My latest trip in Morocco a 10 day

GOOD DAY , WHEN TALK ABOUT TRIP IN MOROCCO, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT AMAZING A PLACE OF MOROCCO,..,SO READ THIS ARTICLE FOR SEE AMAZING THING OF MOROCCO

My latest trip was a 10 day holiday in Morocco which I will be writing about over the next few days.

Fes el Bali (the old medina)

We flew to and from Fes from Stansted with Ryanair, which was by far the cheapest option we found. Due to this, and wanting to visit both Marrakech and the Sahara our itinerary was slightly hectic.

We arrived in Fes late on Thursday, and spent 2 nights there before catching the train to Marrakech, where we spent 2 nights before a 3 day/2 night trip to the Sahara by way of the Dadès Gorges. The itinerary was then mirrored with another 2 nights in Marrakech followed by 2 nights in Fes.

Marrakech train station

This meant 2 very long (7.5 hour) train journeys which took up most of their respective days. If there were a town in between (Rabat or Casablanca say) that you wanted to visit, it would almost certainly make more sense, as with two smaller train journeys you wouldn’t miss so much of the day to either. If we did a similar trip again, we would try to book earlier and have a linear route, flying in and out of different airports.

Fes train station

First up will be a post on Fes.

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Morocco - Fes - Arrival and Dar el Menia

FES IS FIRST CITY IN HISTORY OF MOROCCO -IT IS FIRST OF MOROCCO

Fes was our first taste of Morocco, and I am not sure I would recommend it as the first Moroccan city to visit. On our return after our trip to Marrakech it grew on me to the point where I don’t know which I preferred, but as first impressions go, Fes was much too hectic and difficult to explore for the first few days of a holiday. I always feel it takes a few days of a holiday to get into the stride of thigs, and Fes is not the place to do that.

We had arranged with our hotel, the Riad Dar el Menia, for a taxi to pick us up from the airport for 21EUR. Many costs in Morocco can be paid in either euro or dirham, with the exchange rate usually set at 10Dh to the euro. A grand taxi from the airport should be about 120Dh, but it was nice to have the pickup for the first time to ensure we ended up in the right place. Jemal from the hotel then met us at the carpark and guided us to the Riad as there are no cars inside the Medina where we were staying.

I doubt we would have found the Riad without a guide, as it is down a rather unassuming, unmarked alleyway approximately 5 minutes from the car park. Once we had been shown where it was however, we had no subsequent problems finding it.

The alley to get to Dar el Menia

Dar el Menia is a 250 year old courtyard house that has been restored beautifully. The rooms were decorated with a wealth of local crafts and fabrics and were very comfortable, though slightly small. The lack of outside windows, and the central courtyard meant the house stayed cool despite the outside temperature reaching the high 30s most days. It was equipped with a kitchen that guests could use, although we didn’t, and a roof terrace where breakfast was served each morning and which provided a quiet spot to read and relax in during the afternoons, when we tried to keep out of the sun.

The courtyard

Our room from the courtyard

 We had two different rooms, the first on the second floor and the second on the ground floor. Both looked onto the courtyard, with the ground floor room's doors opening onto the courtyard. The ground floor room was cheaper, but other than the accessibility there wasn't much difference in size or comfort.

The ground floor room

The hotel offers a dinner on arrival if you book in advance, but given the cost, and the many restaurants very near by we did not try this option. We did however avail of their breakfast which was served on the terrace and was very tasty with a range of bread, jams, omellette, cheese and a type of pancake called rghaif/msmen.

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Once you find yourself getting claustrophobic within the confines of the Medina, there are plenty of other attractions in Fes to visit.

Merenid tombs from the Borj Nord

The Jardin Jnan Sybil are found next to the Bab Chems, which is easily found by crossing the Place Bouljoud after exiting the Bab Bouldjoud. The Place Bouljoud is a large square that fills up in the evening with people selling odds and ends from sheets laid on the ground. During the day it is empty with no shade. A school lies along one side of the square, and there were a few orange juice sellers in the shade here.

Place Bouljoud

We found the gardens a fantastic place to sit in the shade and people watch whilst relaxing. They are full of flowering shrubs, and a large pond, although this was empty when we visited presumably due to the heat. It was nice being somewhere so lush after the dusty heat of the rest of the city, and there are plenty of benches.

Jardin Jnan Sybil

From the gardens, Fes Jdid or new Fes is easily reached. This isn't the new French town, but the 1276 new town founded by the Merenids. This contains the Jewish quaters of the town, and a calmer shopping street. The palace is also situated here. Whilst there aren't many attractions to see, it was nice wandering around streets without any harassment, and seeing a different style to the medina.

Bab Makina in Fes Jdid

Our favourite spot in Fes outside the medina was the Borj Nord, which contains the Musee Armes. Borj Nord is a fort overlooking Fes reached from Ain Azliten or Bab Mahrouk.We were lazy and got a taxi up due to the heat, but it would probably only be a 10-15 minute walk.

Borj Nord

The view over Fes is stunning, and the museum is well worth a visit if you have any interest in arms. The collection contains a wide range of weapons, both Moroccan and from elsewhere including armour and a large collection showing the evolution of gun technology. 

Suit of armour in the Musee Armes

 You can go on the roof, which seemed to sometimes have a cafe, but most importantly has the best views. It is a shame the cafe wasn't open, it would have been a great spot to spend time having tea and enjoying the view.

Fes el Bali from the Borj Nord

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