Marrakech’s souks are breathtakingly exciting for children:

They find snakes dancing to the sound of flutes, monkeys riding on shoulders and salesmen offering teeth for sale. Discover the story of a rich pasha who lived with his numerous wives and even more children in a palace full of courtyards and hidden corners. Beautiful horse carriages may bring you to fairy-tale palaces of former über-rich pashas, husband of numerous wives and father to even more children hidden away in a maze of courtyards and corridors. On the spice market Rahba Kedima, Harry Potter would have found ingredients for his secret potions, the souks are full of toy snakes, wooden puzzles and glittery slippers for princess girls.

Active children: Playgrounds and water worlds in Marrakech

Even in Marrakech, we are once in a while in an absolute need of a home-like playground . Then we head off to Jeux Kawkab with colourful slides, merry-go-rounds, seesaws, airplanes and bouncing castles. The music is ear-deafening and sometimes the CD skips but the children simply love the go-around train and jungle parks. (Entrance fee: 20 DH including the entrance and one or two extra features. Everything else 2-5 DH. Simple café for parents on site.)

If you are looking for a sandbox, you will have to go further, outside of Marrakech: if not in the desert, you will find it at the petrol station Al Baraka on the Route de Fes, just behind the supermarket METRO. Marvellous monkey bars, swing-sets, masses of sands – all for our youngsters to spend hours playing while their parents enjoy themselves with Tajine and coffee in the restaurant with view on the playground.

As soon as the temperatures turns hot, you rather go for the sites with swimming pools in Marrakech: we recommend idyllic Beldi Country Club with two smaller pools for children and delicious lunch menus. Children are asked not to scream and shout but they certainly will enjoy the gardens and the pools. For lovers of action in water Oasiria with slides and much more should be the right place to be.

Marrakech with toddlers

In Marrakech supermarkets you can buy just about anything you need for children such as high-facture sunscreen and food for toddlers. However, please keep in mind that ready made food often contains salt and sugar. Disposable nappies are available also in small boutiques in the Medina of Marrakech but not of the same quality as usually could be found in Europe (costs approx. 25 DH for 10). Pasteurised and powdered milk are widely available, in the Medina mainly in pharmacies. At Riyad El Cadi, we offer home made food for toddlers according to your wishes. Please contact our concierges for any information regarding your children’s stay in Marrakech: contact.

Ryanair has opened for the first time hubs outside of Europe: in Marrakech and Fez.

Thus you may reach Marrakech from the following destinations:

UK: London Luton, London Stansted
Spain: Madrid, Seville, Valencia, Girona (Barcelona)
France: Paris-Beavais, Paris-Vatry (Disneyland), Tours, Dole, Bergerac, Marseille
Italy: Milan (Bergamo), Pisa, Rome, Cuneo
Germany: Düsseldorf (Weeze), Frankfurt-Hahn, New starting April 2013: Karlsruhe Baden-Baden, Memmingen
Belgium: Brussels (Charleroi)
Netherlands: Eindhoven

Check on other flight connections: Travel to Marrakech

If you should wish to make a round-trip, you might consider flying to or from Fes:

UK: London Stansted
Spain: Girona (Barcelona), Barcelona (El Prat)
France: Paris-Beavais, Marseille, St. Etienne (Lyon), Nimes, Lille, Nantes
Italy: Milan (Bergamo), Pisa, Rome
Germany: Düsseldorf (Weeze), Frankfurt-Hahn
Belgium: Brussels (Charleroi)
Netherlands: Eindhoven

People in Morocco are of a beautiful kind with faces telling stories of wisdom, hardship and experiences. You’ll find beautiful young girls with colourful dresses and happy smiles and skilful craftsmen concentrating hard on techniques we have forgotten since long.

In Marrakech the relationship to photography is a two-fold: while some refuse every picture because of religious reasons, others make their living from being photographed.

Generally speaking, you should always ask before taking a picture whether this is welcomed. Strict religious people will refuse anyone wishing to photograph them as they respect the Islamic prohibition of picture of man. Women often are uneasy being in the centre of attention and believe themselves not being prettily dressed.

If you wish to take pictures on the Jemma el Fna, the central square of Marrakech, you will certainly will have to pay:

the staff on the square no longer make their living by selling water or pulling teeth but by being object of photography. So be prepared to pay some 10 dirhams for this service.

It is strictly forbidden to photograph any military institution. Not advisable are policemen, the kings palace and convoys of dark limousines.

Riyad El Cadi hast just been featured as one of the “most elegant hotels of the old city” in the German culinary magazine essen&trinken.

We are proud to have our cooking classes to be mentioned in one of the most refined food magazines in Germany.

Our experienced chefs introduce you in their cooking classes to delicious Moroccan cuisine, oriental spices, cooking techniques and traditional Moroccan food including the secrets of their own family cooking.

If wished so, you may book a culinary shopping tour visiting the local markets in Marrakech. If you’d like to have an idea where our chefs do the shopping, please feel free to have a look at the small feature being sent on one of the major tv chains:

ZDF – Riyad El Cadi 20.12.2012

“Schatz des Botschafters … wartet mit einer exquisiten Sammlung an Berbertextilien auf.”

Genuss!Guide von Wohn!Design, November 04/2012

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“Heimkommen… eine Oase der Stille…beim Eintreten fühlt man sich wie zu Hause.”

SPAinside, November/Dezember 2012

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Riyad El Cadi is being recommended by “flair”-online as one of the most beautiful riads in Marrakech with an exceptional amount of space and privacy:

“Marrakech besitzt die schönsten und größten Riad-Stadthäuser des Königreichs. Das Riyad El Cadi ist eines von ihnen … ungewöhnlich viel Raum für Privatsphäre und Ruhe.”

flair magazin – fashion&home 11/2012

Now the Association de Souk S’Marine and Association de Souk Kennaria have put signs in their parts of the Medina of Marrakech  to remind that motor bikes are not welcomed in the souks.

In Kennaria, not far from our riad, shop keepers take care that drivers get off their bike. It worked!

We wish the souks’ shop keepers the best and hope they will keep up with their efforts for a bike-free souk!

Marrakech is getting closer to Europe:

Air Arabia starts flying to Marrakech from Milan Bergamo on 28th of October. Lufthansa offers direct flight connections on Sundays from Berlin Tegel and Düsseldorf starting in September 2012. EasyJet connects Berlin to Marrakech even twice a week: cheep tickets available from Berlin Schönefeld starting 27.10.2012.

At Riyad El Cadi we help to find other flight connections if needed. Alternatively, check on Travel to Marrakech

For all those who know German: the German chain WDR has produced a wonderful feature on Marrakech with adorable hostess Andrea Grießman guiding through Marrakech with a huge smile opening all hearts of Marrakech.

The feature is laid-back and charming, shows a lot of beautiful pictures and is full of helpful recommendations on what to do and what to see in Marrakech.

We are proud that Riyad El Cadi is being featured as one of three places to be in town:

- Riyad El Cadi Recommendation in Marrakesch to be seen on: WDR – Wunderschön  (03.03.2013)

Our orange trees are in full bloom: orange blossoms scented air in our courtyards! You might enjoy your dessert prepared by our chef Hassan with care and essence of orange flowers while sitting underneath blooming orange trees.