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We arrived safely in Marrakesh around 3:00 PM. The taxi couldn't take us into the Medina zone, so we used our usual technique to get to the hotel: we hired a cart to carry our luggage and have him guide us to the hotel. The reason we checked into the hotel first was to store our luggage and then explore the city of Marrakesh.

Even the locals who push carts have to ask for directions to the hotel all the time, so what about us who have never been to this city before? It was a really good decision to hire a cart pusher to guide us. We didn't have to wander around looking for the hotel, and we didn't have to struggle with our luggage through the alleys and streets to get to our accommodation.

What you see in front of you is the entrance to our accommodation for tonight, Equity Point Hostels.

Upon checking in, the hotel staff inquired about our recent travels. We informed them that we had visited the Sahara Desert. Consequently, the hotel requested that we provide the clothing we wore during our visit to the Sahara for disinfection purposes. They explained that if we did not comply, we would not be permitted to access the guest rooms.

The accommodation here looks good, similar to a hotel, more like a hotel than any hotel I have stayed in. The interior is quite spacious, with more space for guests to relax than it looks. It doesn't feel cramped, and there is a green area in the middle of the hotel as well.

There is a corner for playing the Internet as well.

Most importantly, there is a swimming pool right in the middle of the hotel.

My room is on the ground floor. As soon as I open the door, I see the swimming pool. Inside the room, there is a bunk bed, a private bathroom, and a wardrobe.

The bathroom might be a bit small, especially the shower area, as the hotel has installed a partition wall. The price for this room is 60 EUR/room.

The rooms are on 2 floors and there is a restaurant on the roof.

After packing our belongings and taking a short break, it was time to start exploring the city of Marrakesh.

Marrakesh is the second oldest imperial city in Morocco, after the first capital, Fes. It is a city located in the south of the country and is very famous and well-known among tourists. Marrakesh was once a great empire, which at one point was called the Metropolis of the Maghreb (Mahgreb - the western region of the Arab world). Currently, Marrakesh is the third largest city in the country.

In the past, Marrakesh was an oasis, a resting place for camel caravans coming from southern Morocco. It was a crossroads for various merchants.

Marrakesh, a city that has long been a hub of trade and commerce, has always been a melting pot of cultures. The Djemaa el-Fna square, located in the heart of the Medina, has served as a central gathering place for centuries. It is said that when caravans from different parts of the world converged here, they would set up camp and trade in the square. Today, Djemaa el-Fna remains the heart of the Medina, although the campsites of the past have been replaced by rooftop cafes, fresh-squeezed juice stands, food stalls, and a variety of performance spaces. From snake charmers to belly dancers, the square offers a vibrant and eclectic mix of entertainment, reminiscent of the traditional Thai temple fairs.

In the heart of the square, there were many people. Some came to shop, while others came to watch the show. In the evening, even more people came, making it look very chaotic.

Another unique feature of Medina is that the buildings inside Medina are plastered with orange plaster, which is a government regulation. The locals here call it the Pink City. It can be said that Marrakesh is a charming city, as beautiful as a city in a drama, hence its nickname, A city of Drama.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has declared the old city of Marrakesh a World Heritage Site for its historical significance.

As the sun began its descent towards the horizon, I hurried to find a prime spot to witness the final rays of light. Around the Djemaa el-Fna square, there are restaurants and cafés that offer rooftop terraces as a selling point for tourists from all over the world who come to visit Marrakesh. From these vantage points, visitors can enjoy the enchanting atmosphere of the square as evening falls.

I chose to go up to the rooftop of Café AQUA. Why did I choose this restaurant? First of all, the location for watching the sunset is quite good. Secondly, the price of the food is mid-range. Tonight I had Mushroom Pizza, Lasagna and Chicken Cheese Pie. Overall, I am satisfied with both the taste of the food and the price.

The long-awaited moment has finally arrived. Although the sky was partly cloudy today, it still allowed us to witness the beauty created by nature. The orange and pink hues danced across the sky, showcasing their vibrant colors in all their glory. It was a truly breathtaking and unforgettable sight.

The colors of Marrakesh have come alive. Shops are gradually turning on their lights, adding even more charm to the Djemaa el-Fna square.

Café AQUA is the spot where we wait to watch the sunset together.

