Only a 3 and a half hour flight from the hustle and bustle of London to the vibrant, colourful and unique city of Marrakech.
As we flew over the city, it looked liked a patch work quilt of green and caramel brown. In some places there is a lot of lush green areas but the majority of the city is dry with a dusty caramel covering the roads and streets.

The currency conversion rate is:
1 United Kingdom Pounds (GBP) = 15.84 Morocco Durham's (MAD)

When carrying money with you, keep it close to your body especially in crowded places, though it's usually the other tourists you need to be careful of rather than the locals.

I along with four friends, travelled to Marrakech - three of us only staying for 2 nights (literally 48 hours!) and the other two for 3 nights.
Believe it or not, there is an abundance of things to do and places to see in such little time! From the famous Souks, Djemaa el-Fna, The Kutubiyya Mosque, and of course the delightful Atlas Mountains! And so much more!

I stepped out of the plane and my first reaction was 'WOW!' The airport itself is quite extraordinary. It is safe to say, that the Marrakech people are big on architectural detail! (You'll see what I mean when you get there).

Taxis are VERY common in Marrakech so you'll have no problem catching a ride. If you are trying to save some pennies, try to share a taxi. During the day it can cost as little as 10 MAD (approx.65p) per person (NOT per taxi) but in the evening, after 9pm this is likely to double. Make sure that you both (you and the driver) agree on a price before you take off.

Though, on saying that, I felt very safe in the taxis I went in, as it is the 'norm' for them, so they know how to handle the traffic even if we don't. But a note for pedestrians is careful of motorists. In Marrakech, there aren't always clear (if any) road markings and there aren't really any road rules so motorists can come out of absolutely anywhere....LITERALLY! So just beware. Sometimes you can pick up the general direction some are going or following in. But if you are in the way, motorists know how to dodge you and/or will give you a little 'beep' with their horns to let you know they are coming.

On arriving in Marrakech, we travelled from the airport to Djemaa El Fna - Square: Jamaa Al-Fna Marrakech. It's a truly 'happening' city. Snake charmers, street performers, story tellers and market stalls with men loudly promoting their stalls, fill the area. The aroma of spice fills the air.

As tourists we all love to take photos but sometimes it's wise to do this discreetly as you might be asked to pay towards taking the picture. In the square, you come across many performers dressed up in national costume, so if you want a photo, they may ask for 1 MAD (approx. only 6p)

After exploring the beautiful hotel, we took a stroll around the local area to find something to eat as we were so hungry! We found a lovely Moroccan Spanish restaurant on one of the back streets. It was lovely! We had seafood paella and chicken paella with complimentary starters. The portions are very generous and only cost 60 MAD each (£4). We had a lovely waiter who kindly took some photos for us and gave us a very good service.

I have to warn you, that if you are dining locally, there are some restaurants/bars that do not always meet the general British hygiene standards, but you have to remember, that you aren't in the UK and therefore you need to adjust your standards (or just close your eyes again). But honestly, the food is great! And so are the people! So there isn't anything to worry about.

After leaving the restaurant, we had a little wonder down the back streets. I love exploring places, where the average tourist doesn't seem to go. And I tell you it was well worth it! We walked down a beautiful street. My friends were looking at a fruit in a garden but couldn't work out what it was. So the owner came out of his car and opened the gate inviting us in. He showed us his garden and explained what it was. It turned out to be oranges! And different varieties. He was SO kind and gave all 5 of us an orange each freshly plucked from the tree. It tasted amazing! It didn't leave that horrible stickiness that we get. Ah, if you go, you HAVE to get one! Oranges grow in abundance everywhere. They're as common to us as apple trees, if not, more!

After meandering around the local area for hours, we headed back to the hotel to explore some more and get a good night sleep ready for a full day the next. My friend had told me about a certain beauty treatment called the Hamman which I was keen to try out and fortunately, I had seen advertised in the hotel. So I went down to see what exactly it was.

Though we were distracted and ended up doing a spot of shopping before actually getting to where we wanted. Our first stop was at a carpet shop. Wow wee! Absolutely amazing. And even whilst we were there, there were the ladies making the rugs using the old fashioned weaving machine. They even let my friend have a go! Carpets are very expensive there, but remember they are all hand woven and take hours upon hours to complete and are designed to last, unlike the manufactured carpets and rugs we can get for a fraction of the price at the local carpet shop.

I was determined to have a Moroccan dish - Bastilla. This is a pie consisting of pigeon, egg and almonds. I have to say, it reached beyond my expectations. It tasted quite sweet (which I love) BUT it was the first time I had ever eaten pigeon...and it did taste like pigeon. Just odd if you know what I mean! But I do think it might have been psychological as before he had served me, the waiter had told me that it was Pastilla (the chicken version) as they didn't do pigeon. So there I was thinking it was chicken, but to my surprise he told me that it was actually pigeon, so I was a little confused. But it just goes to show that Moroccans really do go out of their way to satisfy their customers. I was really grateful as I really did want to try it!

We were then met by our tour guide, Mustapha Chouquir. We had actually been recommended him by some friends in London who had already been to Marrakech, as he would take us to places that we as tourists would probably have missed otherwise.

To enter the Bahia palace costs 10 MAD each (approx. 65p)

Then we were allowed to buy whatever we wanted on a special promotion 'Buy 2 get the third free' so I bought 3 bottles of Argon Oil only 60 MAD each £4. It's quite expensive in the UK so I filled up. It's produced over there and is supposedly good for reducing scarring and helps with acne and problematic skin. I've been using it for just over a week and I do think it is a genuine product.

On our last night we had a feast on the sweets and olives; catching up on the adventure we had had in Marrakech as for all of us it had been our first time there. Nothing bad to say. I would love to back sometime soon.

And the great thing is, is for such a tiny amount for a plane ticket to AFRICA, and a short distance in comparison, you can afford to for just the weekend away without the risk of getting jet lagged or homesick. Thought I would DEFINATELY recommend that you travel with someone, not on your own - and better still, with a group, as it can be quite daunting due to the fact it is a new place, a different country, and a different culture and is a place where you could easily get lost. So hang on to each other!