TrentVilla Posted October 18, 2010 Moderator Share Posted October 18, 2010 Simple question, has anyone been? I'm going to be Morocco so toying with the idea of visiting Marrakesh so after some first hand experiences, tips etc from the well travelled folks of VT off topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djdabush Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Have been to Morocco, but not Marrakesh. Really interesting country, although if you stray into the wrong parts it can feel a bit dodgy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted October 18, 2010 Author Moderator Share Posted October 18, 2010 I'm staying in Agadir so shouldn't be too dodgy. Have you been to Tunisia by any chance? I'm wondering if its similar at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterms Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Great country, great city. The only problem we had was getting lost. So many of the streets are so narrow you can't step back and locate the only landmark, they all look very similar, they are often built in concentric circles so it's even more confusing. The locals are really helpful, but unfortunately sometimes don't distinguish between being helpful and agreeing, so if you ask where you are on the map they will agree with wherever you point your finger. Others will walk around with you, not necessarily knowing where you want to go, but taking up time and expecting some sort of tip. Taxi drivers didn't understand our poor attempts to describe where we wanted to go, so didn't accept the fare. We spent about 4 hours trailing around, getting later and darker, with a small child in tow, wandering into a rough area where some youths threw stones at us. By the time we happened on someone who could take us the few hundred yards to a road we knew, we were getting desperate. If there's one thing I would take with me to Marrakesh, apart from a camera, it's a gps. Do eat at the food stalls in the central square after dusk. Don't buy things in the market stalls unless you're really content with the deal. And if you buy a dyed scarf from the guy who sold us ours, try to work out how he showed us how his didn't run when inferior ones would leach colour, then within two hours of buying it the colour had all run onto my kid's neck. Great place, I'll be back, a little wiser and better prepared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djdabush Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Nope, 'fraid not. We were offered drugs a few times while I was there by some dodgy characters and I've guessing there's a bit of pickpocketing etc that goes in in the medinas but if you are sensible you shouldn't have any problems. Most of the people we met there were very welcoming, to the extent that we kept in touch with one family even after we left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parisvilla Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 went for a few days in february which was plenty but it was a really vibrant city, deffo worth a short stay imo. its VERY touristy which is a bit of a shame cos the food is a bit shit as a result, and you have to watch out for pickpockets and stuff. can't remember the name of the hotel i stayed in but if it does come back to me i strongly recommend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterms Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Recommend the Riad Dar Vima. Small, reasonable, friendly. If you can only find the bugger. On first arrival, accept the offer of being met. No way you'll just stumble upon it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parisvilla Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 just remembered that all the cabs in marrakech are quality, vintage Mercs. when you come out of the airport and see them all lined up you feel like you've gone back in time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morales Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 Went for a week last year and it was just about right, would only go for a long weekend next time. Stay in a traditional Riad (Villa) its well worth it and you fully get the Marrakech feel, especially if you live in the local area, where we were invited to various parties by the local families (their food amazing). The square an experience as are the souks, but it get abit boring after a couple of times, if you go, check out Atlas Moutains or some better waterfall, you have to travel abit further and Essaourio which was the city Jimmy Hendrix spend alot of time in. If you know what you wanna do, you can pack it in a eventful weekend. Works out pretty cheap as well £120 for flights and a rented Villa which had sleeping space for 8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted November 15, 2010 Author Moderator Share Posted November 15, 2010 Forgot I started this thread. I went to Agadir and Marrakesh and it was cracking, really recommend both. Thanks for the tips folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b23avfc Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 I have flights to madrid and am toying with going on to marrakech for a week.. dug up this ancient thread for ideas. Any more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 Half day to a day is about all you need in Marrakech ... It's a nice place but a week is too long , head out to the mountains and do some trekking / Hiking instead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted April 29, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted April 29, 2013 (edited) I went for a week. Tony is right, was probably more than you needed. Echo what's already been said in the thread. If you're staying there, I'd find a nice Riad and go for that. Some of them are really beautiful and pretty cheap. But make sure you communicate with them about arrangements for getting there. When we went, the Riad arranged a taxi from the airport for us and the taxi drivers led us from the main square (which is as far as the taxis can go a lot of the time) to our riad. If you don't know where your riad is, you have basically no chance of finding it. I don't know if this is standard practise for the