Hotels in Marrakesh

Marrakech is a place that is wonderfully chaotic. You have to be prepared for it or else the hassle can get a little taxing. Some of the sights like the Majorelle Gardens are quite exquisite but if you are visiting to check out the sights then you can be a tad disappointed as other places in the world have more to offer in terms of buildings and architecture. However, the atmosphere is absolutely brilliant. The souks will give you that feeling of being in Arabian Nights kind of markets and the options for shopping are absolutely baffling. Its easy to get carried away and you might be a few bucks down when you realize that you are not really going to use the fancy lamp or abandon your regular cosmetics for the seemingly divine local products. Bargaining skills can be tested as most of the goods in the souk can be bought at 30% of the quoted price. Its all good fun so once you get the price you wanted do not worry too much about if you still got duped or not. Nothing is free in Marrakech and the friendly guy in the street giving you directions might simply point you to his or his buddies shop or take you for a mini tour to your destination and then ask you for money for being your guide. I was taken to an impressive looking door in the middle of nowhere and told that it was indeed the museum. It was hilarious as the door would not open and my "guide" declared the museum closed and offered to take me to his shop instead. All for a 5 euros. I paid 2 and left but was then followed for 30 min by his friends who realized that I can be an easy target! But in all fairness, its all harmful and safely found my way to the main road and then to my hotel. The place can be a bloody maze ! Lastly, its a brilliant place to indulge into the local cuisine. As an Indian, I am not alien to the world of spices but the place is really something else!

In Marraquesh we saw most of the tourist sights by ourselves. We had a guide book and received a city, street map that was easy to follow. Staying in the Medina you can walk to most tourist sights and if it is a little bit far you can get a petit taxi for 20 dir during the day and 30 dir at night. Is common for the taxi drivers to demands more, but always haggle and they will get your price. Is does not taxi longer, in 2 minutes you are in the taxi going to your destination. To go to the Palmeries (not woth visiting ) and to Menara gardens pay 30 dir, maximum. We stayed in Marraquesh late November and the temperature was very pleasant, it can be a little bit chilly in the ealry morning and evenings, but with a fleece you will be confortable. In Gueliz there is a buget restaurant The Central Food, with a good variety of fresh fish and grelled meat dishes, clean and modern place to eat, most meals costing 35 to 55 dir and has a big variety of fruit juices, worth trying. In the main square of the Medina one of the streets near a big post office, we found an Patisserie , Glacier (Patisserie des Princes) which has a huge selection of very good quality of cakes and pastries, either to take away or to enjoy with tea or coffee, as well as lovely well presented ice creams. I m not sure if it is in Rue Bab Agnou , but it is close by. We descovered that generaly the bureau the change offer a better rate of echange than the banks. At the time of our stay a bureau the change in Gueliz, offered the best rate (Resedence Salma,Taha Change, rue Ouad N Fis, street situated back of Ave Muhamed V, look for the red and white signs, walk past Mc Donalds 2 blocks ( at Av Muh V) . Be careful with people offering to help you in the street to find your way, be firm, but polite and they will leave you, otherwise they will take you to a complete diferent location or demand money. Ask directions from shop owners. Enjoy your trip.

First of all the Riad we stayed in was absolutely fantastic and the stuff were super friendly and nice and made us feel like we are at our home with our families, the location of the Riad was perfect as it was near to everything, the Riad name was Riad Fleur d'Orient. -The people of Marrakech are friendly and welcoming, they don't bother you, they try their best to help you once they know you're a tourist, they're well educated and have the culture where they know tourism is a source for Morocco's income so they just do their part which is help the tourists and show them the best they have. -The taxi drivers as well are welcoming and they tell you the history of everything you go by, just arrange a fee before getting in. -I like all the places I have visited such as Majorelle Gardens, Medersa Ben Youssef, the charm around Djemaa El Fnaa with it's people and souks. - I liked the food as well! the strange thing is wherever you go to eat the food tasted good, they are very good at it. even if you get into a small local restaurant be sure you will have a delicious food. - We went for dinner at classy restaurants 2 times, one at Le Comptoir Darna and the second time at Jad Mahal, we liked the second more, classy and very nice show of belly dancers and live music singers and performers.

Weather in December was real cold in the mornings (6 degrees) with afternoon temperatures going up to a max of 24 degrees and again at night the temperatures dip. Traveling around Marrakech in taxis is cheap from 30dh to 50dh which is equivalent to 2-3 British pounds. Best way is to walk wherever it is that you're going to to experience the real authenticity of old town Marrakech and new town then maybe getting a taxi back to your Riads. With the four days we had in Marrakech we ventured up to the Ouzoud waterfalls which was most definitely worth the three hour trip there, the place was absolutely stunning. Best to book this with the riad your staying with. Also worth going to the Majorelle Gardens (70dh - 6 to 7 British Pounds), Be up and close to Koutoubia (main mosque), Saadian Tombs (10dh - less than 30p British currency) last but not least the hustle bustle of the Djemaa El Fna, I would recommend you all haggle when it comes to prices when buying things at the souks. Places for cheap munch, Cafe de spices, la jardin, Riad Omar and Compitor for a luxurious fine dining great music and belly dancers.

Like any trip your overall stay is greatly affected by the accommodation and how comfortable you are there with its proximity to the activities that you want to take part in. For us, Riad Ayadina was the perfect option and came highly recommended from friends who know the city very well. It was affordable but certainly not budget by any means in terms of pricing. Comparing it to the larger more famous hotels it was considerably cheaper and offered a much more authentic experience of the city with a touch of luxury. We meandered the Souks of the Medina which are a must. Stopping for lunch at Terrasse de epices which I would highly recommend, not only for the food but also the tranquil surroundings that it offers amidst the chaos going on in the streets and souks. We walked to Majorelle Gardens which was worth the 20min wait in line (busiest time of day around 12) also indulged in a traditional Hammam spa and massage from the famous spas. For night life we danced late into the night in Hotel Momounia on 2 nights, this is the most luxurious hotel in the city and worth visiting so long as you are not on a very small budget as drinks and dining are expensive and comparable to London pricing.

Marrakech is so full of life it's an experience more than just a holiday. We stayed at the Medina in Riad Massiba, it was a great choice for us, we enjoyed walking around, taking pictures and having a look around all the little shops in the souks. You can easily do everything by foot, the palaces are in the Medina, many restaurants and things to see in there too. The gardens are nearby or can take a cheap taxi. There's some really cool places to visit and just walking around the center is super interesting. You can take a good look of the city in about 3/4 days, the rest you can go sightseeing or take a tour of the surroundings. The food is just amazing and the prices are lower than most of Europe. We went to Henna Art Cafe, Pepe Nero, Nomad, Cafe des Epices and Terrasse des Epices. All of them fabulous! At a first instance the medina it's a bit scary, all the little streets can get a bit confusing and most of the people that offer to help you then ask you for money. Other than this there's not real danger, people won't try to steal from you or harm you, just be aware of some words in their language so it's easier to say 'hello, yes/no, thank you' politely. After you get used to it it's all so much fun! We had a great time, we totally recommend it