Marrakech
Why go?
Founded nearly a thousand years ago, Marrakech is Morocco's most
vibrant and exotic city, with its rose-coloured buildings,
wealth of monuments and labyrinthine souks (markets) set against
the snow-capped Atlas Mountains. A shopaholic could spend a
lifetime here, browsing through the stalls of homeware, fabrics,
spices, wooden crafts, lanterns and other trinkets, and equipping
an imaginary (or real) second home.
The medina (old walled town) is a maze of unsigned pink
alleys - getting lost is part of the experience, as is paying a
child to take you back (not always successfully) to where you're
staying. There are literally hundreds of riad-style hotels to
choose from, ranging from backpacker haunts to 5-star luxury - and
we have picked our very favourites in each price bracket.
The main hub, and the point where most alleys emerge, is the
huge square of Djemaa el Fna (also spelled Jma el Fnaa and
other variations), where open-air BBQ stalls, nut and date vendors,
orange juicers, snake charmers, story tellers and assorted touts
mix with a melee of bemused tourists.
But there's plenty more: opulent palaces, royal tombs, and - in the
new town of Gueliz - colourful gardens including the popular
Majorelle of Yves Saint Laurent fame. Further afield are the dense
palm groves of the Palmeraie, dotted with upscale resorts
and the occasional golf course - an alternative place to base
yourself if you want a bit more breathing space and don't mind
taking taxis in. Again, we've chosen our favourites among the
smaller-scale hotels there.
All in all, Marrakech is definitely worth a few days, especially
for the first-time visitor.