Hi guys. This is going to be a long long write up and it's just gona be a very informative write up on my recent trip to Marrakech in Morocco. This will be helpful for those of you who are looking to visit Marrakech for a honeymoon or just a little getaway but whichever it is I would like to help you make your choices clearer and then it's for you to decide whether Marrakech is somewhere you would like to visit.
I started falling in love with the whole moroccan theme and so on when I saw this bag from Marrakech that a friend of mine was wearing (Jaya) who goes to Marrakech quite often for little getaways and then when I discovered these lanterns that I used for my Mendhi and had a Moroccan theme. So I was obsessed with the Moroccan style everything and I made it my next to go places.
To begin with I went on the 25th Nov, 2013 and came back on the 2nd Dec, 2013. Im going to write up a whole review on everything I did and experienced whilst I was there so look below and there will be titles so go ahead and check out all of them or the ones your most interested in.
Weather
The weather was not bad. In the morning it is around 15 degrees celsius around 9am- 12pm and then from 1-4pm it is the warmest going to around 21 degrees celsius and then from 4pm onwards it starts getting really chilly and yes you have to wear warmer clothing's to keep yourself cosy.
I started falling in love with the whole moroccan theme and so on when I saw this bag from Marrakech that a friend of mine was wearing (Jaya) who goes to Marrakech quite often for little getaways and then when I discovered these lanterns that I used for my Mendhi and had a Moroccan theme. So I was obsessed with the Moroccan style everything and I made it my next to go places.
To begin with I went on the 25th Nov, 2013 and came back on the 2nd Dec, 2013. Im going to write up a whole review on everything I did and experienced whilst I was there so look below and there will be titles so go ahead and check out all of them or the ones your most interested in.
Weather
The weather was not bad. In the morning it is around 15 degrees celsius around 9am- 12pm and then from 1-4pm it is the warmest going to around 21 degrees celsius and then from 4pm onwards it starts getting really chilly and yes you have to wear warmer clothing's to keep yourself cosy.
Clubhotel Riu Tikida Palmeraie
Accommodation
I stayed in the Clubhotel RIU Palmerie. The hotel is a 4* hotel. There are a few things to do in the hotel.
SPA- There is a spa which I made use of and went into the steam room with clay body mask on and then a full body massage after that which cost 299 dirhams so its £23 in UK money which I believe is good value for money. It was a relaxing massage and nice to have as the last thing of the day and the message moisturises you so you feel all fresh. I would definitely recommend spa.
SWIMMING POOL - They have an outdoor swimming pool and indoor swimming pool. The outdoor swimming pool is huge but it is really cold at this time of the year and I would never think of even jumping in there unless I had a wish to get ill. Around the outdoor swimming pool they have those chairs or benches (whatever you call them) to lie on and sun bathe. They also have these mattress type things with cushions that you can sit on with your family or whoever is with you and it feels a little more like your own personal corner. The indoor swimming pool is nice and warm but slightly small. It's not too small so it was ok. Never the less it is big enough for a good old swim. Going swimming was my gym workout that I was missing out on.
SPORT/GAMES - There was table tennis outside near the poolside and snooker indoor near the reception. There was also gym which is very small. They have very few equipment's to use, literally like 10 equipment's and weights. I did not use any of those.
ENTERTAINMENT NIGHT - There is always entertainment from 9-11pm where they do different things each night which is good but majority of the times I could not understand what they were saying because they would often speak in french and carry in the accent when speaking in english so i struggled to understand what they were saying.
SHOP - They have a small shop with little snacks and souvenirs to buy. I really liked the shop because it's very handy to buy emergency things and it's just nice to walk around in there because it is inside the hotel so it's effortless.
I stayed in the Clubhotel RIU Palmerie. The hotel is a 4* hotel. There are a few things to do in the hotel.
SPA- There is a spa which I made use of and went into the steam room with clay body mask on and then a full body massage after that which cost 299 dirhams so its £23 in UK money which I believe is good value for money. It was a relaxing massage and nice to have as the last thing of the day and the message moisturises you so you feel all fresh. I would definitely recommend spa.
