This post is enormous because I have so many photos from this trip that I want to share. So grab an extra large beverage and prepare yourself for a kaleidoscopic visual assault!
As much as I adore Marrakech (this recent trip was my third in two years!) it can be a very intimating and intense place. People yelling at you, motorbikes whizzing past you in narrow alleyways, donkeys pulling carts that look way too heavy for them, old men pushing enormous trailers full of everything imaginable… and all in 40°C+ heat! It’s chaotic and buzzing all day and all night which is why having a calm oasis to retreat back to at the end of a long day isn’t just advisable, it’s a necessity!
In August, my friends and I were invited over by the Dar Jaguar riad, owned by British-born designer Lucia Silver, to experience their hen weekend package. She not only offered us a fabulous place to stay, but put on an incredible itinerary to keep us entertained and inspired throughout our trip. When you visit a place more than once it’s very easy to end up doing the exact same things the second (or in my case, third!) time around so it was awesome to be presented with some different options.
Here’s a quick overview of what we got up to courtesy of the amazing Costa Sisters!
Before I get into telling you about everything we did, lets just take a moment to appreciate the beauty of Dar Jaguar itself. Lucia is a design obsessive and the riad is decorated in her own imitable and eclectic style. Leopard print wallpaper, four poster beds, golden bathtubs, deep black walls, a bubbling fountain full of rose petals, and a private plunge pool in the middle of the courtyard…! It really is like something out of your most vivid dreams!
We had a couple of days worth of activities planned out which doesn’t sound like a long time but we were able to achieve a lot in that time – including plenty of shopping of course. Marrakech is my favourite place to lose all my money!
After a hearty breakfast on the riad’s rooftop, our first day kicked off with a guided tour of the souk where we ogled over rainbow rugs, rose gold pots and incredible turquoise jewellery. Even though I’d visited twice before it is still extremely easy to get lost in the winding maze of the medina so having a guide with us was invaluable while we figured out our bearings.
Getting excited about embroidered baskets and rainbow pom poms!
Looking at amazing local jewellery with expert Sarah Corbett. She told us all about jewellery specifically related to female symbolism in Moroccan history which was super cool!
We also visited Le Jardin Secret, a beautiful garden which has only recently opened in the centre of the medina…
…Before heading out to the Palmeraie for something we were all super excited about – camel riding! It was hilarious trying to get all those camels in a line to get a decent photo but so much fun! No trip to Marrekech is complete without a camel ride. On longer visits you can even arrange to do them out in the actual desert, which is a few hours drive from the city.
Our first day ended with dinner in the main square, at an authentic food market. I’ll be honest, Place Jemaa El Fna Square isn’t my favourite part of Marrakech – people shout at you, it’s very busy, there are monkeys on chains and people trying to give you bad henna – but the food was fantastic and very inexpensive. I was grateful to have Dar Jaguar to head back to at the end of the night though. Lucia even treated us all to hour long full body massages before bed. Wow!
On day two we were taken out of the city by Dar Jaguar’s private guide, Abdel, on a drive to Ourika. We passed the Berber hamlets built of baked clay and stone and stopped at Aitma Sens in Asguine, a women’s Argan Oil charity.
We met some of the women who work there, most of them have been given refuge and work after coming from difficult backgrounds. We were given a tour of the facility (and even allowed who help them grind up some of the nuts) and all left with lashing of oil to take home with us.
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