My trip to Morocco was not the first but it was the best out of all. I realised the more I see and learn about this country, the more I like it. However, your experience might be different. Here is my story:
The purpose of my visit to Morocco was to shoot my next lingerie Campaign. One Company in Gran Canaria offered a collaboration, so I thought it is a great way to combine work with pleasure if I wanted to stay longer once the collaboration project is over. So in total, there were 5 days of work and 1 week of holiday. Not bad for a business trip.
The Company booked a 9 bedroom villa outside of Marrakech, arranged professional models, transport, food and drinks. The shoot went very well and we all had a wonderful time.
On the 6th day my partner and I moved into the apartment In Marrakech which we booked via airbnb. It was a 1 bedroom flat with the spacious living room and the balcony. Our apartment was only 10 mins away from the centre and all the major sightseeings. This was ideal since we wanted to explore the city and occasionally enjoy night life.
A friend of mine, Omar, who lives in Marrakech (he was born in Morocco) agreed to show us around. We wanted to learn about the history of Morocco, so we first went to the city centre. The very 1st place we visited was:
Museum of Marrakech- is a historic palace and museum located in the old center of Marrakesh, Morocco. The museum's collection showcases various historic art objects and contemporary art from Morocco. It is an interesting place to visit but we thought it was rather small.
My friend, Omar, showed us an old and the most populated part of the city where loads of poor moroccan people live. These were blocs of small flats where up to 10 people live in a single room. As we were passing by, I noticed there was a door opened in one of the flats on the ground floor, I wanted to see what it looks like inside. I took a deep breath and came up closer. There was no one inside, no furniture, just beds made up out of clothes/blankets and some bags spread across the room. This was a medium size room. It looked dirty, dark and miserable. It was quote shocking to realise this was someone’s home.
Mountains Al Haouz - Sti Fadma. This was our escape into the wild untouched nature. Tall red coloured hills covered with bushes and trees looked very beautiful and peaceful. We stopped by the local cafe overlooking a river and had a quick lunch.
On the next day we went to Essaouira. It is a port city in the western Moroccan region of Marakesh-Safi, on the Atlantic coast. Loads of cute shops, cosy cafes, restaurants there…and loads of cats. They were everywhere.
Royal Mansour is today considered to be among Marrakech absolute best and most exclusive hotels. It is located in the old town of Marrakech, is the result of a vision of creating a spectacular hotel building that united the modern and what the discerning tourist needs, with the best that the Moroccan culture has to offer. The iconic property is owned by King Mohammed VI of Morocco and is designed to regal high standards. Royal Mansour is a very unique Hotel and have a special place in my heart. Make sure to visit this gorgeous Hotel even if you don’t intend to stay there. You can reserve a dinner at the restaurant or have a drink at the lobby. Non hotel guests are welcome there too.
El Jadida - is a major port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, located 96 km south of the city of Casablanca, in the province of El Jadida and the region of Casablanca-Settat. Breathtaking beautiful city.
Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco. Very busy and noisy- 24/7. Great for visiting and doing business but not living there.
The last day we spent near the beautiful lake of Barrage Lalla Takerkoust which is situated about 40 mins away from the city of Marrakech. It is a man-made lake which was built between 1929 and 1935 for the primary purpose of providing the city of Marrakech and the surrounding areas with electricity, as well as to irrigate the agricultural fields in the plain of Haouz. This place was so peaceful and beautiful, we didn’t want to leave.
We could not believe it was the end of our trip. It felt like we were in a dream which ended very quickly. Thank you for being good to us, Morocco. We will certainly be back for more.
Morocco looks like a wonderful place! I love the architecture and your photos capture the beauty well. Need to put this on my travel list.