Honeymoon In Marrakech

Paul and Jasmine are two newlyweds who spent their honeymoon in Marrakech and decided to share with us the interesting and romantic story of their holiday – I think you will agree with me when I say that a vacation in a place as exotic and mysterious as Morocco is a tempting destination for honeymooners.
Here’s what Paul told us about the experience he and his wife had in Marrakech:

“I chose Marrakech primarily to impress my wife. I knew that she was fascinated by the Arab world and the stories with sultans, odalisques and hidden treasures, so I was sure she would enjoy my surprise. And I was right: once in Marrakech we felt like we stepped into another world.
Anyway, I should say that the first impression was not very pleasant: with all the heat, the scorching sun and the crowds at the airport we became a bit skeptical of our vacation. Eventually, after we settled in our cozy hotel room, we relaxed and decided to have more patience before drawing conclusions about the choice we made.

First day

The guide that led us through Marrakech during the first day told us that Morocco has a history of over 8,000 years, and there are many archaeological sites where one can see artifacts that dates back to founders of Morocco – the Berbers. We also learned that in seventh century the country was conquered by the Arabs and the population was converted to Islam.
Marrakech – the cultural capital of the country, located in the mid-western part of Morocco – is a city where temperatures are high throughout the year and the rains are a rare phenomenon.

In order to get accustomed with the temperature we have chosen a short visit to Jemaa El Fna market – a major tourist attraction of the city – for our first day in Marrakech. The market was built in 1068 and during the first years it was a place where burglars, robbers and other criminals were punished and killed and then exposed to the crowd.
Nowadays the market is a joyful place where vendors gather to sell fruits and vegetables and where you can find plenty of food stalls that open at night (here you can taste the traditional dishes or have a cup of mint tea – very popular with locals). Also, tourists can watch various artistic representations and animal training.

Sightseeing In Marrakech

During the following days we discovered other interesting places that definitely worth a visit.
Menebhi Palace Museum houses an impressive collection of archaeological objects and historical documents important for Moroccan civilization, as well as art objects, old carpets and jewelry that belonged to the Berbers.
Of the mosques that we visited, Koutoubia was by far the most impressive – perhaps because of its nearly 70 meters high minaret, visible from every corner of the city. Koutoubia Mosque has long corridors and arcades, and the orange and olive trees garden surrounding it is the perfect place for relaxation.

Bahia Palace is another masterpiece of the city of Marakkech. The impressive old palace offers visitors the opportunity to admire the decorations and objects of art it houses.
We spent our last night of our holiday in Marrakech under the moonlight, on a downtown terrace, where we tasted some delicious dishes (we especially enjoyed – and would definitely recommend! – tajine, couscous and pastilla) and listened to traditional Moroccan music.”