Chris and I have just got back from our Honeymoon in Marrakech. It was such a wonderful trip that I couldn’t wait to share it with you here. I’ve decided to separate the posts into two parts; firstly on our wonderful stay in the Riad Dar Jaguar and then second post on Marrakech itself. Keep reading if you would like to hear all about our incredible trip and stay in a tranquil Riad away from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets of Marrakech.
Dar Jaguar – Beautiful Riad in Marrakech
Firstly, what is a Riad? (in Morocco) a large traditional house built around a central courtyard often converted into a hotel. A Riad will usually have a garden and fountain in the center. Thanks to winning a competition last year with Rock and Roll Bride and the amazing Dar Jaguar, we were able to visit and experience its beauty. Chris and I covered our flights and lots of added excursions and extras but our stay with Dar Jaguar was complimentary.
It was such an incredible trip of 3 nights and 4 days, where we got to fully immerse ourselves into the Marrakech lifestyle. We visited right in the middle of Ramadan which meant all the locals where fasting, but that didn’t stop their utter kindness and warmth towards us during our entire stay. The manager Fatima and her husband looked after us over the duration of our stay. With delicious breakfast made for us daily, as well as a candlelit dinner on the roof terrace the first night. I will go into more detail about the food later.
Dar Jaguar was a safe haven for us to come back to after a hot and busy venture into the city and the bustling souks. As soon as you step foot into the doorway you’re met with tweeting birds, pet tortoises and a water fountain trickling away. The smell of mint tea and food cooking often fills the air and the sunshine beats down on the courtyard and roof terrace.
The Royal Suite – The State of Grace Room
What can I say, our room was breathtakingly beautiful. The photos on the Dar Jaguar website are amazing but when you see the room in the flesh it’s truly incredible. We felt a sense of luxury straight away with the height of the ceilings and the decor. The black silk sheets, beaded lanterns and gold bathtub where enough to make us swoon. Being able to relax in a room as beautiful gave our honeymoon a very romantic feel, we felt very lucky to experience it.
On the first day, we booked a beautician to give us both an hour all over body massage, traditional Morrocan style with oils. The massage was done on a folding table in our room, which meant we felt very relaxed, with the balcony doors open, the breeze coming in and the sound of music and birds tweeting. We had an hour massage individually whilst the other person could relax on the bed and snooze. Afterwards, we were run a bath, filled with rose oil and rose petals. It was in a word; dreamy.
The roof terrace
The roof terrace made our stay at the Riad perfection. We would rise each morning and head up there for breakfast with the morning sunshine beating down. The area has a mixture of dining tables and lounge chairs so you can go up to eat or to just relax and catch some rays. There is also a shaded area to unwind if you want fresh air but don’t want to get hot.
Not only would we go up for breakfast but we had a candlelit dinner on the first night (after our gorgeous massage and bath). It was a three-course meal that you can actually pre-book with them before visiting. As well as dinner we had canapes each night also homemade and super delicious. The Riad is so small that even with another family staying there we always felt like we had the place to ourselves. It was luxury having that outside space away from the hustle and bustle of the markets. It felt like our own private garden; a place we will always remember.
Delicious food
Fatima (the Riad manager) cooks everything from scratch and it’s all traditional Morrocan style cuisine. For our candlelit dinner we were served Pumpkin soup to start, Chicken and vegetable tagine with olives for main and sweet pear with nuts and cream for dessert. The photos don’t do the flavours justice. We loved the food so much we have already remade a few dishes since being home. Cooking in a tagine means everything is so tender and well cooked. All the seasoning gives everything body and each mouthful is delightful.
For breakfast, we would have fruits, some form of pancake and then pastries. Make sure you try the local honey, Chris and I ended up pouring it on everything. In case you didn’t know Morroco is also a French-speaking country and isn’t short of its delicious French pastries. We also drank pots of their delicious fresh mint tea. That combination with freshly squeezed orange juice and strong coffee was perfection, take me back!
Food Cooking Course at the Riad!
What is great about Dar Jaguar is that you can book excursions and fun things to do through the management team. They offer an authentic Morrocan cooking class which we decided to try. Chris loves cooking so for him this was a great way to learn more about Marrakech culture. First, we went around the markets to buy local produce and then headed back to the Riad to learn how to cook. The dishes we learned were a lamb tagine, vegetable tagine and then some starter type dips and a pudding. It was so much fun and the food was delicious. We already brought all the spices as soon as we got back to recreate the dishes.
Honeymoon in Marrakech
Our stay at Dar Jaguar literally couldn’t have been any better. From start to finish we both truly loved our experience and our Honeymoon in Marrakech. You can also stay there without having to book the suite, as all their other rooms are filled with charm and incredible decadence in style. The Dar Jaguar family made it completely easy for us; with pre-booked airport shuttles, great recommendations, taxi bookings, handmade food and everything else in between. This is definitely the place to go if you want to experience Marrakech completely stress-free. That way you can focus your energy on haggling in the markets yet still come back to the Riad to unwind.
Before we visited we had no idea what to expect from Morroco, Marrakech. To summarise, it was nothing short of a treat to the senses. The city itself is quite hectic but I will touch on that in more detail in my second blog post. I highly recommend staying at Dar Jaguar if like me you need somewhere quiet and calm to unwind.
Come to your senses!
I am offering my lovely readers and followers a superb offer, so you too can book a stay here. Below is everything included: