Morocco underwhelms

I finally went on vacation, I could not have been more excited - I had not done a real holiday in a year (which is very hard when traveling is your life line). We went to Marrakesh and stayed at Dar Rhizlame (http://www.dar-rhizlane.com/)

For the hotel itself, it was highly recommended on the New York Times travel section however the staff spoke very limited English. This was fine since I speak French but could be a problem for others. The hotel itself was very picturesque and did indeed give you a sense of staying in a real Moroccan guest house. Your breakfast was also included and we took ours on our balcony each morning. It was a lot of various carbs though. The staff was very friendly if a bit slow moving but that is to be expected outside of the US. I did have some qualms with it however. For starters you could hear everything on the street which meant you only got silence between about 11pm and 6am. Also my dad's room had a really weird smell about it that would not go away (and permeated all of his belongings).

We took a camel ride in Les Palmiers which allowed us to see where a lot of the luxury hotels are and I would advise against it. It was just like being in a giant 2,000 room American hotel with a Moroccan theme about it. Would also take longer to get into town. There are tons of guest houses of all levels of quality and price both inside and just outside the old medina and if you want some culture go for one of those instead.

That said despite doing all the things you are 'meant' to do neither my dad nor I were enamored at all. In fact since returning to DC when people ask me and I share my thoughts I am frequently told this is not the first time they've heard this. Apparently despite Marrakesh giving me the impression of being a glamorous exotic place to go, many people have felt the same thing!

That being said the food was absolutely amazing and you must eat at both Le Tobsil and Al Fassia are places where one MUST eat (Al Fassia is well known for their Pigeon Bastilla).

The New York Times does a great article on all the things one should do in Marrakesh (and we did all of them, the Gardens, the school, the bains). If you decide you still must go here instead of somewhere else check this: http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/travel/11hours.html

I have been to many places and there are very very few I would not go back to. While the sights were pretty, the people mostly nice (they do fleece you more than anywhere I have ever been and can be a bit pushy) and the food was tasty I really could care less to go back.