If I haven’t already raved ENOUGH about my Morocco trip, here’s my Morocco Trip: Part 2 itinerary! Click here for full details and pictures on the first half of my trip! I genuinely miss Morocco more and more as each day passes, but I KNOW I will be making an appearance back there one day! I just want you guys to understand how breathtaking this place was. I hope I’ve inspired you to pack a bag and book a flight to the beautiful country! Keep reading for my details of my journey!
Thursday Sunrise in the Sahara
After a beautiful night of sleeping under the stars, we woke up at 5 am for a sunrise camel ride to the top of one of the biggest dunes in our camp area. The camels stopped right before the dune, and we had to climb up on our own to get to the top. (Not as easy as it looks. We slipped several times lol). It was so worth it when we got to the top because all we could see was the desert for miles and miles ahead of us. We sat up there for 10-15 minutes and watched the sunrise. It was beyond words. I could actually see myself doing this for days on end… unfortunately we were leaving very shortly after 🙁 When the sun was fully up and shining, it was time for us to take the camels back to our camp. We stayed for a very early breakfast and then hit the road for our 10 hour journey back to Marrakech.
We arrived back at the Sofitel that we previously stayed at on Tuesday night. On Tuesday, our rooms were on the opposite side of the hotel, which was “older” than the rest. When we checked in after the desert, we were upgraded to the renovated and more “modern” side of the hotel, which had a balcony and a view overlooking the whole backside of the resort. It felt like complete paradise 🙂 For dinner, we went to Les Jardins De Bala, which is another Indian restaurant in the area. Since we were starving from the desert, we wanted some comfort food. The restaurant had delicious food and was located on a terrace at a local hotel. There were fresh flowers everywhere and torches, so it was perfect for outdoor seating!
Friday Roaming the Souks of Marrakech
Friday was a big day in Marrakech. After having the most incredible breakfast at the Sofitel, we decided to venture out into the city. Our hotel offered a tour of some of the best landmarks, which were already on our list, so we decided to go with that. If your hotel offers a tour, I think it’s the best option because the souks can get very confusing, so it’s best to go with someone who knows their way around.
The souks were beautiful, but I envisioned them to be the way they looked in Sex and the City 2 (because it was actually shot in Marrakech, not Abu Dhabi). I wasn’t disappointed though… I just expected it to be more traditional and reserved, but Marrakech is such a tourist city now that it’s more laid back than I thought it would be. We went to tons of shops with little trinkets and most importantly, a huge area that was dedicated to hundreds of different spices. I bought harissa powder, curry powder, and edible roses! I also bought a pretty kaftan from one of the little shops that we passed by. Always be sure to bargain because they will DEFINITELY bring down their prices.
The second stop was the YSL Memorial, also known as Jardin Majorelle. There was a historical aspect to this garden that I really loved. This garden was purchased by Yves Saint Laurent in the 1980’s because it was going to be torn down into a hotel, but he loved it so much that he ended up buying the garden and living in the villa that was adjacent to it. When he passed away in 2008, they scattered his ashes in the rose garden, and built a memorial which is now a blocked off part for visitors to see. This garden is so beautiful and has the most unique plants. It’ also a very great spot for photos because they have pretty blue walls with yellow accents! Any YSL lover would be so happy to go here!
After the YSL Memorial, we went to Palais Bahia, which is a tourist hot spot. It was intended on being one of the biggest palaces at the time. The main attraction is that there are different rooms where you can go and see beautiful underground tombs of where different people of the palace were buried. There is a bit of a history lesson in this visit so if you are into that, this is a MUST see!
Like I mentioned before, food was very hard for us. We ended up going to a random little café, Extrablatt, down the street from us for dinner, which ended up being my favorite meal in Morocco… This café is really good and has a lot of options, so if you need a break from full on Moroccan cuisine, check this place out! It is walking distance to the Sofitel so it was very convenient for us.
Since it was Friday night, we decided to dress up and do something fun for the night. Our hotel happened to be where the most popular nightclub is, so it worked out perfectly! We sat outdoors and had hookah/drinks in the most perfect weather. If you are sitting outside be careful because there are several stray cats. We freaked out every time we saw one because it would just jump onto our lounge area! We made quite a scene, but really, it was hilarious. 🙂
Saturday Ending of a Great Trip!
Sadly, our trip was coming to an end. The Sofitel is known for their Spa, so I booked a massage and relaxed in the morning. Before my trip, I planned to go to La Mamounia to get a glimpse of it because I’ve been seeing it everywhere on social media. We took a quick trip there and walked around to see the pretty architecture. Even if you aren’t staying there (like me), it’s totally worth checking out. They are a little particular of who enters so you have to sweet talk them into letting you check it out for 10-15 minutes.
In the afternoon, we went back to the souks because Saturday’s are very lively. I bought a cute pair of traditional Moroccan slippers, one for me & one for a friend 🙂 We snuck past tons of snake charmers, trying to avoid any eye contact with the snakes. It was also one of the hottest days of our trip, so we weren’t out for too long.
For dinner we went to an Asian restaurant called Katsura and ordered a BIG bowl of noodles and fried rice. It was good to eat something other than Indian, Italian, or cookies.
Since it was our last night, we wanted to end it off with some drinks, hookah, and a great view. The Pearl Hotel has a rooftop lounge which overlooks Marrakech. It’s walking distance from the Sofitel, meaning it’s pretty much located in the center of everything. The nights cool down like crazy so it was the perfect weather for a rooftop! (And they have amazing music)
Sunday Goodbye Morocco
Our flight was at 10 pm from Casablanca, so we had most of the afternoon to do last minute things. The Sofitel photographer accompanied me to La Mamounia to take photos because I clearly couldn’t get enough.
We went to eat at the café down the street, once again, and then headed to Casablanca via car to catch our flight! Casablanca is about 3 hours away from Marrakech, so leaving around 4:00pm for a 10:00 pm flight is more than enough time 🙂
I had the MOST remarkable experience of my life in Morocco. I went almost a year ago and the memories are still with me as if I went last week. I’ll certainly be going back if anyone wants to join me 🙂 Let me know if you are planning a trip there! Would love to chat with you and answer any questions that I may not have included in my post. I tried to keep it as concise as possible but it’s really hard to write about something that you can endlessly talk about! For more Morocco highlights, check out my post on Five Things in Fes, and Morocco: 10 Things You Must Know ! Thanks for reading guys 🙂