Lifestyle / Want To Go To Marrakech? This Is What I Did

Want To Go To Marrakech? This Is What I Did

Lifestyle Jul 26, 2022

by Vallisa Chauhan

Morocco has a lot of hidden culture and it is ever so popular with tourists, mainly because it is cheap to travel to. The flight time from the UK is around 4 hours therefore it makes it a popular destination to visit for either a city break or a longer holiday.

For us, we went for a week-long trip as it was my cousin’s 21^st birthday but here the tips I give you will work for either type of trip.

Where We Stayed:

We decided to book the Riu Tikida Palmeria which was just outside the city centre. As we were there for a week it was great as a 7-day all-inclusive cost us £400pp. The hotel was great it had one large swimming pool in a centre and another indoor heated pool for cooler days (although we had 45-degree sun so that wasn’t used). There were 3 restaurants on site, a Moroccan one, an Italian one and a buffet. The food was varied throughout lunch and dinner with a great selection of cuisines to choose from. There was your traditional tagine’s, native to Morocco, there was pizza, chips and pasta everyday for the less unadventurous amongst us, and a large selection of salads on offer. There was also a different type of roast on offer in the evenings as well as a brilliant selection of desserts.

**My Amazing Week In Marrakech: Riu Tikida Palmera.** Photo Credit: www.hashtaggolftravel.com

The hotel also had a spa which was great to have a traditional Hamman without having to leave the hotel and the entertainment team were always around to liven up your day.

All in all, I would recommend the Riu hotels as they are a trusted brand and therefore the customer service is always on point, from the reception staff to the waiters to the pool boys everyone is very friendly and will stop to say hello and have a natter.

If you are doing a shorter trip then I wouldn’t recommend staying here only because it is slightly further out instead I would suggest staying in town and the prices are pretty reasonable. For a 4 star hotel for 3 nights in town in mid-August is around £150pp.

What We Did:

Where to start there is so much Marrakech has to offer. Here are a few of the things we did on our stay and a few recommendations that we didn’t get around to.

A lot of people suggested doing the Atlas mountains tour, you must note that this is not for the faint-hearted. The tour guide will pick you up from your hotel and start by driving you towards Eureka, where the mountains are. You will stop at a traditional Berber village and see how the locals live. This is an amazing experience where you get to try their traditional bread and tasty Moroccan tea.

You will then drive further down to the Argon oil shop. Argon oil is supposed to be good for a lot of things and If you do decide to buy some to take back I fully recommend having vanilla added to it as it smells divine.

From here the guide will then drive as far up as he can before a second guide joins you to take you on foot to walk an hour up into the mountains. At this point I made it halfway and then stopped at a small drinks bar as I couldn’t walk any further however, my cousins made the full trip and said, although small the waterfall was beautiful. I do suggest carrying a bottle of water and a fan with you as it can get very hot and tiring and if you do not have water with you then you will get dehydrated.

To end the trip the guide will then take you to one of the local waterfront restaurants which is really nice to visit. Be aware the water is absolutely freezing even in summer so your hands and feet will get very very cold.

Another trip we decided to do was the waterpark, this is great fun if you enjoy water rides. The park isn’t very big, in fact, if you’re expecting anything like the water parks in Orlando you will be disappointed. However it is a fun day out with a brilliant lazy pool and wave pool. Also just be aware you end up paying for everything, your ticket does not include lockers, sun beds or food, this is all extra.

The medina or markets are an interesting trip, we decided to book a local driver to pick us up and take us in the evening when it isn’t as hot. The markets are definitely something to see but please remember to stay away from the snack charmers, they will try and place the snack on you to take a pic and then charge you, the mehndi ladies, again they will try and pull your arm and the mehndi is not always safe on your skin and the hagglers, always remember whatever price they give you is negotiable.

A couple of trips I wanted to do but couldn’t fit in was the quad bike and camel ride which you can book to take you through the dessert, it was also very hot when we were there so I didn’t think this was something I would want to do in the heat.

The hot air balloon was another trip, it was just too much to fit in and expensive wise it was a little too much for this trip, but it is something I would go back for, apparently, the views are spectacular.

What We Ate:

Of course, if you are all inclusive then your food is already included but there are a few places I would suggest either for food or for just drinks.

Buddha Bar, we have all heard of it and the drinks here are something else. It is a great place to visit in the evening as they have all sorts of live entertainment throughout the night but even their food menu looks really good.

Marrakech was an experience worth having if I am honest, if you have traveled to Africa or Asia before then you will not be surprised by the ambience. It is nice and hot especially in the summer months so you will get a tan for sure and as long as you drink plenty of water and not just alcohol you will be absolutely fine here. Enjoy!

Main Image Photo Credit: www.unsplash.com/Vallisa Chauhan

Vallisa Chauhan

Author

Vallisa Chauhan (@vallisachauhan) presents the Flagship breakfast show on Lyca Radio 1458. She has scripted and produced a full feature film called "Those 4 Walls" and is currently working on other projects. She loves travel and movies and tries to fit in both as much as she can.

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Want To Go To Marrakech? This Is What I Did

by Vallisa Chauhan

Vallisa Chauhan

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