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Marrakesh - The Jewel of the South

By: Sharee Gstohl

The people who really get on my nerves when it comes to booking holidays are those that only choose to go to the same place year after year after year. Feigning ignorance or protesting the cost these people return to the same resort they have always gone to. Why ever anyone would do this is far beyond my comprehension.

One of my favourite examples is Spain. Everyone goes back to Spain when there are far more interesting choices on offer. Why not Morocco? They are next to each other. A quick internet search shows Octopus travel has plenty of Marrakech hotels on offer for exactly the same cost as it would be to go to Mallorca. And how much more exciting!

Snake charmers, magic potions, hidden palaces: it may sound like a Disney movie, but here anything is possible. The city has been drawing people from all over the desert for almost a millennia as people are hypnotized by its bluesy Gnaoua trance music, steamy hammams (traditional Moroccan spas), and multi-course feasts.

Visitors today can often disappear down a maze of winding derbs (alleys) and emerge days later, relaxed and refreshed from their stays in spectacular riads (courtyard guesthouses) where their every need is anticipated by butlers, in-house chefs, and massage therapists.

The central point of Marrakech is its square, the Jemaa el Fna, Morocco''s UNESCO-recognised platform for halqa (street theatre). The huge Koutoubia minaret towers over it, itself an excellent mesh of Hispano-Mauresque architecture and a reminder of the importance of Islam to the lives of the city''s residents.

The caravan culture of Marrakech gave the outpost founded by Beber Almoravids in 1062 a worldly outlook that pre-dates the arrival of rooftop satellite dishes and the Cyberpark, the royal garden retrofitted with Internet kiosks. Morocco was colonised by the French in the early 20th century, though in practice Marrakech was run by a Berber warlord named Madani Glaoui who lavishly entertained colonial elites while ruthlessly suppressing his people.

At the time of writing, Morocco remains one of the more liberal Muslim countries. King Mohammed VI has been praised for actively promoting education for women and respect for Berber culture, helping to keep the country calm and secure. Tourists are drawn to the place for this very reason, the overlapping cultures and historical nuances.

So my question is, when you could go somewhere as interesting as here, why anywhere else? Flights to Morocco are cheap should you fly with an internet company, and instead of going to a boring Mediterranean resort that has been done to death you could truly step outside your comfort zone and find something spectacular.

Article Source: http://www.shortwriteups.com

Sharee Gstohl is an expert in hotels and lodgings. This article was inspired by Octopustravel.com, a great solution whether you are going on a short trip and need to book Marrakech hotels or need Alicante Hotels.

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