Marrakesh
~Overview~
The center of commerce and tourism in Morocco, Marrakesh is an energetic, sleepless city home to eighteen different souks (markets), including the largest in the country. Once the imperial capital of Morocco, Marrakesh now draws tourists from all corners of the world seeking to haggle their way to a good deal, as well as merchants looking to give it to them.
There is much to see and do in the city, particularly if you appreciate fine architecture and exotic eats. Dance with snake charmers in Jemaa el-Fnaa (the massive main square at the center of the old city), admire the illustrious craftsmanship of the Ben Youssef madrasa (quranic school), explore the expansive halls and courtyards of the Bahia Palace, and eat your fill of sheep's head on a street food tour. In Marrakesh, where the nights are just as active as the days, become intoxicated with the city's boundless bustle.
~Where to stay~
Because there was such a wide variety of unique places to stay in Marrakesh, we couldn't narrow the options down to just one, so we ultimately chose to book two different Airbnbs — one in the medina for the first two nights, and the other in the new city for the last two nights. In hindsight, I'm glad we decided to split our time like this — once we were finished sightseeing in the old city, the new city offered a refreshing change of pace from what can become an overstimulating and touristy medina experience.
Our first two nights in the old city were spent at Riad Safir, which sits in the center of the medina just a ten minute walk from the Jemaa el-Fnaa square. In addition to enjoying a delicious complimentary breakfast each morning, you can cap off a long day of exploration with a dip in the luxurious pool at the center of the ground floor courtyard. Trust me when I say I scoured Airbnb's offerings in Marrakesh, and when it comes to value, I'm not sure it gets better than this: welcoming hospitality, daily room cleanings, round-the-clock reception, and convenient location all at an affordable price. What more could you want?
When we stumbled across this penthouse hosted by Faysal and Manuel in the new city of Marrakesh, we knew it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. One of the more unique Airbnbs I've stayed in, virtually half of the residence is outdoors, with a massive shared patio and private roof. Despite being a private residence (as opposed to a riad, hostel, or dar), this apartment keeps an in-house cleaning/cooking staff offering complimentary laundry service and rooftop breakfast. Of note is that the Airbnb page advertises a hot tub, but there was no mention of one upon arrival, at which point we promptly collected our things, scolded our hosts, and demanded a refund. Not really — we wouldn't have used it anyway, as even the nights were sweltering that summer. Manuel, the host that was present while we were there, was quick to respond to all of our questions and offered a variety of food recommendations. And though we did not take advantage of it during our stay, Faysal and Manuel were happy to organize tours, outings, and any other experiences we may have sought while in the city. Though the price was slightly higher than our other accommodations in Morocco, it wasn't so much more as to deter us from this one-of-a-kind penthouse experience.
~Airbnb Experiences~
Hallway in the Ben Youssef quranic school.
Also inside the Ben Youssef school.
As we had done in Fes, the first thing we did upon arriving to Marrakesh was book a walking tour via Airbnb Experiences (which we were first introduced to in Chefchaouen) for the following morning.
At only $12 per person (it has since increased to $23/person, and deservingly so) for four hours, this walking tour is the perfect way to become acquainted with the city. You'll tour Marrakesh's major landmarks — including the Koutoubia Mosque, the Jewish Quarter (a.k.a. Mellah), Bab Agnaou, the Bahia Palace, the Majorelle (a.k.a. Secret) Garden, and the Ben Youssef quranic school — all while accompanied by a Ministry of Tourism certified guide who can explain the historical significance of each place to help it come alive.
Our guide, Jamal — like Zahi in Fes — knew his stuff and was able to answer virtually all of our questions. As we happened to be the only guests on the tour that day, he even accompanied us afterward to a cafe in Jemaa el-Fnaa to grab juice — not mint tea this time, as it was nearly ninety degrees the day of our tour — and to continue the conversation about life in Marrakesh and in Morocco as a whole.
The most striking part of the tour was undoubtedly the architecture, which I would deem to be some of the most impressive in the country. The Ben Youssef quranic school in particular featured some of the most ornate, intricate craftsmanship I have ever seen — from the tile in the floor, to the carved texts on the walls, and the geometric patterns on the ceilings (since Islam forbids depictions of human and animal forms in religious art and architecture, the design of mosques and other religious buildings is heavily influenced by geometry and mathematics).
Kick off your stay in Marrakesh the right way with this tour, an excellent way to spend the morning and early afternoon before continuing on to explore the city's souks and restaurants.
Intricacy of the carvings on each and every wall, and the precision of the tile work.
One of the highlights of our time in Morocco, this street food tour with Mourad offered a unique, exciting way to spend a night out in Marrakesh.
From the get-go, it was clear that Mourad was no amateur tour guide. After meeting us at our Airbnb (the one in the new city) in a luxury van with a hired driver, we picked up the rest of our group — an older married couple from Scotland and their adult kids, as well as a younger couple from England — and set off for some of the lesser known parts of Marrakesh, where the food stalls are less flashy but their offerings are all the more delicious. Mourad was hilarious and eventually got each of us to step out of our comfort zones and try something entirely new (see: sheep's head).
