Offering truly authentic riad accommodation in the heart of Marrakech medina, Riad Africa welcomes delegates attending the PURE Luxury Travel Show.  We offer a friendly personalised service in a beautiful riad.  We offer a transfer service between Riad Africa and PURE venue and can arrange pre & post show Marrakech day trips, tours and excursions.

If you are attending PURE Marrakech and would like to stay at Riad Africa please get in touch – we offer a 20% discount on our published rates (proof of attendance is required).

• Stay 4 nights pay for 3
• Stay 7 nights pay for 5
• Complimentary airport transfers for stays of 2 nights or more

Valid for any new bookings made before 31st January 2013 for winter stays at Riad Africa on any dates to 28th February 2013.

Holiday to Marrakech – An Insight into the ‘Red City’ (7 Nights at Riad Africa)

On this week-long holiday discover the real Marrakech based at Riad Africa – an authentic and peaceful retreat in the heart of the ancient city – and enjoy privately guided day trips to the Atlas Mountains and beyond.

Day 1 – Arrive Marrakech.  Transfer to Riad Africa

On arrival in Marrakech you will be met at Menara airport and transferred to Riad Africa, your accommodation in the heart of Marrakech medina. After time to settle in the famous souks of Marrakech offer an intoxicating passage to Africa’s most famous meeting place – the huge medieval square of Djemaa el Fna. Here at the heart of the old city acrobats and jugglers, snake charmers, beggars, boxers, musicians, fresh juice and food sellers all compete for your attention – and a few dirham’s in the process. It is easy to spend several hours wandering the square, sipping mint tea and savouring the utter assault on your senses.  As night falls take a seat in one of the cafes that overlook the square and watch the scene unfold. With the conflicting sounds from musicians and singers, and thousands of tiny white lights illuminating swirling smoke rising from food stalls, expect a night you’ll never forget!  Tonight a tasty home-cooked Moroccan dinner is included at Riad Africa.

Day 2 – Private Guided Walking Tour of Marrakech Medina

Today you will take in the vivid Red City and its carousing life of trade and fun! Marrakech is about bargaining for treasures in dusty hanuts, the incredible tribal music and theatre at Djemaa el Fna… and so much more. You will visit Ben Salah, which is not on the typical tourist trail, where Moroccan people go to buy (or rent) their wedding garments and bands for festivals; plus you will see the Old Jewish Quarter, the Mellah. Your tour is tailored around the genuine beauty of Moroccan life. Walk through the Old Medina with a focus on how people live and work. The walking tour begins with tea or a juice at Dar Cherifa, which means “the holy house.” Cherifa is a place of sanctuary from the busy souk streets beyond and a literary café/art gallery. Next visit Mouassine souks. Skirt along the narrow residential streets where a small, wooden door may lead into a cavernous, neighbourhood bakery or a palace! View artisans making wares in their workshops. Enjoy a break for lunch about 1 PM in one of the medina’s excellent local restaurants. The afternoon of your walking tour is tailored to your interests.

Day 3 – At Leisure in Marrakech

With palaces and palm groves, rose gardens, and a backdrop of the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas Mountains, Marrakech is the capital of the Moroccan South, a cultural crossroads and keeper of tradition and folklore. The ancient pink-walled medina contains a wealth of rich architectural heritage, and the real highlight – Place Djemaa el Fna – is like no other square in the world. Marrakech is simply jam-packed with things to do and a week would certainly do this fabulous city justice.

Day 4 – Private Guided Day Trip to Ourika Valley: Berber Experience

Just one hour away from the bustle of Marrakech are the quiet reaches of the High Atlas, populated by traditional Amazeer people, most often known as the Berbers. The Amazeers are the original people of Morocco. They were here long before the invasions from the Saudi Peninsula. Since then they continued to live isolated in the mountains, retaining their distinctive identity. Now, under the new Constitution, Amazeer is an official language of Morocco. You will explore villages along the river. And you’ll visit Ait Burka – a place where only a few travellers have set foot from outside Morocco. You will see how people live and work through agriculture, working gardens and apple groves along splendid terraces, as well as have a couscous lunch in a private home. On your way down the mountains, you will visit a family owned mill where corn and wheat flour is made and if you like, you may enjoy visiting a women’s community cooperative for Argan oil, where it is pressed and made into both cooking and cosmetic oils. In all, you will have enjoyed an unforgettable day in a place unlike anywhere else you have been before!

