Living in the Kasbah

The tall silhouette of the Kasbah can be seen from far away; no matter which direction you approach it from, the dusty tracks lead you to it; a labyrinth of alleyways winding trough the mud walls of the village and then, suddenly, a breath-taking sight : the Palmeraie and the Atlas Mountains appear before your very eyes. The last meters are covered on foot, while your luggage goes on in front, in little trolleys. Then you step into another dimension, the reception hall opens onto an ochre patio, while the second patio can be seen beyond, with its indoor garden full of cactuses of varying shapes and sizes. Every glance is a feast of delight for the eyes, the atmosphere is friendly an cosy, there is a sensation of security behind the thick wall and deep windows, sheltering guests from inquisitive gazes and leaving spaces for whispered secrets on the threshold of the huge wooden doors.

Engage all five senses

Taste

Dinner or lunch is served in the dinning room or on the terrace; our chef will reveal all the flavours of Morocco as well as many European specialities. There is a buffet breakfast where fresh rolls come out of the oven before your eyes, Moroccan pancakes are tossed in front of you, and all the orange juice is freshly squeezed; the tables look out over the wadi and are the perfect place for a really good start to the day. Various bars are open : a lounge bar, a terrace bar, and by the swimming pool, you can sample our cocktails, our tapas, and our sweetmeats and afternoon tea.The Moorish café has been set up under a Berber tent, making an outdoor room with views of the Atlas Mountains, perfect for sampling our range of teas and coffees.

Sight

The Kasbah offers travellers a unique and unforgettable 360° panorama. Truly a sight for sore eyes... in the distance Marrakech, the Atlas range, the Palmeraie, out towards Ouarzazate then Fez, a stony expanse leads to the rocky outcrops of smaller hills, then out towards Casablanca and then on towards Agadir, the eyes sweep round to the West and the blazing glory of a Moroccan sunset. Our excursions offer a wide selection of destinations, each one a pleasure. Or stay on site - a quad-bike is perfect way to explore your surroundings - up to 40 kilometres round the Kasbah; or would you prefer the swaying gait of a dromedary as you explore the Palmeraie ? Then again for sporty types, we have mountain bikes to pedal through the little oases along the banks of the Tensift River, and a network of footpaths, ideal for hiking. Just below the Kasbah, there are places for French bowls, beach volleyball and archery, a rifle range, a climbing wall and table tennis tables, all attended by our monitors. The Kasbah will soon open a riding school and a doubles tennis court.Our transport leaves twice a day to take guests to and from Marrakech.

Smell

The Kasbah is set parkland planted with trees (mimosa, palm trees, eucalyptus, false pepper trees, banana plants, jacaranda, meddlers and figs), flowers, flowering creepers, bougainvillaea, bamboo, jasmine to name but a few. Incense... just the slightest hint of the Orient, to spice the evening air. The kitchen garden : plants, spices, parsley, coriander, thyme, rosemary... The delicious aromas of a bread oven, just the time to taste hot rolls with sesame seeds, olives, walnuts and just a soupcon of olive oil.The oven for rasting meat is just under the Kasbah - ready and waiting for feasts of all kinds ? This is a truly authentic oven, with walls of baked clay and space to roast 10 whole sheep at a time !

Hearing

The piping birds, the gentle evening breeze that blows away the heat of the day, the sound of the first streams of water each autumn - all these sounds will remain engraved in your memory, as will the sight of the first wave of water to fill the dry wadi - in just a couple of hours the riverbed has disappeared without trace beneath the swirling waters, while children beat tom-toms to alert distant shepherds on the opposite banks to the arrival of the water. Unforgettable moments for any nature-lovers. Then there are evenings spent over dinner or on the terrace of the Moorish café, when gentle music carries all sensitive souls away to imaginary lands far away.

Touch

Sensuality is also the feel of things, and the Kasbah has used tadelakt on its interior walls, a type of polished limestone finish concocted from local lime and natural pigments to give colour to the walls, as well as the silky marble feel that comes from continual polishing.