🇲🇦 🇲🇦 🇲🇦
The original plan to visit Morocco was to primarily climb mount Tobukal. Since I was planning to climb Mt. Kilmanjero at the begining of 2024, it seemed a logical choice to do some practice at ~4000M relatively quickly. However the earthquake at Morocco created severe damage to refuges up in mountain and it seemed impossible to do the Tobukal. My orginal tour company cancelled it and then I tried with some alternatives but they got cancelled too. Finally I booked with a local operator but even that could not operate at the last moment which meant suddenly I had additional days in Marrakesh which I had to fill.
Day 0
My flight from Luton airport was at 2.30 in the afternoon. Travelling to Luton from Hemel Hempstead by public transport is time consuming and painful. Nevertheless the flight was on time and I had cab pre-booked from airport. I was staying in a Riad. Riad’s are traditional Moroccoan house with indoor garden and courtyard . There are all sorts from luxary 5 star to fairly cheap with basic amentites. I was staying at Riad Jomana which was located in the old city and fairly basic.
Day 1
Originally this was supposed to be the day for Tobukal but my tour was calcelled and I could not extend my stay the previous Riad so I had to book additional few days in another Riad. This one is slightly expensive but lot nicer. In the morning I spent the day walking in the labyrinth of the old medina . Walking aimlessly among those busy streets has it’s own charm , latter I moved to the new Riad and in the afternoon left for a Quad Bike Tour to Palm Oasis and Jbilat Desert. I was picked up by the driver driver from a designated meeting point. It was a 20-25 minute tourist minibus ride to the quad activity area. Then I embarked on an exciting quad bike tour. We explored Marrakech palm oasis and desert . There was a break for tea and I arrived back at the hotel after dusk.
Day 2
This is another gap day I had to fill because of iteanary change. I went for a full day trip to Ouzoud waterfalls. I was picked up from near my riad. This waterfall located anout 93 mile north of Marrakesh. Once I arrived the village of Ouzoud we could views of the cascades that plunge 360 feet (110 meters) into the pool below. We had a local guide with whom we visited olive groves and then to an argan oil co-operative . We then continued down a network of trails to a viewpoint whrere vendors were selling fresh juices. All over Marakesh pomogranet juice is very cheap and availble everywhere. Sugarcane juice reminds me of famous ‘Ganne ka juice’ from Mumbai. Then we descended down to the river and then enjoyed a boat ride which took us close the fall . Finally on the other side we had an amazing lunch with a great view of waterfall. There were lot of wild monkeys on the route. Local people told many times not to get close to them or feed them, one german girl tried to feed the a monkey and it shitted on her. Luckily one good samaritan had a spare set of cloths. It was an amazing day and also quite informative about Barber culture.
Later in the mid-afternoon, we climb a series of stairs out of the valley for your transfer back to Marrakech.
Day 3
I dedicated this day to Marakesh fully. It was nice to walk through Medina and enjoy the sight and narrow allyways of Medina , selling various items , handcraft or to test street food. Old city is easy to cover by foot. I also tried to visit Bahia Palace, Jardin Majorelle, and Saadian Tombs. The palace was closed after earthquake so I could see only from outside. A day in Marrakesh wont be complete without testing Morocco street food. It includes staples like Swarna, Sardines, Harira to something bit excusite like babbouche (snail soup).
Day 4
I booked a day trip to the charming coastal city of Essaouira. I had some free time to explore . We saw bustling port of Essaouira, strolled through the lively medina of the city, and wander through the vibrant markets. There was also a seafood market . There are also eataries where one can order freshly caught fish on that day. We also visited a cooperative who produces Argan oil. There were bronze canons facing Atlantic Ocean . In the medina colorful markets were full of ceder woodworking shops, full of craftsmen, weavers, jewelers.
Day 5
This is my last morning in Marakesh. I left for Sahara as my next destinations
