Marrakech

Recently my boyfriend and I took a 4 day trip to Morroco. It was a nice way to spend a few nights in the sun and away from the British weather. I've never really travelled beyond Europe before so I wasn't sure what to expect. 

At first, I felt kind of out of place, and since it was the middle of December, there weren't many tourists around. Everyone was dressed very differently, not something I was used to. I tried to blend in a little by wearing a headscarf and hiding my bright hair but apparently that only made me stand out more. 

Many of the places we wanted to see were quite far apart so we used cabs to get around. After our first day, we learned that to catch a cab you simply stand at the side of the road and wave your hand. Always agree on the price before as some people may try to rip you off.

The only thing I didn't like was the number of locals on the main square with snakes and monkeys. The monkeys were chained up and the owners would walk up to you and try charge you in exchange for photos with the animals. We were later told that the monkeys have been taken from the Atlas mountains.

If you plan on coming to Marrakech, one of the must-see places is the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa, which is basically the tourist market. I didn't realise how big the market was until we got lost... If it wasn't for my data, it would have taken more than half an hour to find our way out.

The market is full of stalls selling lamps, spices, scarves and many other gifts. But if you want to buy something for a good price, you have to haggle your way to a bargain.

Another beautiful place we went to visit was the Ben Youssef Madrasa. This was actually right in the middle of the market, so wasn't exactly easy to find. Our lovely cabman took us half the way, but the rest we walked ourselves. 

To get in we had to pay a small fee, and after we got to explore the building as much as we wanted to. I fell in love with the colours and the design of the building, it's not something you get to see every day. 

To finish off our holiday we booked a camel ride and a tour around the Ourika valleys. It was an amazing experience and if you ever get a chance to ride a camel, do it. Mine obviously stopped off for a cheeky snack half way through.

If you like to go sightseeing and are looking for something different, take a trip to Morocco. You'll learn a lot about the peoples' culture, food and how very different they live their life. Most importantly, it's sunny in Marrakech all throughout the year! So if you want to take a break from the cold and the rain for a few nights, this is the place :)

Above is the Marrakech railway station, one of the many beautiful buildings we saw!