were staying in was hosted by a lovely Moroccan man who has probably never made so many pots of tea for guests, but our favourite thing to do early evening was play cards, read our books, play quizzes and chat about our day while drinking our bodyweight in Moroccan tea!
As well as food I was slightly worried about safety. Most of the time I travel with one other person, however being in a group definitely made me feel safer, but to be honest, most days we split into groups of 2 or 3 and then met up at certain points of the day and did specific trips and excursions together, but even if I was with one other girlfriend, I would have felt pretty safe. There are lots of English speaking cafes and bars, and everyone was friendly and interesting so I never felt intimidated or out of my depth.
The people of Marrakesh are truly great hosts and go out of their way to ensure you are happy and safe. You obviously do have to have your whits about you and there are scams and certain things you need to keep in mind, but that’s the case wherever you go and is not unique to Morocco at all.
If you get the chance to go to Marrakesh you absolutely should! It’s a great location for a long weekend with a group of friends or even as a romantic getaway – a top trip of mine that I will never forget.
