Marrakesh is the ultimate city trip getaway– Why you ask? It has everything. Good food, culture, excellent prices, walk able, easily reached with Ryanair in Europe and relatively safe. My boyfriend and I had had enough of the cold, rain, clouds and shit weather in Western Europe and decided to seek out the sun in Northern Africa.

Hotel / Transportation

We always skimp out on the hotels when possible because we don’t typically travel to hang out in our hotels the whole day (Now, ask me that again when we go to Agadir and I’ll be singing a different tune). In Marrakesh, we looked for a central Ryad for our stay and were super thrilled to find Ryad Hamza next to the Jemaa el-Fnaa. It was super charming and exactly what we wanted; central, quiet location and included breakfast! Now, if you are a traveler who likes the extras of room service, daily cleaning, etc… then book a hotel. We discovered ryad’s are like hostels and airbnb’s combined– bare minimum, excellent pricing and local feels. We loved it. We also opted to have ryad pick us up for 15 euros and we were happy we did. The location of the ryad was left turn, right turn, right turn, left, right, left, left and all on foot. If we didn’t have someone pick us up, we would have never found it.

Cooking Class

This was something new for us both and we absolutely loved the experience. We booked a four hour cooking course with a local dada (chef in Moroccan) to prepare a traditional lunch at La Maison Arabe.  And what is better, we left with the recipes of each dish we made and a small gift from our dada herself!

Cultural Musts

With only 48 hours in a city, it’s near impossible to see everything. Instead of researching what to see, we ask around to people on what we should see. The votes were in: we could not leave without visiting Bahia Palace and Majorelle Garden.

Even though they are on the opposite ends of the city, you can make it on foot within an hour. If you are a cultural traveler, you can easily see many other hot spots along the way. We opted for hitting up the street food vendors for some delicious chicken and lamb kebabs! You can also see how neighborhoods prepare food; there is one underground oven with a cook who has been working the oven for decades. People pay to have their meals cooked using this amazing technique.

Hammam

In Morocco, the art of the hammam is very traditional and intimate part of the culture. In the spirit of this cultural city trip, we opted for a personal experience versus a public bathhouse. Le Bain Bleu can be found deep in the souks; you’ll need to look to the streets for small signs that point in the general direction or try your luck asking for directions. Just make sure the person you ask doesn’t expect money because they all do and will ask you for some form of payment at the end of their “hospitality.”

Shopping

The grand finale was to buy a carpet. After dabbling around in Turkey and other markets around Europe, I was ready to take my haggling skills to the ultimate test. A few things to keep in mind:

• First things first is to determine the carpet style you want. After the welcome tea is served, they will bring out a few different types for you to choose. Once you pick your style, then the show begins.
• Don’t let on to the one you like right away. Keep your poker face on. Be sure to narrow it down to three or four that are all possibilities before making a final decision.
• When you find a few you like, ask them for the lighter test. They should use a lighter to prove the quality of the material.
• Make sure they give you the first price. Once you have the price, make your counter offer at least 2/3 lower. They will act offended and like you aren’t serious but it’s all part of the dance.
• They will only go about 5 or 6 rounds with you so when you are going up on your price, don’t make big jumps. You shouldn’t ever pay more than 50% of the original offer.
• Always have a little cash on you. Usually, they will offer you a lower end price but ask for an extra cash incentive just for them as a tip. It is never more than 20 bucks so make sure it’s on you.

And finally, enjoy your rug and the overall experience!