Hotels in Morocco

Morocco is situated at the west of North Africa. This country is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the south, and Algeria to the east. Morocco has an area of 446550 square kilometres. According to a statistic in the year 2017, the population of Morocco is 35.74 million.

Back then, the history of Morocco started in 1000 BC. The Phoenicians or now called as Lebanon were excellent traders and they have founded trading places in Morocco. They have also discovered Tunisia which is back then called as the Carthage city. The tribesmen of Berber were forming a kingdom at Mauritania in 400 BC.  After that, the influence of the Romans grew significantly in North Africa after they managed to rule the Carthage. The country was under the power of the Romans until the 5th century. The Arabs started to attack Morocco and Islam religion was introduced by the Arabs to Morocco when they successfully rule the country. In 711, they also managed to conquer Spain. Morocco was divided into different types of kingdoms. After a few centuries, Fes which is the capital city of a small kingdom becoming the centre of culture. Then, Morocco was ruled by Mauritania in the 11th century. A century later, Almohads rebel against the Almoravids and a new dynasty was discovered at that time. The following dynasty was called the Wattasids. The Wattasids began to hold in power, and they had taken over all regions in Morocco in 1469. After that, Arab dynasty began with the Saadians has taken over Marrakech and Fes. During the Arab dynasty, the country went well under the rule of Ahmed el Mansour.

Nevertheless, the dynasty has decreased after the death of him. Morocco remained as an independent country in the 19th century. Morocco was forced to become a French protectorate in 1912. The whole country of Morocco felt bitter about their loss of independence. During World War I, Roosevelt felt sympathy towards the Moroccans. In 1944, there is a publish of Manifesto of Independence, and the Sultan announced that he wants to get independence for his country. Morocco had gained their independence in 1956 after the French had deposed the Sultan. In the year 1961, the king of Morocco was Hassan II, and he became the king until 1991. However, the politics in Morocco were not stable in the 1960s and 1970s. Besides that, the king has survived in two coup attempts in 1971 and 1972. Then, riots happened in Casablanca in 1981. Today, Morocco is a fast developing country and the main industries in Morocco is textile and tourism.

The main religion in Morocco is Islam with 99 per cent of the population. The following is Judaism and Christianity with 1 per cent. However, the people in Morocco are free to practice any religion and majority of the population choose to practice Islam that is Sunni. The Christians in Morocco are mostly from other countries. There is also a Baha’i community which is the Jews. For language, the official language in Morocco is Moroccan Arabic. The following language is the Hassaniyya Arabic which is spoken by the Southern Morocco people. Besides that, Judeo-Moroccan Arabic is spoken by people who live in a small area of Morocco. The Moroccans can also speak French due to the influence of French from 1912 to 1956. For those who wished to enter Morocco, they have to obtain a visa. Most of the countries around the world can enter Morocco up to 90 days. However, for Singapore traveller, the visa can stay up to 30 days only. After 30 days, the travellers need to get a visa for them. The best time to visit Morocco is during spring and autumn season. The weather will be warm and windy. The weather will be cold during the winter. During the summer season, it will be hard for them to travel around because of the heat scorching.

The foods in Morocco are influenced by Berber, Arabic, Mediterranean, and Andalusian cuisines. Morocco foods ranked as the best cuisines in the world. Therefore, there are popular dishes among the locals in Morocco. One of the dishes is the Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Olives. It is one of the famous dishes in Morocco. This dish is prepared in a conventional pot or traditional tagine. The ingredient of this dish are onions, saffron, ginger, preserved lemons, and olives for the puree. The chicken will be roasted. The tourist can taste this dish at restaurants or outdoor dining venues on the street. The following dish is Harira. It is one of the favourite dishes among the Moroccans.  Harira is a tomato soup laden with chickpeas and lentils. Rice or fine broken noodles are added to the dish a well and the stock is made with lamb or beef. This dish is also easy to get at any restaurants in Morocco. Another dish that should not be missed by the tourist is the Bastilla. It is a famous pie in Morocco. The pie contains chicken that is cooked with saffron ginger, cinnamon, pepper, warqa pastry with herb-laden omelette and fried almonds together with orange flower water.

How to Get There

By Flight

For Singapore travellers, they need to take a flight from Singapore Changi Airport to Mohammed V International Airport. The ticket price for one people is ranging between SGD 1900 to SGD 2200. However, the price of a flight ticket will be higher during peak seasons such as the festive season or public holidays. The journey will take about 18 hours and 10 minutes. The travellers can choose for a straight flight, or they can make a stop and take a transit flight to Morocco. Mohammed V International Airport is an international airport that is located in Nouaceur Province.  This airport will serve for people who want to go to Casablanca, Morocco. It is the busiest airport in Morocco and the fourth busiest in Africa. Once they arrived at Mohammed V International Airport, they can get an airport shuttle that is provided by their hotel, or they can choose to take a taxi to go straight to the hotel.

