Marrakech - Revision history

Henrybmn: /* By plane */

2013-05-23T04:24:54Z

‎By plane

OVK: Listings looks like an add please read trough our policies here

2013-05-20T11:19:27Z

Listings looks like an add please read trough our policies here

196.217.8.29: added listing Ali

2013-05-19T21:35:09Z

added listing Ali

141.70.81.136: /* Stay safe */

2013-05-15T18:57:19Z

‎Stay safe

86.139.118.127: /* See */

2013-05-14T18:50:05Z

‎See

Matt.maroc: /* By taxi */

2013-05-06T06:23:02Z

‎By taxi

Matt.maroc: /* By taxi */

2013-05-06T06:18:02Z

‎By taxi

Matt.maroc: /* Get out */

2013-05-06T05:50:55Z

‎Get out

118dot93dot73dot30 at 13:54, 23 April 2013

2013-04-23T13:54:36Z

82.71.20.54: /* Djemaa El-Fna */

2013-04-23T11:04:43Z

‎Djemaa El-Fna

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 Plenty of low cost companies now fly to Marrakech. Some companies fly to [[Casablanca]], where a plane change for the 45 min flight to Marrakech can be made.
-From the UK, [http://www.easyjet.com  easyJet] flies to Marrakech from Manchester and Gatwick Airport (and also from [[Madrid]] and from [[Lyon]]). '''Ryanair''' has direct flights from [[Oporto]] (Portugal), [[London]] Luton, and [[London]] Stansted to Marrakech. They also fly from from Frankfurt-Hahn (Germany), Alicante (Spain), Girona (Spain), Madrid and Reus (Spain) to Marrakech. '''Thomson Airways''' travels from London Gatwick and [[Manchester]]. British Airways [http://www.ba.com] began flying from London Gatwick in 2011 and now have a daily service to Marrakech. [http://www.atlas-blue.com Atlas Blue] started as a low cost carrier offshoot of Royal Air Maroc is nowseparate and no longer has very low prices and flies in from several European cities. Transavia.com is a new Low cost airline from Air France-KLM group coming to Marrakech from several cities in Europe like Paris. [http://www.norwegian.no/ Norwegian] offers direct flights from [[Copenhagen]], [[Oslo]] and [[Stockholm]]. Iberia offers two non stop flights from Madrid. '''TAP Portugal''' offers direct flights from [[Lisbon]].
+From the UK, [http://www.easyjet.com  easyJet] flies to Marrakech from Manchester and Gatwick Airport (and also from [[Madrid]] and from [[Lyon]]). '''Ryanair''' has direct flights from [[Oporto]] (Portugal), [[London]] Luton, and [[London]] Stansted to Marrakech. They also fly from from Frankfurt-Hahn (Germany), Alicante (Spain), Girona (Spain), Madrid and Reus (Spain) to Marrakech. '''Thomson Airways''' travels from London Gatwick and [[Manchester]]. British Airways [http://www.ba.com] began flying from London Gatwick in 2011 and now have a daily service to Marrakech. Atlas Blue airlines was once a low cost carrier but was merged into Royal Air Maroc in 2010. Transavia.com is a new Low cost airline from Air France-KLM group coming to Marrakech from several cities in Europe like Paris. [http://www.norwegian.no/ Norwegian] offers direct flights from [[Copenhagen]], [[Oslo]] and [[Stockholm]]. Iberia offers two non stop flights from Madrid. '''TAP Portugal''' offers direct flights from [[Lisbon]].
 From inside the country, you can take [http://www.royalairmaroc.com Royal Air Morocco], with flights from [[Agadir]], [[Casablanca]] (daily), [[Fez]] (daily), [[Ouarzazate]], [[Al Hoceima]], and [[Tangier]].

