Riad Dar Saad

Haggling Tips

by JaxJax

When in Marrakesh expect to have to haggle for everything!

Some general tips:
- Have a maximum price in mind for the item and offer slightly below it.
- If they offer you a ridiculously high price (which they often do), offer a ridiculously low price right back.
- They will start lowering their price and expect you to do the same. I would recommend just reasserting your original low price until they come down satisfactorily enough to begin bargaining. (The idea behind this is that in most cases they will offer you a really high price and expect you to start bargaining and offering higher and higher prices straight away. By doing so, they will always make a large profit from you.)
- I find that smiles and jokes makes the process more enjoyable and they are more willing to come down.
- If they still will not come anywhere near your maximum, don't be tempted by their price and walk away. You'll be surprised by how quickly the price comes down then!

Here are some prices I paid for various items:
- I bought a hat on my first day (they are everywhere) and paid 20 dirhams for it, which was a RIP OFF. I was offered it for 10 the next day, so my guess is that they are only really worth a few dirhams. (I found another tourist later on who paid 80 for exactly the same hat.)
- I went on the caleches and only managed to get 100 dirhams for an hour after excessive bargaining and approaching different drivers - seems like they are rather organised! There is a price list on the caleche itself which says 120 dirhams for an hour - however do not fall for tricks e.g. I met a couple who ended up paying 240 dirhams for an hour after being told the price is per person!
- Taxi drivers love to rip people off. If you can, insist on them switching on their meters (which they will more often than not refuse to). I never paid more than 20dirhams for a taxi ride, which was negotiated beforehand and without giving any tips (I think the normal price for getting from one place to another within the walls is about 10dirhams).
- Finally, we bought an Argentina football shirt from one of the stalls on the edge of the square (this was when the World Cup was on). After bargaining for what seemed like forever, and the guy getting aggressive before the owner stepped in, we managed to pay 80 dirhams for it. The shop assistant's anger made us feel like we really got a bargain!

Although haggling constantly got a bit tiring and frustrating, try to make the process as fun as possible and not be too hard on yourself if you do get ripped off!

Marocan nightlife

by globetrott about Marocan nightlife

Do not expect a nightlife like in Europe.
BUT : I have been in Marocco during the Ramadan, when the local people had to starve during the day but had great feasts and meals at nighttime.
In some of the side-streets I could see big tables with all of the family having a great dinner togeather.

Best view of the action?

by toonsarah about Café Glaciers

With an enviable situation overlooking the Djamaa el Fna, this café offers a relatively peaceful vantage point from which to watch all the action. We found ourselves here on several occasion. The first was on our first morning (pre broken foot) when we climbed the long dark staircase to emerge on the large roof terrace, the so-called “Grand Balcon”. Several of the cafes surrounding the square have these, but this is one of the most popular. It’s a great spot for photos, especially if you have a decent zoom lens, as you can catch unawares all the hawkers, water-sellers, snake charmers and others who would normally extract a tip for any photos taken. But you pay for your photos in any case, as a cold drink purchased up here will cost far more than elsewhere – we paid 40 dirhams for a Coke and a Fanta. But worth it in my opinion!

After my fall the climb to the roof terrace became impossible, but the large one at ground level (well, up a couple of steep steps) proved to offer almost as good a view, and we came here several more times. Usually this was just for a coffee or mint tea, but on the last evening, after a meal in the night market, we stopped off here for ice cream. We each had three flavours, costing 30 dirhams, and particularly liked the pineapple and the nougat flavours.

The Medina and souks

by Flying.Scotsman

The Medina is the walled old town of Marrakesh. The souks are open-air market places located mainly in the northern half of the Medina. Each souk originally, and to some extent still does, specialize in a specific trade or craft. Many of the narrow streets that house these markets are covered in reeds which filter the sunlight into narrow strips. The souks as shown on maps are not the only interesting part of the Medina. Most of the Medina and Kasbah area have similar narrow streets with plenty of character and plenty of characters.

The photographs on this page are of the souks and northern Medina.

A private party at LOST in Marrakech

by maryem2011

"My English friends and I had a nice Christmas part"

My friends visit me from England last Christmas here in Marrakech. They booked a small Riad through their friend which has only two bed rooms.
We had a nice private party by ourselves and the hotel let us cooked pork at their kitchen.

It is nice to have a private party just by our family or friends.

Where I think you can find anywhere else?

"Actually this is a Laundry shop?"

Not sure about this but they do Laundry service, using a machine.
We don't see much washing machine in Morocco. Usually we wash our clothes by hands which is still a common thing in Morocco.
But you can ask them to wash your clothes during your stay. They just charge by kg/pl.
My friends was so happy because they were the backpackers and came back from dessert didn't bring enough clothes to wear.
Everything was so neat and beautiful.
One of the service, you can have the smell of rose water for finishing.

"Local trip arrangement"

the uniqueness is the belly dance class. My friend from England enjoyed it so much.
2 hours / one session, use lots of abdominal muscle.

And an English/French/Arabic guide for learning the history of Marrakech. I think he is a French man who is living in Marrakecn. No need to pay tips, he refused to receive it.

All are friendly arranged.