Helpful information in planning your trip to Marrakech



Marrakech, Morocco
Morocco is an Islamic country that spent many years under French rule, until independence in 1956. Marrakech today houses a rapidly expanding population of half a million. It is still a natural market place with a cultural life that retains both the splendor of its periods as an imperial capital and the traditions of its rural Berber hinterlands.


Riyad Edward

Riyad Edward is in the Medina, the old walled city, north of Marrakech’s main square, the Djema el Fna. It is a large traditional house and is one of the principal Riyads in the area, formerly the home of the Alaoui family, relatives of the country’s ruling family. The Mosque of Sidi Bel Abbes and a charming square, easily accessible by car, taxi or even horse carriage, adjoin the property. The entrance to the house is by a typical Medina alley, which contrasts strikingly with the interior of the house.

The terraces and interiors have been lovingly and authentically restored from former neglect using traditional materials. The entrance leads into a pretty courtyard dominated by a tall cypress tree that was planted over 100 years ago and orange trees. A swimming pool runs between the courtyard’s central arches. Traditional Moroccan doors open from the courtyard leading onto a large sitting room and dining room and the master bedroom and bathroom.

The top floor terraces boast magnificent views of the town, the mosques and the distant snow-capped Atlas Mountains. A strong Moroccan influence runs throughout the property with stunning tile-work, carved cedar ceilings and doors, and various local artefacts and rugs scattered around the rooms.

To see photographs of the house go to www.riyadedward.com


There is WiFi available for internet access.

Workshop schedule: the workshop will begin at 6pm on Saturday, February ? {dates to be confirmed}, with dinner and our opening circle, and close on Friday night with a festive celebration. Departures will be after breakfast on the following Saturday morning. You can arrive during the afternoon of the 9th. We will workshop part of each day, and explore various parts of the city together. We will eat breakfast and lunch or dinner at the house each day, but you will be able to eat one meal while out. If you would like to stay a night or two before or after, it is possible to stay an extra night at the riyad for a discounted rate of £60 [2007 prices] a room, which is about $115 (so if you share with someone it would be half of that.) If you want an extra night just let me know and I will arrange it. You can pay the riyad directly for extra nights when you are there. [These prices above will be re-confirmed in the next few weeks - April 2008]

Participants: There will be approximately 22 in our group. We will keep you updated on the list of participants as this grows.

Workshop costs: The following is the schedule of payments and their due dates. If you would like to have them billed to your credit card on the dates due, please fill in and sign the attached form. We will keep your credit card information on file and process the payments on the due dates. (Due to the fluctuation of the US dollar against other currencies we have decided to set the prices in euros to protect against devaluation.) You may also use wire transfer. Please note that there is a 50 EUR late fee added to all payments not received by their due dates.

The total cost of the workshop is 1700 EUR, which is divided as follows:
Non-refundable deposit - 300 EUR
Payment due October 1 - 500 EUR
Payment due November 1 - 500 EUR
Payment due December 1 - 400 EUR

This includes:

• Workshop
• Seven nights accommodation (double occupancy)
• Breakfasts and dinners between dinner on the 9 and breakfast on the 16
• Group activities
• Workshop journal


It does not include your flights/transportation to and from the workshop, lunches, or any personal spending.

Cancellation policy: Cancellations will automatically forfeit all money paid unless we can fill your space, in which case only the 300 EUR deposit is forfeited.

Travel: You can fly directly into Marrakech. There are some direct flights from New York to Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc, and from most major European cities, especially London and Paris. You would then need a connecting flight to Marrakech. I would suggest looking online at www.kayak.com which is a search engine for sites offering flights and will give you the cheapest available. I would also check out the websites for your favorite airline or use your airmiles. Airlines to explore are EasyJet and Atlas Blue from London, and Corsair and Royal Air Maroc from Paris. If you would prefer to use a travel agent in the USA we can recommend Helmut Kogler whose toll free number is 866 297 1054 and his email is hkogler@jbatravel.com.
If any of you come across a great deal, let me know and I will pass it on to the others.

Directions from the airport:
The staff at Riyad Edward will arrange pick up from the airport for us, as then the driver will know exactly where to take you! You will be brought to the gateway nearest the riyad and then met to escort you and carry your luggage to the house.

Physical condition:
Marrakech is not designed for those with limited physical mobility. As the riyad is within the old walled city, which was built hundreds of years before the advent of motor vehicles, there is a five-minute walk from the gate where the cars have to leave us. The house itself has a lot of fairly steep stone stairs between floors and up to the roof terrace. We will be doing quite a bit of walking as it is the best way to get around, and it is also a way to be more connected with the place and people. It is possible to take taxis and sometimes in the evening it is nice to take a horse-drawn carriage home.

 Immunizations: You do not require any immunizations to travel to Morocco.
Insurance: Travel insurance is recommended, although you may have coverage if you buy your ticket with a credit card. Check your coverage. Please also check with your health insurance provider to make sure you will be covered abroad. Be sure to bring proof of insurance that is applicable.

Luggage: Outside the US there are weight restrictions of checked bags. Luggage is weighed as it is checked and you are only allowed 20 kilos (45lbs).
Last year people traveling through London were only allowed one piece of carryon. There is a high price to pay if you are overweight!

Passport: A valid passport that does not expire during your stay is required. If you do not have one, it is a good idea to begin the process now.

Visas: All US, British and European citizens are granted a three month visa upon arrival in Morocco. If you are traveling from other countries on this trip, make sure you check the visa requirements. http://www.moroccanconsulate.com

Language: Arabic and French are the main languages and many people also speak English.

