ESCAPE TO MOROCCO PART 1

Hey guys I hope everyone is well and enjoying the warmer weather! Well I hope its warmer where you are too! so this post is SO long overdue ( you can blame it on uni and work not the alcohol like Jamie Foxx) I went to morocco about a month ago and I planned on doing a travel update as I havenot done in a while but life got in the way and boom it’s been one month already.

Anyway I digress, I will be talking about what I did in Morocco, where I went and give guys some tips with travel and been safe in Morocco. I will then finish off with some recommendations! Let’s go! By the way this post will be very long so I will be dividing it into two parts: the first one for Marrakesh and the second for the excursion! Stay tuned!

So about a month ago, my Doña and I took a mini break to Marrakesh, Morocco! We were supposed to go for her birthday back in November but as usual life got in the way again (life huh?! yh I know!) and 3 months down the line we finally made it there! We flew with Ryanair so it was quite cheap to book tickets and the flight was about 1.30hr to 2 hours I think. And we spent a total of 4 days there.

I recommend you arrange your airport pick up and transfer from the airport to the hotel as ALL the hotels are quite difficult to locate thanks to the many back streets of Marrakesh. Luckily with the company we decided on, we were able to get the airport transfer for free as we also booked an excursion with them. But without that, it costs only 10 euros which will be paid either online or in cash to the driver on the day of arrival. So I recommend this company for that and also the excursions they offer. http://www.marrakechairporttransfer.com/

Morocco is a beautiful country located in the north of Africa. The country is so diverse in that the people speak so many different languages! (Actually it’s the only country I have been to where everyone can speak at least 3 or 4 different languages so whatever your language, someone will be bound to speak it! ok maybe I am over exaggerating LOL).

Anyway, back to the story of Morocco. Our hotel the riad Mehdia is one of the most peaceful and nicest hotel (for the budget range) I have ever been too. Top that off with a great location (about 10 mins walk to the main square) and excellent customer service and you got yourself a 5 star hotel! the hotel can be found on http://www.booking.com the hotel owner Hassan, is probably the most nicest manager I have ever met (am not joking. the hot water in my room stopped working one night and after speaking to his staff they changed rooms for me to a bigger nicer room! and he apologised the next day and I know you may expect this from your hotel manager but I know there are some managers who would not lift a finger. Also my friend asked him when fragrance he used in the hotel because the smell was really nice! And he went out to purchase it for her!) Anyway here are some pics of the hotel and our room and of course I had to take a pic with him! Their English is very good. We felt very welcome from the first minute we arrived, been offered traditional Moroccan mint tea ( the best ever!) till we left. If you are looking for a hotel in Marrakesh, look no further! And do make sure you write in their book before you leave too! Animal lovers/ or scared of animals beware! This place has a lot of cats. Now if you know me you know I am scared of every animal! ( it really doesn’t make sense then how I am able to stand close to an elephant or camel) but the cats there are so calm and friendly I was able to touch them and even re-enact the scene from after earth where Will smith gives the ‘fear is not real etc’ that’s how calm they are! And don’t worry, Wi-Fi is available.

http://www.booking.com/hotel/ma/riad-mehdia.en-gb.html?aid=311984;label=riad-mehdia-ZcZd5VjM6Tttd6ZwD97i_QS32446784953%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap1t1%3Aneg;sid=b7313fc244d56e97c535c29303e024a2;dcid=1;ucfs=1;srfid=35805e21411afaf52c267f18ca3cc397b0bfcd8dX1

 

 

 

Jamaâ El Fna Square

The most aggressive sellers I have EVER met are in Marrakesh. Seriously. Money is the aim. From asking for directions to taking a picture of a show or something costs something! Honestly. Beware of people that seem nice or give you directions or when they take you into another shop for something because they will get a cut of whatever you buy. With that said, at night the whole turns into a food court, with 50 or so vendors selling almost the same food at the same prices (LOL) and they have the most funniest tag lines I have ever heard (same shit  different store, Asda price, they were even talking about Primark and Tesco and Lidl! And one of them even spoke with a cockney accent! Something I cannot do lol) I really admire the way the people could pick up different languages. When I asked some of the shop owners how come they could speak English and other languages they simply replied from tourists! They also accept any sort of currency! So my excuse of I don’t have any money on me didn’t work because they kept saying what do you have? Euro, Pounds, Dollars, Dirham (local currency) we accept everything! I would recommend the yamy restaurant opposite the café de France cafeteria or hotel (I can’t remember the exact name but this restaurant is right in the middle you would miss it! it was also a marker for us when we were walking back to our hotel.) caution: beware of the back streets and the speeding motorbikes from everywhere! Literally my friend and I had to walk in a single file line and keep watching our backs! LOL but even with that been said Morocco is an amazing place and it’s totally worth a visit! One more country crossed off my list! I am on a quest to visit every country in this world!

We also went to the old palace for a quick visit on Sunday morning before we left!

Until next time, for part two see ya soon!