Day 5 – At Leisure in Marrakech

As well as numerous cultural attractions in the old medina, Marrakech has a great range of outdoor activities on offer including quad biking, buggy adventures, horse and camel-riding excursions. Helicopter and balloon flights operate throughout much of the year (depending on weather conditions) and offer a superb bird’s eye view of the Red City. Should you wish to chill out for the day by a large pool in an out-of-town tropical setting, take your pick from Nikki Beach, Plage Rouge or the Beldi Country Club. Families may enjoy a visit to Oasiria, a water park with beach.

Day 6 – Your Choice of Day Trip: Ait Benhaddou or Essaouira

High Atlas, Telouet Kasbah & Ksar of Ait Benhaddou

On this private guided day trip you’ll enjoy a scenic journey into the High Atlas Mountains to the Tizi n’Tichka Pass (2,260m). Our first sightseeing of the day is at Telouet, a village on the ‘Route of the Caravans’ from the Sahara over the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech. Telouet has one of the most spectacular Kasbahs in the Atlas, which was once the palatial residence and headquarters of the powerful Glaoui tribe. Telouet is one of the great sites of mountain Morocco and an extraordinary display of quasi-medieval power created in the 20th century.

Next, taking a little used back road we arrive at Ait Benhaddou. Inscribed by UNESCO in 1987 as a ‘World Heritage Site’, the Ksar of Ait Benhaddou is a striking example of the architecture of southern Morocco. The Ksar, a group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls, is a traditional pre-Saharan habitat. The houses crowd together within the defensive walls, which are reinforced by corner towers. After a guided tour of the ancient settlement be sure to walk up to the high point on the hill above the Ksar for particularly fine views. Lunch is included today at a restaurant with a view – facing the dramatic Ksar.

Ancient Essaouira & Atlantic

From Marrakech it is a leisurely 3 hour drive to the Atlantic Coast and the former Portuguese stronghold of Essaouira. Despite seeing an increase in visitors over the years, this town remains one of Morocco’s best-kept secrets. Complete with a bustling historical centre and surrounded by ancient city walls, Essaouira is a delightful destination. With a whitewashed medina enclosed by huge pink sandstone ramparts which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and with a rich Portuguese and Andalusian heritage, Essaouira holds great appeal.

Originally founded by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC, the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century and established the first fortifications and a trading post. The town of Essaouira itself wasn’t built until the latter half of the 1700′s, sanctioned by an Alouite sultan, Mohammed II.  It was actually a renowned French architect who designed and built the town, harbour and fortifications in the style of a European fortress. A fresh seafood lunch is included in this day trip plus a guided tour of the most interesting monuments, the market, ramparts and bustling harbour.

Day 7 – At Leisure in Marrakech

Today you might like to make use of Riad Africa’s hammam and massage room, with a scrub-up and massage included in your holiday (though this can be done on whichever day you choose).  There’s plenty of time to explore the medina further, bargain in the souks or relax in the peaceful surroundings of Riad Africa.

Day 8 – Transfer to Marrakech Menara Airport

Your holiday ends with a transfer to Marrakech airport.

Package Includes

• 7 nights’ accommodation at Riad Africa with breakfast.
• Dinner on first night at Riad Africa.
• Private airport transfers between Marrakech airport and Riad Africa.
• One hammam and massage in Riad Africa’s spa.
• Private guided walking tour of Marrakech medina with tea/lunch and entrance fees included.
• Private guided day trip to Ourika Valley in comfortable vehicle with driver, lunch and sightseeing.
• Choice of day trip to Ait Benhaddou or Essaouira with lunch.
• Experienced English-speaking guides accompany the day trips.

Package Excludes

• International flights.
• Personal travel insurance.
• Drinks, optional sightseeing, visa, vaccinations, tips and items of a personal nature.

Call Specialist Morocco on +44 (0)1428 605833 for latest prices and availability

You can be assured of a high degree of personal attention and efficient, prompt replies to queries.

Marrakech Holiday Packages

Marrakech Revealed – 7 nights at Riad Africa (Includes Excursions)

Bonding and ATOL – Under Specialist Africa

Fully aware of the importance of ensuring you have the best possible financial protection in respect of any safari, trek or other holiday services you book through them, Specialist Morocco is a member of the Travel Trust Association (No. U7736). Being a member of this association provides you with 100% financial protection, irrespective of which country you book or travel from.

They also hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and any air holiday packages offered on their website are ATOL protected by the CAA. Their ATOL number is T10190.

TRAVEL TRUST ASSOCIATION (MEMBER NO. U7736)

The Travel Trust Association is a trade association of Travel Agents, Tour Operators and Travel Organisers. The Travel Trust Association exists in order to protect you, the customer, with 100 percent financial protection. This means that all monies paid to Specialist Morocco for your holiday services are protected by the Travel Trust Association.

