A mystical labyrinth in the heart of Marrakech, the Souks of Medina are a sensory explosion. From bric-à-brac to freshly ground spices, this is one location you don’t want to miss.

Before jetting off to Marrakech, I knew that I couldn’t resist a spot of shopping while I was in the city. I mean, where better than in the blazing sun, in a souk, bargaining for your purchases.

I mentally drew up a list of things I wanted to get my hands on; some beautiful crockery, fresh spices for cooking with back home, kaftans and some good quality sweets that I’ve been missing so much. Would I succeed?  

With 1000 MAD (approx £65) tucked away in my handbag, I found myself in Jemaa El-Fnaa, right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Marrakech. The square was swarming with people- tourists and locals alike.

By day, Jemaa El-Fnaa is full of vendors with dancing monkeys in t-shirts and diapers, snake charmers and women offering you henna. My advice? Steer clear of them. By night, it transforms into a vibrant street food market. Sadly, I didn’t get to visit the square at night but it is a place I definitely need to go back again to experience in all its glory.

Heading to Marrakech soon? Nervous about going to the souks for the first time? Here are my top tips for tackling the souks of Marrakech which will make you a pro in no time! 

The souks are crazy!

Keep your wits about you. As I said above, it’s a sensory overload. From the intense smell of petrol, dodging motorbikes whizzing past you, men with fruit carts and mules making their way through the maze of the souk to the sound of stall holders shouting at each other, it can be overwhelming. People will barge past you to get to their destination. They aren’t being rude, it’s just the way of life.

Can you afford it?

If you see something you like, think about what maximum price you are willing to pay before asking how much it is. Once you have a figure in your head, ask, then haggle like your life depends on it. If you’re told the item is 100 MAD, divide it in half and start from there. I got a lot of great purchases using this calculation. Of course, this only works on items that do not have a set price. Although, when I spotted an amazing tea-cup set for 20 MAD and I only had 12 left, they gave me it. Happy bunny. Bartering is all about luck. Just keep at it and you’ll find your mojo.

Bad at maths like me?

Download a currency converter app onto your phone. I used Currency Converter Plus to quickly convert between MAD and Pounds. It was a lifesaver all over Marrakech and as it’s a free app within the AppStore, I would highly recommend you all download it no matter where you are travelling to. I know I’m going to use it when I jet off to Germany at the end of the month. 

Be prepared to walk away

Say what? You want to shop, yes, but sometimes walking away from a purchase right in front of you will work out to be the best move you’ve made. If you keep the points above in your head, it will all make sense. Say you’ve found a stall selling amazing crockery but the price is a little steep, you’ve tried bartering like your life depended on it and the owner still will not budge, walk away. The outcome will be one of two things, the owner will chase after you and agree to the price you want to pay or another stall a few doors down will have a similar piece (if not the exact same) for sale, potentially at a lower price. If all else fails, go back to the original stall again if you really want the item.

Think before you buy

That’s rich coming from someone like me but you are in a foreign country. That means you have to take a plane back home (unless you are on some insane road trip!). You can get carried away in the souk but you have to think sensibly. Can it fit in your suit case? How heavy is it? Will it get damaged?

I bought a rather large pouf, bowls, plates, kaftans, delicate tea glasses, spices and rose buds. Luckily, my case was under the max weight when I arrived to Marrakech. I made sure that I wrapped all the breakable items in clothes a good few times and then stuffed them within the pouf. Extra padding to ensure my money wasn’t wasted.

In all honesty, I wasn’t sure if everything would fit within my suitcase, but I was lucky. Make sure you have enough room before you buy and if all else fails, purchase a bigger bag for your hand luggage! 

These top tips for tackling the souks of Marrakech will ensure you are a master of the souks in no time. Don’t be intimidated in your surroundings.. Enjoy yourself and soak up the atmosphere around you. It is an unforgettable experience. 

Have you ever been to Marrakech? Hit up the sinks? What did you buy? What are your own top tips? Let me know in the comments below!

A trip to Marrakech is impossible without visiting Majorelle Garden, a serene oasis inside city walls and the final resting place of Yves Saint Laurent.

To me, Marrakech is all about colour. Reds, oranges, yellows and blues. You cannot travel anywhere within Marrakech without being amazed at all the colour that surrounds you. It’s no surprise that when Jacques Majorelle made Marrakech his home in the 1920’s that he painted his studio home a vibrant blue, taking influence from all over Marrakech.

Jacques Majorelle and I have something in common- the love of this strong, deep and intense shade of blue. The colour became so renowned with the garden that it was trademarked Bleu Majorelle shortly before his death.

