Mesmering Marrakech

Advantages: Stunning scenery!
Disadvantages: food, a bit of a culture shock

...Marrakech has always been high up on my list of places to visit, so earlier this year I packed my bags and set off with a friend to explore the city. We flew with easyjet from London Gatwick to Marrakech Menara airport, convinently located around 15 minutes taxi ride from central Marrakech. Morrocco has a closed currency system meaning that Morrocan Dirhams cannot be brought into the country or taken out. There are Bureau de Changes located throughout the city and they accept most major currencies including pounds and euros. The two main languages are French and Arabic, although English is widely spoken along with many other languages. A word of warning - Marrakech is a city where you have to haggle and haggle hard. Never accept the first price and be prepared to walk away! Prices quoted are usually 2-3 times as much as...

tecnomars 20.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Marrakech (Morocco)

A Safe Place In Sunny Marrakech

Advantages: good room, nice decor
Disadvantages: staff, breakfast

...This summer, I had been working full time, trying to earn the money in the gap from university but decided that once I'd had a taste of sun on our one week heat wave that I needed to get away myself. I had logged onto lastminute.com to see what kind of deals and destinations were coming up as I was literally looking at anywhere but a great deal came up for Marrakech, however I didn't have the money to pay upfront and new it would be gone by the time I got paid. Since I passed by this I logged onto ebookers.com and had a look at their hotels as a lot of the other holiday deal websites were giving hotels which didn't look as great. They have Ryad's over there which are almost like a bed and breakfast idea they are not the same service as a hotel. I decided to book through ebookers.com for the Hotel El Andalous as my researching after...

ms19 10.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of Hotel El Andalous, Marrakech

  48 hours in Marrakech (Morroco)

Advantages: Beautiful climate, friendly + helpful locals,respectful people, great shopping,out of this world! :)
Disadvantages: hassel to buy, quite dusty (not great when you've got a cold)

...Only a 3 and a half hour flight from the hustle and bustle of London to the vibrant, colourful and unique city of Marrakech. As we flew over the city, it looked liked a patch work quilt of green and caramel brown. In some places there is a lot of lush green areas but the majority of the city is dry with a dusty caramel covering the roads and streets. Marrakech is a city in Morocco, North Africa. The two main languages spoken in Marrakech are French and Arabic. 98% of the population are Muslim with the other 2% being mainly Christian. Many Europeans do live in Marrakech and many having holiday homes there. The currency conversion rate is: 1 United Kingdom Pounds (GBP) = 15.84 Morocco Durham's (MAD) The most expenses spent are usually in the UK to and from the airport. I recommend that you book online if you want to park...

Tink27 19.12.2007 (21.12.2007) · Read review
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Review of Marrakech (Morocco)

Marrakech - it's like marmite you love or hate it.

Advantages: The mix of the city and the lovely riads
Disadvantages: The polution from petrol

...My daughter and myself have recently been lucky enough to spend four days in Marrakech in October. It was to me an amazing experience. We had a very early morning flight with Easy Jet, which meant we had most of the rest of the day to spend in Marrakech. From emails that I had been exchanging with the mamagers of The Riad Zolah in whch we were staying I knew we were being met at the airport, and taken as close to the Riad as a taxi can get. We were the last people out of the airport as I had left some things on the plane, and had to wait for it be be boarded before they would go and look for them. Luckily they were still there, and so was the taxi driver. It is an easy 15 minute drive to where we were dropped off, and met by a young lad with a big wooden cart which took our luggage and he guided us through souks and bewildering...

Alison3 01.11.2008 · Read review
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Review of Marrakech (Morocco)

Meanderings in Marrakech

Advantages: Interesting people, different culture
Disadvantages: small amount of hassle

...Useful Information; Moroccan Currency: Durham?s Exchange Rate: £1 to 16 Dirham (dh) Language: Arabic, French, Spanish Capital: Rabat I travelled to Morocco with two friends, Claire and Chris, for a 3 week backpacking trip during the Easter holidays. We travelled around in a figure of eight from Marrakech to Tarradonnt in the south, then to the north where we visited tangier and the other cities, returning to Marrakech via the desert. We travelled by Thomson air which cost £80 return into Marrakech. We arrived early, as we had not pre-booked a hotel, hoping we would be able to find a nice one once we arrived. We took the trusted Lonely Planet with us as I had used this on a previous trip to New Zealand and found it extremely trustworthy, as it has lists of hotels and maps with which to find them. After long queues at passport...

Shelby83 27.07.2007 · Read review
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Review of Marrakech (Morocco)

A Spa on a budget?