Payments to a Trust Account

All payments made to Specialist Morocco are made payable to a specially designated trust account which is supervised by a qualified independent trustee. Money may only be released from the trust to pay for the services which you have booked.

The Travel Trust Association also provide further protection through a guarantee that if by any reason of fraud or dishonesty, your money is not in the Trust Account under this guarantee, TTA will guarantee the financial obligations of its Members to repay such sum to you up to a maximum for any one passenger of £11,000. When you make a booking you will be supplied with a guarantee certificate.

Financial Protection for International Customers

With making payment to a Trust Account plus the TTA guarantee, if you are a customer from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the Netherlands or anywhere else in the world, you will have exactly the same financial protection as customers booking in the UK.

AIR TRAVEL ORGANISER’S LICENCE (ATOL NO. T10190)

Specialist Africa Ltd is licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and holds ATOL No. T10190.

ATOL protects customers from losing their money or being stranded abroad. It does this by carrying out checks on all tour operators and travel organisers it licenses, and requires them to take part in a financial guarantee scheme managed by the Air Travel Trust (ATT) which provides the funds to protect customers should a firm fail.

Should a tour operator go out of business, the CAA will ensure customers do not lose the money they paid over. If abroad, the CAA will arrange for customers to finish their holiday and fly home.

The price of any air holiday packages includes the amount of £2.50 per person as part of the ATOL Protection Contribution (APC) paid to the CAA. This charge is included in advertised prices. International flights included in our holidays are supplied by flight consolidators and are protected by their ATOL licenses and bonds.

ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services on this website.  Holidays that start and end in your destination country (and exclude international flights) are financially protected through our membership of TTA (see above). If you are unsure please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking.

After re-opening in January 2012 following a period of refurbishment and listing on Trip Advisor for the first time we are delighted to have rapidly risen into the Trip Advisor top 100 rated hotels in Marrakech (a city with over 1,000 places to stay).

Thank you to everyone that has worked on/at Riad Africa since our acquisition in September 2011 – in particular our dedicated and full-time team of Mohamed, Laila, Hanane, Faraji, Abdullah and Oussama.

At Riad Africa we always aim to deliver a high standard of accommodation and first-class service with a smile at great value for money prices.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g293734-d2341980-Reviews-Riad_Africa-Marrakech_Marrakech_Tensift_El_Haouz_Region.html

This great Marrakech deal is available for all room types.

For further info. and conditions click this link

What persuades all these well-known film makers to come and shoot their movies in Morocco? They simply know that, whether their movies are talking about events happening today or deep in a distant past, be they set in cities, mountains or the desert, Morocco film locations will fit wonderfully, as if tailored just for their stories. They also know that, by filming all or part of their projects in Morocco, they will surround their characters with a certain exoticism they wouldn’t find anywhere else.

One of the major benefits is the proximity of Morocco to Europe and to the USA. In addition, Morocco has the most developed cinema infrastructure in the region, with experienced film companies providing production services, location scouts, hiring of crews, shooting permits, equipment rental in Morocco or abroad, transport, catering, accommodation and more. Location fees are arguably the lowest in Africa and annual sunshine levels are more than 8 hours a day at the most wanted filming locations, such as Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Ait Ben Haddou, Erfoud, Essaouira and Agadir.

The following list covers most of the major films entirely or partially shot in Morocco:

