Morocco, MarrakechSeptember 27, 2019, by Maartje

A dream hotel: Kasbah Bab Ourika Morocco

Accommodation
Morocco, Marrakech, September 27, 2019, by Maartje

A dream hotel: Kasbah Bab Ourika Morocco

Kasbah Bab Ourika is one of those dream destinations that should be on your list. Where not half the hip world has been yet. If you have been there yourself, then it is certainly a destination that you will dream about for a long time.

Kasbah Bab Ourika in Morocco

Kasbah Bab Ourika in Morocco

Hotel Kasbah Bab is located in the town of Ourika, about a 45-minute drive from Marrakech. You can of course rent a car, but if you don't like it (recognizable) then a (luxury) taxi can be arranged for 70 euros. So one way. Not super affordable perhaps, but very relaxed.

Hotel Kasbah Bab Ourika is located on top of a valley through which you cross. Or actually, better said: what you don't want to cross through: you prefer to drive quietly in a nice jeep (completely luxurious) over the bumpy dirt roads straight through the authentic Moroccan Berber villages. You'll be amazed, I promise. And the party hasn't even officially started yet. At the end of the ride, at the top of the Ourika Valley, you arrive at the Great Enjoyment.

Immediately upon arrival there are a lot of oohs and aahs. So beautiful. That environment! The mountains! The view! The hotel! The feeling of a 'discovery spot'. Being 'a bit alone in the world', but not because the people of Kasbah Bab Ourika are already waiting for you to take your bags, pour you a drink and, if you want, give you to guide them on a discovery tour of their place.

The large whole seems to have been dipped in a sunny, terracotta-colored pot of paint, with the exception of the radiant green trees. Although the hotel is dead quiet on the one hand, the rush of the wild river in the valley is immediately noticeable. And no, dear city people, that is not the sound of a highway... (which we also thought for a split second).

Then the hotel. Splendor and splendor. There are only 26 rooms and they are all equally beautiful. Understated luxury and fully equipped. We slept in the 'deluxe room', just not the cheapest of the bunch, and there is nothing wrong with that, to say the least: an incredibly spacious room, fantastic beds, a large bath and a separate rain shower, a small balcony and a fireplace . If you upgrade yourself a bit, you can have your own private swimming pool.

Then the hotel garden. That's pretty unreal. Gigantic and from every corner you have a breathtaking view. Here and there (read: everywhere) cozy seating areas have been created from which you can always see a different picture perfectly on your retina. Gazing endlessly over the Ourika valley, the Atlas Mountains right behind it.

Here it is a matter of literally endlessly wandering around: you will be surprised again and again. But really: we couldn't sit still for even a minute. Wanted to go everywhere to look again and take pictures again. This post could have been much longer…

Of course there is also a swimming pool in the garden, but there is also a private vegetable garden and, we are always in Morocco, there are donkeys walking around. So cozy.

Admit it: staying overnight is not cheap. In fact, it's quite a pain in the ass. But hey! You gotta tickle yourself every now and then, right? Moreover, you no longer leave the house (remember the 'cost per wear principle': what you use a lot may cost a bit) and once you sit down in the restaurant you will be surprised at what the costs are for food and drinks: a main course costs an average of 15 euros and a bottle of wine (not the cheapest,  not the most expensive) 25 euros.

If you are now thinking, “The food might not be very good…” then you may not have been paying attention. Take a bean salad with avocado and tomato sauce – delicious! And there is an extensive lunch buffet with a huge amount of different salads, BBQ chicken skewers and more of the best of Moroccan cuisine.

In the morning you have breakfast and in the afternoon you have lunch outside and in the evening you eat inside at beautifully set tables with linen. Table linen that is laid very tightly and very precisely (we saw it happen: setting at Kasbah Bab Ourika is a precision job and nothing less than that). The three-course lunch and dinner menu changes daily and is both surprising and delicious every day!

Finally, there is no need to be afraid that you will be bored. Numerous excursions (also individual) are organized daily from the hotel. There are walks and you can go for a picnic, jeep trips and of course a visit to the Berber villages is also one of the options. Think about it and it can be arranged.

If staying overnight is just a bit too crazy, you can also go there for a day trip: the restaurant is also open for 'non-residents'. 

Oh, and the very last thing: the staff at Kasbah Bab Ourika are truly very nice and friendly. Really, you really never want to leave here.

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