Secrets of Morocco

Secrets of Morocco

My trip to Marrakech is just around the corner! I can’t wait to feast my eyes upon Morocco’s amazing sights and sounds, not to mention ALL those handicrafts and boho pieces. But first I need to get there! 
My Wardrobe is packed and ready for my sourcing adventure. 
I arrive in Marrakech, the ‘Red City’ to my very own driver. I know, how very elite. But it is a great idea to organise airport transfers prior to arriving. If you find yourself in the airport without a lift, make sure you jump in a taxi and agree upon the fare BEFORE you
 
On my ‘Marrakech to-do’ list is the Majorelle Garden (Jardin Majorelle). Designed by Jacques Majorelle and saved by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé  from becoming a hotel complex. It houses many tropical plants, traditional architecture and a Berber Museum. It truly is a desert oasis, its fountains and streams shaded by palms and surrounded by vibrant mosaics, help keep the temperature down and provide a relaxing break from all that walking through the city.
 Ali Ben Youssef Medersa
Marrakech is home to seemingly countless mosques dotted throughout the city. Unfortunately, the mosques are closed to non-Muslims. But if you want to experience some of the Muslim culture, visit the Ali Ben Youssef Medersa. A 14th century Islamic school with elaborate stucco and the easily identifiable zellij or mosaic. #ihavethisthingwithzelji
Next stop, and the purpose of my journey, will be the souks  and the Atlas Mountains! The souks of Marrakech are divided by their wares. The carpet souk houses beautiful vintage Berber rugs, Arab designed floor coverings and unique pieces woven by artisans from around Morocco. The metal working souk showcases Berber handicrafts from the Atlas Mountains like jewellery and side tables, but the crowning jewel of this souk is the lanterns. They range from simple tin lamps banged together right there, to more elaborate pieces that take days to make. Perhaps one of the more photographed souks, is the spice souk. Traders pile up their fragment wares in huge mounds that look stunning and smell divine.
After exploring Marrakech, I am heading a little off the beaten track, out to the Sahara Desert. Morocco borders the Sahara and offers a taste of the desert with camel rides and a night under the stars. I have been fortunate enough to find Scarebo Camp. Their ‘ Stone Desert Camp’ is next level glamping. In addition to staying in their beautiful, Berber inspired tents, they offer some relaxation after the hustle and bustle of Marrakech. Stargazing with an astronomy professor, yoga in the Sahara and massages. If after all of that you need to get going again, Scarebo Camp offer camel or donkey safaris, quad or bike trips and treks on foot to explore the picture-perfect dunes of the Sahara.
              
                                                                                                                                
After my glamping experience, I am heading back to the city of Chefaouen. Chefaouen or the ‘Blue City’. Rumoured to be painted blue to help ward off mosquitos, the town experiences an annual onslaught of Europeans to this Spanish enclave. Chefaouen has over 200 hotels to cater for summer tourists who flock here for the shopping. The ‘Blue City’ offers handicrafts unique to northwest Morocco, wool garments, woven blankets and goat cheese, that apparently tourists can’t get enough of.
(images courtesy of Unsplash) 
The countdown is on until I take-off on my next adventure, that has made me realise just how amazing this crazy ride is that is the Moroccan Bungalow.


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