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Make sure you have enough room in your bag to fit all of those slippers that you will buy in the souqs ; )
We visited Marrakech in the winter. The weather was quite mild during the day, though I still needed to wear a jumper. As soon as the sun set it got cold, and at night I was wearing a jacket, scarf and gloves whilst enjoying the crazy atmosphere of Djemaa el-Fna.
Make sure you bring some comfortable shoes, as you will find you spend your days exploring Marrakech by foot, and many of the lanes and pavements are cobbled and uneven.
I found sunglasses were a must, even in winter. They were particularly good at helping you avoid making eye contact with people trying to sell you something and helped me to easier 'ignore' people trying to harass me.
If you are planning to visit a public hamman (bath house) you will need to bring some plastic thongs/flip flops (or whatever you call them in your country), along with a plastic sheet (or large plastic bag), your swimming costume and a towel.
Ear plugs are a must unless you want to be woken up once or twice a night when the calls to prayer waft out across the city (that said, even with ear plugs it still woke me it was so loud!)
After hearing a friends horror story about her Riad that didn't supply toilet paper, I took a roll along just in case. We were given toilet paper, just not enough, so my spare roll did come in handy during our stay.
Also, take some soap with you, as this may not be provided where you are staying....it wasn't provided at our 'upmarket' Riad.
As Morocco is a mostly Muslim country alcohol is scarce. If you like the idea of relaxing with a nice glass of wine or a G&T after a crazy day of souq shopping, then best idea is to pick up some duty free alcohol to drink during your stay. Alison wisely bought a bottle of wine with a twist top cap, so no bottle opener was required. Leave a Comment
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Light clothing - its hot most of the year. In the city I felt more comfortable wearing a decent shirt and long trousers or long shorts.
Certainly in the countryside T-shirts are seen as 'underwear' and shorts can be seen as riskée(?). Women in our group were asked to pay a small 'fine' for walking through a village in short sleeves and shorts!!
Toilet paper or tissue is absolutely essential. Outside of your nice hotel you won't find much toilet paper. Buy a cigarette lighter (or matches if you can find any) to burn the remains in the countryside, if you plan to poo on-the-hoof :-)
Loose change always useful for tips. Euros or dollars are better - they are smaller than British ££'s - if you don't yet have dirhams.
A decent hat that protects the back of your neck essential. Moroccan straw hats are always available and look the part!
Suntan cream and lip salve/protection obviously useful - my bottom lip got badly burnt :-/ Leave a Comment
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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. Leave a Comment
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It's good to bring a strong structured suitcase with you to Marrakesh if you plan to purchase somewhat fragile goods from the souks. We managed to fit several beautiful metal lamps and sconces as well as an antique shelf in ours. I'm glad I didn't listen to the husband who wanted to travel with large duffle bags, these items might not have made it home in one piece!
While Marrakesh is HOT during the day (we were here in late April/early May) it is downright CHILLY at night. And I did NOT pack the right shoes (closed toe or boots) and sweaters for this. I definitely advise a couple of long-sleeve sweaters and a lightweight jacket for the evenings.
We brought tissues and they came in handy in some WCs. We also brought sunscreen (tons of sun here). Band aids (I blister easily!). Medicine in case our stomachs got upset after eating in the food stalls, drinking from the rinsed OJ glasses, etc. Wet Ones are always nice to have to freshen up with when you're far from the riad on a hot Marrakesh day. Leave a Comment
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I have a thing about reading up on a place before I go. As we all do. Otherwise we wouldn't use VT.
Anyway... some really good Morocco based books I've read are:
By Bus to the Sahara by Gordon West.
In Morocco by Edith Wharton
The Voices of Marrakech by Elais Canetti
A Year in Marrakesh by Peter Mayne, also resleased os 'The Alleys of Marrakesh'. Ergo I have two copies of the same text :(
All of these books have a great sense of place which, whilst these aren't new books, is still recognisable.
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PACK FOR HOT CLIMATE
Morocco can be very hot, especially from March to October, so don't forget to bring some light clothes, T-Shirts and shorts.
Bring some warm clothes too, if you are planning to go to the desert (it get's really cold at night), and some long trousers if you want to visit mosques and religious buildings. Leave a Comment
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There are lots of women in Marrakech who walk around in shorts / mini skirts & vest tops, especially in the Ville Nouvelle part, and they never seem to have any trouble whatsoever... However, I prefered to cover up my shoulders, legs and hair while having a wander through the old medina and most women travellers we met felt the same.... Just something to bear in mind when your deciding whether or not to take your favourite cardi!!! Leave a Comment
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Pack a large bag of wet wipes. Marrakesh is very dirty and sweaty!! Most of the time if the bathrooms even had soap, it looked a little suspect.
while your add it, pack some TP. Leave a Comment
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Whiist film is widely available it isn't cheap. Also, films of the same name are differently balanced for different areas to compensate for different skin tones and qualities of light.
Hence if you're likely to be taking mostly pictures of your travelling companions it might be worth bringing film from home.
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For ladies: avoid sleeveless tops and overly revealing shorts
Cap/visor/sunglasses are recommended even in the winter months.
Sunblock is a good idea too, especially if you're taking the Sahara desert trips.
I brought a tripod but Marrakech isn't really the kind of place that lends itself to ample night photography opportunities. Only returned with a few shots of the Orion constellation. Leave a Comment
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