Morocco
If you have explored every corner of Europe already, a visit to Morocco will be a complete travel “reset”. The culture, architecture, food, and arid climate all add up to giving the visiting traveler a unique experience. Its legendary visits by rock stars and fashion designers such as the Rolling Stones and Yves Saint Laurent make it a decadent and romantic destination for many… and while it may not have the “off the beaten path” vibe it once did, a visit to Marrakech and its surroundings does not disappoint.
There is an abundance of hotels to choose from in Morocco, and as we were traveling with children, we wanted to stay somewhere families were embraced. Recommended to us by our fabulous travel agency, Black Tomato, was Villa des Orangers. It is an authentic and historic riad within the walls of the medina, close to the souks and Jemaa el Fna Square. Villa des Orangers definitely delivered as a visually stunning base for our daily excursions. The accommodations were extremely comfortable and included laundry, breakfast and lunch. Also, the hotel had a wonderful spa, hammam, two pools and a backgammon table! I would highly recommend taking advantage of the hammam… Not only is it a relaxing and indulgent spa experience, it gives you a good insight into the local culture as hammams are an integral part of Moroccan society.
Exploring the medina is a MUST when in Marrakech. Some say, just get lost wandering within it’s walls, but I couldn’t disagree more. Having a guide, as we did, in the Medina is essential and most importantly shows Moroccans that as a visitor in their country, you have a respect for the local way of life. After all, the Medina is a maze.. a crazy, confusing, energy filled maze of people, food and amazing things to buy. Bargaining is a must, and many of the souks sell similar products. I would recommend wandering with your guide for the most part of the day, waiting until the end of the day to decide on the things you can’t live without. Are all of the items for sale authentic as promised? Probably not.. but don’t worry about that and just buy what you can afford and what you cannot live without taking home with you.
One of the definite highlights of the entire trip for my sister and I was taking a cooking class in the Medina run by Souk Cuisine. It was an all-day affair, led by a wonderful Dutch woman who now calls Morocco home, and truly gave us an insight into local life in Marrakech. Our group was given shopping lists and money to purchase the items we were going to turn into our lunches. We bought vegetables, local spices and even got to experience buying a live chicken which was (sadly for the chicken) turned into an “un-live” chicken for our eating pleasure.
Along our shopping journey in the medina, we were shown the communal ovens and kitchens families use for baking breads and cooking tagines. It is quite a site to see 30 tagines lined up on room full of stoves! However, these communal kitchens and ovens serve a very important purpose… to keep the heat out of the family riads, important in the North African climate. And, for the hardworking matriarchs of the Moroccan families, this small break from the kitchen gives the matriarchs of the family a chance to visit the communal hammans before dinner.
At the end of our shopping and cooking efforts, an amazing Moroccan dinner of tagines, salads, breads and sweets was served in the beautiful and relaxed setting of a restored riad, while we chatted, drank wine, and talked about our explorations of Marrakech.
Other excursions we participated in were a sunrise balloon ride in the desert, a BBQ dinner in Jemaa el Fna Square, lunch in the medina at a local family’s riad, and riding in vintage sidecar racing at top speeds through the medina.. All giving us a different feel for life in Morocco. I would definitely make the effort to try something exotic and adventurous while there as it will give you a fuller picture of the way of life in Marrakech.
After our stay in the Medina, we bid farewell and headed for the Agafay desert and the High Atlas Mountains… with a quick morning quad biking tour along the way for fun and afterwards a lunch in a traditional Berber tent!
Our trip into the Agafay desert took us to Scarabeo Camp… a magically beautiful place for “glamping” in the desert… It’s a short 45-minute drive from Marrakech, but feels like you have just stepped into a way of life lived a century ago. There is a collection of comfortable tents to stay in, a communal tent for games, relaxing and reading.. and a large tent for meals. We all took a desert camel trek in the late afternoon, and while playing games waiting for our dinner to be served soaked in the unbelievable natural beauty. After sunset, the starry sky was breathtaking… Highly recommend this excursion…
The next morning, we set out for Richard Branson’s hideaway in the Atlas Mountains, Tamadot, a short drive away. Tamadotis a luxurious and exotic resort for families. There is a wonderful pool, tennis courts and a grassy hill with small tents to read and relax in. The food overall was very good, but I did think the breakfasts could be a bit better. To take advantage of the local rugged beauty, we went on a wonderful hike in the mountains close to the resort and had an incredibly fabulous lunch at a small B&B afterwards.
And.. we do know that Sir Richard himself takes advantage of his resort as he was staying here at the same time!
Overall the resort really tries to give you a wonderful experience of traditional Berber culture, while encouraging relaxation. And, most impressively, Tamadot strives to be fully sustainable and generously gives back to the local community in many different ways.
Afterwards, our family headed back to Geneva while my sister’s family stayed in another resort in Marrakech for a few days. I was surprised that many people asked me if it was safe going there, and I can honestly say I never felt in any danger or uncomfortable in any way. I do think that having a guide is an extra precaution however, not just for safety but also for helping the traveler to unlock all the secrets that Morocco has to offer the traveler….
As a bonus, below is a recipe from Souk Cuisine that we had the pleasure of making during our cooking class. It is delicious, healthy, and “explodes” with flavor.. Use your own “riffs” on this recipe, I’ve added a jar of chopped marinated artichoke hearts, but lentils, white beans, or whatever else would be DELICIOUS!! It goes wonderfully with grilled meats, fish, and of course, tagines.. Enjoy!!!
Tomato Salad with Preserved Lemon
600 g. Tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves
1 clove garlic, diced
½ preserved lemon, the rind
½ tsp salt
4 Tbsp olive oil
Peel the tomatoes, cut in half and remove the seeds. Cut the tomatoes into fine dice. Add parsley, garlic, salt and olive oil. Cut half of the preserved lemon rind into fine dice, add to the salad. Cut the other half of the rind lengthways, and decorate the salad. Serve cold.