Riad Djebel

Travel Light.....

by suvanki

For once I travelled light!! but......had to buy another small bag (45dh) to carry some of my shopping home. Shops on the edge of Djemma el Fnaa sell cases and holdalls at fixed prices. The souks offer fancier leather luggage My visit was in January, I'd heard /read varying temperatures for day, and was told it was cold at night. Luckily I took a winter coat, fleece gloves/ hat/ scarf..it WAS that cold, sitting in Djemma el Fnaa at night.
Day time was warm enough for a long sleeved cotton shirt and cotton trousers/skirt. Bring any medication/fave toiletries you can't live without.
The supermarkets sell most essentials, with recognisable brands. The Berber pharmacies stock alternative choices for skin care, remedies etc. As much as you can carry!!
Shops around Djemma el Fnaa stock films. I noticed a couple of photo shops in Gueliz, I think on Bvd Mohammed Zerktouni.

Rental car - more freedom

by vtveen

For our second trip outside Marrakech we rented a car through our hotel (Hotel Sherazade).

This time we made a journey to the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass and Telouet, about 150 km’s from the city. We were picked up from our hotel and the contract was made at the back of the car. They told us the rate (600 Dirham) was ‘all inclusive’, but after reading the contract (later, as we were in a hurry to leave) I saw the insurance was ‘avec franchise’.
We had a (bigger) Dacia Logan, more suitable for travelling into the mountains.

We were brought outside the medina (I could drop off the car at the same spot), so I hadn’t to drive in the 'crazy' medina. Once outside the city, driving is very pleasant. There was almost no traffic at all and we had no problems on our way to Telouet. The most important road and direction signs have wording also in French.

Returning to Marrakech we had to drive the last part of the journey in darkness. This means in Morocco villages without street lamps, bikers and donkey carts without lighting on the road. Be very careful or try to avoid driving in darkness.

You will find ‘thousands’ of rental agencies; especially in Gueliz along Avenue Mohammed V. The local ones are much cheaper than the well known international companies like Hertz and Avis. As said before we rented our car through our hotel from ‘West Car’.

El Fna

by Yaletown

It's a square, that's right a big square. During the day there isn't much activity as it is so stikin' hot (about 43 degrees C or 110 degrees F). So we opted to go there at night, it was a bit cooler and wow was it busy. Snake charmers, orange juice stands, and lots and lots of food. This picture isn't the best as I people keep moving and my shutter was open to get enough light, but you will get the idea.

4-days trip in the south of the Atlas

by ptitetoile

Marrakech is the best point of departure for a trip to the south of the Atlas to discover the desert, the mountains, the oasis and all the beauty of the natural Morocco!

My friends and I wanted to make it on our own by combining different busses but when we discovered in the hotel Ali that the travel agency Sahara Expedition organised a 4-days-round-trip with a 4x4 and a driver, we could not hesitate! The pictures on the programm were too attractive and they did not lie!!!! In reality, it was even better!!!!! The itinery was Ait-Ben-Haddou-Ouarzazate-Draa Valey-Zagora-Merzouga-Tinerhir-Todra Valley and Dades Valley. For more info, see the corresponding towns :-)

Our driver was very friendly and very reliable!!! We made more than one thousand kilometers on every kind of roads!!!! To drive there, it is better to be used to it!!!! The tour was planned for 6 persons but we were lucky because we were only 5 : the sixth one did not show up (great, we had more room in the car)! The two other were very sympathic persons : Ali baba (surname given by berbers) and Wilma from France.

Marrakesh

by NunoMorgadinho

"Marrakesh"

The history of Marrakesh reflects itself on the several neighbourhoods that exist on the city. The 'medina', over which the Koutoubia mosque rises above, is the old city.

'Gueliz' is the newer city, filled with oriental-style offices and big hotels, shops and restaurants. But don't be fooled, this is not the place to be. The heart is the square Jemaa el-Fna, center of all activity.

There you have the 'souks' and lots of cheap places to eat and stay at night.

Although the air is over-polluted by the imense motorbikes, cars and taxis that circulate over the city, Marrakesh is a spectacular and impressive place to visit, and visit again.

Before going there I visited JohnSakura homepage at VT. It has very nice tips and photos. I don't feel compeled to add more tips here because his tips are really good. It's a must see. Link: http://www.virtualtourist.com/JohnSakura