If you didn’t see it on instagram, we recently announced our first ever L | M Escape, a luxurious & intimate 8-day, 7-night creative + slow living retreat, in Marrakech, Morocco, and it’s now open for registration! Edit: Sold out! We have a just a couple of spots left unreserved! Our good friend & Marrakech expert Emma Rice has partnered with us as our guide, and you can find detailed (very detailed!) information & reserve your spot over at L | M Retreats. As such, I kicked myself into gear (despite being brain dead & poised to give birth any day now…two days ago was technically my due date!) to finally share my photos of our time in Morocco as well as a few of our favorite spots + recommendations—sure to be updated as we discover more. Click through for photos of our trip, what to expect on the escape, and our guide to the city!
During the Escape, we’ll be taking guests on a journey that begins at the garden oasis pictured in this post, Riad Berbere, hidden in the heart of the medina (old town) and mere steps from the hectic scents and vibrant colors of the souks (markets). From there our little group will travel on to Scarebeo, a luxe camp site, in the out-lying Agafay desert for star gazing and camel safari before ending at the beautiful Kasbah Bab Ourika. Hot air balloons to hammam spa treatments; street food to long table, lantern lit dinners; cooking classes from locals to morning yoga: this is our most elaborate, detailed, and immersive event yet.
The small group (6 guests total) is designed to maximize guests one-on-one time to discuss the topics that interest them most be it recalibrating their life, styling, photography, editing in Lightroom, social media, brand & business building, slow living + work/life balance, writing, and more. But most of all it’s intended to be an inspiring, curated travel & food experience unlike any other.
Without further ado, here are our current favorite places to eat, stay, and shop in the city as well as our favorite things to source.
wander guide | marrakech, morocco
a pink dust circus of motorbikes & markets
Stay
- Le Riad Berbere
- Kasbah Bab Ourika
- Scarabeo Camp
- La Pause
- Beldi Country Club
- AirBnB for tons of riads in the medina!
Eat
- Nomad
- Jemaa El-Fna Square, stall 44 (get what is essentially a mashed potato + egg pita….not kidding!)
- Le Jardin
- Cafe D’espices
- Street food!
Shop + See + Do
- The Souks
- Hammam (a.k.a. Turkish Bath) – our favorites were Le Bain Bleu & Les Bains de Marrakech
- The man with the white beard pictured below, near the beginning of Jemaa el-Fna. He sells herbs and incense in/near the square. And is amazing.
- Sufjan’s rugs. Walk straight back into the rug section of the souks, and you’ll see a small, all-white rug stall right in front of you. That’s the one. Ask about other rugs. He has an amazing collection.
Acquire – suggested goods to hunt while there
- Brass & copper goods
- A tagine
- leather house slippers
- spices
- incense
- olive oil soap
- woven baskets
- Berber Rugs & textiles
- African Antiques
Travel Tips
- Always carry a few dirham for tipping. If you take someone’s photo, tip them. And ask permission.
- Don’t drink the water unless it’s been boiled (i.e. tea is fine). Stick to bottled.
- Haggle. Don’t take the first price offered you in the souks! They expect to be talked down, and playing the game is how to get a fair price!
- Arabic & French are fluently spoken, and getting by in English isn’t a problem.
- If you’ve heard it’s a pain and you’ll be hassled constantly, don’t believe the hype. Yes, in the souks you will be constantly called to look at their wares. Consider it part of the experience and you’ll be fine!
- Don’t miss the hammam! We were spa junkies while there.
- Street food. Eat it! It’s hard for me to recommend many sit down restaurants because I love the street food so much! If you have favorite spots in ‘Kech leave them in the comment section, and we’ll be sure to update with more after our next trip.
