Explore Morocco's vibrant markets and medinas

“My senses were ignited as soon as I stepped foot into Marrakech’s medina or marketplace, Djemaa El Fna. It became apparent that you could easily lose yourself here – both literally and figuratively. There were so many sounds, sights, and smells vying for my attention all at once. It felt like I was immediately transported to another world. Once we stepped into the medina, I was smacked with the overwhelming smells & sights of my surroundings, like the sound of sandals clacking against the hot pavement, donkeys pulling carts of who-knows-what, engines from speedy motorcycles, endless forms of transportation buzzing by, spices on spices on spices. There were goat heads laying on tables, men giving unwarranted directions, endless honking, winding walls that made me feel like I was in a maze, the call to prayer sung in every corner, horses galloping in carriages and so much more. My senses were on alert as I wandered through the blush alleyways unsure of what would lie around the corner. Exhilarating and vibrant – it’s easy to see why they call Marrakech the ‘Red City’.”

“So up until we hit the big square (B in the map), things were fairly mellow. Once in the main marketplace, called Jamaa el Fna, the aggression level went up a bit. The people were more in your face, and would touch you. A couple of things happened at the same time which kind of threw me. First off, there were these guys who had a carpet laid out on the ground, and he had a fairly sizeable cobra slithering around on it. [...] So I’ve got Mr. Snake Charmer on my left, and the Henna Twins on my right. Both groups are very insistent on getting some money. [...] Wheeww! All of this happened within about 15 seconds. Kind of stressful, but our outlay for the “entertainment” was less than 10 dirham. After that, we told the kids not to take pictures, and don’t touch anything. [...] The entire vibe was so much more intense in the square.”