Discover Morocco
Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. Geographically, Morocco is characterized by a rugged mountainous interior and large portions of desert. It is one of only three countries (with Spain and France) to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines
Morocco has a population of over 33.8 million and an area of 446,550 km2 (172,410 sq mi). Its political capital is Rabat.
The people of Morocco are kind, warm, and well known around the world for their hospitality. A Moroccan, after having just met you, will invite you to his home for a feast of all they have to give, even if they are of meager means. They value building personal relationships, and want to help others for the sake of it, not always for their own personal gain.
Personal honor and respect is most important to Moroccans so crossing these lines can quickly turn a valuable relationship sour almost immediately.
Art
The art of this country is truly special. Many historical examples are on display at the local museums. More modern examples are on display at art galleries and in souks. Beware of cheap imitations though!
Culture
Souks are a way of life in Morocco and you usually wont have to go far to find one. You can often get good bargains here, but remember that most Moroccans will have a lot more experience than you will when it comes to haggling the price so you will seldom find yourself able to get better than that which is offered.
Map of morocco
Discover Marrakech
Marrakesh – or Marrakech – is a town in the north west of Morocco in Northern Africa best described as a heady cocktail of the old and the new. While tourism is its main earner, it is still a functioning city – the hustle and bustle of modern life jostles with ancient tradition along the thin alleys and in the market squares. The criss-cross of telephone wires and honking traffic jams intertwine with the archways and intricate patterns of Moorish design.
While it is these images that pop into mind when Marrakesh is mentioned, the heart of the city’s artistic culture is music.
In the medina quarter of Marrakesh is a square called Djemaa el Fna where some of the country’s best musicians can be found playing alongside street musicians, snake charmers and story-tellers.
This is also where the annual Marrakesh International Film Festival is held, an event that is making great strides in its prestige and has been compared to Cannes. The Festival of Popular Arts takes place around the end of June or beginning of July, and the Gnaoua Festival takes place in the third week of June in Essaouira. At these festivals North African art is celebrated and special performances take place.
There is so much to see in this dusty, vibrant city and really there is no bad time to visit. Heat is synonymous with desert cities and summertime will push you to the extremes that Marrakesh is all about. You can follow the locals and rest in the peak of the day’s heat, or escape to a luxurious hammam, a traditional Turkish spa. The cold of the winter nights are a startling but exotic contrast to the warm days. Marrakesh enjoys a hot, semi-arid steppe climate with incredibly hot summers, warm winters and comfortably hot springs and autumns. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies between 6°C and 38°C, rarely dropping below 5°C or rising above 43°C. There is a large difference between the daytime and night time temperatures across the seasons, with average highs during the daytime dropping 13°C-15°C by the coolest part of the night. Rainfall is very low all-year-round, contrary to the sunshine hours which are consistently high throughout the year.
Weather of Marrakech in autumn
Just like spring, autumn – classed as October and November – is also a great time to visit Marrakesh, when temperatures are pleasantly warm and rainfall is low. At this time of year, the average temperature is 19°C, which drops as the season develops. Average daytime highs range from 23°C to 29°C and fall significantly down to 16°C and 11°C after dark, providing some much-welcomed respite from the heat of the daytime. Evenings can sometimes get a bit chilly – especially toward the end of November – so make sure you pack a light coat or jacket to keep you warm.Despite it being autumn.
October and November are still very sunny months, with an average of eight and seven daily sunshine hours apiece, respectively. Median cloud coverage stays steady throughout the season, ranging from lows of 33% up to highs of 37%. With such high sunshine hours and low cloud coverage, you’ll have plenty of time to work on your tan and enjoy the sun during your autumn holiday in Marrakesh. Compared to the dry summer season, autumn in Marrakesh is relatively wet. Rainfall starts out at 24mm over the course of six days in October and jumps up to 41mm over seven days by November. This rainfall is often welcomed, as it helps cool and freshen up the air, and comes in the form of dramatic thunderstorms. Flash flooding can sometimes occur but any inconvenience caused is usually brief
Marrakech city map