Journal
The journal
What we learn running this house, and what we wish we had read before coming to Marrakech.
Apartment or private riad in Marrakech: what each one actually gives you
The apartment wins for two people and three nights. From four people and a week up, a whole private house costs less a head and gives something else. Outside the ramparts included.
What a hire car in Marrakech really costs, line by line
A week with a car in Marrakech costs between 1,700 and 3,800 dirhams all in, depending on your choices. Every line, the fees you only meet at the desk, and seven costed levers.
Riad, dar or villa: what the words really mean, and which one suits you
A riad has a planted inner garden, a dar has a paved patio, a villa has an outdoor garden. The tourist industry calls almost everything a riad. That confusion costs people their holiday.
Do you need a car in Marrakech? The answer depends on where you sleep
If you are sleeping in the medina, no. If you are sleeping outside the walls, yes, and it is not negotiable. Real prices, deposit, insurance, and the four habits that avoid 90% of disputes.
When to visit Marrakech: the month by month, and the real water temperature
September is the best month of the year, and April is a trap. NOAA temperatures, real rainfall, and the one subject nobody covers honestly: the water in an unheated pool.
New Year in Marrakech in a private house: book in September or give it up
The two weeks around Christmas and New Year are the peak price window of the year in Marrakech, and private houses go from September. What you pay, what you get, what disappoints.
Where to stay in Marrakech: medina, Gueliz, Palmeraie or countryside
An honest comparison of the four options, including the faults of our own. What each area costs you in travel time, in noise and in the feeling of being somewhere else.