Water Tobogganing at Oasiria Waterpark Marrakech

Oasirira Water Park, Marrakech

Marrakech isn’t really an obvious holiday destination for children and teenagers. Once they’ve spent their allowances in the souk – whether on fake antique knives, fake watches, fake football shirts or fake sunglasses (bit of a theme here – my teenage son) or just about every conceivable item of clothing, plus bags (my teenage daughter), they’ll need other distractions. 

To be honest I didn’t have great expectations for Oasiria, the waterpark on the edge of Marrakech,  but having been there a couple of times now, I feel that it’s worth the trip, even if you aren’t driving and need to take a taxi.  Apparently there is a shuttle bus from the town.

There are plenty of water slides; with the three principal ones offering different levels of excitement. Edmund’s recommendations: the kamikaze slide, the giant frothing pool, the wave pool, and the toboggans which float lazily down a slow gradient. For younger children, there’s a pirate ship beached on sand. There are wandering musicians, dancers, stiltwalkers and other sundry entertainers to amuse visitors.

And for adults, there’s a discreetly placed heated pool  in a charming garden, with a restaurant nearby. This offers better food than the shops around the main pool site, which are mainly hamburger and chips style fare. So all needs catered for.  

Power Shower, Oasiria Waterpark Marrakech

Prices vary throughout the year, with higher rates in the summer. As adults we paid 180dhs and the children were100 dhs each (although little ones under 80cm go free) . And it’s cheaper to go for a half day in the afternoon; 140dhs per adult and 80dhs  per child. There’s plenty to do for a few hours, but a whole day is very long

One piece of advice. It’s worth visiting Oasiria’s website before you travel to Marrakech. There are usually money off vouchers. We didn’t discover this until we were over there, without access to a printer. Having said that, I’ve just done a search on google and couldn’t find it. But still worth checking before you go.

A Wall of Ammonites framed in brown tadelakt at Crystal, Marrakech

Another trip to Crystal and a chance to enjoy their new menu. This time the lights were lower, but I’m not sure that I didn’t prefer the airy brightness of previous visits. However, it added a touch of drama and emphasised the contrast of the velvety chocolate-coloured tadelakt walls (a traditional plaster finish with an attractive gloss) with the pale, papery lights and white upholstery. And this time I noticed that the polished stone tables are inlaid with slivers of minerals, a naturalistic detail which is also picked up in the wall of ammonites (my favourite part of the restaurant !).

Interior of Crystal Restaurant, Marrakech

Of the cocktails, my choice is always a concoction of gin, pineapple and ginger (plenty of it, so it’s peppery hot). Each course is punctuated by beautifully presented amuses bouches. In terms of starters, the foie gras is supposed to be excellent (though personally I never eat it) and the oysters looked good too, though I’m not sure if they’re a good idea in a climate of 45 degrees centigrade. Among the choices for the main course was cannelloni so fine the forms of the meat within were clearly visible. And some of the food has more of a fusion air to it than previously, with incredibly fresh prawns in the lightest tempura.

And so another evening of delicious food, though the place was a little quiet bacause of the Ramadan holidays. Perhaps next time I’ll pluck up courage to nip into Pacha. Well maybe.

Hazy Summer Light in the Majorelle Gardens, Marrakech

Marjorelle Gardens: Opens 9am, closes 5pm
Saadian Tombs: Opens 10am, closes 3 pm
Oasiria Water Park: Opens 2pm, closes 6pm
Marjane: Opens 10am, but I couldn’t find a sign with the closing time

The souk also peters out early, around 6pm (though the most touristy stall prevail). Some open up again later, but don’t rely on it. All in all a bit confusing !

In response to the oft-asked question,’can you get alcohol during Ramadan?’ the situation is this:

1. Yes in most  restaurants and hotels where they normally serve alcohol (note that many restaurants in the old town, especially in the Medina and on Place Djemaa el fna, are not licensed at all).

2. Yes, you can buy bottles in the French supermarkets, but beware of restricted hours. Early to mid evening is usually the safest bet. 

3. STOPPRESS:  the rules in the largest supermarkets are as follows:  in the Marjane hypermarket, you will need your passport. The uniformed chap at the desk will take details. Access to Metro (known as Makro in Europe) requires a passport on all visits, Ramadan, alcohol or not.

Ramadan is not a bad time to visit Marrakech, as there is great joy when dusk descends and Moroccans celebrate the end of each day’s fasting. And there is also a tremendous choice of non-alcoholic drinks: a huge range of fresh fruit juices, including strawberry, mango and of course, orange; and an interesting choice of herbal teas and tisanes.

Moroccan handcut zellige fountain

Moroccan wrought iron screen

Of course, in Marrakech there are many desirable bargains for the home, but most won’t fit into your luggage! Wrought iron garden furniture and those curly wurly screens; beautiful handcut zellige tiled fountains and mosaic-style zellige table tops, handcut; and traditional mucharaby chaises longues, upholstered with antique textiles.

