Why Marrakech?

The late designer Yves Saint Laurent was thirty years old when he first visited Morocco. He immediately fell in love with the country for its culture, colours, and setting. He said “Marrakech, for me, is paradise”.

I concur on many levels. Marrakech is a city that inspires and educates. It is a crossroad where Arab, Bedouin, and European influences converge, and its Medina (old town) has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is a cacophony of colour, a maze of alleyways and streets, both affluence and poverty, and souks (markets) populated by vendors who are constantly cajoling passersby to shop their wares.

It is spices, pottery, lanterns, tiles, carpets, and oils.

It is a city that is the very definition of sensory overload, of that there is no doubt.

But underneath the marvellous chaos, for those who are up for an adventure,  Marrakech is a city that will amaze, delight and stretch your travel acumen as you get to know its beautiful heritage buildings and palaces, kind locals, world class spas and restaurants, and traditional artisans that call it home.

We will experience the hustle and bustle of the Medina and view both opulence and decay as we wander the alleyways and souks. As a counterpoint to the lively, stimulating atmosphere we’ll encounter as we explore, the moment we enter the doors to our Riad (our accommodation) we will find an oasis of tranquility, beauty and calm. Its high walls will shelter us as we connect, relax, and recharge.

Together with our local hosts and guides, I have so many amazing things planned for Prone to Wander: Marrakech. But beyond the activities, I am excited for the pure magic of getting creative friends together in a land that will welcome and overwhelm us all at the same time.

Marrakech is a city that rewards those who arrive with an adventurous, easy-going spirit with an insight to a world and culture far removed from our own. And that, my friends, is what travel is all about; growth, education, inspiration. Tack on the out of this world food, the to-die-for shopping, and the fantastic community that I know we’re going to build together,  and you can see why I can hardly wait to add Prone to Wander: Marrakech to the Prone to Wander Retreats family!