1897: Le Chevalier Marocain, directed by Louis Lumière
1930: Morocco, directed by Josef von Sternberg, starring Marlene Dietrich
1949: Othello, directed by, and starring Orson Welles
1953: Flight to Tangier, directed by Charles Marquis Warren
1955: The Man Who Knew Too Much, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring James Stewart and Doris Day
1962: Lawrence of Arabia, directed by David Lean, starring Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif
1970: Patton, directed by Franklin Schaffner, starring George C Scott
1975: The Man Who Would Be King, directed by John Huston, starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine
1981: Rollover, directed by Alan Pakula, starring Jane Fonda and Kris Kristofferson
1985: The Jewel of the Nile, directed by Lewis Teague, starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito
1987: The Living Daylights, directed by John Glen, starring Timothy Dalton and Maryam D’Abo
1988: The Last Temptation of Christ, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Willem Dafoe
1994: Highlander III: The Sorcerer, directed by Andrew Morahan, starring Christopher Lambert
1997: Kundun, directed by Martin Scorsese
1998: Hamilton, directed by Harald Zwart
1998: Hideous Kinky, directed by Gillies MacKinnon, starring Kate Winslet
1999: The Mummy, directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz and John Hannah
2000: Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, starred Russell Crowe
2000: Rules of Engagement, directed by William Friedkin, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Samuel L. Jackson and Guy Pearce
2001: The Mummy Returns, directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz and John Hannah
2001: Spy Game, directed by Tony Scott, starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt
2001: Black Hawk Down, directed by Ridley Scott, starring Eric Bana, Josh Hartnett and Ewan McGregor
2002: Live from Baghdad, directed by Mick Jackson, starring Michael Keaton
2002: Astérix et Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre, directed by Alain Chabat, starring Gérard Depardieu and Jamel Debbouze
2004: Hidalgo, directed by Joe Johnston, starring Viggo Mortensen and Omar Sharif
2004: Alexander, directed by Oliver Stone, starring Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie and Val Kilmer
2004: Les Temps Qui Changent, directed by André Téchiné
2004: Exorcist: The Beginning, directed by Renny Harlin, starring Stellan Skarsgård
2005: Sahara, directed by Breck Eisner, starring Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn, Penélope Cruz and William H. Macy
2005: Kingdom of Heaven, directed by Ridley Scott, starring Orlando Bloom, Eva Green and Jeremy Irons
2005: Syriana, directed by Stephen Gaghan, starring George Clooney, Matt Damon and Amanda Peet
2006: Babel, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett
2006: The Hills Have Eyes, directed by Alexandre Aja
2007: Arn – The Knight Templar, directed by Peter Flinth
2007: The Hills Have Eyes 2, directed by Martin Weisz
2007: Charlie Wilson’s War, directed by Mike Nichols, starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman
2007: In the Valley of Elah, directed by Paul Haggis, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, and Susan Sarandon
2007: The Bourne Ultimatum, directed by Paul Greengrass, starring Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen and David Strathairn
2007: Rendition, directed by Gavin Hood, starring Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep, Peter Sarsgaard and Jake Gyllenhaal
2008: Arn – The Kingdom at Road’s End, directed by Peter Flinth
2008: Body of Lies, directed by Ridley Scott, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe
2009: Pope Joan, directed by Sönke Wortmann, starring John Goodman and Johanna Wokalek
2010: Green Zone, directed by Paul Greengrass, starring Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear
2010: Of Gods and Men, directed by Xavier Beauvois, starring Lambert Wilson and Michael Lonsdale
2010: Sex and the City 2, directed by Michael Patrick King, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon
2010: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, directed by Mike Newell, starring Jake Gyllenhall, Gemma Arterton and Ben Kingsley
2010: Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Leonardo De Caprio, Ken Watanabe and Ellen Page

Dirham cash can be withdrawn from ATM machines.  Although generally reliable in Marrakech, like anywhere in the world, they can be out of use – especially on weekends and public holidays. Where possible, for better security, use machines that are located inside a bank, supermarket or building.  For further information check the Visa ATM locator, the MasterCard ATM locator or the American Express ATM locator for the addresses of ATMs in Marrakech.

Major international currencies such as Euro, US Dollars and GBP Sterling are widely interchangeable at banks and bureau de change office in the Medina, Gueliz and Hivernage.  The process can often be slow and tedious due to queues.  Banks normally close mid-afternoon.

Credit cards are accepted in most large stores, larger restaurants and hotels in Marrakech.  Remember to keep all receipts, and before signing check that the amount is correct. Credit cards and debit cards should always be used with caution due to the potential for fraud and other criminal activity.

Travellers’ cheques are one of the safest ways to carry money in Morocco. Be aware though that not all banks will cash these and it can be time consuming finding one that will. Travellers’ cheques are accepted in some large stores, restaurants and hotels in urban areas – however it is always best to check with the individual establishment beforehand.

Moroccan dirhams cannot be exchanged outside of Morocco. Any unused dirhams can be reconverted to hard currency at the airport exchange desk upon departure (provided the exchange desks are open and you have kept the receipts for the dirhams you purchased or withdrew).  It is therefore recommended to exchange only as much money as is required.

Great fun for kids in the Souks

If you are searching for a family friendly riad in Marrakech then look no further than Riad Africa.

There are many riads in Marrakech that don’t accept kids or apply a minimum age, usually because of room size, lack of overall space, concerns over noise or perhaps failing to meet basic industry guidelines on hotel safety. None of these apply to Riad Africa.

Located in a safe and peaceful neighbourhood Riad Africa has 4 Grande Suites which can each sleep 3 people plus a Family Apartment which can sleep a family of 4. With great savings on offer for family groups with children sharing with parents, a stay at a beautiful Marrakech family friendly riad needn’t cost the earth.

At Riad Africa kids can also burn off some energy in one of the largest dipping pools in the medina or get active on a family hike in the Atlas mountains.