I loved Marrakech! It’s a cacophony of sights, sounds, colors and smells.

I was traveling with female clients and we stayed in a two-bedroom, three-story riad at The Royal Mansour that was stunningly beautiful. Each riad (palace) has an indoor courtyard at its center with a retractable roof, and comes with your own butler who takes excellent care of you, from having a fire going in the fireplace in the living room when you get back, to popping champagne upon arrival on the rooftop terrace, where we also had our own pool.

Each riad is in very traditional design with very elaborate woodwork and tile, but features high-tech everything at the push of a button. Every TV has its own Netflix account. The bathrooms are stocked with full-size French toiletries (even makeup remover!) and Dyson hairdryers and straightners. And there is always a tray of yummy treats to munch on.

The Royal Mansour is a hotel with no hotel rooms-just 53 private free-standing riads. It was built by the King of Morocco to showcase the very best in Moroccan art and design, and it certainly delivers, with service and hospitality to match. The spa, outdoor pool, restaurants and grounds are all breathtakingly beautiful. It’s a very special place to stay.

The souks and medina in Marrakech are very different than Fes, they are wider and more open. And here you will find anything you may need, from a camel head to a perfume to ironworks.

The night market in Jemaa el Fna Square is brimming with musicians, magicians, snakecharmers, hagglers and many food stalls. Our guide took us to a rooftop cafe bordering the market for some mint tea at sunset, it offered a great vantage point to see the entire market.

Bahia Palace is not to be missed! Once again, just unbelievable beauty.

The Majorelle Gardens with their signature blue gardens are synonymous with Yves Saint Laurent and the YSL Museum, which is right next door. FYI-the botanist who YSL hired to maintain the Majorelle Gardens went on to become a famous perfumer, and we took a private perfume workshop in his atelier in the Marrakech medina, making our very own signature scents. Fun!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at denise@luxurytraveladventures.com

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I just did a fabulous tour of Morocco and it is an absolute FEAST for your senses!

The food, the fragrances, the mosaic tile and pottery, the artisans, the craftsmanship, the architecture-it’s all amazing. I have been all over the world and I was blown away by the wonders of Morocco. It offers so much: imperial cities, breathtaking mountains, the ocean AND the desert. The shopping will make you buy another piece of luggage to bring all your new baubles back with you. And the welcoming hospitality of its people will have you planning your return before you leave.

The quick topline of MUST-SEES and some MUST-DO’s in Morocco:

–The old medina in Fes with its twisting, narrow alleyways and PUBLIC kitchens!

-The Al-Attarine Madrasa (university) right in the middle of the Fes medina

-A visit to a mosaic and/or pottery workshop to see how they are still handcrafting in the centuries-old traditional methods

-The Chouara leather tannery in Fes is a sight to behold, with all the different colored dye vats outside in the sun but nothing can truly prepare you for the smell (they give you fresh mint to hold to your nose but that cannot purge the odor!)

–Staying in a riad as opposed to a hotel is a MUST (and if you have the budget, The Royal Mansour in Marrakech may well be the most beautiful place you have ever stayed, anywhere)

–The wine area outside Meknes will have you believing you are in Tuscany, no kidding! The olive oil and wine are fantastic!

–The ancient Roman ruins at Volubilis (I had no idea they were so extensive, like Pompeii)

-a hands-on tajine cooking class or a perfume workshop

–Bahia Palace in Marrakech, unbelievable mosaic and woodwork

-The massive wooden doors of the impressive Kasbah (fortress) of the Oudayas in Rabat

–Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, one of the few mosques non-Muslims can enter, with its huge chandeliers and beautiful setting on the ocean

-a glamping stay in a desert camp either in the Agafay or ideally, in the Sahara if you have the time

-a camel ride in the desert at sunset, a must!

-a hike in the Atlas Mountains and lunch in a Berber village while looking at the snow-capped peaks of Mt Toubkal

These pictures below are all from only Fes! I will put up other pics in separate posts.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at denise@luxurytraveladventures.com

IMAGES FROM FES

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