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.
A common holiday story is that people disappear down a maze of winding derbs (alleys) and only emerge after several days having been happily lost among spectacular riads (courtyard guesthouses) where their every need is anticipated by butlers, in-house chefs, and massage therapists.
At the heart of the city lies its world famous square, the Jemaa el Fna, Morocco's UNESCO-recognised platform for halqa (street theatre). Right next to it stands the huge Koutoubia minaret. This is a prime example of Hispano-Mauresque architecture and serves as a potent 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.
Morocco remains one of the more liberal Muslim countries. The current King, Mohammed VI is actively promoting education for women and respect for Berber culture, and this has helped solidify the core cultural force in Marrakech. People are drawn to it for this very reason, the inherent paradox at the core of the place that still manages to be beguiling.
Boiling it all down, my argument is this? Why go to the same poolside you've gone to for a decade when you can come here? 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.
Lenita Carpinello is a freelance writer who was inspired to write this article by Octopustravel.com where you can book many different hotels including
Marrakech hotels.
Categories
