Fes, Morocco
I met the 11 other travel agents at the meeting point in London Gatwick airport. We were flying with Air Arabia who are a low-cost airline operating across the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and Europe. Security didn’t take long as we had Gatwick Premium passes (which I would recommend). The flight to Fes is only 3 hours – one thing to note if you consider flying with Air Arabia it is an Arabic airline, so no alcohol is served onboard.
Fes airport is not at all large and as our flight was relatively quiet, getting through security was very quick (as a British national I had to fill in a landing card before entering, but it was very simple). It was now already past midnight and so I was pleased to learn that it was just a short 20 minute transfer to the Palais Medina & Spa where we’d be staying for the duration of our stay.
I woke up with the North African sun breaking through my curtains. I pulled them open and revealed a fantastic view overlooking the hotel pool area and, in the distance, I could see the city centre. My room was huge; complete with a big comfy bed, seating area and a large bathroom with bath and shower (over the bath). There was also a mini-bar (extra charge), a safe and plenty of wardrobe space.
After breakfast at our hotel we met Abdel who would be our guide for the next couple of days. He was a very happy character and an extremely proud Moroccan. He was passionate about his home land and very knowledgeable, informing us with lots of facts as we travelled. On the journey we stopped at a few prime spots to take some pictures overlooking Fes. We visited a pottery and were shown the process of how the locals make the mosaics and create the wonderfully colourful pottery.
Next stop was Fes Médina. Motorised vehicles are not allowed in the souks so we parked up and wandered around the narrow, traditional streets of Fes. I’ve not visited Morocco before but I was informed by several members in our group who had, that Fes had a much more relaxed, laid back feel to it compared with the very popular Marrakesh. The Médina was very authentic with lots of history and culture. Walking through there are so many different smells, some delicious, some not so much. On the subject of smells, we were taken to the largest tannery in Africa. This is where they make leather from animals such as cows, camels, sheep and goats. The whole process takes 3 months and the smells produced can be quite pungent so they give you a sprig of mint to hold to your nose if it gets too much. Being low season during our visit, the temperature was only in the early 20’s but in the summer it can reach 40 degrees and above which I’m sure doesn’t help with the smell.
In my opinion if you are wanting to visit the Médina and Souks of Fes, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to arrange for a guide (in advance) for the day as you could very easily get lost but also its someone local to guide you to the best spots and advise you of what to do (or not do).
For lunch we visited Riad Myra in the Médina. Riads are traditional Moroccan houses, characterised by having an inner courtyard or garden. The food was very authentic and very tasty. We were then given a tour of some of the accommodation available.
In the evening we were taken for pre-dinner drinks at Sahrai Hotel. This is located outside of the Medina. There isn’t really a nightlife scene in Fes but this hotel had a rooftop bar/terrace with great views, a DJ playing music and is somewhere locals and tourists alike would come to relax and enjoy a couple of drinks (but only until around midnight when they close).
For dinner, we were back in the Medina at Riad Palais Amani. The owners/managers were very welcoming and allowed us to explore their accommodation before serving us a lovely 3 course dinner of traditional Moroccan flavours and we sampled some local wine – well worth a taste!
On day 2 we were off to visit Ifrane which is a town in the Mid-Atlas mountains. Did you know that Morocco had ski resorts? Here, you could certainly see the French influence in the architecture with the alpine-style buildings. No snow at this time of year but there can be quite a bit during the winter months.
We had been invited to the 5-star Michlifen Golf & Spa resort in Ifrane for lunch. This was a stunning resort with a variety of rooms available and prices ranging between £250 and £12,000 per night (the higher end of the scale being for the 2-bedroom Presidential Suite). We were also lucky enough to have use of the on site spa where I enjoyed a Balneotherapy treatment along with a fantastic head massage.
We returned to our hotel in Fes via the City of Meknès which has approx. 45km of walls all around it. You need to get here before 5, if you arrive after 5 like we did, you will find most things are closed. Althouhg we were able to see some of the stunning architecture this city has to offer. The main square in Meknès is Place Hedim and this was starting to get very busy at the time of our visit. There was a variety of stalls selling all sorts from clothing, to pottery, to food.
Dinner this evening was at another local Riad - Palias Faraj. Again, there was lots of traditional décor and the staff were very friendly. The food was colourful & tasty and we were once again treated to some Moroccan wine from one of the many vineyards they have (something else which I learned).
On my final day I didn’t have a great deal of time before making my way back to the airport for my flight home. In the few hours that I had I made use of the hotel facilities - perfect weather for a refreshing did in the pool!
I would just like to mention and thank the fabulous Moroccan Tourism Board for putting together my itinerary for the trip.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Fes. If you are looking for something that’s ‘off the beaten track’ whilst taking in lots of history and culture, then I would recommend it. As its only a 3 hour flight from Gatwick, it’s great for a short break or as a stop in a multi-centre trip. Direct flights depart the UK from Manchester, Birmingham and Dublin.