This shop sells escargot, which resembles snails and is a popular dish in France. The vendor steams the escargot and sells it at an affordable price, around 5Dh per cup. I stood there, watching and observing, until the vendor called me over to try a taste. The flavor was a bit bland, and I immediately thought of our local seafood dipping sauce.

There are many street food stalls, whether it's local food, grilled food or seafood. It's a pity that we were already full from Café AQUA, but it doesn't matter. We still have to stay in Marrakesh for another night. So we plan to try Moroccan local food for dinner tomorrow.

After fully enjoying the colors of Medina, it was time to rest. At first, I planned to go swimming in the pool, but the later it got, the colder it became, so I decided to go to sleep under a warm blanket instead.

This place serves buffet-style meals, which is different from other hotels I've stayed at. The food selection is similar to many other hotels, but the food here looks more appealing.

There is a cake that may contain apricots. There are also pancakes and Caramel Mousse.

Today we plan to explore Marrakesh thoroughly. After a hearty breakfast, we set off on our journey.

Our first stop is the Bahia Palace, which has an entrance fee of 10Dh. The Bahia Palace was the residence of the Grand Vizier, who ruled in the place of the young king in the past. It was built in the late 19th century by Si Moussa, the Grand Vizier.

In the middle of the palace, there is a fountain and a green garden. The green garden has a variety of trees, but what impressed me the most was the orange tree, which was full of oranges when I visited.

The architecture of the Bahia Palace is a modern style that blends Muslim and Moroccan art. The creators intended it to be the grandest and most luxurious palace of its time. The palace is decorated with delicate stucco carvings.

The Bahia Palace has around 150 rooms, but only 8 of them have been restored and are open to visitors.

It is said that the construction and decoration here were planned and carried out in a hurry, so there is criticism that many details in this palace are not yet perfect. I secretly thought to myself, "If it's not perfect yet, it's still this beautiful. If it were perfect, how beautiful would it be?"

From there, we continued on foot to our next destination, the Saadian Tombs.

Passing by many shops selling goods

Another interesting product is tea, which comes in many varieties. However, the one you shouldn't miss is the rose tea from the city of El Kelaa M'Gouna. This city is famous for growing roses for rose water, which is famous in Morocco.

Walk a little further and you will find Kasbah Mosque.

Next to the Kasbah Mosque, there is a small alley leading to the Saadid Tombs.

At the entrance to the cemetery, we have to pay an entrance fee of 10 Dh per person. This cemetery was abandoned for more than two centuries before being restored and opened to the public to admire its authentic Moorish art.

The **Sa Sa Deen Royal Tombs** is the burial place of 60 kings and members of the Sa Sa Deen Dynasty. **There are many tombs inside, but I have no information on who is buried in the tomb I see in front of me. However, I noticed that there are 3 burial sites. The first is in the open courtyard.**

The second point is in the structure of the building, which still doesn't look very special.

But the last point is in a magnificent hall with beautiful marble columns, beautiful stucco patterns on the walls and ceilings.

Admission to Menara Gardens is free of charge. The garden is quite spacious. In my opinion, the word "garden" should be full of flowering plants competing to bloom. Looking anywhere is pleasing to the eye and from the information I have, this garden is a prototype garden that the Moroccan royal family likes. My thoughts and imagination at that time went too far that this garden would be more beautiful than the Mae Fah Luang Garden in Chiang Rai. But the truth often does not match the thought. The Menara Garden in front of me has only olive trees. Looking anywhere, I see only olive trees.

Walking a little further, I saw a building structure and a water reservoir. So I walked towards the building.

Upon reaching the building, I saw a point where I had to pay an entrance fee. Since I had already walked in the sun to get there, I didn't want to waste my effort, so I went ahead and paid the entrance fee. The entrance fee here is 10 Dh.

I have no idea what the significance of this building is. I only know that there's hardly anything interesting inside.

Upon exiting the building on the lower floor, you will encounter a water reservoir. The upper floor offers a high-angle view of the reservoir. For those with limited time, I would not recommend visiting this location as it may not be worth your time. It would be more beneficial to allocate your time to exploring other significant landmarks.

