As soon as you step off the plane, you will get the feeling that your sense of direction has been put into a box and given a bit of a shake. Marrakesh is filled with so many distractions and complex side streets to put your mind in a warp. What you should do, is leave this particular sense in the box and see where the ‘Red city’ takes you. 

So where, oh where to start? How about the Djemaa el-Fna…

Djemaa el-Fna

Submerge yourself into the famous Djemma el-Fnaa. Take in the opus of sounds, and then observe all the drama of this famous square/market place. For those of you missing your tv soaps back home, you can get your fix of drama here. All be it, a different kind of drama, but hey It’s drama none the less. As the sun brilliantly goes about its business, the hypnotic sound resonating from the snake charmers pungi (wind instrument) can be heard. Whilst Orange juice sellers make way for water sellers, who then shuffle across to make way for acrobats and astrologers. Then kicks in the sound of the vendors trying to get everyone’s attention. Should you wish to buy anything, be sure to bring your negotiating skills.

At dusk, the story tellers come out recounting larger-than-life tales. And the smell of barbeque drifts across the air, luring you in. Along with sumptuous cooked salads and a lively atmosphere (drummers, belly dancers and musicians playing Berber music), you will find the ultimate dinner experience here.

Exotic Souk’s

Meander down through the souk’s and immerse yourself for a few hours along its narrow streets. You can bargain your way to a deal with the locals. If they say it’s 3000 Dirham, offer them 3500 Dirham. No wait, that’s an example of bad negotiating. Let’s start again; if they say 3000 Dirham, counter with an offer of 1500 dirham and negotiate your way to a fair price. Bring yourself to a standstill and take in the exotic smells of spices that fill the small alleys, piled in baskets looking like small colourful mountains. From the most intricate handmade rugs and fine jewelry to vibrant spices, you will find it all at the souk.

Ali ben Youssef Madrassa

If you’re into history, art, architecture and religion, you will love this place. Even if you’re not into any of this, you will never the less love this place. The Madrassa used to be a koranic school (educational institution of the day), and the building is over 400 years old. Reconstructed by Saadian’s, the university could hold up to 900 students. Explore the small rooms in which the students resided. You will learn how good students were given better rooms that had windows, whilst bad students were lumbered with windowless rooms. What type of student were you? Would you have been given a room with a window? No window? Or would you even have been given a room at all? This is a brilliant opportunity to see beautifully preserved Islamic architecture up close.

Maison de la Photographie 

This hidden treasure is literally hidden. To get there you have to travel past the souks and the narrow back alleys of Medina.  After a bit of weaving in and out you will find the Maison de la Photographie. Situated in a wonderful riad, it contains a rich catalogue of photos of Marrakech, mainly from over the past 150 years. You can see through the eyes of some of the first Moroccan photographers. Get a feel of what has changed and what has not, along with the stories behind the images. You may well get lost trying to find the Maison de la Photographie, but it’s definitely worth the adventure.

Interested in discovering Marrakesh? Please visit our website.  We have some fabulous deals for Marrakesh breaks.