The vibrant colours of the pink city, Marrakesh
The colours. The vibrancy. The tiles. Oh my gosh, the tiles! It’s worth a trip to Morocco just to see them.
In March 3 girl-friends and I were lucky enough to spend two weeks in Morocco (did somebody say girls trip!?) and it’s safe to say that it was the most amazing ‘work’ trip - ever.
If this isn’t a country you’ve considered adding to your bucket list, this is why it should be. I’ll explain what we did, where we stayed and how Morocco is providing some major design inspiration.
From tiles, to colour pallets, to courtyards and rugs, Morocco truly is an interior designer’s paradise.
The Itinerary:
We flew with Emirates from Auckland to Dubai, a 17 hour flight. Then after a 2 hour stop, it was another 8 hours in the air to Casablanca, Morocco. We then took a domestic flight from Casablanca to Marrakesh. (No kids it was a breeze).
We spent a beautiful 5 nights in Marrakesh 1 night in the Agafay desert, 1 night in Atlas Mountains, 3 nights in Essaouria. Before spending our final night in Casablanca
Emma, Sharon, Clarissa and Mary-Ellen in the Agafay Desert near Marrakesh.
Who Came:
Four women ready to take on Morocco! Emma, from Bohzali, Clarissa and Sharon. Clarissa and I have been friends since we were just 13, and I’ve known Emma all her life. Emma is my niece, and was born when I was 5. Sharon and Emma have been friends since they were 13 too, so the group worked really well as travel companions!
First and foremost, this was a work trip. We were there with Emma to buy rungs, and other products for Bohzali. It was Emma’s 3rd buying trip to Morroco. When she asked me to join the year earlier, the timing wasn’t right. But this time I wasn’t missing out. Being a Muslim country, Emma can’t really travel alone. we were there to buy rugs, and other products for bohzali. And Although I’m currently an interior designer, I also have a degree in Photography. I absolutely love documentary photography! I was given the job of head photographer to document and record the trip. These images grace the pages of the bohzali website and social media.
Clarissa is enjoying the sun on the roof terrace of our Riad in Marrakesh which was in the medina (old town). It was about a 5 min walk, taking twists and turns through the narrow streets from the main square.
The internal court yard inside Riad Modjakech, which went up three levels. I especially loved the plants in the large green pots handmade by a tribe in the Sahara.
Where we stayed – Marrakesh:
For our first 5 nights in Marrakesh, we booked a large riad through Airbnb. And it didn’t look nearly as large online as it turned out to be. Riad Modjakech was built over three levels. The ground floor held a kitchen, living room and bedroom. On the middle level, there was a bedroom and a large living room. And on the top floor was a large master bedroom and a beautiful outdoor courtyard.
Our Riad was near the Rahba Kedima spice square, which was a fabulous place to stay and I would highly recommend it over the Jemaa el-Fna square area. It’s more laid back and there are plenty of nice restaurants around it. We enjoyed breakfast each day at Café Des Spices.
We spent the first day wandering the heart of the Medina and Souks of Marrakech, so many things I couldn’t fit in my bag to bring home, rattan cactus and brass sinks
Day One – Marrakesh:
We spent the first day in Marrakesh exploring the city. We walked for about 8 hours around the souk, but there was still so much more to see! With Emma as our guide, we walked and walked, only stopping for quick coffee breaks along the way.
Marrakesh is as beautiful, rich and vibrant as it looks in the photos, and the terracotta city is extremely photogenic. Every step we took provided a new photo opportunity.
Roof top terraces - Rugs as far as the eye can see…
This is certainly a city that’s emerging into something quite cool and trendy. A bit like Bali, but less party focused. Only a handful of restaurants serve alcohol, most don’t. But we didn’t miss it at all. We were content exploring. And with so much to see and do, we didn’t want to waste time sitting about sipping cocktails.
We visited The Secret Garden, which was such a beautiful and peaceful place. And the tiles. Oh my gosh, the tiles! The designer inside me jumped at the sight of them. It’s worth a trip to Morocco just to see them for yourself.
The Secret Garden is a must visit in Marrakesh - these green herringbone tiles are incredible.
Day Two – Marrakesh:
The following day meant rug shopping! We went with Emma to her wholesale supplier for Bohzali. We looked at hundreds of gorgeous rugs and spent over 5 hours doing it! Most of them were vintage, 20-60 years old. And each one had its own flares and quirks, no two rugs were the same. I bought a stunning large black and white rug.
Behind the scenes: Selecting rugs for the New Zealand market, we helped Emma decide what would sell here, what colours and styles of rugs to bring home. It was dusty work…
A large internal courtyard with a covered roof housed the most magical space, I hope I return in years to come and it has been restored as it was in need of some TLC, here Emma bought floor cushions for Bohzali.
Day Three – Marrakesh:
On day three, one of Emma’s suppliers took us to the Agafay Desert. This is a new development, not yet open to the public. So, we had the whole area to ourselves!
We enjoyed a traditional lunch before getting started on our photoshoot of Emma and her rugs throughout the compound.
If you get the chance, I would highly recommend this as a day-trip. It was such a beautiful area, and was only 1 hour out of Marrakesh.
