Jane de Teliga flies to Marrakech for a fashion shoot and finds pure magic in the souks and medinas.

Marrakech is just a few hours from London, but it seems a thousand years away as you step into an ancient world. Now I understand why so many writers, designers, and those searching for themselves have fallen in love with the place. Writer Paul Bowles, Yves Saint Laurent and Talitha Getty (remember the iconic 60s photograph of fabulous flower child Talitha and her husband, on a Marrakech roof terrace), have all been spellbound by the evocative beauty of Morocco. It is magic. It is like finding yourself an extra in some exotic movie set, be it Casablanca or Hideous Kinky or the Sheltering Sky.

After all the imaginings, I finally got to go there for the first time recently with a photographic crew to do a couple of fashion stories. We stayed in the magical Riad Edward, which is in the heart of the medina. Our luggage was taken from the car and dragged through the laneways on a trolley past donkey carts and smoking streetside grills. The Riad meanders over many levels, built around a breathtaking central courtyard replete with a cool swimming pool open to the sky. Wonderful old tiles line the walls, Bougainvillea climbs the sides of the building and on the roof terrace you can see over the rooftops of Marrakech.

The bedrooms are uniquely decorated, with old rugs and antique furniture, all wonderfully atmospheric and somewhat shabby. Not the perfect modern amenities of an homogenised hotel chain, it is quirky, endearingly old and utterly charming. Yes, the hot water is erratic and the facilities a little rundown but it was once the private home of the Englishman who still owns it, and there is something very personal and mysterious about the place. You are awakened very early just before dawn by the extraordinary chanting call to prayer that echoes across the city from the mosques. Apparently, some people complain about this, which makes you wonder why they bother to travel in the first place.

Here in the midst of the old medina, you can wander in a thousand tiny lanes and streets full of people wearing traditional hooded djellabas. Battered taxis drive alongside donkeys carts and you may need a guide to find your way through all the tiny alleyways of the souk, the fascinating markets that spread from the central square Jemma Al Fnaa, famed for its musicians and snake charmers, which evoke both charm and an underlying sense of menace.

The same owner has just completed a new luxury country property in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, about an hour out of Marrakech, and it is an equally magical experience. Called Kasbah Bab Ourika, it is made of rammed earth along the traditional lines of the Berber villages that surround it. In an amazing setting overlooking an unusually green valley (due to recent rains), it’s truly picturesque with the snow-capped Atlas Mountains looking like a painted backdrop in the distance.

We arrived on a fresh March day, the sky a shiny clear blue the sun dazzling and warm while in the distance the snow gleamed on the Mountain tops. Having just been built, there were some heating and plumbing problems. Yet the location evokes the garden of Eden and the food is really excellent. After dinner in the chill night air, it is a delight to find a fire crackling in your fireplace. It shimmers on in your memory beckoning you back.

Riad Edward
Derb Marestane
10 Zaouia Sidi Bel Abes, Medina, Marrakech
+212(0) 24 38 48 58
www.riyadedward.com

Kasbah Bab Ourika
Tnine Ourika, Ourika Valley, Atlas Mountains
+212 (0) 61 25 23 28
www.babourika.com

Images: Jane de Teliga

Sue Ostler survives the madness that is Marrakech, Morocco. And would she go back? Well, maybe…

If I thought a short spell in the steamy Moroccan sun during an English winter was going to be relaxing – I was wrong! Marrakech is a complete head-trip. As for that insane market square, Djemaa el Fna – you’ve just got to see it to believe it. And while it’s true that it’s one of the most stimulating experiences on the planet, with its orgy of sights, delights and smells and experiences, you’ll also get a massive dose of `in yer face’ from the spruikers, traders, hustlers, sellers, beggers – you get the picture.

Having said that, if you go, expecting to get hounded within an inch of your life and you’re psyched for that – you’ll be just fine. Word of warning though, things do have a tendency to become quickly aggressive wherever money is involved – and it’s always involved. Especially if you’re being guilt-tripped into giving money, even more so when it’s to a young homeless mother. These are what I would classify as ‘harrowing moments’.

Just off the main square, is where you’ll find the real jewel of amongst the craziness. Put aside a few hours to lose yourself in the maze of dizzying alleyways crammed with traditional shops rammed with all sort of treats and treasures – and hello, this is where the OMG stuff is lurking. Especially if you’re looking for the most beautiful craftsmanship on the planet and divine artifacts; the goods on offer are simply irresistible.

I’d also recommend learning at least a few words of French or Arabic, the locals speak both, and a little will take you a long way. Keep in mind that most of the locals are all too aware of the power of charm. Forget the snake charmers in the market-square, it’s the traders who are the real charmers, Read up before you go. Learn a few words of the local lingo to help you through the maze. Adding a simple `shukran’ – thank-you – to your daily vocabulary will take you a long way! Because basically, unless you know what’s going on, or you put up a damn good pretence, you’ll get done over before you can say Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves!

Interestingly, I never felt worried or threatened for a moment when I was mooching around the alleyways and markets by myself. It’s the same as any big city really, if you tend to look a bit streetwise, don’t look anyone in the eye, and try not to act like a generally dippy tourist, you’ll be fine.

At the end of the day it’s nice to have a nice quiet sanctuary to go back to which is easily achieved since accommodation is available at every price and every level. Take your choice of flea run hostels which mysteriously turn into sex dens come the midnight hour, to the most dazzling luxurious riad hotels with rooftop views to make your head swim. As does the food, the exotica, the sights and sounds and the generally incredible atmosphere of Marrakech, oh and the incredible bargains. So if sightseeing, shopping and stuffing yourself silly with sumptuous food is your thing – this should be right up your alley. Would I say I loved Marrakech? No, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t. But I would say, if you psyche yourself up for the experience and do your homework, you could well love it.

Sue Ostler misses the Marrakech express while traveling in Morocco.

The idea of a trip to Morocco to escape the harsh British winter might sound dreamy in theory; but unless you’re psyched up for the assault on the senses, get ready for an emotional roller coaster ride.

Unlike many who visit Morocco and head straight for the shining jewel that is Marrakech, my traveling buddy and I decided to be different. Price had a lot to do with our decision. The city of Fez offers 5-star accommodation at ridiculously cheap prices. The fact that it’s the spiritual and cultural capital (and used by U2 used for the filming of the video Mysterious Ways) made it seem a perfect place to start our holiday.

Arriving at 3.30pm on a Friday afternoon was one hell of a shock. Dust-filled air stung our eyes; the inescapable fumes of the busy roads and highways blocked our nostrils; the smell of donkey doo dahs and the stench of the near-by tanneries permeated the air. The reality of the sights, sounds and smells of the ancient Medina were truly overwhelming.

© Sue Ostler

As for getting a late lunch – forget it. Along the main drag all the restaurants were closed for siesta. We found a “tourist” restaurant open – its outdoor dining area charmingly positioned out towards the main road. Other than that, choices were slim. Welcome to a world where there are virtually no women: not out drinking tea, not in the shops, not in the streets, just nowhere. It’s odd.

Once you get over the shock of it all and take in your surroundings – it starts to hit you. Fez is the home of the oldest largest medieval city in the world; almost unchanged through the modern ages and still most definitely alive with its olde worlde ways. 

© Sue Ostler

Plunging headfirst into this sensory overload is rewarded with an unforgettable experience as you travel back in time about 1,000 years.  You will find romance on your trip to Fez – once you get over your initial impressions – especially if you’ve ever been intrigued with the romantic notion of Aladdin, Ali Baba and the Arabian Nights.

The biggest shock is that the modern world has barely intruded into the complicated labyrinthine maze that makes up the medieval medina (Old City) of this ancient city. Worn-out looking donkeys slump as they carry merchandise to and from the souks; kids play in crammed alleyways overshadowed by mosques.

This city is nowhere as touristy as Marrakech, but it’s touristy enough that the locals are desperate for your business as they jump out at you, follow you and insist they take you to see the sights.

Once we got our bearings, we met up with an official tour guide, who we had hired through the tourist office and made a plan for a day trip the next day (advice: never, ever go with someone who cannot display their official tour license).

The tour itself was incredible as only the Moroccan ancient ruins can be, but the condition of the car (seemingly falling to bits), and the driver (on a mission to get the tour over with in record time) was hair-raising to say the least.

Craving some bargain-hunting time, we booked a half day tour around the medina with our market place guide, Sada, and sought out the local handcrafts and exotic goods. Even if you prefer to explore cities independently, in a place like Fez you can forget about it. The mysterious magical medina has over 10,000 small streets and alleys; it’s maddening trying to get around without the guide. The food on offer at the various souks (bazaars) was like nothing we’d ever seen before and definitely not for the faint-hearted. Right now I’m saying a little prayer for all those chicken and pigs whose lives came to a sudden and shocking end in that place.

The visit to the medina proved both incredible and incredibly expensive with the experience being somewhat marred by the constant emotional bribery of our guide (charming but not letting up on the oft repeated mantra: “my family will eat if you buy”). The shop sellers lured with charm, and dismissed with firm politeness once a sale looked unlikely. The pressure to buy is far from subtle.

By the end of our five day stay, I was convinced that Fez is a both an unforgettable and friendly city; my friend was less won over, but we both agreed it was a fascinating place to visit.