Angsana Riad Blanc

The Essentials for Summertime Marrakech

by 43beckos

Ladies make sure you take something to cover your shoulders, particularly when walking in the Northern end of the medina around the Ben Youseef Mosque.
Everybody should take a good pair of walking sandals, as the streets of the medina are not kind to feet in flip flops, and trainers are just too hot. These will be especially useful if you are visiting the watefalls of the Atlas mountains. A good anti diahoreal medicine ( eg immoduim), although supplies of this are available locally. Not a problem, plenty of outlets in the medina and Gueliz, and also can get phot chips downloaded to CD no problem A French phrase book, very little English is spoken, but most locals speak some French

Caleches - Horse-drawn Taxi

by sue_stone

One fun way to get a feel for Marrakech, and to see some sights along the way, is to take a ride on a caleche (horse-drawn carriage). You will see these parked around the edges of the Medina - some to the side of Djemaa el-Fna, towards the Koutoubia Minaret, others near the ramparts and gates.

They are classed as registered taxis, and are not just used by tourists (unlike other cities I have visited with a similar transportation option), but locals also use them to get around the city.

They cost around 60-80 Dirham per hour to hire. One popular trip for tourists is to take an hour or two tour around the ramparts

Berbere dinner

by solopes

It’s a cliché. Yes. It’s tourist trap. Maybe. It’s pastiche. No doubt. But it’s funny, specially in a mild evening after the furnace of the day. Don't worry searching its location and reservation mode. Just look around at your hotel reception, or wait for your guide's suggestion.

Take a nap—er! get a massage at a hammam

by sunlovey

We booked one-hour "Moroccan massages" at Mille et Une Nuits, a traditional hammam located on Derb Debachi for about 350 dirhams each. Interesting experience to say the least... we were led to this dark room subtly lit by candles and such with little individual compartments with curtains containing massage tables strewn with rose petals and lit by candles as well.

Told to go in a compartment, close the curtain, strip down and stretch out on the table and relaxxxxx. After a couple of minutes spent "relaxing" as I listened to "soothing" Western elevator music a young and often giggly girl entered and covered the backs of my legs in oil. She proceeded to swirl said oil all around from upper thigh to foot. Then, she made chopping actions up and down my legs. And little weird swishing sounds with her fingers. Then concentrated for a while on my poor aching feet (we'd walked them to death). Oh and how could I forget, she then proceeded to stretch my leg muscles in ways they were most definitely not used to stretching. Interesting. Then, she spread a cool damp towel over me, whispered "Cava?" and "relax" then left for a bit... Upon her return she repeated all of the above on my back and shoulders, yes, loads more oil. And including the crazy stretching of my arm muscles. I did my best not to squeal out in pain.

Then she left again for a few minutes. Upon returning she said "Cava?" again. Then instructed me to get dressed. I did my best to get as much of the oil off of me that I could with the cool damp towel. Got dressed, and that was that.

Not the kind of deep tissue massage I'm used to. But wow, it's so dark in this place you feel almost as pleasantly out of sorts when you exit as you do after a regular massage treatment.

You can have traditional hammam treatments here too, get your hair cut, manicures, pedicures & henna art.

Marrakesh, Amazing city

by diasman

"A lot to do in Marrakesh"

I visited Marrakesh twice and there is a lot to do in marrakesh, i point out a couple of things that i have done myself:
- A visit to one hamman;
- A dinner in a Traditional Restaurant;
- A dinner in Jammel Fna Square
- Mint Tea in Jammel Fna Square bar
- Deep visit to the Medina