"Marrakech is simply the nicest place on Earth to spend an afternoon", so said Winston Churchill.

Wake at daylight as the call to prayer floats over the city . Spend your days immersed in the souks and your evenings bedazzled by fairy lights swaying on the desert winds. Hustle your way to the latest exotic nightspot in "le petit taxi" to dance the night away.

So find those flight socks and book those tickets. Pull back Morocco's veil to reveal why celebrity rockers, artists, and high priests of fashion with the world at their feet keep on returning. Is it the world class food? Maybe. Is it the legendary hospitality of the Moroccan people? Perhaps. Whatever it is, one thing is certain. You can expect the unexpected from this land of flying carpets and genies in a bottle. Nothing seems impossible in this timeless, irresistible metropolis.

Mysterious music, jabbering monkeys, snake charmers with attitude, its enough to send you running for the hills. Don't despair, we survived and with my advice and a good guide book so shall you!

Print this list & take it with you, checking occasionally to remind yourself if those girlies lived to tell more tales then by gosh, so can I !

1. Visit Djemma el Fna - The heritage listed Square - Fun & frightening
2. Snake wrangling in Djemma el Fna - Not as frightening as you might think
3. Marrakech Hop on Hop Off Bus - Frightening only if you stand up on the open top
4. Jardins Majorelle - The gardens of YSL -Frightening Frenchies
5. Wander the labryinthe streets around the old city - Fun
6. Shop at Zara - Fun & cheapest Zara on the planet
7. Immerse yourself in the souks without a guide - Frightening but you just might find Aladdins lamp
8. Take a caleche (horse & carriage ride) around the walled city -Fun
9. Shop the Gueliz district. A fashionable area crammed with chic boutiques, cafes, and clubs.- Fun, the expensive kind
10. Visit the Henna Cafe for a tattoo - Frightening & fun

Visit these picturesque gardens for a well-earned, relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of downtown Marrakech. There is an interesting Berber museum, glorious gift shop, bring the $$$$ and a restful cafe. Go early in summer months as the tourist buses arrive in droves by lunch time. Close to the city centre transport is available on the hop on hop off bus or petit taxi. The traditional "caleche", horse and cart is an interesting, more leisurely mode of transport, though a little whiffy during the hotter months. And DON"T forget your camera.

Saddle up for some horse riding or buckle up your life jacket for a white water rafting adventure. Whether it's mountain biking or just great food, visit Berber tribes and the kasbahs for the thrill of a lifetime. Climb heroic mountains. Spend romantic nights in the Sahara where gazing upwards at the big sky makes you feel rather small. That's always a good thing for we humans.

About the Weather, Money & When to Go

CLIMATE

Marrakech has a subtropical climate so the weather is always dry and sunny. Temperatures in the summer, and particularly August, can be very high. During the winter, it is warm during the day but gets very cold in the evening.

MONEY

The monetary unit of Morocco is the Dirham (MAD). Throughout the country it's impossible to cash traveller's checks or use credit cards easily. Euros are the easiest foreign currency to exchange and accepted if you don't have dirhams.

The easiest way to get cash is from an ATM. You can find them everywhere around the city. These can be erratic and don't always dish out as much money as you want, and worse still they close for extended periods during business hours. Be patient, they come around eventually.

LANGUAGE

Arabic is the official language but French is widely spoken and used. English, not so much.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The best time of year to visit Marrakech is between September and May when temperatures are cooler. However, July hosts the annual Marrakech Popular Arts Festival which can be particularly lively.

WHEN NOT TO VISIT

August may not be the best time to visit Marrakech due to the large influx of tourists from Europe in particular. It's also really, really hot at this time.

Ramadan could also prove difficult as there is no alcohol consumption allowed and most cafes and restaurants are closed in the daylight hours.

Hungry? Thirsty? Perhaps longing to see a desert rose or two? Need some tour planning help and can't muddle by in French? Maybe you simply want to relax and find a hamman or spa. Click the click and breathe easy. It's all in here.

Getting around town

The best option is a "petit taxi" . It's always about 30 dirhams no matter where you go.

A toll paying motorway connects Marrakech with Casablanca. see link to Morocco Mall.

A very fast train runs to Casablanca from the "Gare de Marrakech" pictured here. It's worth a visit just to see this most beautiful of railway stations.

A "How To Guide" for potential drivers. A cautionary tale.

First hire your vehicle. This can be done just about anywhere but don't blame me for anything that occurs afterwards. Next step, embrace a healthy disregard for all road rules.

Here are my survival tips for those with an unhealthy addiction to this adrenalin sport.Ladies and gentleman,start your engines!

1:Close your eyes. A lot.

