FOOD, SHOPPING AND ADVENTURE!

A trip to Morocco is an enjoyable balance between centuries, dynasties & geographies. Get ready for Arab-African architecture, North African cool, crab sushi & couscous, souk shopping, and swinging to music!

Not to be missed

• Djemaa el-Fna

• Marrakesh

This colourful, labyrinthine market sells leather, glassware and ceramics by day and becomes a huge open air restaurant by night.
Enter the Djemaa el-Fna square and take a deep breath. You are about to tread the path used for centuries by merchants, customers, story tellers, magicians, ventriloquists and the like!
Divided into sections by product, the souks of Marrakesh boast of the olive souk, the leather souk, the glassware souk, ceramics souk, spices souk and much, much more. All the while, bustling with a raw energy that’s utterly captivating.
Lose yourself in this rambling network of alleys with tiny shops and cafés, and you will not only find your way back, but something new & surprising around every corner like brightly-coloured glassware, sheesha pipes, spices, kaftans, handcrafted bags and more.
At night, the Djemaa el-Fna, turns into a cultural hotspot and a huge open air restaurant. Numbered stalls dish out Moroccan specialties, such as charcoal grilled meats, soups and spicy sausages. You can sample traditional breads such as the the pan-fried msemen and crepe-like beghrir. For the 'man vs. food' types, there are always the local delicacies – cow’s hoof, sheep’s head or ghoulal, a snail soup!
Djemaa el-Fna is a UNESCO branded "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity". So don’t miss out on the legendary story tellers of the square.

• Fes Al Bali

A car-free urban area, this UNESCO heritage town still houses master craftsmen who ply their trade in its narrow alleys and warrens.
You won’t hear car horns at Fes el Bali. Instead you’re most likely to be warned ‘balak, balak’, which means a donkey is headed your way! This UNESCO World Heritage Site serves up 1,300 years of Moroccan history in the neighbourhood of the Medina.
Every cliché about laden donkeys, mischievous young boys, smiling merchants and kohl eyed beauties is a reality here. Modernity seems another port of call as you wander this warren of shops and stalls.
The souks of Fes el Bali are justly famed for Zillij mosaic tile work, with pieces assembled right in front of your eyes by boys with dexterous fingers. A ramble in the right direction takes you to the carpets section which stocks gorgeous Kilims, Berber rugs and Imperial Arabian rugs. Take your time and a loaded wallet, for these souks sell everything – gold & silver, tableware, olives, figs, cheeses, confectionary, brocades & laces, drums, mirrors, lamps, swords etc. Bargain away or simply say ‘no, shukran’ if you have the will power!
If a certain odour starts bothering you, it’s fine. Fes is notorious for its pavement tanneries, where animal skin is treated in huge clay pots, dried and crafted into impeccable leather products. Add that to your shopping cart without fail.
Since your legs are the only means of transport here, refuel at one of the many Moroccan restaurants. Sip mint tea or Harrira (soup) or dig straight into couscous and tagine.

Must Dos

• Begin with the architectural wonders of Marrakesh like the historic Almoravid Koubba, Ali Ben Youssef and Koutoubia Mosques.
• Hop cities to cover old world Fez (the Medina being the largest urban car-free zone in the world) and imperial Rabat (the sensational Mausoleum of Mohammed V is located here).
• Explore the Ouarzazate, ‘The door of the desert', for easy day trips to the fortified village (ksar) of Ait Benhaddou and the Draa valley. The area has also served as the backdrop to some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters, including ‘Game of Thrones’.
• Add adventure by dune bashing or sand boarding in the red hued Sahara Desert at Erg Chebbi.
• Witness the 3rd century Roman ruins on the Fez-Meknes route at Volubilis, with arches, columns, gates & walls.
• Surf on the Atlantic at Essaouira, the unique fortressed city.
• Reside in a Riad and a Kasbah.
• Make your way down to Dades Valley – the ‘Road of the thousand Kasbahs’ takes you to the beautiful Valley of Roses and the dramatic Dades and Todra gorges.
• Let your pockets loose at the souks!