NORTH AFRICA MARRAKECH ADD-ONS DESTINATIONS M
arrakech is pure magic – if a bit manic – and it’s one of
the most compelling reasons to visit Morocco. Holidaymakers are instantly drawn to the medina, a dizzying maze of souks making and selling traditional goods. In the heart of all this colour is Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech’s main square and non-stop carnival – particularly at night when the food stalls add their barbecue smoke to the heady atmosphere. Outside the medina,
Marrakech’s Ville Nouvelle has more of a French look with wide boulevards and Western shops.
It also contains one of the city’s highlights, Jardin Majorelle, Yves Saint Laurent’s luxuriant gardens set among cobalt blue pavilions. Head a few miles north to
reach La Palmeraie, an ancient palm grove that’s since become home to chic hotels, a golf course and an outpost of the trendy club Nikki Beach. Visitors have a wide choice of flights to Marrakech, which makes it easy to visit even during the quieter winter months (see Getting to Marrakech, page 66). As the city’s popularity shows no sign of slowing down, the idea
of combining a second or even a third destination is a highly attractive one and gives clients a chance to discover some of Morocco’s many sides.
w ESSAOUIRA The easy-going resort of Essaouira has always been a coastal haven from the madness of Marrakech, and even more so since the 1960s when it became part of the hippie trail. Eighteenth-century, Unesco- listed ramparts curve round the whitewashed and blue-shuttered medina, where the pace of life in
the souks is agreeably mellow. Clients can explore the souks for spices, jewellery, ceramics, souvenirs and handicrafts without the hassle they would expect in Marrakech. Start in the main square, Place
Moulay Hassan, where cafes and patisseries take up the northern side. For a true taste of Essaouira, clients should head to the southern side of the square where the open-air fish stalls, grillades, line up under blue and white awnings. They simply choose their freshly caught fish and wait for it to be grilled
Kasbah Tamadot 17 November 2016
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