By Anastasia Burton
Have you ever wanted to travel to North Africa? Then Morocco, Marrakesh is the place to go, once the Coronavirus pandemic subsides, of course! Flights to Morocco are affordable, although the actual journey is quite long. If you study French or can speak French, it will actually come in handy since they speak French in Morocco! However, be mindful that unlike in France, they do not use Euro in Morocco, so you’ll need to change your money when you arrive. In terms of accommodation, Morocco is relatively cheap and most of the hotel hosts speak English. Most hotels even include breakfast, serving traditional Moroccan treats. I would recommend going there in Springtime or at the end of Summer into Autumn, due to temperatures being quite high during the height of the Summer months. There aren’t any beaches close to Marrakesh, but there are plenty of places to explore and even camel rides to embark on!
Below, I’ve listed some of the best tourist spots you can visit while in Morocco…
1. Jardin Majorelle
This garden is a nice place to simply stroll through, amongst beautiful plants and playful koi fish. The sun can get a little too much at times, but luckily, there is plenty of shade around! This park is free to enter so why not enjoy a little walk and take in the beauty of the Jardin Majorelle?
2. Horse Carriage Tours
Marrakesh does not have a tour bus; however, you can hire a horse cart for about an hour to bring you around the city, for a view of the class separation of Morocco. On one end of the city is the richer touristy area, while on the other, lies the local region which suffers poverty. I personally stayed in the poorer local’s region and thought it gave me a better overall view of Moroccan culture and society. The small streets and little markets amazed me! These horse carriage tours don’t cost much and the best thing about Morocco is that you can bargain with sellers for the best prices. I paid around €10 for my trip.
3. Palácio da Bahia
This beautiful 19-century palace is free to enter and explore for some extravagant Instagram pictures and a look at Moroccan architecture and design. It won’t be a long stroll, but it will be an interesting one, in between your walks to the local market for some Moroccan bites!
4. Local Markets
Here you will find traditional Moroccan food as well as Moroccan leather handbags, souvenirs, and gowns. I bought a traditional Moroccan gown and slippers and they are the most comfortable clothing items in this world! The market is very interesting and filled with antiques and other cool items. However, be mindful that the market is plagued with pick–pockets. At the market, you will also find places to get henna tattoos, as well as men who can make snakes dance and even monkeys give you a hug!
5. A Tour Towards the Mountain Village
This tour towards the mountain village is around forty minutes away from the city and offers you a chance to ride a camel and visit one of the places where women create our favourite Moroccan oil beauty products. Here you can watch women crush different seeds that are grown in Morocco to create creams, face masks and nourishing shampoos. This tour is totally worth it for beauty buffs everywhere! As well as this, you will be brought further into the village where you can go up into the steep mountains to look over the beautiful landscape. Quite the Insta photo op. Also check out the waterfalls on the mountain, where you can go for a swim and find mineral stones that look like crystals!
6. Musee Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech
This is the museum of Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakesh; it’s free to enter and is basically just a small gallery surrounded by a huge park, which you can easily spend hours just relaxing and sunbathing. You could find a nice bench and sit there in the shadow of the beautiful palm trees, watching the adorable little fish blowing bubbles at you. It’s like a tiny oasis in a large city.
