Riad Orange

“Felt like I'd come home :) See link for easy directions from the taxi drop-off.”

Firstly, if you are looking for an "all-inclusive, all-day-beer-swigging, Brits-by-the pool" holiday, look elsewhere (please!) This was our first time in Morocco, so we didn't know what to expect. Firstly, the maps and directions we had were USELESS- getting lost in the maze of streets surroundi... more

Firstly, if you are looking for an "all-inclusive, all-day-beer-swigging, Brits-by-the pool" holiday, look elsewhere (please!) This was our first time in Morocco, so we didn't know what to expect. Firstly, the maps and directions we had were USELESS- getting lost in the maze of streets surrounding this riad is no joke when you've not slept for days! We were pestered by quite aggressive "guides" offering to show us the way but eventually chose to bribe a bunch of school children with sweets and Euros to show us the way! *See link below for photos and directions that I think may be more helpful* On arrival we were greeted like old friends and served mint tea before being shown to our room. We took the family room, Aicha, on the ground floor. Room clean, cool and airy despite the sweltering 40 degree temperatures outside. Beds very comfortable, room quiet, slept well. Large Continental Breakfast of sweet buns flavoured with cinnamon and fennel, crumpet-style pancakes, croissants, French bread, jams, honey, orange juice and a big pot of good, strong coffee. Central location means it is easy to walk to the city centre, Jemaa El-Fnaa, Kasbah area, shops, souks, Saadin tombs, mosques and Jewish quarter. Taxi park nearby (but walk to the main road to get better prices!) Felt quite safe walking about the area, even late at night- but like anywhere in the world I wouldn't walk around with expensive watches, jewellery, phones etc on show. And a hidden money belt is a far safer bet than having your wallet hanging out of your pocket! Arriving back at the riad in the evening, the central area with fountain is lit up and looks magical. Smells of incense and white flowers. The terrace on the roof is the place to meet fellow guests. At the time we visited there were hipsters from Italy, back-packers from France, a young family from Germany and an older family from Chile. This vibe of this place is friendly, cosmopolitan and laid-back, with nod to childhood dreams of exotic travel and Arabian Nights. On the last night we were asked if we'd please change rooms as a family with younger children needed a ground-floor room. We were upgraded to the Ines and Nebia rooms upstairs. WOW!!! See photos to get an idea of how nice these are :) GOOD POINTS: Staff were kind, helpful and chatty without being invasive.Great location. Beautiful rooms.Comfy beds. No TV in room (some people may see this as a minus, we didn't!) BAD POINTS: Can be difficult to find- there are numerous "guides" who hang around the nearby taxi bays and offer to show you the way. They then lead you all around the backstreets and alleyways until you are very lost and then demand ridiculous sums to show you the way back to the town centre. Fellow travellers report feeling like they'd been effectively mugged. No smoke alarms or fire safety instructions. Some rooms do not have grills on the windows. Unless you twist the locks all the way, the windows shutters can be opened by pushing them from the outside, allowing easy access to the rooms at any time. Make sure you lock them securely before going out! Because of this, if you sleep with the windows shutters opened, there is nothing to stop anyone with access to the riad potentially getting in to your room. Having said that, we felt happy, safe and secure throughout our stay. In short, we feel we made an EXCELLENT choice in choosing this place, so much so that we are about to book again for December!

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