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Tag: things to do in Marrakech

Marrakech Safety: The Tannery Scam

When you visit Marrakech, touring a tannery is a unique experience you should consider. But is it worth the time and money? Depends – we’ll tell you about our experience at the tanneries in Marrakech and you can decide for yourself.

What is a Tannery?

The tannery is where leather is made. Traditionally, being a tanner isn’t a glorious life: they spend their days working with animal hides, and the process literally stinks.

They have to clean the animal hides, remove the flesh, fat, and hair, and then soften the hide in animal dung. Ammonia is another key ingredient to the process, and back in the day, urine was a reliable source for it.

If you’ve been to Brussels, you may know about the Manneken Pis (the Peeing Boy) statue. While many myths surround the fountain, it most likely symbolizes the tanner district of the city. During medieval times, tanners paid children for their urine.

Finding a Tannery Tour

You’ll find young men throughout the city hustling and bartering. Some will pitch free tannery tours, saying that you’re going the wrong way, but they’ll show you to the tannery for no charge.

Or so they say. Once you arrive at the tannery, they’ll ask for payment. If you’re afraid to make a scene or seem impolite, you can end up paying up to €50 – for directions you thought were free!

If you want to pay, you can always haggle. And if you don’t want to pay at all, you can walk away. It might create a scene, and the boy may seem hostile, but ultimately, what they’re doing is illegal.

But once you arrive at the tannery, you’ll also pay for the tour as well.

Touring the Tannery

First, they’ll give you mint sprigs to smell as you walk through the facility. And you’ll be thankful for it.

The guide leads you around to each processing vat and explains the tanning process. You’ll definitely learn a lot about how to make leather! It’s one of Morocco’s largest exports, which may be evident in the gift shops.

Visiting the Tannery Shop

After the tour, they’ll take you to their gift shop, or even just a local shop owner. You can either haggle here or elsewhere. And remember – you can always walk away.

Tanneries in Marrakech

If you’re genuinely interested in seeing one of the oldest professions in Morocco, we recommend visiting tanneries in Marrakech. But if you just want to shop for the leather goods, don’t want to haggle, or strongly dislike awful smells, then don’t go to a tannery! You can still have a great time visiting Morocco without going inside a tannery.

Have you experienced a tannery scam in Marrakech? Do you have other suggestions for visitors? Let us know in the comments!

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December 16, 2019
The Atlas Mountains Marrakech

If you’re looking for Marrakech day trips, a visit to the Atlas Mountains is easy and worth your time! They’re a mountain range that separates the coast line from the Sahara desert, stretching 1,600 miles (2,500 kilometers).

Most hotels will offer excursion packages, but you can also go on your own adventure. We’ve compiled a few things for you to visit while you tour the Atlas Mountains near Marrakech.

Tour an Olive Mill

The olive oil brand you use is most likely Italian, but multiple countries throughout the Mediterranean produce olive oil – including Morocco! The country is one of the largest olive oil manufacturers in the world.

As of 2018, Morocco is the fourth largest exporter of olive oil. So be sure to visit one of the mills to experience part of Morocco’s economy!

Visit A Berber Village

The Berbers are an ethnic group native to northern African countries. Most currently reside in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania.

As a result, there isn’t necessarily one unified Berber culture – it’s now a medley of various influences over the course of centuries. And due to some cultural and political strife, much of the Berber culture is lost or has completely evolved, such as language and customs.

As part of your day trip to the Atlas Mountains, we highly recommend visiting a Berber village. if you take a tour, it will likely include an introduction to a family who will prepare bread and mint tea for your visit.

But even if you don’t take the tour, residents are very warm and welcoming. You should take the time to visit and meet new people. Because meeting new people from different cultures is why you travel, isn’t it?

Enjoy a Moroccan Lunch

You have to have at least one meal as part of your Atlas Mountains Marrakech visit! Our tour took us to a bed and breakfast with a beautiful view.

For lunch, we had chicken tagine – a dish you’ll see numerous times in Morocco. A tagine (or sometimes spelled tajine) is a ceramic pot with a coned lid. When cooked over a charcoal fire, the cone contains the steam so that the condensation drips back down to the bottom of the pot.

Our Moroccan chicken tagine was slow cooked with spices and dried fruits, and served with bread. And then afterwards we enjoyed an apple pie with mint tea (of course).

Visit the Atlas Mountains Marrakech

Mint tea, cookies, bread, more tea…it’s all waiting for you in the Atlas Mountains!

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November 25, 2019
Visit Marrakech: What To Do In Marrakech

Marrakech, Morocco will invigorate your wanderlust to a whole new level! The colors, aromas, flavors, and sounds are unlike anything you’ve experienced. When you visit Marrakech, you may feel overwhelmed by your desire to explore. But don’t worry – we’ve outlined a few suggestions for what to do in Marrakech.

Transportation in Marrakech

If you’re not already staying in Marrakech (or sometimes spelled Marrakesh), the city is a 10 hour train ride from Tangier, or just over a 3 hour train ride from Casablanca. And once you’re there, you can get around by foot, by car, by horse carriage, by bus, by scooter, by donkey cart…

You can experience it all in Marrakech!

What To Do in Marrakech

When you visit the city, you can easily plan your day with things to do in Marrakech, or simply wander through the streets and take in the experience.

Koutoubia Mosque

Built in the late 1100s, Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakech. Originally it was completed in 1157, but because the mihrab was not facing Mecca, it had to be rebuilt. You can visit every day between 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. for free.

Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace should definitely be on your list of things to do in Marrakech! It was built in the mid 19th century for Si Moussa ba Ahmed, and then housed the resident general of France in the early 1900s.

You won’t want to miss the incredible details and colors in the architecture. You can visit every day between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. for €7.

Souks

A souk is a marketplace, and they come in all shapes and sizes! Souk Semmarine is the largest, and Souk Place des épices has all the spices you’ll need to recreate your favorite Moroccan dishes.

But keep in mind: you’re expected to haggle with the shopkeepers. So don’t be shy! It’s all part of the fun.

Rooftop restaurants

When the sun shines almost every day of the year, you have to enjoy a rooftop experience! Sip on mint tea while the city bustles beneath you, and maybe you’ll hear the call to prayer.

We recommend going to Nomad, but there are tons of restaurants and cafes that you can visit. They even have hats you can wear so you don’t get sunburned.

Indoor restaurants

If you don’t like sitting in the sun, you can also eat inside one of the many restaurants in Marrakech. Many will have dance and music performances throughout your meal. But if you’re shy, you may want to visit a smaller, quieter restaurant – the performers will come up to your table!

Ready to Visit Marrakech?

Whether you want to vacation somewhere new or just spend a winter weekend somewhere warm, we highly recommend Marrakech. It’s quite different from anywhere you visit in the United States or Europe – but that’s what makes it worth visiting!

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November 15, 2019