riads but I'd try and make sure you have a similar arrangement. When you arrive it will feel like the dodgiest place in the world. An absolute maze of tiny back alley streets crammed with people yet there's motorbikes and scooter flying up and down them. You'll feel like if you survive the holiday without being run over, mugged or murdered it will be a miracle. But it's not as bad as it seems. We learnt that they're really pushing tourism there and there's a lot of undercover police there so crime isn't as bad as you might think it is when you first arrive. Getting lost is a problem. My advice would be to pay a LOT of attention to where you're going when you first get there. Memorise your way home form a landmark or two and if you do get lost, try not to look as if you're lost or you'll get hassled by people trying to show you the way in exchange for cash. best way we did it was to remember the way home from the main square or some of the indoor markets, then if we got lost we found our way back to those points and started again. it's much easier to find those places than your riad if you've gone the wrong way. It's a fantastic place, but it can be pretty daunting when you first get there, from my experience. You soon get used to it though. After a couple of days the crowds, maze of streets and locals were absolutely fine. It's just a bit of a culture shock. The markets, especially the night market, are a must for any visit. Best advice is probably to get a decent guidebook and choose the things that interest you to go and see. It's not the greatest place for just having a wander and stumbling upon things. Oh, also, it's obvious but it's really really **** hot there. 40 degrees plus when we were there (May 2010). It was so hot the glue in our books was melting and the pages were falling out. Edited April 29, 2013 by Stevo985 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted April 29, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted April 29, 2013 Also, if you buy anything from the markets, haggle. A lot. It's great fun. You can take absolutely outrageous amounts off the prices they offer. Just be fully prepared to walk off without whatever it is you want. It's unlikely they'll let you leave without buying it even if it's for a fraction of what they wanted to sell it for. If you buy anything at the price they offer it you're an absolute mug. Food is dirt cheap there too, even at proper restaurants (as opposed to the stalls). Service leaves a bit to be desired though from my experience! Oh, and goes without saying, but for goodness sake don't drink the water! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 If you don't know where your riad is, you have basically no chance of finding it yeah this ... I booked the whole package with pickup so got driven straight to the door of my Riad from the airport .... but when I went out that night all the side streets sorta blend into one after a while and it was pure luck that I managed to get back to a road take a random left , left and a right and turned up next to a shop I recognised it's def worth a visit the main square is cool at night , just soak up the atmosphere hang out by the mosque , eat with the locals at one of the many food stalls in the market ... but you'd enjoy the Atlas mountains more if you have a week to spend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted April 30, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted April 30, 2013 Yeah we did a hike up to the mountains actually. It was excellent. Some of the villages up there in the mountains are incredible. Ate at a restaurant which I think was the "highest" restaurant in Morocco. Again a decent riad will be able to sort out these day trips for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b23avfc Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 Turns out I have a trusted friend of a friend there that's gonna hook me up with accomodation right in the centre (he does airbnb too) and tours etc... sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted May 1, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted May 1, 2013 Excellent! Though, I'd re-emphasises my point about making sure you know where you're going when you get there. It's not a place where you can just get an address and find it yourself. It's a maze. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b23avfc Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 Very true. Worked out super well. Did a couple of day trips, didn't get to do the overnight in the desert and camels or the 4wd I hoped for due to time but did go to some big Kasbah where loads of movies were shot (Ait Ben Haddou, I think), Ouzarzate, and Essaouira. Nice country. Crazy typical trying to get money out of tourists. I don't think Marrakech has enough for more than a week, including excursions. But Morocco was worth it! Strangely the two days I wore my Villa shirt, a load of locals kept shouting "ahhh Wigan, Wigan!" Though some did day "Astonnnn Villa!" Wigan bizarrely known over there now. The power of beating Citeh. Wasn't so weird for me being there as for other tourists. Many aren't used to seeing so many Muslims in one place, unlike those of us from cities like Brum Stepped into a Nice looking Hamman place to check out the prices. The guy knew the villa and about Karim, saying he's only good because he was in Holland, and that he'd be rubbish if he was trained in Morocco. Then to entice me to book a treatment he showed me photos of Harvey Keitel at the place, and said that he came two weeks ago. I asked him how that can be when the photos are so faded and old, "it's the sun!" he exclaimed. To which I replied, the photos are indoors (no sunlight ever reaching where they are up) Not all of them were trying to con tourists. Just most Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b23avfc Posted May 24, 2013 Share Posted May 24, 2013 Half day to a day is about all you need in Marrakech ... It's a nice place but a week is too long , head out to the mountains and do some trekking / Hiking instead Pretty much what I did minus the actual trekking good advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts