Day One – The Journey to Africa Begins
No secret to traveling, the lead up to prepping the house, packing, saying goodbye to the dogs, etc, can be a bit of a challenge. The real relief and excitement comes the first time you get your passport scanned at the airport, then the journey has officially begun. Except, this journey, like many, is long… an overnight flight from Orlando to London, followed by a 5 hour layover in London’s Gatwick airport (not as nice as London’s Heathrow airport), followed by another leg to Marrakech. Not exactly sure what to do in the crowded London, so we splurge a little and pay to get in one of their lounges (not expensive). Solid choice! Couches, food, and drinks help us get some needed R & R.
And this is where traveling got long… flight to Marrakech delayed a little, followed by a 3+ hour flight. Thank goodness for packed snacks and Netflix downloads on our phones!
Arriving in Morocco and we are ready to begin exploring the ‘Red City’, ‘The Daughter of the Desert’, to name a couple nicknames associated with Marrakech. It has also been given the poetic phrase, ‘a drum that beats an African identity into the complex soul of Morocco.’
Our Riad (more on that below), arranged for a driver to pick us up from the airport. Highly recommend this move, especially when exploring a country for the first time. After loading the car, his first gesture was to place a hotspot in the back of our Mercedes ride for the quick ride to the center of the old Medina. Impressive!
First Marrakech experience, the road was blocked to our Riad, so we had to traverse our way through the night market (chaotic!), down alley ways, to our Riad. Thankfully, we didn’t have to do much of the work… pretty wild first impression!
Ok, back to a Riad. A Riad is a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an indoor garden and courtyard. We soon find out, Marrakech is filled with Riads, and we couldn’t be more excited to be staying in one. Walking through what may appear to be sketchy alleys (they aren’t), led us to this!
We feel like we found the picture perfect Riad for our Marrakech experience! Obviously, our Riad is a bit modern, but the next Riad we experienced didn’t disappoint either. The alleys of the Medina gave us Vietnam vibes. Chaos with motorbikes, people, tuktuks, people, bicycles, and more motorbikes everywhere!
But let’s not get away from what Marrakech really is… a unique vibe that is really awesome. And our dinner spot on the first night put that on display! Drinks and dinner, poolside at Le Bistro Arabe would have been perfect (another Riad). Yet, the first night quickly became one that will be hard to beat when a Moroccan jazz band started playing just a few feet from our table.
Despite the random, dark turns down alleyways throughout this city, we’ve been assured by the locals that Marrakech is safe. And these random, dark alleys have brought us to some magical places already, only a few hours into this adventure.
Day Two – Exploring Marrakech
Jet lag is real and fighting through it takes a couple of naps, with plenty of caffeine and water to balance that out. Let’s start day two with a picture perfect breakfast at the rooftop of our Riad. Fresh detox juice with what feels like unlimited food gave us the boost we needed to start exploring.
To our delight, the morning started with temperatures in the 60s. Yup, we are mentally prepared, it’s going to be a sweatbox later, but the day has started perfectly, and we are off to navigate our way through the souks of Marrakech to the Bacha Museum.
The Bacha Museum is an iconic landmark of Marrakech. It is a beautiful palace that celebrates a lot of its rich history dating back to the 18th century. The building is a classic example of a Riad, with a garden surrounded by rooms on all sides, celebrating the city’s rich culture.
However, to be honest, we are not here just for the museum, but to also indulge into what seems like endless coffee at the Bacha Coffee House, located in the heart of the museum. Bacha Coffee has spread to many cities around the world, but its beginnings date back to this location in Marrakech in 1910. First challenge, selecting from over 200 types of Arabic coffee flavors from around the world. Cups are garnished with whipped cream and sprinkled with chocolate. This place is a must do and worth the wait!
Leaving the museum, we once again start to navigate our way through about 3,500 shops in the 18 souks of the old Medina. That’s right, 3,500! Its wild and clustery, but somehow the aroma is inviting. However, be sure to bring your haggling skills, something we wish we were better at. Our first purchase, spices from Herboriste Avicenne, a somewhat famous herb shop in Marrakech. Overpaid of course… but got some cool pics!
The afternoon is filled with walking through the souks, shopping and making a pitstop at the Le Jerdin Garden.
And of course, a couple of scarves for us to use when we get out to the desert.
Now that is is officially over 100 degrees, we opt for some rest and relaxation back at our Riad before an evening out. To be honest, it isn’t as hot as we were expecting. Hot afternoons are bookended with beautiful mornings and comfortable evenings.
Casablanca beers on the rooftop help cool things off and start our evening off on the right foot. Traversing our way once again through the souks led us to Le Fenn, a perfect rooftop spot to enjoy a few more drinks, dinner, and our first Moroccan sunset. Le Fenn, a boutique hotel owned by Richard Branson’s sister, boasts a huge rooftop terrace, with a swimming pool, spa, cocktail bars, and a restaurant. We said it before, but it’s worth repeating, there is a unique vibe in this city that we are thoroughly enjoying.
Buzzed shopping is a real thing, and Katie is on a mission to get her mom some Moroccan dinner plates on the way back. Mission accomplished!
Lastly, a chaotic stroll, actually, really chaotic stroll led us to a waffle dessert. By the way, you get a little used to it, but be ready to say no, avoid eye contact, and move on throughout these streets and alleys of Marrakech. It is filled with eager moneymakers trying to get your money!
Day Three – Comfortably getting to know Marrakech
Waking up to breakfast on the rooftop terrace is pretty much the perfect way to start the day. And might we add, it’s actually a little chilly up here!
Our morning begins by once again navigating through the maze of souks to the Ben Youssef Madrasa. A madrasa is a place for learning, and this madrasa dates back to the 16th century in the old Medina quarter of Marrakech. Stunning architecture embodies this place where scholars desired to come and learn, mainly for religious purposes. It was an honor for scholars from around the world to come study here!
We stroll back to our Riad, to recoup and get ready for our last afternoon before heading out of the city in the morning. Katie’s purpose: shop and conquer the souks of the Medina, but first stop, Le Pergola to get some couscous and liquid courage! Couscous is tradition for Moroccans to gather on Fridays with friends and family share couscous, following midday prayers, so we took part in enjoying some couscous!
First stop… 5 pairs of shoes
Second stop… finish off the plate collection for Katie’s mom
Our haggling skills have greatly improved. Guess it just takes a little practice, have a little fun, and be willing to walk away.
On to our last evening in Marrakech, a ride to the ‘new city’, outside the old walls of the Medina, and into the more modern part of Marrakech. This area, founded in 1914, we guess isn’t really that new. But compared to the history and the feel of the old Medina, it’s new. And it’s lined with modern stores, fast food joints, clubs, and plenty of desirable restaurants. What was once the French area, is now a different side of Marrakech worth exploring, and we found the perfect place to enjoy an Italian dinner, La Trattoria.
Our transportation to the new city, a tuktuk!
We will let the pictures do the talking for this amazing restaurant in another stunning Riad!
A tuktuk ride back to the Friday night chaotic market in the old Medina, a pit stop at the Waffle Factory for dessert,
and back to our Riad to prepare for our next adventure in the morning, beginning our trek toward the Sahara Desert!
Two Wayfaring Wanderers 
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