We began the evening with m'semen and harcha — two types of Moroccan pancakes, the former akin to a light flatbread, and the latter a heavier, pan-fried pocket of semolina goodness. They can be served either sweet or savory: some of us slathered them in nutella while others enjoyed them with cream cheese.
M'semen
Harcha
Next was harira, the hearty, aromatic soup I came to love and which I wrote about here, accompanied by chebakia — a rose-shaped donut coated with honey, orange blossom water, and sesame. A common theme I came to find in Moroccan cuisine was the blending of savory and sweet — exemplified by dishes like beef and prune tagine or chicken pastilla, and by pairings like harira and chebakia.
Harira
Chebakia
If you can believe it, those first four dishes comprised only our first stop. At our second stop, Mourad brought us to try Khoudenjal, a potent spiced tea typically consisting of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, galangal, pepper, madder root, and nutmeg steeped in water, though the ingredients can of course vary among street vendors. It is most popular in the wintertime, especially given its supposed medicinal properties. I wasn't the biggest fan, but Aidan slung those glasses back like there was no tomorrow (and at our current rate of consumption, I could be convinced there wouldn't be).
Our group tasting khoudenjal
Our next stop offered up one of the more bizarre dishes I've encountered in my life to date, at least from my limited perspective coming from the American south: ras mbakhar, or steamed sheep's head. It wasn't even the fact that it was an animal's head that had my stomach churning, but rather how it was prepared. According to Mourad, the head is steamed for some time in a mixture of boiling water and a number of other ingredients meant to achieve a certain flavor, chief among them being — you guessed it — sheep semen. If it wasn't enough already, Mourad challenged us to try a piece of bread dipped in the mixture, and I — not one to so quickly turn down a dare of the double-dog variety — reluctantly obliged. And you know what? Once you get past the whole "consuming sheep semen" part of the equation, it really didn't taste half bad.
Preparing to dine on sheep's head
I won't spoil your fun and recount every single stop here in detail (there were a lot), but others dishes included raïb (Moroccan yogurt), chwa (grilled beef/chicken kabobs), sardil mechoui (fire-cooked sardine balls), and assir (fruit juice of our choosing; I had peach mixed with orange).
As we did on our impromptu street food tour with Annas and Ayoub in Chefchaouen, we also enjoyed babbouche, snails cooked in a spicy, savory broth of thyme, aniseed, licorice root, and mint, before concluding the tour on a sweet note with fresh sugarcane juice.
Babbouche
Sugarcane juice, freshly...ground?
Bear in mind that you will not have to spend any additional dirhams beyond the cost of the tour (with the exception of Mourad's tip, of course), as all the dishes are included in the price, which — all things considered — is reasonable for the sheer quantity of food you will consume, not to mention the experience itself (as well as transportation). I remember arriving to this tour with what in hindsight seems like a ridiculous concern that there would not be enough food to leave me satiated for the night. After just the first stop, however, these worries were dispelled. Without a doubt, you will not leave Mourad's tour hungry, so be sure to come with an appetite — not only for delicious food, but for an opportunity to step out of your comfort zone alongside new friends in the heart of one of Africa's greatest cities.
Mourad introducing us to chebakia
Just after the affair with the sheep's head
~ Is that it? ~
You may be wondering, Okay, two tours, but you spent four nights in Marrakesh. What else did you do in all that time? And the answer is... not much, or not anything interesting enough to write about, if I'm being honest. Since we were only days away from departing Morocco for our next destination of the summer, much of our time in Marrakesh was spent doing the not-so-glamorous parts of travel: lots of research, booking accommodations, tracking our expenses, writing reviews for our tours and airbnbs so far, and even changing our flight itinerary due to a mishap regarding the name on my ticket. We took breaks to explore the city a bit and to visit a nearby mall in the new city, but otherwise the two tours above were the main highlights of our time in Marrakesh.
There is one place in particular where I would have liked to spend more time: the Henna Art Cafe in the medina. Shockingly enough, I was referred here by my mother, a yoga teacher, who has a student whose sister-in-law co-owns and operates this cafe and henna parlor (if you didn't think the world was small before...). In particular, I was hoping to meet the co-owner, Lori Gordon, with whom I had exchanged a few emails in the months leading up to my trip. She is a fascinating woman: a notable artist with works in the Smithsonian and in the collections of two U.S. presidents. For those interested in learning about henna tattoos, this is also a good place to do so, as their technique is 100% natural, as opposed to some other henna parlors where the ink is mixed with para-phenylenediamine (PPD), a harmful additive. We visited once in the first two days when we were staying in the medina, only to find that Lori would be away for the next few days, meaning we would not be able to catch her. If you visit Marrakesh, be sure to pay a visit to the Henna Art Cafe for some tea and to chat with the owners — I can assure you they will have the sorts of excellent recommendations that only locals can give.