Riad Enchanté

Marrakech. Just the name conjures up exotic fairytale images of 1001 Nights and Aladdin. So it seemed appropriate that we were staying in the Riad Enchanté, which literally translates as the Enchanted Riad. And we were determined that when we got back from our trip, we would have plenty of stories of our own to tell!

As we made our way through the maze of narrow, winding streets in the old town, we were very glad that we had booked a transfer from the airport, as it soon became apparent that finding our way unaided to Riad Enchanté might have presented quite a challenge. Had we gone it alone, we might have found ourselves wandering around hours later without having reached our destination.

We had chosen Riad Enchanté because we could book the entire riad for ourselves, and with five bedrooms, it was the ideal size for our very excited party. Doing it this way ensured that there was no risk of disturbing other guests, if we wanted to stay up until the small hours laughing and chatting.

Our first task, however, was to choose who would get which room. Fortunately, all of them are beautifully decorated in soft muted tones, with traditional touches that gave them a sense of exoticism. As a result, there were no arguments and everyone was happy with their accommodation.
Having hastily unpacked and freshened up, we reconvened on the small rooftop terrace overlooking the medina to decide on our plan of action for the next few days, while we sipped on refreshing mint tea. At the top of our list was the famous Jemaa el-Fna square, but before we left, we made sure that we were armed with a map so that we could find our way back, as this time we wouldn’t have a guide!

When we arrived at the square, our senses went into overdrive, as we were confronted by a seething crowd of activity. There were mystical-looking snake charmers, performing monkeys, souvenir sellers and stalls selling exotic-sounding, and delicious-smelling food. Our cameras went into overdrive too, as we snapped away, trying to capture the atmosphere to show friends and family back home.

I’m sure a group of women have never gone anywhere and not indulged in even a small amount of retail therapy, and we certainly weren’t any different! We spent many hours in the souks, bartering for earthenware tagines, leather goods, jewellery and spices, only giving up when we couldn’t carry any more.

We visited the vibrant Majorelle Gardens and explored the new town, visiting art galleries, bars and restaurants.

And, of course, in a country famous for its hammams, we couldn’t leave without at least one visit to a spa. Although the Riad Enchanté has a lovely hot tub on the roof terrace, which we made use of on many an evening, we wanted to indulge in some real pampering. Guests at Riad Enchanté can use the spa at the sister property, the nearby Riad Bulle d’Or & Spa, at preferential rates, so we spent a very happy day there being scrubbed, rubbed and massaged until our skin was glowing and our minds relaxed.

There was no doubt that this was a stay full of new experiences, and we went home with cameras full of snaps and a head full of tales, all of us enchanted by Marrakech and the Riad Enchanté.