A true colour explosion

The Marrakech colour scheme (as I like to call it!) is also interpreted throughout Majorelle Garden. Vivid, bright, contrasting colours perfectly matched with cacti, bamboo and water fountains in the 2.5 acre gardens tucked away in Rue Yves Saint Laurent.

The garden was eventually open to the public in 1947 to help with the growing costs. Forty years of passion and dedication by Jacques Majorelle until his death in 1962 resulted in his greatest masterpiece featuring plants from all five continents. A staggering 300 different plant species now feature. 

Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé discovered Majorelle Garden in 1966, during their first stay in Marrakech and fell in love with this little slice of paradise. After hearing that the garden and villa may be sold to a real estate developer in the 1980’s to be turned into a hotel complex, they bought it!

Over the years, they restored the garden in order to “make the Jardin Majorelle become the most beautiful garden – by respecting the vision of Jacques Majorelle.”  They have truly delivered on this.

When Yves passed away in 2008, his ashes were scattered within the rose garden of Villa Oasis and a memorial built within the garden. Designed around a Roman pillar which was brought from Tangier and set on a pedestal with a plate bearing his name for the public to pay their respects.

Serene and Secluded

There is a stark contrast between the hectic city medina and the garden. You are transported to an oasis inside city walls. A secret garden as such. One which I didn’t want to leave. It’s no wonder that this is the most visited “tourist” attraction in Marrakech.

When you enter the garden, an impressive cacti collection catches your eye in the distance. Jacques Majorelle adored cacti, respecting this, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé continued to expand the collection, which today includes about thirty members of the cactus family.

Walking along admiring the cacti (and resisting the urge to touch them!) the glorious Majorelle Blue square fountain overlooking the studio is a wonderful location to soak up your surroundings.

Galerie Love 

Tucked away within the grounds of the garden is Galerie Love, a tiny room which houses the entire collection of Yves Saint Laurent’s ‘Love Cards’. From 1970 until 2000, he created a card every year to send to his friends and clients to celebrate the New Year. Bold and colourful, he showed his appreciation with a single word- love.

Naturally, I had to hunt out the year I was born- 1982. A beautiful seascape.

© Yves Saint Laurent

Berber Museum

Majorelle’s original studio has been transformed into a museum which is dedicated to Berber culture, housing the personal Berber collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. Items displayed show the diversity of Berber traditional skills – whether in wood, leather, pottery, metalwork, or basket weaving – all demonstrate the variety of craftsmanship. I was particularly enamored with all the jewels and their exquisite craftsmanship.

No matter your location whether it be the pavilion, the water-lily pool, the palm trees or en route to the museum, as soon as you hear birds chirping and the smell of exotic plants as the wind blows you’ll soon realize you are in a truly magical place and never want to leave.

© Jardin Majorelle

© Jardin Majorelle

Majorelle Garden (Jardin Majorelle)
Rue Yves Saint Laurent
Marrakech, Morocco
Web: jardinmajorelle.com

Opening times
October 1 – April 30: 8 am – 5:30 pm
May 1 – September 30: 8 am – 6 pm
The month of Ramadan: 9 am – 5 pm

Admission
Garden: 70 Dhs (around £5)
Museum: 30 Dhs (around £2)

At just over an hour away from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech, The Atlas Mountains transport you into another world with breathtaking views, tranquil surroundings and the undeniably friendly Berber hospitality. 

At the tail end of last year, I was whisked away to Marrakesh as a guest of the Moroccan Tourist Board to experience what this North African country has to offer. It was my first time visiting Morocco and with the country only being a 4 hour direct flight away from Glasgow, it was a no brainer location to escape the freezing temperatures. 

With a jam-packed itinerary mapping out our 4 day adventure, one stood out the most for me- The Atlas Mountains. I had heard about these mountains in the past from my father. He had previously visited Marrakech with work but was unable to visit them at the time. The downfall? A walk in the mountains, me? The panic set in. How big a walk would this be? Would I be able to cope? I’m not fit in the slightest. It’s going to be a challenge!

With equal excitement and dread, the group all bundled into our mini van for the 90 minute trip watching the bright lights of Marrakech fade away before being met with desert, cacti and Berbers along the road side with their mules and carts. 

Our destination?

We were heading for Imlil Village, 1,740 metres above sea level. Imlil Village is the main starting point for any trek on the Atlas Mountains. A quaint little village, local Berbers are accustomed to tourists from all over the world congregating in the village. Previously, the villages main source of income was agriculture but over the years, tourism has overtaken this.