This is a stunningly designed three bedroomed riad which is booked as an entire riad on an exclusive basis. For around £200 per night, this is tremendous value for a family or private group.
A plain wooden door welcomes you into a tranquil and cool oasis of calm, far removed from the frantic activity of the souks, just 2 minutes walk away. Riad Fawakay can be found down a quiet Derb (cul de sac), in Azbezt, one of the oldest quarters of the Medina, only 10 minutes walk from Jemaa el Fna and close to the Ben Youssef Medersa.
A delightful sunny b’hou in the courtyard is a wonderful place to linger over breakfast, or maybe on the open first-floor gallery over-looking the plunge pool and fountain. There is also an airy grand salon with a Juliet balcony, open fireplace, and dining space for cosy winter evenings. On the roof terraces, there are more dining opportunities beneath the shaded pergola with views of the Medina rooftops, or in the traditional Berber tent on plump kilim cushions.
WiFi access, satellite TV, DVD player (with a large range of English language films), toys and games are here too, should you need them! It has been lovingly restored by its British owners, Dawn and Francis Boys-Stones, who fell in love with Marrakech, and left London in 2005, to live permanently in this magical city.
The riad is rented exclusively and therefore is ideal for a family or group of friends. There is one double and one twin room on the ground floor off the courtyard, and a further double room upstairs on the first floor. All rooms are airconditioned and heated, with en-suite shower rooms. The beds are handmade, the sheets are cotton, and the décor is traditional Moroccan with a contemporary twist, from the copper sinks and fittings to the original art works on the walls.
Dawn and Francis and their staff can organise restaurant reservations, personal shopping trips with English speaking guides, mountain trips, hammams, spas and massages, golf and horseriding and babysitting.
Like many other cities, Marrakech grew up around a fortified settlement around the 11th Century. Within the dusky pink walls of the old city lies the Medina while modern Marrakech flourishes outside the ancient centre, with a profusion of greenery to challenge the advance of aridity. All of the large international hotels are found outside the Medina. Excellent as many are, the heartbeat of Marrakech is most vitally felt when staying at a riad inside the Medina. There is a greater density of chic boutique lodgings than possibly anywhere else in the world. With over 800 riads, choosing the right one is paramount. We have carefully selected the ones we know and love but can also advise you on a great deal more than we actually feature. The Djemma el Fna, the clearing in the centre of the Medina is a short walk from nearly all the riads we recommend. This unique space is a gathering ground for merchants, touts, beggars, water sellers, acrobats, snake-charmers, medicine men and performers of every sort – a show that starts each evening as the sun sets. The 12th century Koutoubia minaret shadows the square and the vast souks radiate north. The Medina walls are most impressive on the eastern side, the Bab Doukkala near to which many of our favourite riads are found is one of the most spectacular gates. The Medina pulses with life all day and late into the night. If you are looking for serenity and calm with the occasional dip into the medina, then the oasis of the Palmeraie is an excellent alternative. Read more?
Morocco is a country of immense and diverse physical beauty, with some of the most inspiring areas of pristine wilderness in Africa. It's also superb value and just a few short hours flight from the UK. From the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas to its wave-strafed Atlantic coastline and on south to the billowing, seemingly endless sand dunes that run away into the Sahara Desert. For a country so close to Europe it’s exhilarating to find such an intact culture and epic North African landscape with real contrast to anything European at almost every turn. Leave Marrakesh and head south and in less than an hour you’re climbing into the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains. This is magnificent trekking country where you can thread your way among small Berber villages, supported by mule trains, either on foot or on horseback, supported with a light tented camp. Read more?
Can't find the camp you're looking for? Just let us know and we will be sure to help.
Vanessa's 16 years in travel has seen her knowledge develop from sub-Saharan Africa into North Africa, Central and Southern America and the Galapagos. Consequently, she’s a veritable encyclopaedia of travel information and exceptionally cool, calm and collected in the face of the greatest planning demands.
At Natural High, we've had long experience putting together trips in Africa that really work. Whether it's intimate bushcamps in out of the way places, or a private lodge in one of Africa's top-billing wildlife areas, light mobile camping or remote island escapes, we know there is a lot to choose from. We're absolutely confident that we can recommend the right places for you.
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