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:19, 20 May 2013
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	* The '''Menara gardens''', which are located west of the city, and consist of a mixture of orchards and olive groves surrounding a central pavilion which is a popular sight on tourist postcards. The pavilion was built during the 16th century Saadi dynasty, and renovated in 1869. It has a small cafe.		* The '''Menara gardens''', which are located west of the city, and consist of a mixture of orchards and olive groves surrounding a central pavilion which is a popular sight on tourist postcards. The pavilion was built during the 16th century Saadi dynasty, and renovated in 1869. It has a small cafe.
−	*<see name="Ali" alt="Karaoui " address="Merzouga " directions="Marrakech" phone="00212670137673" url="http://moroccotravel-click.com/" hours="8" price="200" lat="" long="800">Welcome to Morocco, Your adventure morocco tours start here !
−
−	~~Discover with us the majestic Atlas Mountains with its canyons, valleys and rivers, as well as the grandeur and the calm of the Sahara Desert until reach the wonderful Atlantic Coast.~~
−
−	~~We offer you routes in 4x4 in order to twist over all the wonderful Moroccan nature and where you could live in person the nomads’ traditions and its amazing culture.~~
−	~~We have different kind of routes so you could adapt them depending on your needs.~~
−	~~We are looking forward to meet you very soon!~~
−	~~</see>~~
−

	==Do==		==Do==

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:35, 19 May 2013
Line 129:		Line 129:

	* The '''Menara gardens''', which are located west of the city, and consist of a mixture of orchards and olive groves surrounding a central pavilion which is a popular sight on tourist postcards. The pavilion was built during the 16th century Saadi dynasty, and renovated in 1869. It has a small cafe.		* The '''Menara gardens''', which are located west of the city, and consist of a mixture of orchards and olive groves surrounding a central pavilion which is a popular sight on tourist postcards. The pavilion was built during the 16th century Saadi dynasty, and renovated in 1869. It has a small cafe.
		+	*<see name="Ali" alt="Karaoui " address="Merzouga " directions="Marrakech" phone="00212670137673" url="http://moroccotravel-click.com/" hours="8" price="200" lat="" long="800">Welcome to Morocco, Your adventure morocco tours start here !
		+
		+	Discover with us the majestic Atlas Mountains with its canyons, valleys and rivers, as well as the grandeur and the calm of the Sahara Desert until reach the wonderful Atlantic Coast.
		+
		+	We offer you routes in 4x4 in order to twist over all the wonderful Moroccan nature and where you could live in person the nomads’ traditions and its amazing culture.
		+	We have different kind of routes so you could adapt them depending on your needs.
		+	We are looking forward to meet you very soon!
		+	</see>
		+

	==Do==		==Do==

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 ===Drinking water===
 The tap water in Marrakech is OK for bathing. While locals drink it with no problems, visitors often find it hard to digest. To be safe, opt for bottled mineral water, available at the numerous marketplace kiosks and food stalls. Make sure that the cap seal has not been broken, since Moroccan vendors have been known to save money by refilling plastic bottles from the tap. At restaurants, ask for your drinks without ice cubes, which are usually made with tap water.
 ===Scams===

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 * '''Dar Si Saïd Museum''', on Rue Riad Zitoun Jdid has an entrance fee of Dh 25, is a museum 5 mins away from Djemaa El-Fna. Set in an old palace, it houses many different artifacts from Morocco through the ages, such as wood carvings, musical instruments, and weapons. It is dedicated to the Moroccan craft industry of wood, gathering a very beautiful collection of popular art: carpets, clothing, pottery and ceramics. All these objects are regional, coming from Marrakech and all the south, especially from Tensift, High Atlas, Soussthe, Anti Atlas, Bani, and Tafilal.
-* '''Ben Youssef Madrassa''' is one of the largest Madrassas in the North Africa. It is a school attached to the Ben Youssef Mosque and is home to beautiful art and architecture.
+* '''Ben Youssef Madrassa''' is one of the largest Madrassas in the North Africa. It is a school attached to the Ben Youssef Mosque and is home to beautiful art and architecture. Admission is Dh 50.
 * '''El Bahia Palace''' is an ornate and beautiful palace, popular with guided tours and stray cats. The palace is well worth a visit and gives a great impression of what it must have been like to be a 19th century nobleman in Morocco. There is a nice garden with banana flowers, tranquil courtyards, and other lovely plants. Admission is Dh 10.

