Morocco from A to Z — East London Mornings

Morocco is more than Marrakesh

In partnership with Expedia and Visit Morocco

Part 1. Morocco is where... 75 storks live in the abandoned palace.
Earlier this summer I went on a great adventure to Morocco and finally can share the details. Expedia filming crew and I flew to this amazing country to explore local food and culture. We shopped in souks of Rabat, cooked tagines in Tanger, visited 14th century tanneries in Fez and drove more than 1000km around the country.

Part 2. Morocco is where... every room is fit for a princess. Rabat.
When looking for an accommodation in Morocco you will come across ‘riads’. Riad means a traditional house with a garden in the middle. Rooms will most likely overlook the garden and won’t have windows to the busy outside world so you can fully relax in the peace and quiet of the house. Our first stay was in the beautiful Riad Rabat – Dar El Kebira (right image. The one on the left is our riad in Fes - La Maison Bleue).

Rabat, Morocco's capital, rests along the shores of the Bouregreg River and the Atlantic Ocean. It's known for landmarks that speak to its Islamic and French-colonial heritage, including the Kasbah of the Udayas. This Berber-era royal fort is surrounded by formal French-designed gardens and overlooks the ocean. The city's iconic Hassan Tower, a 12th-century minaret, soars above the ruins of a mosque.

The restaurant not to miss in Rabat - Le Ziryab. It is necessary to book in advance and believe me is very hard to find. It is located in the very centre of the old medina, but we were going circles for about 20 minutes before spotting the right door with no signs of the restaurant. Ask to take you to the rooftop for the best views of the city.

Part 3. Morocco is where... every meal is a feast. Tangier.
Although Morocco isn’t a big country, every region has it’s own specialities. Lamb and plum couscous in the capital, anchovy tagine in the blue city of Chefchaouen, chicken pastilla in Fez - all worth travelling for! Tangier was all about learning to cook local dishes. We started our day with a coffee at the Café Hafa. It was opened in 1921 and famous for being a favourite local of The Beatles and Rolling Stones when they visited the city. The cafe has retained its 1920s style of decor and still serves its mint tea, a Tangier special brew. Also on the bright day you can spot Spain on the other shore of the Strait of Gibraltar.

Between the period of being a strategic Berber town and then a Phoenician trading centre to the independence era around the 1950s, Tangier was a nexus for many cultures. In 1923, it was considered as having international status by foreign colonial powers. One of my favourite places in Tangier (and the best coffee in town!) was Cinémathèque de Tanger, an art house movie theatre within the restored Art Deco Cinéma Rif building in the Casbah district.

And the main part was a cooking class at Blue Door Cuisine. We baked our own bread, cooked classic lamb tagine, couscous and all the trimmings. An exceptional experience!

Part 4. Morocco is… most controversial experience in Fez.

The most accurate description of the city would be ‘frozen in time’. Cultural and spiritual centre of Morocco Fez is known for it’s ancient medina, El-Bali, that is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the world’s largest urban car-free zones. Navigating the medina is an adventure on its own and is definitely the biggest highlight of the city. As much as I consider myself having a good sense of directions, believe me, it is impossible to get out of this maze. It might sound unnecessary and even if you managed to navigate in medinas of Marrakesh or Rabat, in Fez, you need a guide. Ask him to show you the traditional craft streets (copperware makers, dyers, carpet makers) and don’t miss famous 11th century Chouara Tannery. It’s the city’s oldest and largest tannery, and is where cow, sheep, goat and camel skins are brought to be preserved and dyed. The guide will show you the best roof to observe how workers do their hard job balancing on the edges or even inside of the dying pits the same way as nine hundred years ago. That day I will never forget. That smell I will never forget. The guide will provide you with a bunch of mint to mask the smell, but no mint can hide it. This shouldn’t put you off visiting, because it is a very important part of eye-opening experience.

Part 5. Morocco is where... everything is blue in Chefchaouen.
Buildings, doors, streets - all possible shades of blue! Nobody knows for sure when, who and why started the tradition of painting houses blue, but it certainly made this town world famous and if you need to pick only one destination in Morocco, this should be the one. We stayed in Lina Ryad & Spa with a very convenient location and the best views of the town.

After exploring all the blue streets of town, one of the most magical experiences this year was the sunset at The Spanish Mosque hill. Many people climb the hill to say good bye to a day with songs, dances and meditations. Don’t miss it out!