SWIMMING POOL - They have an outdoor swimming pool and indoor swimming pool. The outdoor swimming pool is huge but it is really cold at this time of the year and I would never think of even jumping in there unless I had a wish to get ill. Around the outdoor swimming pool they have those chairs or benches (whatever you call them) to lie on and sun bathe. They also have these mattress type things with cushions that you can sit on with your family or whoever is with you and it feels a little more like your own personal corner. The indoor swimming pool is nice and warm but slightly small. It's not too small so it was ok. Never the less it is big enough for a good old swim. Going swimming was my gym workout that I was missing out on.
SPORT/GAMES - There was table tennis outside near the poolside and snooker indoor near the reception. There was also gym which is very small. They have very few equipment's to use, literally like 10 equipment's and weights. I did not use any of those.
ENTERTAINMENT NIGHT - There is always entertainment from 9-11pm where they do different things each night which is good but majority of the times I could not understand what they were saying because they would often speak in french and carry in the accent when speaking in english so i struggled to understand what they were saying.
SHOP - They have a small shop with little snacks and souvenirs to buy. I really liked the shop because it's very handy to buy emergency things and it's just nice to walk around in there because it is inside the hotel so it's effortless.
Bedroom
The bedroom was lovely with a balcony on every room on the top floor or a small garden on the bottom floor rooms. There is air conditioning as well as heater in the room. There is a small fridge so you might want to get some drinks from shops and drink them in your room if you don't feel like getting out. In my room there was separate toilet and bath tub/shower which is always a good thing. Everything in the toilet and bathroom is all good and well but the hair dryer in there is useless and very little hot air. Its best not to use it because I assure you that you will be standing in the bathroom for a good couple of hours just trying to dry your hair so it's best to get your own dryer. The hair dryer didn't bother me because I usually let my hair dry naturally otherwise eventually the heat will dry my hair out and break it it off as well. The sockets are 2 pin sockets in the bedroom and for some reason I thought they would have the 3 pin socket somewhere hiding in the room but they didn't. I then bought an adapter from the shop they have in the lobby area hence why it is a good emergency shop.
The bedroom was lovely with a balcony on every room on the top floor or a small garden on the bottom floor rooms. There is air conditioning as well as heater in the room. There is a small fridge so you might want to get some drinks from shops and drink them in your room if you don't feel like getting out. In my room there was separate toilet and bath tub/shower which is always a good thing. Everything in the toilet and bathroom is all good and well but the hair dryer in there is useless and very little hot air. Its best not to use it because I assure you that you will be standing in the bathroom for a good couple of hours just trying to dry your hair so it's best to get your own dryer. The hair dryer didn't bother me because I usually let my hair dry naturally otherwise eventually the heat will dry my hair out and break it it off as well. The sockets are 2 pin sockets in the bedroom and for some reason I thought they would have the 3 pin socket somewhere hiding in the room but they didn't. I then bought an adapter from the shop they have in the lobby area hence why it is a good emergency shop.
Wifi
Now this is the worst part I have to mention of the accommodation. The world is turning to electrical which means everything is online, which then means you need internet. I expected internet to be in some parts of the hotel but instead it was located only in the indoor bar/internet cafe which was awful because in the morning at times it would be slow and then other days it was ok but then every evening it was too slow that there was no point using it. Damn I regretted not setting something up with o2 before I left to Morocco. So for those internet lovers, organise some data with your provider before you set off.
Now this is the worst part I have to mention of the accommodation. The world is turning to electrical which means everything is online, which then means you need internet. I expected internet to be in some parts of the hotel but instead it was located only in the indoor bar/internet cafe which was awful because in the morning at times it would be slow and then other days it was ok but then every evening it was too slow that there was no point using it. Damn I regretted not setting something up with o2 before I left to Morocco. So for those internet lovers, organise some data with your provider before you set off.
Food within the hotel..
Food
In that hotel it is always all inclusive so the alcohol, soft drinks, hot drinks are included and they are available all day long till 12am.
POOLSIDE BAR - This bar is open from 10.30-6pm and it serves all drinks from cold to hot so I used to often come out and sit by the pool and get myself a cold or hot drink, whatever I felt at the time.
