The Journal #25

Just Back From Marrakech & Essaouira

I've been back from Morocco for a week now and I am just digging myself out of a hole. This was my second trip to Morocco and I explored new places, visited old favorites and got to spend time with friends. Rather than recounting every single detail, I am going to include some highlights and places you can avoid.

The primary goal of my trip was to source tile for my condo in Senegal and shoot content for my upcoming cookbook. I achieved both of these goals, with surprising efficiency. I spent the first night in Marrakech, then two nights in Essaouira and my last three nights in Marrakech. It was important that I explored somewhere new, Essaouira, and also spent some time in the beauty and madness that is Marrakech.

Essaouira

Essaouira is a small beachside city located a three hour drive from Marrakech. I had heard good things about it in the past and was not disappointed. I would recommend going a little earlier in August as it was particularly chilly in the evenings while we were there, but that also means every other part of Morocco will be an oven. You can find private drivers online for the journey. We paid $80 each way.

Do's:

• Salut Maroc for sunset drinks, dinner, dope vibes and great music. I found this spot with a quick Google search and was thrilled with it. The hotel/restaurant is right on the coast and it is beautiful. The colorful tile and stunning design did not go unnoticed, all the way down to the blankets they gave us on the rooftop. I would love to stay there if I returned to Essaouira. Also, the house band was so incredible. The music they played was Gnaoua, which is local to Essaouira. A vibe.

• UMIA for amazing cocktails and delicious food. We walked past UMIA and decided to go in the second time we passed it. I am obsessed with interior design and this place was very aesthetically pleasing. We actually went twice while we were there. If you go, and you love espresso martinis, show the bartender my picture and tell him you want my espresso martini. One of the best I've had. Even the bartender said it was the best he ever had! Also, don't skip the clams. I had to go back the second day for the clams!

• Shopping in the medina. Shopping in the Medina here is infinitely better than Marrakech. The shop owners harass you way less, and almost not at all, and the prices are WAAAY cheaper than Marrakech. Most people in Essaouira are Moroccan tourists vs. mostly western tourists in Marrakech. When you get off your flight, either head straight to Essaouira, or spend one night in Marrakech and go. It will save you loads and you can get the same items.

• Cooking Class with Khadija, Hussein and Amir at Khadija's Kuzina. Someone tagged Khadija on my Threads post and the rest is history. We made a chicken pastilla at her home, after grocery shopping with her husband and son. It was such a fun afternoon. beyond the fun, the chicken pastilla we made was one of the most delicious things that I have eaten in recent memory. You MUST do a cooking class with her and yes, the recipe will be in my book.

• Tiles: If you are looking for tiles, I found a great place called Carreaux Ciment Mogador. I ordered two tons of tiles, with six different designs!! It represents over 1000 ft² or 103 m² 2 of tile. Whew. And somehow, I managed to get it all done in French. I was mentally exhausted, but I did it! They even sent me a video of the tile being made which was so exciting! I can't wait to see the tile in my new home!

Dont's:

• Heure Bleue Palais, Relais et Chateaux. Y'all know I love a good luxury hotel and there are brands that I stick to when traveling and Relais et Chateaux is one of them. I was completely underwhelmed by this property, which is the most expensive in Essaouira. Apparently, royalty stays here when they come to town. For me, it was 3.5ish at best. The hotel itself has a nice courtyard, but the rooms nor the service impressed me. Even the rooftop left a lot to be desired. Needless to say, I spend my money and experiment with hotels so you don't have to! I would check out other places in the city to stay and you can spend way less money!

• Shopping: DO NOT TAKE THE FIRST PRICE. In Morocco, you should negotiate for everything while shopping in the souks. Of course, you don't have to, but then you will be spending ridiculous amounts of money for no reason. I am a tried and true African and market shopper, so a rug they tried to sell me for $650, I got for $250 and still feel like I paid too much, but I met an American guy who bought a rug smaller than mine in Marrakech for $2000 and felt like he got a deal because he got them down from $3500. YIKES! I didn't tell him what I paid! Morocco is not a game. Be wise if you choose to play!

Marrakech

Do's

• Stay at or visit La Mamounia. This hotel is STUNNING! One of the most beautiful properties in the world. Just wow. And the food was pretty good. It is PRICEY, but great.

• Royal Monsour. I didn't have a great spa experience at this hotel despite it being the top rated spa in Marrakech, but one thing this property is, is beautiful. If nothing else, go see it! But also, I hear the food is amazing. We wanted to get back for dinner, but didn't make it.

• Dinner at the Oberoi. The hotel is a bit outside of the main drag of the city, but it is worth the trek. We arrived after dark, which I deeply regretted. Get there before sunset to take in the splendor of the place.

• Enter the souk from Dar Bacha. It will make sense once you are there. Avoid entering from the main square. It is pure madness, everything is more expensive and the vendors are too aggressive.