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 =====By taxi=====
-The airport is located about 5&nbsp;km (3 miles) from the city, which is about a 15-20 min ride by "petit taxi."  Petits taxis are hatchbacks that go to destinations within the city and charge a lower price than the larger "grands taxis," which go between cities.  If you leave from the airport by petit taxi, make sure to agree on the price beforehand, or, better yet, have the driver use his meter (a taxi ride to Ville Nouvelle or to Medina from the airport should be Dh 50-80, more at night).  In practice, most petit taxi drivers have agreed among themselves to an artificially high rate to or from the airport - most will quote you Dh 100 each way, and half again that much at night. As of late 2011 Taxis appear now to be quoting a very over inflated Dh 200 at night, and Dh 150 by day, trying to bargain a lower price is very difficult. They will try to charge even more (Dh 250-300) for groups. They can be very pushy and like to get you locked inside the vehicle before they reveal the price and will always demand the fare up front. Ideally you should try to pay no more than Dh 100 from the airport to the centre of the city for a petit taxi, depending on the time of day, number of drivers, and number of potential passengers. While it is possible to bargain with the airport taxis, in some cases they may agree a lower price i.e. Dh 100, then stop mid journey and demand another Dh 100. Call the police if this happens (although don't expect that to do much good). If you catch a petit taxi outside of airport (about a 10 minute walk), the petit taxi will use the meter instead of negotiated price. Having been to Morocco many times I actually know how to play it with taxi drivers. At the airport there will be lots of the outside the terminal. Remember you are now in Africa and the pace of life is different. You may have just had a long flight, but you aren't in a real hurry, so start your haggling skills. You will be approached by porters and drivers. When approached strike up a conversation, when you are quoted a silly price, for example 200-500 Dh, just say "Inshallah" and walk off. "Inshallah" means God Willing and you will hear this word all the time in Morocco. More often than not, they will be so shocked that you speak Arabic, especially knowing this word. They will smile and actually will be prepared to strike a deal. Another driver will approach you offering you a better price. Its always best to say that you come to Morocco many times, a little white lie such as I have family/friends in [[Casablanca]] or [[Agadir]]. This usually does the trick and you won't get ripped off. You can usually get a driver to take you into the centre for 100/150dh simply by being prepared to haggle, be patient and play the game.
+The airport is located about 5&nbsp;km (3 miles) from the city, which is about a 15-20 min ride by "petit taxi."  Petits taxis are hatchbacks that go to destinations within the city and charge a lower price than the larger "grands taxis," which go between cities.  If you leave from the airport by petit taxi, make sure to agree on the price beforehand, or, better yet, have the driver use his meter (a taxi ride to Ville Nouvelle or to Medina from the airport should be Dh 50-80, more at night).  In practice, most petit taxi drivers have agreed among themselves to an artificially high rate to or from the airport - most will quote you Dh 100 each way, and half again that much at night. As of late 2011 Taxis appear now to be quoting a very over inflated Dh 200 at night, and Dh 150 by day, trying to bargain a lower price is very difficult. They will try to charge even more (Dh 250-300) for groups. They can be very pushy and like to get you locked inside the vehicle before they reveal the price and will always demand the fare up front. Ideally you should try to pay no more than Dh 100 from the airport to the centre of the city for a petit taxi, depending on the time of day, number of drivers, and number of potential passengers. While it is possible to bargain with the airport taxis, in some cases they may agree a lower price i.e. Dh 100, then stop mid journey and demand another Dh 100. Call the police if this happens (although don't expect that to do much good). If you catch a petit taxi outside of airport (about a 10 minute walk), the petit taxi will use the meter instead of negotiated price. Having been to Morocco many times I actually know how to play it with taxi drivers. At the airport there will be lots of them outside the terminal. Remember you are now in Africa and the pace of life is different and being European or American, you are a cash cow, don't fall victim. You may have just had a long flight, but you aren't in a real hurry, so be ready to start your haggling skills. You will be approached by porters and drivers. When approached strike up a conversation, a few words of French or Arabic will go along way. When you are quoted a silly price, for example 200-500 Dh, just say "Inshallah" and walk off. "Inshallah" means God Willing and you will hear this word all the time in Morocco. More often than not, they will be so shocked that you speak Arabic, especially knowing this word. They will smile and actually will be prepared to strike a deal. Another driver will approach you offering you a better price. Its always best to say that you come to Morocco many times, a little white lie such as I have family/friends in [[Casablanca]] or [[Agadir]]. This usually does the trick and you won't get ripped off. You can usually get a driver to take you into the centre for 100/150dh simply by being prepared to haggle, be patient and play the game. Smile, make good eye contact and don't be a hurry someone will be prepared to take you into town for a fair price.
 If you are travelling from the airport to somewhere further afield (such as Essaouira), your hotel or guest house may be able to arrange a grand taxi to pick you up at the airport and charge a fixed price for the journey. Grands taxis are generally more expensive than petits taxis, but more comfortable especially when you have luggage. It also avoids hassle, as it's not always easy to haggle with a taxi driver after staggering off a long plane ride half-asleep.