What to Do There?

Jemaa el Fnaa

Jemaa el Fnaa is one of the attraction places among locals and foreign tourists in Morocco. This place opens from morning to night. It is the best place for the tourist to go shopping souvenirs. This market is located at Medina of Marrakech. During the day, the visitors can see apes climb all over other visitors who will be trained by a monkey trainer and snake charmers to the sound of a flute. Besides that, there are street comedy theatre, klams or mystical words, and acrobatic shows. The visitors can also find stands that sell spices, mint leaves, and orange juice. At night, this market is a nice place to have dinner. The visitors can have a meal while listening to the Moroccan musicians playing instruments and watch shows that will be held around the restaurant area.

Majorelle Garden

Majorelle Garden is a botanical garden that is situated in Marrakech, Morocco. Before it opened to the public, this place is used to the residence Jacques Majorelle who is the creator of this garden. Then, this place was bought over by fashion designers, Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Berge. It has also housed Berber Museum, Islamic Art Museum of Marrakech, and Musee Yves Saint Laurent. The visitors can find a few types of exotic plants and rare species such as cactus, yuccas, water lilies, water lilies, jasmines, bougainvillaea, palm trees, coconut trees, banana trees, and many more. This garden was opened to the public in 1947. The Berber Museum was established in 2011. It is used to be the workshop of Jacques Majorelle. The museum has displayed clothing, jewellery, and Berber costumes and other artefacts that can enhance the visitors’ understanding of Berber culture. The museum has also featured paintings of Majorelle. In Islamic Art Museum of Marrakech, the visitors can see collections of North African textiles, ceramics, and jewellery. The visitors can visit Musee Yves Saint Laurent is a place that had displayed some of the things that bring tribute to the legacy of the designer and the link with Marrakech.

Toubkal

For hiking lovers, Toubkal is a must-visit destination which is located at Marrakesh city. Mount Toubkal is the tallest mountain in Atlas Mountain, North Africa, and the Arab World. The mountain stands 4167 metres of height. The route at the mountain is straightforward. The tourists can climb this mountain during winter and summer season. There are two routes for winter season and summer season. For winter route, they need to have an ice axe and crampons. For summer route, they do not have to hold any equipment with them. Both routes will begin at Imlil town. Then, they have to go up to Tamsoult Refugee. After that, they have to head up to the Nelter Refuge. Here, they make their summit bid up the South Cwm of Toubkal. Once they reached the peak of the mountain, the visitors can watch a panoramic view of the surrounding area.

Where to Stay?

Hotel Central

Hotel Central is an affordable place to stay in the city of Anfa. This hotel has a very good location. It is because the guests can get to plenty of tourist attraction such as religious sites and public facilities which are only walking distance from the hotel. Besides that, this hotel provides a few facilities and services that will bring convenience to the guests. Among them are luggage storage, tour service, laundry service, a 24-hour receptionist, and parking with surcharged. The guests can have a delicious meal at a restaurant available in this hotel. They can also have a cup of coffee at a coffee shop that is located in this hotel. Other than that, the rooms in this hotel are equipped with basic amenities. This hotel has always kept all the rooms in clean condition since there is a daily housekeeping service available for all room packages. Also, the guests can also get access to a free Wi-Fi in their rooms.

Hotel Sahara

For those who want to search for an affordable place to stay, the perfect choice of hotel is the Hotel Sahara.  Hotel Sahara is located in the area of Essaouira. This 2-star hotel has prepared impeccable facilities and services for their guests. Among them are tour service, luggage storage, laundry service, multilingual staff, airport shuttle with surcharged, concierge, library, outdoor pool, spa, picnic area, a business centre, meeting facilities, and valet parking with surcharged. The guests can have light snacks and drinks at a bar, or they can have a coffee drink at a coffee shop in this hotel.  Besides that, all the rooms in this hotel are equipped with useful amenities. The rooms in this hotel are always hygienic since this hotel provides daily housekeeping service. Apart from that, the guests feel more convenient for travelling around the area. Many interesting places can be visited by them which takes only a few minutes of walking from the hotel.

Mogador Palace Agdal

Mogador Palace Agdal is perfect accommodation during a visit in Marrakech area. The guests can enjoy many facilities and a high-quality service that is prepared by the hotel.  Among them are laundry service, luggage storage, multilingual staff, tour service, children club with surcharged, children pool, spa, health club, fitness centre, parasol, sauna, spa, steam room, business centre, a computer station, conference room, and meeting facilities. For rooms, the hotel has provided amazing in-room and bathroom amenities for the guests. The guests choose any room that has a view of a pool or garden. They can always stay connected with their families and friends using a free Wi-Fi in their rooms. Other than that, this hotel is strategically located near tourist spots such as heritage sites, parks, and public facilities.