One of the many photos I took for the photoshoot in Agafay Dessert.
Agafay Desert Camp - A magical day spent relaxing, we had a traditional lunch and took literally hundreds of photos of this beautiful place.
Day Four – Marrakesh to the Desert Camp:
After a touch of last minute shopping, we left for our Desert camp. This was also in the Agafay Desert, just 1 hour from Marrakesh. We’d considered going to the Sahara, but it was a 10 hour drive each way so decided against it. But this camp was an awesome alternative.
The tents at Scarabeo Desert Camp
Scarabeo Desert Camp, included a sunset camel ride.
Emma inside of our luxury desert camp, we loved the rugs, layered to cover the whole floor, the leather poofs, and pompom blankets. We were toasty and warm at night with the fire.
Where we stayed – Agafay Scarabeo Desert Camp:
The four of us shared a large family room, at Scarabeo Desert Camp. It was an Insta paradise! So pretty, so quaint and so unique. We really enjoyed our time here, and even cracked open a bottle of wine with dinner.
We did a few organised excursions, the highlight being a camel ride at sunset. It was stunningly perfect!
We wanted to go hot air ballooning, but couldn’t fit it in. It’s definitely gone on the list for next time though.
Small villages dotted the hillside on the way into the Atlas Mountains.
Day Five – Desert Camp to Atlas Mountains:
The next day, we were collected by a tour company and driven into the Atlas Mountains. Although it was only a one-and-a-half-hour drive, we did take a little tiki-tour. We stopped with a family for tea, and then stopped off at a waterfall. I wouldn’t recommend the trip to the waterfalls. It wasn’t spectacular.
Heba Lodge in the Atlas Mountains, it was like a Swiss cottage in the mountains, beautifully presented and so lovely and warm thanks to the fire place in the bedroom.
Where we stayed – Atlas Mountains - Hebalodge:
Our accommodation was high up in the mountains and it felt like a small Swiss ski village, but with Moroccan styling! The place was gorgeous and the owner was so sweet. We truly felt like we were living with the locals as we watched the goats return home from the mountains at night. We had the best sleep that night.
Essaouria medina
Day Six – Atlas Mountains to Essaouria:
Last stop – Essaouria! This beautiful blue and white seaside village is much smaller than Marrakesh, and it has a very different feel! Essaouira is an Atlantic port city in western Morocco, The old city (medina). It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001.
Our Airbnb was on built on a curve in the road, featured curved doorways and the most incredible tiny tiles.
Where we stayed – Essaouria:
The small Airbnb we stayed in here was super cute! And it had the most amazing tiles. It was built in a bend down an alleyway (the road that was built long before there were cars, there were none in the old town), so all the internal walls were rounded. The windows were arched with gorgeous tiles, small and mosaic. I have found these tiles available in NZ, so if you’ve got the budget, it’s an achievable design.
The cutest cafe in Essaouria, I wanted to put these lights in my bag and bring them home, and the mugs… so perfect!
Days Seven, Eight and Nine – Essaouria:
We had time to relax in Essaouria, and we took our time walking. There was nowhere we needed to be, nothing we needed to do – it was peaceful. We walked out along the beach and found some very cute boutique shops and cafes.
Cute little boutique homeware stores… I also wanted to bring everything home from this shop.
The incredible tiles, rugs and blue doors of Essaouria
Day Ten – Essaouria to Casablanca (via Marrakesh to drop off Sharon):
Last stop – Casablanca! It was a 3-hour drive to Marrakesh, and then another 3 to Casablanca. And knowing how good the roads are, I wouldn’t recommend flying. Hiring a car and driver turned out very cost effective between the four of us, and the roads are long and straight with little traffic.
Hasan II Mosque - Casablanca
Day Eleven – Casablanca:
In Casablanca, we went to the Hassan II Mosque, which is the 10th largest mosque in the world. Photographs just don’t do this place justice. It was architecturally stunning!
Tile details of tiles at Hassan II Mosque
Things to note:
Morocco is a Muslim country, so it’s important to be respectful of their culture. Wearing t-shirts and long shirts are fine and we didn’t feel the need to cover our heads, as lots of young local women don’t. But being covered is important.
We went in March, so it was cool in the morning but got quite warm around midday. We found that layers were the way to go, wearing a scarf rather than a heavy jacket so it won’t be too much to carry as you take it on and off.
Friday is the holyday, so lots of shops and cafes will be closed. But I noticed that in Marrakesh, that lots of shops were shut on Sunday too.
Morocco was a French colony, and has a lot of French influence, including the rest day on Sunday. So, the closures would have been due to that.
The other thing to note is that because of this, more people in Morocco speak French than English. So, if you’re planning a trip, it might be worth brushing up on your high school French before you go!
Le Jardin Secret Cafe in Marrakesh
Keen to have a touch of Morocco in your home?
The things that stood out to me from my trip to Morocco are the colours, the vibrancy, the gorgeous rugs and the beautiful tiles. Everything just as stunning as it looks in the pictures. And this is a style that’s achievable in your New Zealand home too! If you’d like to bring a touch of Morocco to your place this summer, get in touch. I’ll help you achieve it.