Advantages: bubbly, interestingly pampering scent, good body wash!
Disadvantages: may be slightly too aromatic for some, possibly too girly to appeal to men?

...I never actually bought this, I sort of acquired it! Some time ago, in Sainsbury's, my mum had decided she was fed up with the soap getting soggy in the shower soap holder and, since the Imperial Leather handwash was on offer, we somehow managed to end up with a buy-one-get-one-free on both types of product! (The other shower gel in question was the far more eye-catching bright icy blue Icelandic Spa one, but that was used up before I had chance to sample it.) So, for variety, we also went for the cream-ivory coloured Japanese Spa shower gel . . . and then my dad decided he couldn't get used to body wash instead of soap - he's not the kind of dad you'd buy toiletries for at the best of times! - and my mum isn't really a high-maintenance person in the bathroom either. Therefore, they finished the blue shower gel and the offer was open to...

KateHurst 30.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Imperial Leather Japanese Spa Shower Creme

A wonderful and relaxing spa with plenty of choice.

Advantages: Not as expensive as other spa's and they're nicely decorated.
Disadvantages: Why can't I afford to come here every day?!

... What is Aqua Sana? Aqua Sana is a chain of spa's, there are 4 Aqua Sana spa's in England and each of them are situated at a different Center Parcs. You can visit the spa whilst on holiday at Center Parcs, or you can just visit the Aqua Sana spa for the day, or an overnight stay. Full details on the soa's and prices are available at www.aquasana.co.uk Each Aqua Sana spa has 14 spa experiences boasting the widest selection in the UK, and of course there are the usual selection of treatments to choose from haircuts and pedicures to massage's and facials. I personally prefer to go for a spa day without any of the treatments as the spa itself is a very relaxing place and not too badly priced considering the prices of some the spa's in the UK! Inside the Spa I have been to the Aqua Sana spa at Whinfell Forest...

GemmaC25 21.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Aqua Sana Spa

Champneys Spa Day

Advantages: wonderful massage and facial
Disadvantages: intituional feel, poor general facilities.

...My husband and I went for the spa day which included a thalassotherapy session, a massage and a facial at Champneys Springs in Leics. I was not impressed by the building and the internal environment - long corridors with lots of people wondering around in write robes gave it an institional feel and the buildings were ugly and sprawling. The massage and facial we both agreed were wonderful and personalised and thalassotherapy pool was pleasant enough though I wouldn't pay for it separately. The shower rooms toilets had a mildewy smell. The gym was small and steamy. The coffee was awful and all other drinks (not tap water) had to be paid for. Lunch was buffet of salad though a freshly cooked wrap was offered - basic (Compare this to the wonderful 3 course lunches at Eden Hall). I thought it had little to offer if you didn't have any...

maddimoo 18.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of Champneys Health Spa

My hands just experienced a Japanese Spa . . .

Advantages: indulgent alternative to everyday soap, appealing fragrance
Disadvantages: slightly drying on the hands - could be too much for sensitive skin

...say it looked more feminine than masculine. Topped with the red ribbon Imperial Leather logo, the words "Japanese Spa" are printed entirely in lower case plum-purple letters and underneath a cropped, graphic-looking floral shape in pink and pale green is finished off with simple flower shapes and a figure that looks like it is from the Japanese alphabet, so again there is quite a pronounced feeling of "delicacy". As each bottle holds 300ml I think it has lasted fairly well considering it must be getting used about four times a day. I'm not sure what I'd expect a spa in Japan to smell like but I certainly think the highlight on the front of the bottle telling me that it contains green tea, rice milk and jasmine plants the suggestion of an oriental atmosphere in the mind. Having just washed my hands I am now sitting here smelling them (yes...

KateHurst 14.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Imperial Leather Japanese Spa Handwash

Nirvana Spa - my idea of heaven!

Advantages: serene, tranquil, perfect
Disadvantages: expensive

...I was incredibly spoilt last Christmas when I discovered that my lovely husband's present to me was an 'Essential Escape' day at Nirvana Spa. I was thrilled to bits but due to such a hectic life wasn't actually able to take it up until just recently, although luckily, all gift vouchers can be used any time up to a year. Let me tell you a little bit about Nirvana Spa itself first. It is the most serene, tranquil place on earth (or at least in Berkshire)! It is also quite exclusive as it is incredibly pricy (more about that later). It has a number of different pools including a hot hydrotherapy spa pool with lots of different jets which work on all the different parts of your body, and both fitness and relaxation pools. There is a small gym, treatment rooms for all different types of massages, hand treatments etc, and a lovely...

kingfisher111 08.09.2006 · Read review
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Review of Nirvana Spa