Posts Tagged ‘Gueliz’

Trip Advisor Names Marrakech Leading Vacation Destination, Traveler’s Choice Awards

Monday, April 14th, 2014

Marrakech Atlas Mountain Views

The “Red Hamra” City of Marrakech was ranked as the sixth leading vacation destination by Trip Advisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards for 2014. Marrakech has risen to the top of Trip Advisor’s sixth annual destination list just behind the Czech Republic, rising thirteen spots from 2013. This magical city is surrounded by the Atlas Mountains, Berber villages, magnificent waterfalls and maintains it’s enchanting beauty with unique flora and fauna that is in full bloom year round.

Marrakech is two hours from Africa’s second highest Mountain, Djebel Toubkal, where Moroccan travelers can hike and ski during most seasons. Marrakech is also just a few hours from the seaside town of Essaouira, Imperial Rabat, Casablanca, and the Berber seacoast region of Agadir. Marrakech is located a few hours from the Cascades D’Ouzoud waterfalls and four hours from Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Ouarzazate region. With its prime location, Marrakech is the prefect city to visit on a private tour or for a sun holiday.

 

La Maison Arabe, Morocccan Classical Riad

La Maison Arabe, Morocccan Classical Riad

Marrakech has also been earmarked as the ideal vacation hub by major media outlets such as New York Times and Travel & Leisure. The city easily awes travelers with its temperate climate. Home to Muslim and Jewish Heritage historical sites, delightful Moroccan restaurants, up market well appointed accommodations and lush gardens, Marrakech has a reputation for being a city of romance and as well as a shoppers paradise.

Yves Saint Laurent must have felt the same. He made Marrakech his second home in the 1970’s, then purchased and restored the Jardin Majorelle in 1980, known today as the Majorelle Gardens. The Majorelle Gardens is a perfect rendition of an exotic garden with cactus, palm trees, bamboo, coconut palms, thujas, weeping willows, carob trees, jasmine, agaves, white water lilies, datura, cypress, bougainvilleas, and ferns. Majorelle was once a hidden gem yet today it has become the trendy place visited by most tourists who come to Marrakech. Moroccan travelers not only have the gardens to enjoy but also a charming book store with unique titles and prints, a colorful gift shop and a small green café. The Majorelle Gardens also lays claim to Morocco’s only Islamic & Berber Museum with an mini wing devoted Amazaigh Jewelry and traditional rural crafted pieces.

British film director Alfred Hitchcock during the shooting of his movie 'The Birds'.

Marrakech has a history of attracting artists, writers, new world explorers and film makers – those in transit searching for place in Morocco to call home. As a temporary residence for many of the past, Marrakech’s La Mamounia is where Alfred Hitchcock  “The Birds” and Winston Churchill had his own suite. Marrakech has been on the bucket list of the elite, hippies and government figures since the 18th Century. Turn the page and nothing’s quite changed yet.

Original Marrakechi folk came from the “Bled,” Arab and Berber villages – and remained in the medina for several centuries. Some of Morocco’s richest men and families once resided in the Marrakech medina that over time has become the most sought after medina in Morocco for business and pleasure alike.

Since 1995 Europeans and upwardly mobile Moroccans have aggressively restored and built elaborate, luxury Riads and modest Guest houses in the Marrakech medina to accommodate world travelers. Today the Marrakech medina, while popular among foreign travelers, has a large population of locals that still live there whose heritage dates back to the 16th Century and before.

The charm of Marrakech’s Ville Nouvelle  (new town) Gueliz and Hivernage is long standing. With the click clack sound that runs along the alleys made by horse drawn carriages, the grand palm lined Avenue Mohammed VI reminiscent of the Champs Elysées in Paris, flower budding sides streets with cafes serving up espresso and croissants, some claim Marrakech is “Land of God.”

“Land of God” originates from the Berber (Amazigh) words mr (n) akush yet others say that the towns name refers to “county of sons of Kush.” Old Marrakech however set the stage for trade given it was once the siting of some of Morocco’s largest caravans. Caravans passed through Marrakech and the exterior region from the South trading dates, sugar, livestock and more.

For many the town of Marrakech may be referred to as the “Land of God” or the home of the “Laughing People” yet for those who have made this city their longtime home, we will simply settle on – “Kech.”

For More Information about Marrakech Travel

Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration
Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.  We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or + 1 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

 

Nightlife in Marrakech, Your Morocco Tour Guide

Monday, November 4th, 2013

Le Comptoir Darna Marrakech

Marrakech, often referred to as the Paris of Morocco and the premier Moroccan city of night lights and romance has something of a reputation for its nightlife. Marrakech has a reputation for seedy bars and expensive discos in high end hotels with groovy, Ibiza-style discos and belly-dancing along with top end dining experiences that can be had on rooftop terraces.The best places for nightlife in Marrakech are in the wealthy Hivernage district’s 5 star hotels, Sofitel So Lounge, Hivernage Hotel and the Comptoir Darna Cocktail Bar. Low lighting, scented candles, and Moroccan lamps are strategically placed in the ground-floor restaurant of Comptoir. Diners can choose from low-lying tables under the Berber tent, or inside the charcoal and ocher restaurant proper. There is a small garden where you can lounge on the lime, orange, and red cushions and heavy Berber carpets. A wide, central staircase leads up to the real reason to come here: the harem like bar decked out in charcoal, orange, and burgundy veils where resident and guest DJ’s spin the latest in Euro-Arabian dance music with exotic dancers.