Currency: The official currency is the Morrocan Dirham. These are the exchange rates as of July 2007. THese will updated for 2008 prices nearer the time of booking.
100 Euros = 112 MAD
US $100 = 813 MAD
£100 = 1665 MAD
Aus $100 = 710 MAD

A good website to check and convert currency is www.xe.com

You can exchange your money in a variety of locations in Marrakech. However, it is a good idea to have some liquid cash, even dollars, to cover the first few couple of days. The easiest way to change money is to use an ATM card. We had problems finding places to change travelers checks last year. Tourists are not allowed to take any Moroccan money out of the country, so please budget carefully and keep exchange slips as you may only reconvert on departure half of what you can prove you have converted to dirhams during your stay. As with most places, credit cards are also accepted.

Come prepared to be tempted by all manner of beautiful things to buy! Carpets and rugs, ceramics, jewelry….You will have plenty of opportunity to try your hand at bargaining, after the requisite glass of sweet mint tea.

Weather: The weather in Marrakech is sunny nearly all year round, with pleasantly warm summers and mild winters. Winter can bring heavy downpours of rain, which leave the streets of the old town very muddy, and winter nights can be cold. In February the temperatures will be between 8C / 47F degrees and 21C / 69F. It is often warm enough for shirtsleeves during the day, but can get pretty chilly at night, so pack accordingly, and bring plenty of layers to cover all temperatures.

Electrical info:
Some wall sockets in Morocco are only suitable for low voltage appliances. Two pin round plugs are the norm.

Meal information:
Moroccan food is very delicious and healthy, and of course, also has been influenced by the French. For breakfast we can expect pancakes and honey, fruit salad, yoghurt, croissants and eggs. It will be different every day; and for dinner lots of salads, with grilled or roasted meat, and traditional Moroccan food.

Clothing: It is important to honor cultural differences when choosing what to wear. As Morocco is a Muslim country it is appropriate to dress modestly, with no sleeveless tops, shorts or short skirts. Please bring comfortable shoes as we will be doing lots of walking. The pool will probably be a bit chilly but you might want to bring a swimsuit just in case.

Activities: I am now going to describe some of the possibilities available to us while we are in Marrakech. We have decided not to cast our plans in stone, as we want to remain flexible and open to opportunities that arise while we are there. We will do at least one full day out into to the mountains and Ourika Valley where there is a wonderful market every Monday.

We will workshop approximately half of each day, either morning or afternoon, depending on the weather, what is happening that day, and where we are in the workshop process. Some days we will go out as a group to visit places of interest which will include historic buildings, the extraordinary labyrinthine bazaar, the main square, the local hammam, beautiful gardens, carpet stores……Some days we may send you off in pairs or groups with a specific task to complete. You can be sure that you will have a rich and integrated experience of Marrakech. We promised you an inner and outer journey and we will not neglect either part!

I would encourage you to do some reading about Marrakech and/or Morocco too, as it makes the whole experience richer. There are many different guidebooks, as well as autobiographies and novels set in Morocco that provide a taste of the culture and the country. I will be including some background on Marrakech and Morocco in your workshop journal, which will be mailed to you in January, along with some questions to get you thinking about this upcoming journey and what it means to you.

The Jemaa el Fna – This is the great central square of the medina. “As the morning progresses a perimeter is formed by lines of barrows selling nuts and freshly squeezed orange juice, and the edges of the square erupt into a sea of shops. The center is filled by a random and changing assortment of snake-charmers, storytellers, acrobats, dentists, water-sellers, scribes, monkeys, clowns and dancing boys.

But at dusk the Jemaa el Fna comes into its own, and returns to its true audience of visiting Berber farmers from the plains, deserts and mountains. Lines of kitchens set up their groaning tables, braziers and benches beneath hissing gas lamps. Here you can dine on a great assortment of salads, vats of brewing goat’s head soup, fresh grilled or fried vegetables, chickens, fish and mutton. You can move from table to table trying different platefuls and break off to wander among the musicians and storytellers. Sharp young street kids hiss “Hashish!”, veiled women offer trinkets, or sit beckoning by their stock of woven baskets and wooly hats.

Innocent looking children with beguiling almond eyes solicit, or try rather clumsily to pick your pockets. From worn tarot card, the waddle of sacred doves, ink dots, cast bones, or your palm, incidents from a possible future will be divined by hunched figures perched on low stools, surrounded by the instruments of their trade. As the evening progresses the crowds thin, the kitchens close and small knots of musicians are left, surrounded by a crouching audience furtively smoking their pipes. This is the time to seek out the powerful music influence by the spiritual brotherhoods, freed from the relevancies of a tourist audience. The repetitive, rhythmical music produced on drums, flutes, crude violins is far removed from light entertainment. Shuffling dancers are animated by a spirit that plays upon piety and continence at one moment and sends lewd erotic displays in the next breath.

The Jemaa el Fna is a rich but undeniably exhausting carnival. It encapsulates much of the fascination of Morocco, the difference, colour and energy of its alien culture, compounded by a rarely diminished sensation of being a stranger on the edge of understanding.”
Excerpt from “The Cadogan guide to Morocco”, by Barnaby Rogerson.

The Medina: Beyond the northern edge of the Jemaa el Fna stretches the great souk of Marrakech. It is a triumphant, labyrinthine marketplace, a glittering display of all the traditional arts and regional crafts of Morocco, grouped together by trade in separate but interlinked streets and courtyards. There are turners, weavers, carpenters, tailors, spices, pottery, bright silks, embroidered cloth, carpets, kelims, leather goods and more.