Riad el Ouarda

Never show up your shoulders

by Cool-123

All women in Morocco will not wear shorts and show their shoulders. Because of this reason, I bought a scarf to cover my shoulders. Well, the weather is so hot and I finally take off the scarf and wear shorts too. I think only the foreigners will do this.

CTM and Supra Tours

by iwys

There are three types of inter-city buses to and from Marrakech. Firstly, at the bus station, opposite Bab Doukkala, there are the private bus companies, which operate to all major cities, including many every day to Tangier, Agadir, Essaouira, Goulimine and Casablanca. The buses look fine, but they don't use airconditioning and they stop frequently to pick up passengers and sometimes just to do a bit of shopping in local markets. Only use these buses, if there is no alternative. The passengers who use them are more than 95% locals.

Then there are the Supra Tours buses, which are run by the state rail company. They are fast, direct and use their airconditioning. More than 90% of their passengers are foreign tourists, but usually these buses are full. So, it is essential that you go to the Supra Tours office, next to the train station, and book your ticket the day before you plan to travel. They run to Agadir, Essaouira, Smara and Goulimine

Thirdly, there is the state-run CTM company, which operates from an office in the centre of Gueliz. The passengers on these are about a 70/30 split between locals and foreigners. They are fast, direct and use their airconditioning and, in my opinion, they are even better than Supra Tours. They run buses to many destinations, including Agadir, Casablanca, Fes, Rabat, Taroudannt, Ouarzazate, Zagora and Goulimine.

To give you some idea of times and prices, a CTM bus to Ouarzazate cost DH70 and took more than 4 hours; a Supra Tours bus to Essaouira cost DH65 and took just under 4 hours. On all of these buses, you will have to pay at least DH5 extra for each piece of heavy baggage.

Chez Ali - Fantasia, Food, Music and Dance!

by suvanki about Chez Ali

An evening at Chez Ali is an experience not to be missed! I'd been looking forward to visiting, since reading VTers tips. I chose to celebrate my Birthday here.

I've written a bit about the venue and entertainment in my Nightlife tips.

Arriving at Chez Ali, we were led by our guide, to a room where the inside was decorated in the style of a traditional Caidal tent. The central area was where the food would be served, around the edge of the tent were tables and chairs.

Our first course was Harira - lentil/vegetable soup, followed by lamb M'choui (a whole lamb, spit roasted, usually served at celebrations) Next was chicken and vegetable cous cous, A sweet filo pastry dessert (which might have been Pastilla) then a platter of fresh fruits completed our meal. There was also Mint tea, but the Fantasia had started, so I missed this. I enjoyed all the dishes, This was a good opportunity to try these traditional Moroccan foods.

I also had a 1/2 bottle of wine (Kaiser Blanc 11.5%) and a large bottle of water (I think the wine and water cost 100dh)

I'm not sure how many people they cater for each night, our room had seating for about 150 people, and there were at least 6 of these rooms.

I paid 400dh for this trip through Panorama/Menara Tours. I think most tour companies offer this trip, but you can arrange it independently.

Saadian Tombs.

by onlinerep

The Saadian Tombs were only discovered around the year 1917 and dates back from the time of the Great Sultan Ahmed El Mansour of the Saadi Dynasty. This excursion has become popular for the visitors who come to see the beautiful Arabic script, the colourful decor and carvings on the tombs.

Marrakesh, 1001 nights experience.

by gazellen

Acomodation

If you want to experience the more local life of Marrakesh, you should stay in the medina, the old center.
I would recomend you to stay in a Riad, the beautifull old traditional buildings.
This one is one of the cheaper
one. It´s quiet and away from the mainly touristic area:

Riad J´DDi.
71, Rue Legza. Marrakesh, medina. (private bathroom and breakfast for 25 euro).

For further information about accomodation etc. of Marrakesh see www.ilovemarrakesh.com

"Street scene"

When you walk around in the many small streets and souks of Mararkesh, you will probaly feel like walking in a big labyrint.
Not all the streets were located on my map.
So opend op your eyes and ears, get lost in the small paved streets, and enjoy the scenery.

"Eating"

You will probaly get a diarrhea. I got !
If you don´t eat in the very fine restaurants, it´s better ( in my opinion) to eat on the street, in one of the many small restaurants were the men meets.
It`s very cheap and you see wat you get, before it is served.
The Morrocan soup together with grilled beef or chicken is excelent.
For dessert try an almond cake.

Don´t be afraid of the men here, if you are a women and travelling alone. Funny ! But, theese small places, is actually one of the spots, were they wont anoy you.