One of the hottest places in Marrakech is Theatro, inside the Marrakech Casino at the Hotel es Saadi on avenue Quadissia, Hivernage. Converted from an old theater and with the original stage still intact, this place, at times, rivals Europe with its unabashed on-stage hedonism. At other times, it’s simply a high-end techno dance club.

Out past the Hivernage in the new Aguedal area is Pacha Marrakech. The Pacha complex is on boulevard Mohammed VI,which is large and with loud music to match. This kasbah-style club is an outpost of the clubbing giant Pacha in Ibiza, pumps out 50,000 watts of DJ-mixed pulsating music. It boasts two formal restaurants and a huge swimming pool with a cave like nightclub, with its large open spaces decked out with exotic rugs, high ceiling, and low-lying sitting areas. Regular nightclubers will be at home on the tented dance floor which often looks like a giant circus ring complete with shirtless Europeans, while those hankering for more lounge than reverberating music will gravitate to the separate chill-out lounge. On a Saturday night european and international DJ’s are flown in.

Farther out, on the Ourika road, is Bô & Zin which has French Thai cuisine, served within the various rooms inside. It’s good for a late-night party, with both a resident DJ and guest musicians out in the garden. During summer it’s usually packed with trendy people and a place to have fun where Europeans and locals mix.

Churchill Bar La Mamounia

All the big hotels in Marrakech also have bars. One of the most glamorous in the city is undoubtedly Le Bar Churchill, at La Mamounia Hotel, which has a sumptuous Moorish and art deco interior and a strict dress code. It is named after the hotel’s most famous guest and is the perfect place for an aperitif in jazzy 1930s style.

There few places in the Marrakech Medina for quality Nightlife as bars are not encouraged to be opened there for religious reasons. An exception is next to the Mellah is the Asian-chic Kosybar, Place des Ferblantiers (lamps) which is very popular. Kosybar is a former riad that offers something different on each of its three floors. The small ground-floor bar, decorated with a zebra-skin hide, is a great spot for an evening of drinking and dancing. The second level combines shades of ocher and olive with heavy, dark-wood furniture and the original zellij flooring. On the terrace you’ll be rewarded with a superb view of the medina, the top of the El Badi Palace, and the resident flock of storks who nest and fly by at eye level. The terrace of Kosybar has comfy lounges and is a great place to chill out with a cold beer or a bottle of wine. Kosybar is open daily from noon to midnight.

Kosy Bar Marrakech

Also on place des Ferblantiers is Le Tanjia which has a small and popular ground floor bar. Tucked away in a corner you’ll encounter the in-house band, belting out mainly Moroccan and European music. The restaurant upstairs (one floor indoors plus the roof terrace) offers very good fare, mostly Moroccan, and most nights your meal is accompanied by a belly dancer or two. It’s open from noon to midnight.

The Piano Bar, within the mammoth Hotel les Jardins de la Koutoubia, 26 rue Koutoubia is very low-key and rarely busy in the evening. A convenient place for a quick drink just off the Djemma El Fna.

Le Salama on rue des Banques in the Medina attracts a lively crowd of diners, drinkers and dancers. Housed in a period colonial building, this sumptuous club offers Moroccan lanterns, dark floors, mirrored walls, ornamental woodwork and views of the Atlas Mountains.

The Guéliz, the modern part of town, has a number of bars and restaurants and pavement cafés. The old slightly rough Moroccan men only bars are usually hidden away and have screens in the doorway and are not meant for tourists or Europeans. They only sell heineken or local beer.

The Diamant Noir night club is on the Place de la Liberte mixes western pop and Moroccan hits and has an easy-going party atmosphere and a dance floor.

African Chic hosts live music nightly at rue Oum Errabia, El Hara, Marrakech. It offers two huge bars, a great cocktail menu and an explosive atmosphere.

In Guéliz, the restaurants like the Grand Café de la Poste, Kechmara, and Café du Livre are great places to enjoy a drink. Kechmara has live music sessions with a DJ on Wednesdays,Thursdays and Fridays and Café du Livre is a great place of young Moroccans and expats to meet and a very congenial place for tourists to meet locals.

The compact Le Lounge, next to the Diwane Hotel, 24 rue Yougoslavie is Daniel Guillard and Christian Hofer’s affordable, unpretentious lounge bar that nightly attracts a loyal set of locals as well as a few tourists. The staff members are young and friendly. Drinks are served either in the downstairs lounge or the smoky upstairs mezzanine. The interior is sleek and modern, with black and red throughout. The music is largely dance, house, or funk, and widescreen TVs show the latest music videos. There’s a reasonable menu, including tapas.

The Brasserie at the Renaissance Hotel is one of the few restaurants that is open day and night with tables and seating inside around the bar and outside in a screened off area with big television screen for football matches. On the top floor of the Renaissance Hotel is the terrace bar Le Mirador with superb views of Marrakech at night and the Dahab night club with a DJ Jazz and blues.