• Visit 1112 Teahouse. 1112 is a beautiful tea house that we stumbled upon after its 3rd day of being open, thanks to one of the owners, Sara, sitting outside and inviting us in. One of the most beautiful places in the Medina. They have teas from all over the country, a delicious date smoothie and great service. Take the tour if offered!

• Eat at Dar Cherifa. This restaurant belongs to the same family that own the tea house and the food was very good, traditional Moroccan fare, housed in the oldest riad in the Marrakech.

• Nobu: Look, typically I don't recommend non-local food places, but I don't eat at Nobu often and just wanted some good sushi and it delivered. They also have a great 360-degree views rooftop with a banging DJ and hookah!

• Jardin Majorelle: I didn't have a chance to visit the YSL museum because of time, but I did pop into the Jardin for a second visit because it is so beautiful. The colors inspired the design in my second condo, my famous blue wall!

• Ben Yousseff Madrasa: One of my favorite places in the Medina. Its just sooooo beautiful.

• Jnane Tamsna: This beautiful boutique hotel is located about 20 minutes from the Medina, so it is a bit inconvenient if you have to go back and forth everyday. But if you are looking to unwind, be inspired and mingle with the proprietor and other cool people, this is the place for you! There is a tennis court, multiple pools and just beautiful spaces. This is a place I could see myself writing my book. The owner Meryanne is just FABULOUS and kind.

Dont's

• DO NOT ENTER THE MEDINA FROM THE MAIN SQUARE. You have been warned.

• Four Seasons: The first night, I paid for a stay at the Four Seasons and for the driver to pick me up. And overall, it was a typical Four Seasons experience, outside of the spa, which wasn't great. You get Four Seasons beds and facilities. There were caftans and traditional slippers for us to take away with us and the property was beautiful. BUT, as far as luxury properties go in Marrakech, this isn't at the top, simply because it didn't feel Moroccan enough. The property is beautiful, but it lacked that true Moroccan feel that others offer. If you love the Four Seasons, it will do, but I like my FS to feel like the place I'm visiting and this didn't hit the mark. Rooms and service were perfect as usual.

• Don't do all your shopping in Marrakech, you will absolutely be taken extreme advantage of and spend more money than necessary. Its just the worst. As I said in my book, Marrakech is the scammiest place I have ever been, after a second trip, I confirmed it.

Well, I hope this helps you to plan a trip to Morocco! Please share with friends and tell them to subscribe as well!

Travel Tip

I have probably shared this before, but I will share it again. The best way to maximize your money while traveling is to take local currency out of local ATMs. Every other method of acquiring cash will cost you more. The caveat to this is having a bank that doesn't charge you ATM fees and even better if they refund your ATM fees. I have a checking account with Charles Schwab that I EXCLUSIVELY use for travel. I can go to the ATM without care because I am never being charged and I get back the fees the ATM charges me, versus using my Chase debit card and being hit with $5 fee with every transaction. Apply for a Charles Schwab checking account TODAY! And remember, when they ask you to transfer the transaction to dollars choose NO!

Where I'm Traveling

This week I am off to Atlanta and DC! I am super excited about the events that I am attending and can't wait to update you!

What I'm Reading

As I am prepping for my upcoming cookbook, I've been knee deep in cookbooks and will share more next week. In the meantime, what are some of your favorite cookbooks and why?

Love, Loss and What We Ate: A Memoir by Padma Lakshmi - I am not sure why I ended listening to this book, but I am glad I did. I'm a huge top chef fan, but knew nothing about the background of personal life of the host, Padma. It was interesting and heartbreaking at times to hear her story. 4/5

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood: This was such a cute romance novel with a little quirky comedy. The lead character dies and a fun adventure ensues. It was a light and quick listen. 4/5

What I am Listening To

In the last few weeks, I haven't been listening to a lot of music. I've mostly been listening to audiobooks and talking on the phone! If you have music recs, send them my way.

Here is a fun playlist for when I am on set or getting ready to go out.

A Few of My Favorite Things

So I have been trying out this Philips Sonicare toothbrush the last few weeks and I love it. It is probably the fourth electric toothbrush I've had and it is definitely the best. It comes with a travel case and the charge lasts a long time. I haven't charged it in nearly two weeks. This hasn't been the case for any other toothbrush. So if you've been looking to switch to electric or ditch your old one, this is it.

What I'm Eating/Drinking

I had a really beautiful time with my mom and sister on Sunday. We each made a dish. I made coconut rice, my mom made salmon and my sister made chickpeas in coconut sauce from Kiano Moju's new cookbook, AfriCali. I am so excited to make more dishes from this book. I've had her cooking in LA and had been patiently waiting for the book to drop and it is here! Pick up a copy, you won't be disappointed!

Until next time: catch me if you can!

- Jessica

Say hi on Instagram or check out my book for more travel tips!