POOLSIDE RESTAURANT - This restaurant serves continental breakfast from 10.30-12pm and also serves lunch from 1-3pm. Theres is also snacks available from 3-7pm. You can either sit outside or indoor at this restaurant.
MOROCCAN RESTAURANT - I never went to this restaurant but I believe it is open from 7.15-8.30pm. I'm sure it does traditional moroccan food judging by the name of it. You sit inside in this restaurant.
MAIN RESTAURANT - The main restaurant is huge and it serves breakfast from 7.30-10.30am and also serves dinner from 7-10pm. You sit inside in this restaurant.
INDOOR BAR - This bar opens from 9am-12am so open almost all day long and again it serves all drinks and it is the only place where there is good wifi available but even that sometimes isn't the case.
Just to give you an overall on the food within the hotel, they hold a buffet for every serving and they also have a variety. Now something like this is good for someone like my husband who is not fussy with his food but unfortunately i'm a really bad eater and ever so fussy. I hate trying new food.. It's almost like like my worst fear but reality is there is absolutely nothing wrong with it and the day that drills into my head will be the happiest day for my husband. There is themed food like moroccan nights and so on. There is always italian food like pasta and pizza. There is always chips and the best part is there is always the beautiful colour salads. Another good thing I have to point out.. I like spicy food and they cook chicken breast pieces and so on in front of you so what me and husband did is grab some spices from the spice and sauce area and ask them to add the spices and they do it happily. I saw that they are all so friendly in the dining areas and are willing to help, even the chefs are willing to cook to your choice which is fab. I have to say we was very well looked after in the dining areas and the waiters were just fab so me was very happy.
There is alot of Moroccan restaurants that sell the traditional foods and I only visited one of them. They sell kebabs and so on though so that was good. At least I didn't feel like a complete stranger.
In that hotel it is always all inclusive so the alcohol, soft drinks, hot drinks are included and they are available all day long till 12am.
POOLSIDE BAR - This bar is open from 10.30-6pm and it serves all drinks from cold to hot so I used to often come out and sit by the pool and get myself a cold or hot drink, whatever I felt at the time.
POOLSIDE RESTAURANT - This restaurant serves continental breakfast from 10.30-12pm and also serves lunch from 1-3pm. Theres is also snacks available from 3-7pm. You can either sit outside or indoor at this restaurant.
MOROCCAN RESTAURANT - I never went to this restaurant but I believe it is open from 7.15-8.30pm. I'm sure it does traditional moroccan food judging by the name of it. You sit inside in this restaurant.
MAIN RESTAURANT - The main restaurant is huge and it serves breakfast from 7.30-10.30am and also serves dinner from 7-10pm. You sit inside in this restaurant.
INDOOR BAR - This bar opens from 9am-12am so open almost all day long and again it serves all drinks and it is the only place where there is good wifi available but even that sometimes isn't the case.
Just to give you an overall on the food within the hotel, they hold a buffet for every serving and they also have a variety. Now something like this is good for someone like my husband who is not fussy with his food but unfortunately i'm a really bad eater and ever so fussy. I hate trying new food.. It's almost like like my worst fear but reality is there is absolutely nothing wrong with it and the day that drills into my head will be the happiest day for my husband. There is themed food like moroccan nights and so on. There is always italian food like pasta and pizza. There is always chips and the best part is there is always the beautiful colour salads. Another good thing I have to point out.. I like spicy food and they cook chicken breast pieces and so on in front of you so what me and husband did is grab some spices from the spice and sauce area and ask them to add the spices and they do it happily. I saw that they are all so friendly in the dining areas and are willing to help, even the chefs are willing to cook to your choice which is fab. I have to say we was very well looked after in the dining areas and the waiters were just fab so me was very happy.
There is alot of Moroccan restaurants that sell the traditional foods and I only visited one of them. They sell kebabs and so on though so that was good. At least I didn't feel like a complete stranger.
Overall the accommodation is 100% recommendable. There are little things like wifi which could make a huge difference but never the less the whole atmosphere at this hotel is so peaceful when you want it to be and it could also be a night out feeling when you want it to be. It all up to you! This hotel is made for everybody so good for families, friends and couples. I enjoyed my time there and if I could I would definitely go back there.