2:Position your vehicle in the middle of the road and protect this placement at all costs.

3:Make sure your is hand placed firmly on the horn at all times.

4:It is considered precision driving to hit pedestrians and donkey carts.

5: Lane? What's a lane?

6: Stopping at red lights is for wimps unless" les gendarmes" occupy the intersection. (watch out for them, usually at lunchtime)

7:Roundabouts are built exclusively for your motoring entertainment. Hurdle as many as possible as you jostle around them.

8:Cyclists and pedestrians are fair game. They are in your way. Try to run them down. .

9:The finger definitely means the same thing here, meanwhile don't forget that horn.

10: It's fine to make a right hand turn from six wide in the left hand lane. Pas de probleme!

*Avoid the lunch time rush. Moroccan workers are all hungry and all heading home*

Finally, park your Peugeot anywhere. You heard me, anywhere .

Ramadan in 2014 will start on Saturday, the 28th of June and will continue for 30 days until Sunday, the 27th of July.

If you find yourself a little confused about what to wear in Islamic countries, join the club.

Morocco and Marrakech in particular has arrived at an Islamic crossroads regarding how women dress. Similar to Cairo, or Dubai airport the full range of choices are on display including ladies draped and veiled being led around as they can't see, to modest Western dress with a loose scarf. Really the choice is yours in Morocco .

After making plenty of my own mistakes my current advice is as follows: If I question the appropriateness of my outfit, then I change it.

You really don't need to cover your hair. Legs, arms and cleavage are another matter.

Do's and Don'ts :

Do try to be culturally sensitive.

Don't worry about covering your hair unless you wish to or are having a bad hair day. Moroccan women? Some do, some don't, they decide for themselves.

Do wear modest daytime attire so as not to offend, particularly if you are heading out of the city where society is much more conservative. Morrocan girls all wear tight skinny jeans and tops, often with a headscarf in cities like Marrakech, Casablanca and Rabat but not in the villages.

Don't wear short skirts and short shorts.

Don't wear skimpy singlets or low cut tops. These garments will almost certainly attract unwanted attention.

Don't worry at all about what to wear to late night clubs. Anything goes once your in. Cover up that clingy low cut dress until your safely inside though.

Do wear a hat, sunscreen and loose clothes to cope with the heat.

HennaCafeMarrakech, celebrates the culture of the Moroccan people and gives back to the Marrakchi community who are so welcoming to visitors

Join the friendly staff of Henna Cafe to relax in comfort as they treat you to traditional henna adornments accompanied by a refreshing mint tea or a spot of lunch. Moroccan style of course. Henna Cafe's concept creates a unique experience and a souvenir of your Marrakech trip.

Your support will help directly to fund education and development projects in Morocco.

All profits from the Henna Cafe are used directly to assist local causes, such as education for girls.

Click the link below for contact details:

Staying for a few days? Look no further as all your household items are available here at reasonable prices. Shop beneath the rocky outposts and ghostly gaze of abandoned French Foreign Legion garrisons. Great for stocking up on everything from food to tagine pots, rugs and alcohol or anything else you never knew you couldn't live without.

There's a gorgeous handbag store featuring Moroccan leather goods, Western and local fashions, international brands such as Lacoste and Yves Rocher cosmetics and an Arabic style Mcdonalds. Take a fascinating peek at local life. Spells danger for the wallet.

You can buy a Peugeot next door. Don't.

Non? Then trust me, you need this book!. Your high school French just won't cut it. French is simply not spoken that way out there on the mean streets.

Anyway, it'll be your best friend for sure when you find that must have, good looking, whatever thingy you want for home. Take it on that Paris trip you're dreaming about too! Or Tunisia, or Beirut, or, well, most places actually. Those dam Frenchies are everywhere .

Bonjour Madame!... Madame?...Excuse-moi Madame? Will you please marry with me?This friendly invitation is extended to Western women on just about every corner.

From school boys to school teachers, all will make you an offer. How fantastic! Just go along with it. Unlike this blog, good guide books are full of sage advice about how to discourage them politely. Why bother? It's completely impossible, polite or otherwise and anyway, why would you want to? Moroccan men are simply charming and full of fun. Better still, they speak French, so who cares what they say, as long as they are saying something. Am I right ladies, or am I right?

Okay, so I look a little terrified in this picture. It's just the socks with the sandals really. This nice man not only offered to marry me but gave me a discount on the flowers too!

photo credit:riadzany.blogspot.com

Moroccan born, Fatima Mernissi is an Islamic feminist and sociologist. The rapidly changing roles of Moroccan women, accompanied by enchanting tales provide a gossamer link to the mystical lives of Moroccan women.

http://www.youtube.com/user/TripFilms