From Menara Gardens, we have another garden program, which is Jardin Majorelle. I'm starting to get worried about the word "garden" in Morocco. However, since we have a full day in Marrakesh, if we don't find a place to visit, we will waste our time. So we called a taxi to take us to Jardin Majorelle.

The entrance to Jardin Majorelle is located at the front of the garden. To enter the garden, there is an entrance fee of 70 Dh. If you also want to visit the museum, you will need to pay an additional 30 Dh.

Stepping inside, the atmosphere is completely different from the Menara Park, like night and day. This garden is full of lush greenery, cool air, and vibrant colors.

The house is surrounded by a variety of desert trees, some of which are almost 3 meters tall, some of which have sprouted into large clumps, and some of which have beautiful flowers.

This section showcases the works of Yves Saint Laurent under the concept of "LOVE".

This point is a memorial to Yves Saint Laurent. It is a stone pillar.

Although the entrance fee to the garden was quite high, after spending an hour in the garden, I felt relaxed and saw many beautiful things. It was like recharging my battery almost full enough to continue my trip.

After regaining a considerable amount of power, the journey continued to the Koutoubia Mosque.

It was lunchtime, and we stopped at a restaurant in the Jemaa el-Fna square.

I heard that the grilled chicken in Morocco is delicious, so I decided to try it for lunch today. I can confirm that the rumors are true. The grilled chicken is delicious, flavorful, and the skin is incredibly crispy.

The chicken innards are served with the grilled chicken. I'm not sure if it's meant to be eaten with the grilled chicken like a dipping sauce for the grilled chicken or not.

This dish is like a meat sausage. It's delicious when eaten hot.

Tonight, we planned to change our accommodation because our first night's accommodation in Marrakesh was quite deep and not as convenient as it should be. After lunch, we moved to L'HEURE D'ETE, which is not far from Djemaa el-Fna Square.

The entrance to L'HEURE D'ETE is also located in an alleyway, just like the other hotels I've stayed at, but it's not as mysterious as the others. As soon as you open the door, you'll find the lobby.

The area next to the Lobby is a space for guests to relax.

After checking in, the staff invited us to enjoy a welcome drink and snacks on the hotel's rooftop.

That would be an hour for Afternoon tea.

The rooftop also has a Daybed for you to relax and chill.

Let's take a look at my room. The room is quite spacious and the decoration is much more inviting than the first night.

Although the room does not have windows, the hotel has designed the door to open a part of the door like a window to allow light into the room and make the room feel less cramped.

The bathroom is a good size.

After packing my bags and taking a short break, I decided to go explore the Medina in the late afternoon.

Shops in Medina are both rented shops and stalls.

In the evening, there are more and more people walking around to shop.

This shop sells pickled olives in a variety of colors.

This shop sells Moroccan curry paste.

The brassware shop, when the lights are turned on, makes the whole shop look golden and radiant.

Leather shoe shop, all products are handmade.

We walked around looking for Riad Yima (recommended by the Lonely Planet book) for a long time before we found it.

Riad Yima is an artist-designed souvenir shop that doubles as a gallery and tearoom. It's safe to say that the products here are truly unique, as you won't find anything like them anywhere else in Medina.

For those who are looking for souvenirs for their families, I recommend buying souvenirs in Medina. There are a wide variety of products to choose from, and the prices are quite negotiable.

The time I've been waiting for is almost here again, which is watching the last light of the day. I chose to watch the last light at the same place, which is Jemaa el-Fnaa Square. But today I will change the angle from yesterday.

This evening, I chose to capture the last light of the day from the rooftop of a restaurant located on a street corner. This restaurant is very popular with tourists, and to enter, you must purchase a drink. I tried to choose the cheapest drink on the menu, which ended up being Mirinda, at a whopping price of 20 Dh (regular Mirinda usually costs 5 Dh).

Getting this angle is worth the price of the soda I spent.

The restaurant serves grilled eggplant, scraped and mashed, with tomatoes prepared according to their own recipe, French fries, and bread to accompany the fried seafood. For this meal, I put down my spoon, fork, and knife and used my hands to add to the dining experience, just like the locals do. I must say, it was delicious.

After dinner, I think I'll go back to rest and recharge for tomorrow's challenges.

Follow Explore MOROCCO # 7 : Casablanca The largest port city in Africa at https://th.readme.me/p/3026