Marrakech, Morocco

Sonna S. IES Abroad London: Health Practice & Policy Program

WHY SHOULD I VISIT?

Marrakech was undoubtedly my favorite trip of the semester, for a multitude of reasons. It was our last “away” trip of the semester, and we were excited to be in the midst of North African & Arab culture after being in London for so long. Marrakech is a wonderful city with so many hidden gems and beautiful architecture, including our riad itself! The sights, scents, and people we came across sometimes reminded me of Mumbai (where my parents are from) in a lot of ways, and I felt a comfortable familiarity as soon as the taxi ride from the airport to our riad.

Our riad was close to the souks, or the markets of the Medina (the old city). We spent most of our days exploring, trying (and failing) not to buy everything in sight, and I honestly still dream about the delicious food in Rahba Lakdima Square and Moroccan mint tea. Marrakech is an extremely vibrant city and a refreshing contrast to European destinations at every level – art, food, architecture, culture, people – and I absolutely recommend dedicating a long weekend to visiting. Also, before traveling to Marrakech, planning is essential. I strongly recommend traveling in groups (especially girls) and researching where you will be staying before booking your flight.

THE 'UNMISSABLE' ITINERARY

• Ben Youssef Madrasa (hopefully they will be done with construction by the time you get there!)

• Souks (in the Medina)

• Café des Epices

• Koutoubia Mosque

• Menara Mall (they have really good ice cream here – just an FYI)

• Sunset camel ride in the Palm Grove (you can find and book a tour on TripAdvisor & do some research on how ethically the camels are treated before committing to this)