Travel blogger Justine Tyerman comes close to hugging a strange man at the airport in Marrakech.
Never underestimate the sheer joy of a transfer from airport to hotel in a seriously foreign country, especially when in that twilight zombie zone of the sleep-deprived after 30 hours of travel. It’s one of the most valuable aspects of booking with an experienced travel company. The heady thrill of seeing my name on a piece of cardboard was the most beautiful thing as I cleared customs in Marrakech. I stopped just short of hugging Lyazid, who had been waiting there patiently to collect me, holding up the large card with Ms Justine Tyerman on it.
Checking-in at the luxurious five-star Sofitel Marrakech was a dream. Smart men in traditional Moroccan costume opened doors to a haven of cool and whisked my case up to my room, which just happened to have a large balcony overlooking a gorgeous pool. In the city’s chic Hivernage district, the Sofitel is an oasis of calm and elegance, just a stroll from Marrakech’s best attractions, museums, restaurants, casinos and famed Jemaa el-Fna square. I caught up on my sleep in one hit and was bright-eyed and ready to start my Ancient Kingdoms Holidays tour the next day. That’s when the truly extraordinary began. Among many highlights of my eight days in Morocco was the cooking school at the prestigious La Maison Arabe in Marrakech. Here the delightful Amina, a traditional Moroccan chef, or ‘dada’, managed to teach me, a kitchen dummy, how to prepare a delicious chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives, and salads with aubergine, tomatoes, garlic, green peppers and spices. I have since cooked it many times to ‘wow’ my friends.
La Maison Arabe has an illustrious past. In the 1940s, their restaurant was the first to open to foreigners, entertaining such celebrities as Sir Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle and Jackie Kennedy. After extensive renovations, the establishment debuted in 1998 as the first riad-hotel in Marrakech. The maze of souks in the narrow winding alleyways of the ancient medinas in Marrakech and Fes sell everything from food to homewares. Many who live and work there never venture beyond their own neighbourhood. Once I grasped the protocols of the haggling process, prices came down to about a half to a third of the original figure, making for great bargains on handbags, shoes, fabrics, ceramics, jewellery and Moroccan clothing.
Aït Benhaddou, a grand fortified city along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Located in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains in the province of Ouarzazate, Aït Benhaddou is a labyrinth of kasbahs (fortresses) and ksars (castles) built into a hillside above a beautiful river valley. A stunning example of earthen clay architecture, the site has become famous as a film set for such movies as Jesus of Nazareth, The Jewel of the Nile, The Mummy, Gladiator, Alexander and the television series Game of Thrones. I loved the colour, shapes and textures of the traditional adobe buildings constructed from the earth on which they stand. The kasbahs, made up of squares, rectangles and castle-like towers, sit so comfortably in the landscape, they are almost invisible.
Morocco also has impressive Roman ruins. At Volubilis, we saw the well-preserved remains of a Roman city constructed from the 3rd Century BC. The ruins were devastated by an earthquake in the mid-18th Century and then looted by Moroccan rulers seeking stone for the building of Meknes. It was later identified as the ancient city of Volubilis and today it is also protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The thousand-year-old
Chouara Tannery is an iconic landmark in Fes. The tannery processes cow, sheep, goat and camel hide using methods largely unchanged since medieval times. We watched from a balcony as men, waist deep in dye, tended to the hides in dozens of stone tubs. The bright pink babouches (leather slippers) I bought at Chouara are among my most treasured Moroccan mementos. Maison de Cadeaux Berberes, in Tinghir, had hundreds of exquisite handmade carpets and rugs lining the floors and walls, as well as precious amber jewellery. An elder in indigo robes and shesh (turban) explained the history behind the carpets, which are made by the women of the tribes. Each carpet is unique.
Our accommodation throughout our journey was a perfect balance of sophisticated, modern five-star establishments in the large cities like Marrakech, Fes and Casablanca, and traditional riads (traditional Moroccan houses or palaces with an interior garden or courtyard) and kasbahs in the smaller settlements. The eight days travelling in a wide arc from Marrakech to Casablanca passed smoothly, thanks to the well-oiled efforts of the local representatives behind the scenes. Morocco is a country where it pays to travel with experienced, trustworthy guides who know the language, the people and the customs. They also know how to navigate the medinas and the labyrinth of souks where there are no maps or street names. Visitors can – and do – get hopelessly lost.
Discover Travel works closely with Morocco specialists Innovative Travel, and understands the complexities of travel in such foreign lands. Contact Discover Travel to learn more about the variety of group and private tours available in Morocco, catering to individual tastes and budgets. Justine Tyerman travelled courtesy of Innovative Travel/ Ancient Kingdoms Holidays.