From the moment you arrive in Marrakesh, predictability and all sense of direction is lost. Start your day at action-packed Djemaa el-Fna and head north into Marrakesh’s maze of souks, where Berber tribes once traded slaves, gold, ivory and leather. Today, tourists scour people-packed alleys for carpet bargains and babouches. If you look carefully, you’ll also spot a number of creative new boutiques and galleries. They signify the evolving face of the medina as a new generation of craftsmen and artists try to connect the city’s hankering for modernity with its traditional craft heritage.Beyond the souks, the medina is an ideal place to explore private palaces and riad mansions, many of which now provide the city’s most atmospheric accommodation. But it’s worth leaving the old city occasionally for dinner, drinks and art galleries in the ville nouvelle (new town), mountain bike rides in the palmeraie (palm oasis) or horse-riding and weekend retreats in the Agafay Desert or Ourika Valley.As with most cities, the key to Marrakech is a good guide. Some of our favourite excursions include an insider’s vintage sidecar tour through the maze of Marrakech’s Medina, a private cooking class with ingredients straight from the souks, or floating over the Agafay Desert in a Hot Air Ballon at dawn.
Dar Darma is an 18th century mansion rising in the ancient Moqf district, at the very core of the Marrakech Medina and close to famous Jemaa El-Fna square, the city’s beating heart, a few steps away from the Marrakech Museum and the Medersa Ben Youssef Koranic School.
La Sultana Marrakech, an authentic Signature Hotel 5* Deluxe, is a real timeless palace and a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
Dating back to the 18th Century, Riad Kniza is an upscale small luxury Hotel de Charme completely restored by Mr. M. Bouskri
Farnatchi was converted by the current owners father, an award winning British hotelier, who spent two years turning the first three riads into a holiday home for his friends and family.
The Villa des Orangers is an intimate haven of peace located near the bustling souks of Marrakech with 27 rooms and suites arranged on two levels around three verdant open-sky patios with water fountains surrounded by galleries of chiseled plaster and a garden.
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