Hi folks..
My plan is to visit Morocco in two weeks, starting from Casablanca airport by train to Fes area, and then by grand taxis and buses south of Atlas to Marrakesh. After two days in Marrakesh my plan is to rent a car for the last 2-3 days and to return it the last day on Casablanca airport. We should be at the airport at 08.00 a.m.
Please, if somebody could give us some advice or sugestion on the following questions:
1. How is the best way to spend 2-3 days driving around in the Marrakesh area? (nature and old cyties is our bigest interest)
2. Where is the best place (not more than cca 30 euro for double) to sleep the last night near the airport, so that we can be early in the morning at the airport whitout too much driving?
Thans in advance for any help :)
1) Nature: You are within a half-hour (if you keep a nice speed) of getting yourself up in the Toubkal Mountains and then a bit more up into Imlil -
some pictures of the area mentioned here as well as a few tips:
h**p://members.virtualtourist.com/m/c5757/203c8d/
Marrakesh lovers will soon jump to you with good ideas on other things.
2) Hotel Corail was a fine place to stay in distance from the medina and close to the airport at a good price. Tiny pool, decent bar, attractive rooms: It was about 60 bucks. You should call them rather than email but here's both.
18, Ave Hassan II, Gueliz - Marrakesh
Hotel Corail - 00212 (0) 24 43 26 13 or fax 00212 (0) 24 19 08
hotelcorail@caramail.com
If you feeling shelling out a few more - I can recommend Le Meridian around the corner and closer to the airport by a few more blocks. It's a chain you can find more online easily.
Have a brilliant time, boo
Forgot to add that the people at Hertz - who I use exclusively here in Morocco, though not in the States - always let me to the one-way drop off at no extra charge. That's my recommendation, if you hadn't made your car hire reservations yet.
Yes the drive to Asni and therefore getting up to Imlil is very scenic - i would definitely going on a bit further towards the Tizintest mountain pass to the old mosque of Tin Mal which is one of the two mosques open to nonmuslims in Morocco - also to the lookout from the top/highest road point of Tizintest is worth it too. and also the road to Oukaimeden.
but also the beautiful drive from Marrakech to Telouet is a stunning drive with lots of variety in scenery, berber villages along the way and takes you up over even more spectacular moutain pass of Tizintichka - and then Telouet has the Glaoui palace, or kasbah, that was the seat of the Atlas rulers, before king Hassan got power back in the 50s, ruling a large or significant area of southern morocco. the kasbah was therefore very beautiful but has been left to deteriorate and so its down now to only two large rooms in amongst th complx - very beautiful but well worth the trip to see the kasbah before its off limits totally. the area around telouet is very beautiful too down to anmiter and tasgha and tigzha. About 2 hours from Marrakech to Telouet - or stopping to taking photos here and there, mint tea or coffee or tagine at Taddert II, then it might take 3 hours! but very interesting and photogenic. intersting souk on thursdays too.
so yes its wellworth getting a car to maximise your time and route.
trusted partner
