I had never been to Africa before, and the prospect of arriving in Marrakech, at night, after a brief stop at Casablanca, was thrilling. The airport is hardly luxurious, and before long the dry heat began to make itself felt as we waited in line to have our passport stamped. We were almost the last of our party to leave the airport, and it seemed to shut down around us, the frenetic activity caused by the plane load of tourists dissipating away.
The journey from the airport to the hotel was ridiculousy romantic as the taxi jostled with an endless stream of cyclists, seemingly coming in all directions. After 20 minutes we arrived at our hotel La Maison Arabe, a small courtyard house with a dozen rooms situated in the medina. I cannot recommend this enough, in contrast to the world famous Mamounia. We did have a meal at Winston Churchill's favourite haunt, and although the gardens are delightful, I have no regrets about not staying there: it is expensive, with mediocre service. Mere mention of the place seems to bring out the worst in people, as the taxi fare to the hotel was well over our expectations. This was the only time we were ripped off during our two-week stay.
We did use a local guide for most of our trips in Marrakech, and perhaps unusually it was a female guide, who was lovely, and spoke superb English. We only had 3 days in the city, so having a guide with a driver was a great help. At no time did we feel any undue pressure, though I understand that the authorities have cracked down on the kind of persistent 'guide' who tended to follow one around-all day. However short your stay, make time to visit Place Jemaa al-Fna, the heart of the city. From there one can discover Marrakech souk, the largest in the country. Walking round both these spectacles is an amazing experience, suddenly it is very obvious that you have left Britain behind and have entered a different continent. The gardens and courtyards of the Bahia Palace and the Sa'di tombs are architecturally and historically fascinating, while peace and tranquility can be sought at the Majorelle Garden and by walking through the 12th century Menara Park.
We also spent time an hour south of the city at Ouirgane, an excellent base to explore the Atlas Mountains. From here one can do some serious walking, or go horse riding and explore the stunning lunar scenary. A further hour's drive south is the Almohad mosque of Tin-Mal, an extraordinary building, which non Muslims are allowed to enter. Tourists are rare here, when we arrived it was nearly mid day and blindingly hot, and the only other visitors were a couple of Dutchmen.
Morocco was fascinating, and I would love to return. Once you get there it is cheap, it is still not spoiled and the people were so very kind. Go there before it changes.
I used the Michelin Map of Morocco and recommend the Cadogan Guide to Morocco and the Trailblazer Guide to Trekking in the Moroccan Atlas.
Author: Andrew Steed
Date: 1 March 2003
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