Things to do/Places to visit
There is so many things to do in Marrakech but I will only mention the things that I did because I then can talk about it with an honest opinion. Me &my husband ended up doing a lot of things because we love activities.
1. Spa - You will find spa facilities most probably within your hotel or you can go to another hotel just for the spa facility but for me this was a must because I know I will most probably never do it in the UK because you want good weather and everything else to go with it. For me it was ever so relaxing just having a massage and a body wrap before it. It's a whole hour of not thinking about anything in the world.. Imagine that!
1. Spa - You will find spa facilities most probably within your hotel or you can go to another hotel just for the spa facility but for me this was a must because I know I will most probably never do it in the UK because you want good weather and everything else to go with it. For me it was ever so relaxing just having a massage and a body wrap before it. It's a whole hour of not thinking about anything in the world.. Imagine that!
Jamaa Al -Fna (Souks)
2. Jamaa al-Fna - This was the souks (market) place so you will find many shops and eating places. It's a huge souk thats never ending.
Katoubia Mosque
3. Katoubia mosque - This mosque is the biggest mosque in Morocco and so beautiful too. I couldn't take good enough pictures of the mosque because the sun would always be there. The mosque is located at the square (Jamaa al-Fna)
Horse & Carriage
4. Horse and carriage - The horse and carriage ride is just a ride along the city of Marrakech. The horse stank so bad. I did enjoy the ride but it was like being in Bangladesh because of the traffic and people would drive like anyhow. The horse and carriage is located at the square (Jamaa al-Fna)
Camel ride
5. Camel ride - The camel ride ended up hurting my back side (if you know what I mean) by the end of it but it was a nice calm ride. The most fun part of it is when the camel stands up and sits back down.. Now that feels like a real ride but you have to hold tight so you don't fall off the camel but other than that it's a clam ride. The ride isn't anything to feel rushed about and the path they take you through is through the desert.
Quad biking
6. Quad biking - Now this was my FAV ride! I decided to have a quad of my own and my husband had one and hey I ended up being the only girl driving a quad. This ride lasted for 2 hours and I loved every bit of it. I would 101% recommend this ride to anyone who is old enough to handle the ride. You stop twice, once for photos as they stop at a lovely scenery and then the second stop is to drink moroccan tea or buy your own soft drink. It was so fun riding through up and down hills in the desert. You get very dirty throughout the ride but who cares.. Your on vacation :-)
Jet ski
7. Jet ski - Aahhhh this is another one that was my second best activity although I would only recommend this when it's really hot in Marrakech because it gets really cold where the Jet ski takes place and the water is mega cold. It was a 30 minute ride and so my husband drove for 15 mins and then swapped so I drove for 15 mins. I felt like a little kid but I loved going fast along the water. Now that gave me a rush. I thought I was gona get all wet but I didn't so that was all good. As you go fast along the water you feel the breeze hence why it would have been nice if I went at a hotter time but still it was so much fun.
The making of Argan Oil
This was just a shop we went to where they sell 100% argan oil which isn't mixed with other oils. We went into the back area where they make the argan oils and so there were ladies there making it in different processes. It was so much joining them.
Atlas Mountain
8. Atlas Mountain climbing - This walk up the mountain is very tiring at first but we loved it. Of course you need to wear comfortable shoes and clothing for the walk up and down. We went up the mountain to see 2 waterfalls, a small one first and then a little more walk up there was the big waterfall. At that part of Morocco it was almost like we have come to a whole different place. The scenery was amazing. We drove through these totally mad roads that is narrow going higher to the mountains. As we was driving we passed through villages and I couldn't believe people actually lived in these mountains. It was scary looking at it all but there you go, thats their living.
All in all I loved loved loved Morocco. There is so much to do and it was a lovely holiday. I am so sorry for the long long long review on everything I had done. It is the longest write up I have done so far on my blog but Morocco is a very popular place so for those of you who would like to go then I guess it's a little guide for you guys.
See you all soon
xx