MARRACKEC​H/MORROCO WITH A BABY

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We visited Marrakech with Pollyanna when she was just under four months old. We flew from London (LGW) to Morroco (RAK) which was our first flight with a baby and was around 3 hours 30 minutes. I’ll come back to flying with a baby in another post.

I had been to Marrakech myself a few year previous with my best friend – just the two of us. This was a little time before it was the Instagram destination it is today. Back then I was a little dubious about the City and a little nervous but having been and experienced it those years ago I had no doubts about going back as a family.

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HOTEL WITH A HEATED POOL

Marrakech tends to not heat their pools and they are extremely cold and not suitable for babies. When looking for the right hotel this was the first thing I checked. We stayed at Dar Ayniwen which offered a main heated pool as well as family rooms which allowed you to have your own private pool which is also heated.

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CHOOSE THE RIGHT HOTEL

This coincides with the point above, but being a City and very hustle and bustle which you probably have never experienced before, I cannot stress how important it is for you to have a calming base. A place where you can relax away from it all when you need to. This shouldn’t be hard to find as many hotels and guest houses are very tranquil and can make you feel like you are hidden away.

BE OPEN TO KINDNESS

Morrocan people tend to adore babies, especially fair-skinned, blonde and blue-eyed babies because it is so far from their own culture. Don’t be alarmed by this or off put, they are very friendly. Strangers saying hello to your child, children will approach you and say hello. I found it very lovely when we were approached by six children from different ages who asked for a photo with us, each one of them, boys and girls gave Pollyanna a kiss on her head and repeated “so precious”. I’m sure if I had asked them not to that would have listened but I found it really beautiful and something that would never happen in the UK.

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BE PREPARED FOR THE HEAT

We visited four-five days in June and I expected it to be hot. I believe it was around 30 degrees. We took plenty of sun cream with us, muslins to cover the pushchair. The souks are sheltered which is great. We also took a travel pram – which has a huge extendable hood which offers shelter over the whole body.
A few baby hats are also really important for in the pool when their not shealtered.

TAKE A BABY PUSHCHAIR AND A CARRIER

One mistake I made was not taking my baby carrier. The pushchair, of course take, especially if you are visiting the souks, you can spend a long time exploring them so even old babies may get tired. I wish I had taken our too, even under the pram for times when Pollyanna got a little restless, it would have allowed her to see more or settle her at times when the bumpy pram couldn’t.

BE ORGANISED

Remember to pack water in the baby bag because your baby will need a lot more than normal due to the heat. Have wet wipes/anti back wipes in a front pocket of the changing bag for easy access. You may find the City over whleming but if you are organised it will really help.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO BOOK NICE DINNERS

We visited some of the best restaruants in Marrakech, including Amanjena. The tip is to make the booking later on in the evening so the baby is fully asleep. Pollyanna slept through every meal on this holiday, fire shows, belly dancers and live musicaians. Age and heat was a factor becuase I don’t think that would happen now at one.

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Pollyannas Swimsuit, Primark

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