Marrakech - Inner and Outer City Double-Decker Bus Rides

Photo Copyright Janet Cameron

See the the sights - a delightful and affordable way to enjoy Marrakech.   

Probably the nearest thing you can get to a bargain in Marrakech is the double-decker bus ride around the city which costs, at the time of writing, 149 Dirham (around £4.50)  It's a hop-on / hop-off arrangement, stopping at major landmarks and hotels around the city. Not only that, your ticket will also cover you for a further trip around the outskirts of the city, for a real sub-Saharan experience. Some friends and I spent the whole day on the buses and it was genuine value for money.

The bus arrived at the hotel reception at 10 o'clock. After that, they run about every half-an-hour till early evening.

Sitting at the top of the bus, right at the front, is the best way to see the city. The beautiful mosques of Morocco are typically in the form of a tall tower, unlike the domed mosques I have seen in West Africa and England. The Koutoubia Mosque is located in the medina's south-west quarter of Marrakech, and is a stunning sight with its decorative arches, especially at night when the gardens are floodlit.

A common sight on the city street, amidst the hustle and bustle of buses, tourist vehicles, cars, motor bikes and cycles (as well as jaywalkers) are the working donkeys and carts, and the horses and carriages, a novelty ride intended for the tourists. Sadly, some of the animals are poorly cared for and whipped to make them gallop on the road surfaces, which is bad for horses.

The market itself is a fascinating place, and the main area is full of roaming street sellers, stalls, snake charmers and monkeys. The snakes are nocturnal and as a result, have evolved into blind creatures. The upright position of attack they assume is because they sense heat and noise and are threatened by it. If you want to take a photo like this, be aware you are expected to pay your subjects for the privilege.

Many of the market stalls sell a wide variety of delicious nuts, dried fruits and other delicacies. The sellers will always hike up the price and are prepared for you to haggle, but if you do haggle, they natually expect that an agreement will be reached and that you will buy something, which seems reasonable enough. Some tourists haggle until the price has been reduced and then walk away, and this is seen as dishonourable and time-wasting by the sellers. It's best not to be lacking in self-assertiveness and allow yourself to be cheated, but, at the same time, the Moroccans expect foreigners to play fair.

There are so many attractive buildings in Marrakech and the top of the bus was by far the best way to see them all properly within a day. Below is the Palais des Congres:

It's necessary to change to a different bus in order to complete the outer circular route around the city. You change fairly close to the market, and the driver will tell you when you reach the correct stop. Once you are off on the new bus, you will soon be gazing at wide swathes of olive trees, orange trees or palm trees, and you are sure to spot groups of camels gathered, often at road junctions.

The market really wakes up as dusk falls, so it's not a bad idea to return there early, maybe do a little shopping and then have a bite to eat. You can get a great meal for around 45 Dirham, (around £3.)  Then, as darkness falls and the heady smoke from the cooking and the barbecues starts to assail your nostrils, you can enjoy the excitement of the buzz and bright lights as everyone gets ready to have fun. The noise and bustle are truly something to remember.

And - finally - you can hardly go anywhere in the world without finding one of these. So if you do start to get homesick, you can take a nostalgic trip down Memory Lane