Two worlds. One nation.
Marrakesh and Casablanca.
Having never travelled to Morocco previously, my companion and I had a good idea, in our heads, of what attracted us to this country.
The romantic notion of the famous Bogart and Bergman film, the Medina in Marrakech or maybe just the prospect of acquiring a tan following the long winter months in the UK.
Truth is, we enjoyed all aspects of the recent trip and it was full of surprises too.
Our trip Manager was GARY MANNERS who, as ever provided great insight into the planning of hotel choice, train reservations, personal guided tours, transfers, etc.
Marrakesh.
Hotel Iberostar Club Palmeraie – All inclusive.
This large hotel complex set in extensive manicured gardens offers a wide variety of options for its guests.
3 distinctly separate pools, a large dining area with enormous choice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A mobile van offered, from 12.30, burgers, waffles and crepes poolside for those who didn’t want to visit the dining room.
Several bars both indoors and externally.
Superb, attentive service at all points provided by friendly and efficient staff. Particular mention must be made to Yasmine on reception, who resolved an issue with our room, quickly using as we came to know, her charming efficiency which became a running feature of our stay.
Boushra too, our waitress for breakfast and lunch, was a complete joy and we were greeted with hugs and kisses every day with drinks already on our table. Nothing was too much trouble for her throughout our entire stay..
The rooms here are spacious, modern and spotlessly clean.
Bathrooms, too have every modern convenience.
Our entire stay here was difficult to fault and the all inclusive arrangement meant just that, with high quality drinks and no limitations or restrictions in the bars or around the pool.
This hotel is around half and hour outside Marrakesh and while there is not much of interest close by, the hotel provides a free shuttle bus to and from Marrakesh.
Casablanca.
Hotel Best Western Plus.
This is largely business hotel with great facilities, although not having a pool, it suited our needs for the couple of nights we were there.
No alcohol is served, but they are happy to recommend a small, excellent bar right next door, which turned out to be a gem of a find. Another recommendation was the La Ola Rooftop Ain Diab.
A very happy afternoon was enjoyed there in great company with a wide choice of alcoholic drinks and tapas available.
Directions: Take to T1 tram to Ain Dab terminus. A short walk to the seafront, turn right and in a few hundred yards is La Ola. Highly recommended.
Casablanca has a very modern tram system which is easy to navigate. It is, however extremely busy and sometimes crammed. Cabs are in great abundance and are cheap and prices are negotiable. .Drivers mostly speak/understand French and English.
Train journey from Marrakesh to Casablanca.
The two and a half hour journey enables you to see large parts of rural Morocco with its desert and occasional villages and small towns.
Highlights of the trip included a personal guided tour of the world famous Medina in Marrakesh with its labyrinth of market traders. .Our guide Youl, provided interesting history about how the medina was originally created by the four different religions/races over time.
It is very easy to get lost as all of the alleyways are similar, as are the thousands of traders and so please make sure you can see your guide at all times or use your own ‘compass. Bartering is essential, but do be aware that some traders can become slightly aggressive although this is quite rare.
La Mamounia https://mamounia.com/en/ is quite simply the most opulent hotel we have ever visited anywhere on the world. Greeted (and vetted) at the entrance by traditionally dressed hosts, you are invited to access the hotel through a security doorway and then the awe and wonder begins.
We recommend that you take some time to wander around the various bars to find where you feel most comfortable. We choose the beautiful space adjacent to the gardens and were immediately seated and the extensive drinks list presented for our choices.
A Saffron Negroni and a classic Margarita where soon delivered as we decided to ‘take a turn’ around exotic gardens and terraces .A must for any visitor.
This provides a different visual perspective looking back at the hotels historical architecture.
Although not compulsory for a visit, we chose to dine at the Italian Restaurant, others are Moroccan, Asian and French, which completed a memorable evening shared with guests from Sao Paulo and the UK.
La Mamounia is, as you would expect, expensive but delivers in every way, with top quality, attentive and friendly service. Your visit to Marrakech should include a visit.
Please note that airport security at Marrakech is extremely tight. Arrival and departure can take between a minimum of 40 minutes to sometimes 3 hours. The latter, we were told is however,rare.
As holders of Canal St Cards, we also enjoyed benefits at Manchester Airport, with complimentary lounge access. A super way to begin any trip anywhere.
If Morocco is on your bucket list, then please speak to Gary Manners on 0161 826 7430 and visit his site HERE