On her first visit to Marrakesh, Morocco, graduate student manlalakbay found all the “exotic beauty” she’d hoped to see: spices piled high in the souks, cobras nipping at their masters’ heels in the Place Djemaa al-Fna, tagines at every turn.
Now she's sharing her impressions and her tips for visiting this imperial city in the journal Marvelous Marrakesh!. Pay attention, because as she guides us through the city’s maze of streets, she drops hints for shopping (“begin a bid at 1/10 of the marked price”), eating (“Moroccan raisins are quite good”), and more. She even coins an acronym, MFOJ, for her beloved Moroccan fresh orange juice, which she found to be both “cheap” and “environmentally friendly.”
For a friendly place to stay, manlalakbay recommends the youth hostel Riad Medina Zahara; if you’re looking for something slightly more upscale, try another recent member pick, the Amine Hotel.
After the main course of Marrakesh, it's time for a fabulous desert: the Sahara. Be sure to check out An Overnight Moroccan Camel Ride, manlalakbay's account of her foray out of Marrakesh to Zagora. She has almost as much enthusiasm for this camel trek as she does for the orange juice.