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 *[[Asni]] - A lovely rural village in the Atlas mountains.
-*[[Essaouira]]. A fortified town on the Atalntic coast of Africa, about 3 hours by car/coach from Marrakech. There are many tour companies that run day-trips from Marrakech and, unless you are planning a golfing holiday at one of Essaouira's resorts, one day is more than enough. The biggest attraction here is the small Medina, which is a much more pleasant experience than the Marrakech Medina - with almost no harassment from traders, scam artists or pan-handlers. There is also a beautiful beach to enjoy and you can also explore the 18th century port.
+*[[Agadir]] - On the Atlantic Coast this is Morocco's main port city and is about 2 and half hours drive from Marrakech. The city was destroyed in the 1960 earthquake and was rebuilt in a modern 60's low rise style. It has wonderful beaches and is much cooler than Marrakech, perfect for those who want to relax on the beaches, wide range of restaurants, bars and clubs, world class golf courses and has all the facilities that the modern tourist demands.
 *[[Jbilets Geological Site]]
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 [[Image:Ourika_Valley.jpg|thumb|250px|Ourika Valley]]
 * [[Ourika Valley]], in the Atlas Mountains. Tours involve stopping several times en route to the valley to look in tourist shops, a Berber house, and a collective run for women who make products out of Argan oil - all very interesting! Tours wil also include a walk to visit the various different waterfalls. The journey can become difficult, so wear good walking and/or climbing shoes - suitable footwear is imperative.  Think of  clambering up rocks at the side of the river, and eventually criss-crossing over wet rocks to travel up the mountain.
 *[[Setti Fatma]]. A village at the end of the proper motor road up the Ourika Valley. The residential part is situated above the road and is not visited too much. The attractions are the lovely valley scenery and a walk to seven waterfalls - or for most day visitors one waterfall from which others can be seen.

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 * Prices tend to vary a little. Depending upon how hungry you are, you can pay anything from Dh 10 for a bread filled with freshly grilled sausages or perhaps a bowl of harira soup to Dh 100 for a full three course meal with salad, bread, starter, main course, and tea.
 * Try harira (great soup, of lamb/beef, red lentils and vegetables) and the fried aubergines. Don't be afraid-try the lamb head: it's really tasty. The "bull stew" (beef stew) should also be given a chance in the same stalls.
-* Don't miss the tea! There is a row of tea sellers along the front of the food stalls who each sell tea for Dh 1.5 each (Dh 5 seemed the going  rate as of 4/2013). Most of the tea at these stalls is actually ginseng tea with cinnamon and ginger... most delicious and welcoming. They also have cake, made of basically the same spices, which can be a bit overpowering.
+* Don't miss the tea! There is a row of tea sellers along the front of the food stalls who each sell tea for about Dh 5 each (as of April 2013). Most of the tea at these stalls is actually ginseng tea with cinnamon and ginger... most delicious and welcoming. They also have cake, made of basically the same spices, which can be a bit overpowering.
 * All food stalls at Djemaa El Fna display the price on the menus, making it less likely you'll be overcharged, but many will bring starters to you without asking, then charge for them at the end.
-*The orange juice stores sell fantastic orange juice, although there are times when lemonade had probably been added.  The price in April 2013 is 4 Dirhams, although they sometimes try and charge 4 Euros, or 4 Pounds, or 4 Dollars.
+*The orange juice stores sell fantastic orange juice, although there are times when lemonade had probably been added.  The price in April 2013 was 4 Dirhams, although they sometimes try and charge 4 Euros, or 4 pounds sterling, or 4 US dollars!
 * Drinks are rarely on the menu so it is better to ask the price of them before ordering, as they can often be comparatively high. On the other hand some stalls offer free mint tea to encourage you to choose them.
 * Early mornings, look for people frying riifa in the covered part opposite the Koutoubia. Riifa is dough stretched and flattened and folded over, then cooked in a frying pan, and is best described as a Moroccan version of a pancake or crepe.