marrakech

R

robin

Well-known member
i'm thinking of going to marrakech for a short holiday,just wondering if anyone has any advice/recommendations?

i'd be interested in hearing some music while i'm there,and other than that i'll hopefully just spend a lot of time walking around the city,so if there's any areas that are particularly good for strolling around i'd like to hear about them (or anywhere best avoided)

i'll be travelling on my own which i'm a little bit nervous about,never having travelled outside of europe/america before,but i'm sure i'll get used to it fairly quickly.
 
john eden

john eden

male pale and stale
robin said:
i'm thinking of going to marrakech for a short holiday,just wondering if anyone has any advice/recommendations?

i'd be interested in hearing some music while i'm there,and other than that i'll hopefully just spend a lot of time walking around the city,so if there's any areas that are particularly good for strolling around i'd like to hear about them (or anywhere best avoided)

i'll be travelling on my own which i'm a little bit nervous about,never having travelled outside of europe/america before,but i'm sure i'll get used to it fairly quickly.
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I think it's generally pretty safe to wander around if you are a bloke. I did. The old bits are great for just that.

If you are woman then I would strongly recommend covering up as much as possible.
 
Z

zhao

there are no accidents
robin said:
i'm thinking of going to marrakech for a short holiday,just wondering if anyone has any advice/recommendations?

i'd be interested in hearing some music while i'm there,and other than that i'll hopefully just spend a lot of time walking around the city,so if there's any areas that are particularly good for strolling around i'd like to hear about them (or anywhere best avoided)

i'll be travelling on my own which i'm a little bit nervous about,never having travelled outside of europe/america before,but i'm sure i'll get used to it fairly quickly.
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1. do not get into a taxi if they approach you. always find a taxi for yourself
2. all goods/services are worth about 1/10 of the price you are given, or less

i got conned as soon as i arrived at the airport, this young fellow in shirt and tie was greeting passengers and certainly looked professional, but not knowing how much local currency was worth, i paid 80 euros for a 10 euro taxi ride. and later bought a piece of shit flute which broke after 1 week for 20 euros, which should have been 20 cents.

there is a big music festival in Marrekesh which i missed by a week last year. don't remember what it's called though but i imagine that would be amazing to see.

i was also there during ramadan, which means all the bars are closed and restaurants close early... we still managed to find 1 or 2 drinking / after hour eating places though.

it's difficult to distinguish who is bullshitting you and who is for real... you'll just have to decide for yourself.

pretty safe (unlike Tangier), especially in town center. cops really protect the tourists, so much so that locals are not even allowed to walk with or lead you anywhere because cops think they are tricking you.

there are internet cafes everywhere...

what else? can't think of any right now.
 
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P

petergunn

plywood violin
zhao said:
1. do not get into a taxi if they approach you. always find a taxi for yourself
2. all goods/services are worth about 1/10 of the price you are given, or less

i got conned as soon as i arrived at the airport, this young fellow in shirt and tie was greeting passengers and certainly looked professional, but not knowing how much local currency was worth, i paid 80 euros for a 10 euro taxi ride. and later bought a piece of shit flute which broke after 1 week for 20 euros, which should have been 20 cents.

t
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this is pretty true.... 80 euros! ha ha , you got tooken! i mean, i paid like 7 bucks for my hotel room when i was there...

for all goods bought on the street, you must haggle or you are a grade A jackass... even if it seems cheap... you must go thru the "you say high, i say low bit"... also, most of the shit they sell there is shoddy as hell... i bought a pipe, which broke w/n a month, and a ring which turned green within a year or so and broke withn 3 years... however, i still have and love my morrocan dress shirt (bright blue, loose cotten, 3 buttons at neck) and the handmade belts i got for a buck or so each... you can't offer what you want to pay, you have to offer a few bucks less, so you can come to the "compromise" together... can get exhausting...
 
R

robin

Well-known member
cheers for the advice all,really starting to look forward to it. i'm useless at haggling but i suppose i'll get the hang of it!

is my best bet for seeing live music djem el fnaa? there's a few clubs listed in my guidebook but it sounds like they all play eurodance and stuff so i wouldn't be bothered with that,i would like to see some moroccan music if possible. i've liked what i've heard of regadda,but i can't even figure out if thats from morocco or just north africa. i'm sure more traditional moroccan music would be great too..
 
Z

zhao

there are no accidents
robin said:
would like to see some moroccan music if possible.
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Gnaoua and World Music Festival
June
Free public concerts feature international acts and Morocco's best Gnaoua music, the funky, hypnotic tunes that celebrate freedom from slavery.
Essaouira
Website: www.festival-gnaoua.co.ma

Essaouira Gnawa and World Music Festival is a celebration of the mysterious music of the Gnawas, the product of a mystic tradition with branches as widespread as Haitian voodoo and Brazilian Candomblé. A picturesque port painted in blue and white, Essaouira is the ideal resort that most travelers dream of when they think of North Africa: laid-back and yet vibrant, atmospheric and relaxing.
The town's status as an independent travelers' favorite makes it the perfect venue for a festival devoted to the feats of the Gnawas, best known for their tasseled hats, which spin wildly as the musicians rock, entranced by their own music. Artists appearing include the best musicians of the genre as well as performers from around the world.

Originating through a cross-pollination of African magic and Islamic rituals, the Gnawa brotherhoods form a structured unit around a Master, who leads music and dancing until the participants are in a state of trance. The mesmerizing rhythms of the drums, the guenbri (a form of lute) and the hand-held garagab (metal castanets) lead performers into a trance-like state - during religious ceremonies, Gnawas have even been known to impale themselves on swords or beat their heads with iron balls without sustaining any visible external injuries.

Faint-hearted visitors will be pleased to know that the Essaouira Festival does not feature such extreme performances: the program focuses on the purely musical elements of Gnawa tradition and their influence on African-inspired music.
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Fez Sacred Music Festival
June / Fez
www.fesfestival.com

Artists from around the world flock to Morocco's spiritual capital during the annual Fez Sacred Music Festival. The event features performances in a variety of styles, ranging from local Sufi chants to haunting gypsy songs from Spain - a romantic setting for a fine selection of devotional music.
The spread of the gypsy-inspired style is such that musicians from France to Rajasthan can find common ground - and they certainly do over the course of this event, with double bills and collaborative performances forming the majority of the program.

To satisfy even the most demanding customer, organizers add annual spectaculars to each year's program. This has included Whirling Dervishes from Iran. There are also concerts on the Bab Boujloud Square, children's educational activities and the famous Sufi nights at Dar Tazi......and much more.
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Marrakech Popular Arts Festival
July
Berber music, folk dance and street performers pour into Marrakech from around the country to entertain the masses for free.
Marrakech
Website: www.maghrebarts.ma


more special events on this page, like the Rose Festival or the Camel Festival or the Morroccan Film Fest...
 
Z

zhao

there are no accidents
petergunn said:
this is pretty true.... 80 euros! ha ha , you got tooken! i mean, i paid like 7 bucks for my hotel room when i was there...
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i sho did. pretty stupid/thoughtless about money in general, mix that with a natural tendency to trust and think the best of people... not good qualities in a poor country!
 
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