One must also not forget the ultimate in live music, the nightly concert on Jemaa el Fna. This is the ultimate in live Moroccan music and traditional Gnaoua.

For More Information on Nightlife in Marrakech

Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration
Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.  We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or + 1 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

24 Hours in Marrakech, Travel Tips On What To See & Where to Eat, Morocco Travel Guide

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

Mosque of Koutoubia & Tomb of Koubba Lalla Zohra, Marrakech

If you’re traveling to Morocco and only have 24 Hours in Marrakech then visiting Marrakech’s lush gardens, spectacular palaces, historical sites, the hippest shops and eating at the hot spots are a must.  In 24 hours you can see the best of Marrakesh knowing exactly what places to visit, sites to see and where to eat. Start your a one-day Marrakech tour around the “red hamra” city bright an early with a visit to the Majorelle Gardens. Next, head to the Koutoubia Mosque and then to the El Bahia Palace. The breathtaking architecture of the El Bahia Palace offers an excellent architecture lesson as it was once home to a harem and has some of the best Moroccan painted ceilings, ceramics and a wonderful garden. Continue your walk through the medina visiting the Kisseria.

Discover colorful baboosh (shoes), caftans (traditional Moroccan clothing), pottery and other local Marrakesh crafts. Learn the art of the bargain. Shop the souks of Marrakech and their vast labyrinth of narrow streets. In the center of the old Marrakesh medina you will see artisans making rugs on looms and hammering away creating iron lanterns. Make sure to stock up on spices, buy silver jewelry and cactus silk scarves.

Shopping Marrakech, Susan Simon

If you’re not quiet sure how to navigate the souks of Marrakech then bring along Susan Simon’s, Shopping in Marrakech which will persuade even the non-shopper to head out for a day in the souks. It’s colorful photographs and insights are not to be missed.

Jewelry Shop, Marrakech

After your saunter through Marrakech’s souks, you will be left with great thirst and a pallet that is ready for an afternoon dining experience in the old city. Wander over to the Djemaa El Fna Square and enjoy a freshly squeezed orange juice at one of the orange juice stands. Haggle for a bit to get the best price for some dates and nuts, a great snack in the square. Then head to the Moussaine for some Berber jewelry and silver shopping and then onto an old narrow street that will take you down back into the Spice Market or back to the center square.

Terraces Des Spices, Marrakech

Dine at one of the local restaurants in the old medina of Marrakesh such as Le Terrasses des Spices or Earth Café where you can dine under the Marrakech sun or in a tiny nook within the old city with delightful food and views.

Now it’s time to head to the new town of Gueliz. Popular during the French Protectorate and now a place that an mélange of foreigners and well do to Moroccans live, Gueliz is a hot spot for some of the more Modern Moroccan shopping choices. Visit Rue de la Libertie or Rue de Mauritanie where you can shop for the most up to date contemporary modern Moroccan goods. Make sure to stop at one of the local cafes in Gueliz for a café nus-nus (half coffee, half milk) or mint tea along with a French pastry.

Some top shops to visit and places to explore:

#1: Kaiki: Hand made artistic gifts ranging from Berber dolls, to hand painted tea glasses and dishes, embroidered goods and jewelry

#2: Intensite Nomade: Trendy caftans

#3: Attika Chaussures – well made women’s and men’s shoes, fashionable, all ages

#4: Scenes de Lin: Hand embroidered Linens

#5: Place Vendome: Beautiful leather goods for men and women, high quality, fashionable

#6: L’Orientaliste: Moroccan pottery, tea glasses, prints, paintings, lanterns and much more

#7: Darkoum: Three levels of African and Indian furnishings, fabrics, carpets, and artifacts. An interior design paradise featuring Moroccan, Indian and Pakistani merchandise.

#8: Jeff de Bruges: The best chocolates in town

#9: Al Jawda: Coffee, tea and pastries

#10: Tin Mel: Antique carpets and furniture

Hammam Ziani, Marrakech

Complete your mini shopping excursion to Gueliz, then head to Hammam Ziani where you can have a traditional Moroccan scrub, a massage with rose or orange oil and a fully body mask for just under $40.00 USA/ 35 Euros.

After a visit at Hammam Ziani, watch the sunset in the old medina for an early evening drink at Café Arabe. Enjoy drinks and appetizers then prepare yourself for a Moroccan feast at Le Marrakech or Le Comptoir Darna where you are guaranteed a great dinner accompanied by belly dancing.

Djemaa El Fna Square, Marrakech

Dine the night away until just before mid night, then head to Djemaa El Fna Square where you can see an old medieval style carnival take place with snake charmers, acrobats and monkeys. Have your fortune told and get your hands hennaed in the old square that is the heartbeat of Marrakesh.

End your 24 hours in Marrakesh with a horse and buggy ride across Rue Mohammed VI late in the night.  Watch the stars and think about when you’ll return for your next Morocco tour adventure.

For more information about a Marrakech Tour

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel ExplorationTravel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or 1 (917)703-2078 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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