So, I’m focussing on small, portable items. Here are some suggestions: 

‘Antique’ wooden items
You might just be able to fit in a small wall cupboards carved with interlocking roundels and other ancient Berber designs, but I’ve been quoted as much as 2000 or 3000 dirhams (I’m sure negotiation would yield a far lower price).  A cheaper option might be found amongst the pieces of old shutters at the fringes of the souk near Cafe Arabe. But my personal choice is an ornamental cupboard originally designed to hold perfume and incense bottles.

Mucharaby Work

Traditional Moroccan cedarwood mucharaby table

This is a traditional technique of constructing furniture out of turned, interlocking spindles. Much of the furniture is painted with gay, colourful designs, but I prefer the bare, untreated cedarwood, which preserves its distinctive scent for many years (cedarwood has long been used to line draws to perfume their contents and deter insects). Prices for small examples range from 200 dirhams.

Lanterns

Floor standing lantern

The purchase of a lantern is pretty inevitable, but they are no less desirable for being a bit of a cliché. There’s a massive choice, and among my favourites are the ancient-looking geometric pierced designs and the octagons with the sort of coloured glass popular all over the Arab world.

Throws and bedspreads
There’s every possible combination of colour , though plums, purples and hot amber/tangerine tones are ubiquitous. Start at 250 dirhams for a single bed.  

Carpets
There are some very attractive, handwoven Beni Ourain (Middle Atlas) rugs.  Whilst many are too large to carry, there are a few examples in very dramatic monochrome designs,  which seem almost art deco in character.  The Berber weavers of this carpet did not need dyes, as they skilfully make use of the two contrasting natural wool colours of their sheep – cream and black. We’ve paid around 3000 dirhams from the Complexe Artisanat in Derb Baissi Kasbah and I consider them a real work of art.

Pots 

Pottery galore in Marrakech

I’m cheating here as I think the best pots come from the specialised shops round the edge of Marrakech, where they are heaped up to alarming heights.  There are more designs than you could ever imagine, but the most attractive are simple Ali Baba shapes, and large urns with intricate, arabesque patterns.  

I could go on for ages, but perhaps another time….  

Crystal, Cafe Arabe and Cafe des epices are all excellent places to eat and drink and have much to recommend them in terms of food and atmosphere. Hence they earn their own reviews (see ‘Eating in Marrakech’). But until I find time to write a proper description of the another bunch of restaurants and cafes, here are a few quick remarks:

Bo & Zin
(3.5 km outside centre of Marrakech on Route de L’Ourika)
Glitzy but a bit cramped inside. Perhaps also rather too much beige upholstery for my taste. And although both the food and staff are glamorous and well presented, it seems a bit over-priced. To be honest, I feel if you need to go to the bother of a taxi journey, Crystal is better all-round for this price level, and much airier and more sophisticated: £35 + per head for dinner. (Offers an extensive range of alcohol).

Riad Le Monceau
(3 mins walk from Djemaa el fna)
My heart sank as we turned into the fetid alleyway that houses this riad restaurant. However, there was a complete tranformation of mood as soon as we entered through the ancient doorway. Riad Monceau has a typically charming riad interior centred round a leafy pool. And the food was excellent: classical Moroccan fare from a set price menu. The dishes were lightly spiced and elegantly flavoured; everything was delicious and the pastilla outstanding. This restaurant is the best we have found so far for specifically Moroccan cuisine. Around £30 per head exc wine. (Serves alcohol).

Les Terrasses de L'Alhambra, Place Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech

Les Terrasses de L’Alhambra
(Overlooking the Square, Djemaa el fna)
A good spot from which to lazily watch the thronging masses on the square, while enjoying tea, coffee and ice cream. (Apparently offers limited alcohol but it wasn’t on the menu I saw).

Argana
(Overlooking the Square, Djemaa el fna)
A pretty straightforward cafe/restaurant overlooking the Square, serving: kebabs, steaks, pizza, chips and salad. Not very exciting but clean and reasonable value: around £10 per head  including drinks. (Alcohol not available).

Parking is relatively straightforward in Marrakech, with several car parks close to Place Djemaa el fna, the main square which houses the souk (car parks usually marked on the tourist maps). A few have advertised tariffs, but most do not display charges and are often ‘as you wish’ – usually around 5dh, paying on exit – perhaps more for a longer stay in the evening.

It’s also possible to park your car on the streets around Djemaa el fna, in Gueliz, the French quarter, and on Av Mohammed V. Each street in the Gueliz, and each small section of Mohammed V, will have its own traffic attendant (gardien de voitures) who’ll help you park, and more importantly, hold up traffic for you to get out afterwards. Traffic attendants are sometimes obvious in their long blue or brown coats and straw hats, other times they’re more informal. And it’s your guess if the casual one is legitimate or not, I’m afraid. Either way, he will appear as if by magic at your window just as you’re about to leave. A fee is expected, and life works better all round if you pay gracefully. Charge for locals is 1-2dh, but as non-locals, life is not that cheap, say 5 – 10dh. It is perfectly customary to have your car cleaned while it is parked by a roving team. They will check with you before going in to action. Expect to pay up to 20dh (they do a thorough job – very handy if you are about to return your hire car).

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