1. The city of Marrakech is also known as "The Pearl of the South", "The Red City" or "The Ochre City".
2. Marrakech was founded in 1070-72 by the Almoravids and is one of Morocco's four Imperial Cities, together with Rabat, Meknes and Fez.
3. Marrakech is by far the favourite destination of tourists in Morocco with some 1.5 million visitors a year.
4. Marrakech is divided into two main quarters, the old city or "medina", and the modern city, which has two principal districts, Gueliz and Hivernage.
5. Morocco is an Islamic country and a male-dominated society, but Marrakech is nonetheless an extremely liberal town quite used to foreign customs.
6. French is widely used in Marrakech, and many people, especially those who work in the tourist industry, also speak other languages, including English, Spanish, Italian, German, etc.
7. When using taxis in Marrakech, remember that there are two kinds of them: small taxis and large taxis. Small taxis have a meter that will establish the price of the ride; as for large taxis, you should agree the price before commencing the journey.
8. I highly recommend using public transportation, both within Marrakech and around the country. Trains are inexpensive, comfortable and safe and bus routes serve the main places of interest in the city.
9. Traffic in Marrakech is quite busy and hectic, and most driving rules are not respected. So, if you are renting a car, drive particularly safely and be especially careful.
10. Accommodation in Marrakech is extremely varied and high quality. You can choose among a wide variety of hotels, guest houses, riads, villas, inns and apartments for rent.
11. There are many internet based reservation centres, such as espace-maroc.com or riad2000.com, which can help find excellent deals in hotels, riads and villas.
12. One of the best choices for accommodation in Marrakech are riads, traditional residences completely refurbished and turned into charming and high-quality guest houses.
13. There are tons of places to visit in Marrakech, including mosques, museums, gardens, palaces, historic gates, madrasahs, synagogues, city walls, parks, and squares.
14. The Djemma El Fna square is quite possibly the most fascinating and renowned place in the city and offers countless entertainment afforded by dancers, musicians, snake charmers, fortune tellers, fire eaters, henna tattooists, etc.
15. Marrakech has the largest souk district in Morocco, where an enormous variety of goods are sold, especially crafts, shoes, leather goods, spices and food, hand woven fabrics, rugs, etc.
16. Bargain, bargain, bargain! When buying in the souks, it is very much advisable to bargain for whatever goods you want to buy. Bargaining when buying in the souks is considered to be a sign of respect by Moroccan shopkeepers, so I recommend you to enjoy the experience.
17. Do not miss some of the most interesting places in Marrakech, such as the Majorelle Gardens, the Dar Si Said Museum, the Ben Yusuf Madrasah, the El Bahia and El Badi Palaces, the Saadian Tombs, or the Menara Gardens.
18. A day in the hammams, or Traditional Turkish baths, is an absolute must while in Marrakech. Hammams offer an enormous variety of services and beauty treatments, as well as health and relaxation cares that will leave you as fresh as a cucumber.
19. Watch out for tap water and fresh produce washed with running water. The water in Marrakech is safe and clean, but many visitors' stomachs are not used to it, so if you eat salads or fruit washed with tap water you may get gastroenteritis and suffer from diarrhoea.
20. There are two things that you should not miss while in Marrakech: the first one is mint tea, poured in the most accurate and spectacular fashion; the second one is smoking a shisha, a sort of water pipe commonly used in Morocco that has a fruity taste and aroma.
So, if you are planning to visit Marrakech, these 20 tips will help you feel completely at ease in this wonderful city. You can stay in one of the fantastic hotels in Marrakech or in one of the typical Marrakech riads located in the medina, as well as some villas in Marrakech. Come to Marrakech and enjoy the culture, the history and the architecture of the amazing Ochre City.
David_Gonzalez_C.
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