The Aer Lingus FAM trip to Marrakech took place from Saturday 5th to Tuesday 8th of April, for an amazing trip to the Moroccan city.
Katie Doyle from ITTN joined Dylan Quinn Williams from Cassidy Travel, David O’Hagan from the Holiday Shop, Catherine Cinnamond from Sunway, Katrina McMullan from Travel Counsellors, Peter Cullen from Click&Go Holidays, Vanessa Holohan from Club Travel and Owen Kane from Travel Department.
The trip was led by Jenny Rafter, Head of Global Sales at Aer Lingus with Kenza El Archi Marketing & Partnerships Manager at the Moroccan Tourism Board.
Day One
The trip began in the in the Aer Lingus lounge in Terminal 2 where the group enjoyed snacks and refreshments before boarding the plane, with a smooth 3 hour 35 minute flight to Marrakech, departing at 13.55 and landing at 16.30.
The group was through security checks and had picked up their bags within 30 minutes, coming into the arrivals of the beautiful Menara Airport. In the beautiful architectural space, the light flows in to the terminal, filtered by the arabesques that cover the windows and enriches the visual contact between the calmness of the inside and the excitement of people getting taxis and buses to their destinations outside.
Within half an hour we arrived at the Sofitel Marrakech, a 5-star hotel with 350 rooms and suites. The hotel has hushed, natural tones, with ample rooms and suites offering exquisite contemporary interiors to soothe the mind and body. Marble bathrooms and state-of-the art technology are complemented by a balcony or terrace with garden, pool or mountain views. In the hotel, guests can also experience the SOFITEL SPA with a selection of wellness and beauty treatments. With the most lavish breakfast included in room rates, the hotel restaurants also offer refined Moroccan cuisine and sophisticated cocktails on their terrace overlooking the pool, which includes heated and non-heated pools and a jacuzzi outside!
After check-in, three horse and carriages were waiting to take the group through the beautiful Marrakech Medina- a UNESCO World Heritage Site that contains the Jemaa el-Fnaa square, a large number of souks (markets), the Kutubiyya Mosque, and many other historic and cultural sites. Through the chaos of the Moroccan traffic, the group glimpsed key Moroccan heritage sites including the Minaret de la Koutoubia, the historic mosque that is not only a pivotal place of worship but also a symbol of Islamic art and culture in Morocco. before returning to the hotel.
Later on, the group arrived for their first dinner in Dar Soukkar- where they ate international, Moroccan and Asian cuisine in an enchanting indoor “Arabian nights” atmosphere, located minutes from the city center. The group enjoyed fantastic French White wine and Moroccan reds, paired with their varied choices from sushi to tagines, sea-bass to beef fillets. Throuhgout the night, they were privy to fantastic live performances including belly dancers, fire breathers and 1930s-styled routines from the talented staff.
Day Two
The group had a relaxing morning with time enjoy the fantastic breakfast on offer at the Sofitel Marrakesh before boarding their bus at 9 am to head to the Minaret de la Koutoubia where they met local guide Ahmed.
He spoke to the group about the history of Marrakesh, including the importance of the Minaret in Islamic religion as he explained what happens during the call to prayer, that rings out from the tower five times a day and shapes the experience of all those who live in the bustling city. Then, Ahmed brought the group on a guided city tour of Marrakech, including to a herbalist shop where Jenny, Katie, Dylan and Katrina enjoyed short and relaxing massages and found out about the benefits of key Moroccon exports of Argyan oil among others. Ahmed also brought the group to a silk and cotton scarf maker and to other bustling shops before the group ventured across the chaotic open aired markets of — where the group saw strange but fascinating sights including Moroccon snake whisperers, a man selling teeth and in the chaos- Dylan had two monkeys climb onto his shoulders!
The heat was rising as the day grew closer to midday, so the group was happy to find themselves shortly afterwards touring the Jardin Majorelle, gaining group access and skipping the queue. These gardens are a cool and refreshing contrast to the mayhem of the markets. The gardens are a beautiful haven of greenery in the heart of Marrakech, where the vibrant colours of exotic plants, sourced from all over the world- spring from nature. Created over the course of forty years, it is enclosed by outer walls, and consists of a labyrinth of crisscrossing alleyways on different levels and boldly-coloured buildings that blend both Art Deco and Moorish influences. The French painter Jacques Majorelle conceived of this large and luxuriant garden as a sanctuary and botanical ‘laboratory’. In 1922, he began planting it with exotic botanical specimens from the far corners of the world. In 1980, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, who first arrived in Morocco in 1966, purchased the Jardin Majorelle to save it from destruction at the hands of hotel developers. The new owners decided to live in Jacques Majorelle’s villa, which they renamed the Villa Oasis.
Afterwards, the group sat down for lunch in Les Jardins Du Lotus where they enjoyed one of their favourite menus in this healthy restaurant nestled in a former princely residence in the Dar El Bacha district, transformed into a fresh and luminous oasis. Dave enjoyed his favourite meal of the trip- fresh oysters, while Jenny, Vanessa and Katrina had gorgeous shrimp tacos, Catherine enjoyed a Lotus cocktail while others in the group drank back the local, cooling local beer ‘Casablanca’ which comes highly recommended.
The group then took a thirty-minute bus ride out to the striking and stretching landscape of the Agafay Desert, where they came across horses and camels waiting to be ridden under the sun over stony dunes. As part of the itinerary the group had a booked a 40-minute quad bike ride through the desert. They donned helmets and sand-protecting goggles and set out in two groups- one for the boys and one for the girls. The tour took the group up and down sand dunes, going fast and slow with adrenaline rushing through them, stopping for a photoshoot before returning back to the resort.
The group had time to relax for a while at the White Camel, before going on a site visit of the luxury campsite in the heart of the dessert that offers the best luxury lodges and hotels. Their 45 luxurious lodges, tents, and suites for accommodation, blends comfort with adventure, providing an unforgettable desert experience- more to come tomorrow in our hotel article!
That evening they returned for a quick shower before the bus picked them up to take them back to the heart of the Medina, they were met by a guide who took the group past the El Finn riad through a maze of streets, before they arrived at Le Tobsil. The group enjoyed a four course meal, first sharing a plethora of sharing plates, followed by a chicken baked in a famous Moroccan pancake meal accompanied by couscous with legumes, before a pear dessert followed by a tasty chakchouka. This restaurant has a beautiful past and has hosted many well known singers and actors across the years including John Legend and Chrissy Teigan, David Bowie, Richard Gere and more!
Day Three
It was an early start for the group on Day Three of our Marrakech fam trip hosted by Aer Lingus as they headed off at 6am for a hot air balloon ride overlooking the stretching landscape of Morocco, enjoying breakfast by an open fire before going up to 2000 metres! Check out the video here.
Then the group headed off for their first hotel visit to the beautiful Kenzi Rose Garden and then to the jaw-dropping Dar Rhizlane.
The afternoon saw the group heading to Le Bled by Chef Moha @lebled_bychefmoha for a cookery class. They picked their own herbs from the beautiful gardens and then they learned to cook Morroccon staples: cheese briouats, chicken tagine with preserved lemon and chakhchoukha. The team had an awesome time and everyone was a winner, receiving certificates at the end of the day over lunch. There were many compliments paid to the many talented Travel Agent chefs!
At the end of the day, the group had a fantastic dinner at Kôya- a fusion Asian restaurant that offers contemporary specialties: Japanese, Peruvian, Thai and Chinese. Here, they enjoyed an exciting night life with a jazz saxophone player and other delightful performances.
Day Four
On the final day of the trip, the team checked out at 9am and headed off to their first of three hotel visits. Tomorrow, we’ll be going through these hotel in details! They included the Be-Live hotel, the luxurious Lodge K which is absolutely a fan favourite! And then finally, the luxurious and beautiful El Fenn riad visit nestled in the heart of busy streets in the capital.
Then, the group set off for lunch at O’Mammy’s in the glorious Montgomerie Golf Club where they enjoyed excellent burgers, before returning to the hotel for some relaxation time by the pool. They got picked up at 4.30 for their 19.40 flight. After a short 30 minute ride back to the airport, they were happy to be there early- with three different security checks to get to the departures it’s definitely worth
