Things you need to know before visiting Marrakech!!!

I have this goal in life which is to be able to set a foot in all the 7 continents of the world, and visiting Marrakech crossed out Africa in my list.

So why did I plan to visit Marrakech and not another European country?

Here are some of the reasons why:

1. Barcelona to Marrakech is only around 2 hours travel by plane. Airline tickets are really cheap if you buy them ahead of time. I got mine for 70€ only!  (I had to treat myself since i just ended by temporary job in The Pink Peony last feb.)

2. The culture and the city structures and their hidden gems. Got a little bored with the touch of Europe structures so decided to opt for another experience.  

3. I've been also curious about the taste of their food (since i never tried it before)

4. Because of their local products such as leather, carpets, herbs, and many more!

5. And getting lost in the small alleys of Marrakech is a must!

So here comes March and was really excited about this new adventure for 2018!

4 days 3 nights Itinerary in the Enchanting City of Marrakech

Day 1: ARRIVAL

During our flight, we were seated with a Spanish woman who seems to be a regular visitor in the city and really knows how things work there. She recommended us to just visit the city itself since it's really interesting and there's a lot to see and we were just staying there for 3 days.

And maybe we'll just do the day excursions the next time we visit the place with more days of stay.

This option left me with an empty itinerary, so we just opted to "enjoy the moment and get lost".

Arrived in the Menara International Airport about 13:00h and left the airport at 16:00h because waited for my friend, Dianne, who came all the way from London.

We got our taxi (airport - Riad Wardate Rita) for 150DH/around 15€

The taxi had to left us somewhere because the Riad was not accessible to it. We had to walk and ask locals where was our Riad.

Here comes a group of guys who started following us and lead us into small alleys. In short we got lost. We we're telling them that it was okay, that we can handle things but they didn't leave us anyway.

BEWARE OF THESE KIND OF SCAMS! I was aware of it since i also searched blogs about their trip to Morroco but it is inevitable because they keep on following you even though you're pushing them away.

When we reached the Riad they asked for tip. We just gave them 5 pounds but they wanted 20 pounds! That's crazy! Luckily, the manager of our Riad was able to talk with them.

Riad Wardate, welcomed us with their traditional tea. Later on we unpacked our things, rest a little bit and we searched for the night life of Morroco.

 Day 2: CAMEL RIDE + CITY TOUR

We had the Camel 1h Ride in the morning to avoid the direct hit of the sun. It was 20 minutes away from the city centre. Kinda tiring at the middle so i recommend you to just do the 30 minutes ride. 

Afterwards, they offered us again the traditional marrakesh tea.  

We had our lunch around the city, went back to the riad to rest for a while then prepared ourselves for the city tour at 2:00 PM

Undiscovered alleys brought us to awesome places, with delicious food and unique products. 

Was also able to visit some our the important tourist spots.

Jemma el-Fnaa or the Big Square

You'll see dancing cobras during daylight and food stalls during the night

El Badi Palace

Bahia Palace

and more local products along the way

After a long day of walking, we had dinner in Mama Africa. It was recommend by our tour guide and after tasting it, we understood why. Yummers! 

 Day 2: DIY TOUR (Majorelle Garden + Tanneries)

We had to get up early for Majorelle Garden to skip the long line. We were one of the first tourists to enter. 

Tip: If you want to achieve a good photo in the Blue house, go in the first our to avoid a lot of tourists taking photo as well. 

Achieved! LOL

 

We took a cab from the Garden going to Tanneries around 10 minutes only. 

Entrance is free but, afterwards they men will follow you and ask for a tip. I don't really understand their system. 

The guide will give you mint because the smell of the place is unpleasant. 

Since we are adventurers, we followed the map to reach the Big square and had our delicious lunch.

We took the afternoon free for souvenir shopping, etc. 

Day 4: Departure

You really have to go the airport early because the processing and lines are long. You still have to go the your designated desk even if you already checked in online. So better be there 2-3 before your flight to avoid stress! 

Thank you Marrakech! 

You were splendid! 

Will come back again hopefully with longer days of stay and with the love of my life. 

Expenses:

70€ RT BCN- RAK

less than 20€ for Taxi rides 

50€ Accomodation (3 days 3 nights with free breakfast)

20€ City tour

20€ Palmeral tour (1h camel ride)

10-15€ per meal

50€ souvenirs

Tips:

TRY TO AVOID SCAMS!

Bring extra baggage allowance

Eat local food 

Bring out your haggling power 

Don't show to much skin if you don't want to get stared at

Enjoy the moment! Don't stuck yourself with your gadgets. 

DON'T FORGET WATCH MY VIDEO TRIP HERE!!! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr6Gn3qG0K0&t=1s

#JDadventures: ADAMS 2017

Winter weather in Amsterdam

Amsterdam was the first stop-over of my first flight to Barcelona and who would have thought that I would be visiting this city at last after 12 years. 

My high school friends decided to take this trip to Amsterdam for us to reunite and visit our friends living there.

(Coche, Maria, Me, Claudia, Ale)

We've been really close during and after our high school days but started to separate our ways again because I left to study college in the Philippines. So this was a really good opportunity to cope up again.

This trip was made easier because I got my best friend, Rodney, living in the city 2 years from now and Alexandra doing her Erasmus studies there as well. So accommodation was already saved from our pockets thanks to them.

Rodney toured us around the city and brought us in cool places of the city. 

I never thought that Amsterdam is so small that you can visit all the must-see-places in just one day by foot or buying their day pass. 

In our case we bought our 3 day pass in their metro station/trams for 17€. It is really cheap and useful, so if you're staying in the city for a little bit long, this is budget friendly tip for you. 

So let the Amsterdam city tour start: 

1. Amsterdam Central Station

Here is where you can get a train and travel to another country. It is so big and looks like a palace.

2. Overlooking the Basilica of St. Nicholas

We weren't able to visit inside it and now that I think about it, I don't know the reas why. 

3. The Royal Palace of Amsterdam

4. The Classic Buildings of Amsterdam

I was so amazed with their style and colors. Every sight was very picturesque that i just had to capture some with my own eyes. 

5. Amsterdam Canals 

The city is surrounded by canals so here's one. 

Rodney told me also that in these canals there are many bikes that are thrown away (most of these bikes are robbed and they can't sell them anyway so they throw them away). 

In this picture you can see this kind of transportation that digs those bikes and junk them properly.

And yes, some people also live in those canal with their boat house. I think it is really cool but a little bit terrifying in winter with their cold weather.

Tip: Try to walk through the small passages of Amsterdam cause you'll probably find hidden arts like these: 

6. De Gooyer Windmill

 We took the tram to arrive here but can't remember which stop was it. 

7. Manneken Pis Fries 

There was a long line in this french fries store so we decided to taste some and it was really delicious! 

8. Red District

I was really excited to see some crazy things here but i think i put my hopes really high that it kinda disappointed me a little bit or maybe because the shop we entered is just cheap. If i'm not mistaken it we paid 3€ for a 1 minute show of a girl just doing her thing.

We opted for the cheap one since the good shows are really expensive like 50€ and nah.

Although it was really interesting to see those windows with red and blue lights. 

9. In the other side of the river

We also took a "ferry" who transports people from one side of the river to the other. There was a museum out there and we had some coffee to warm us a little bit. (Can't recall the name of the place)

10. Open market 

The name of the districts and everything was so difficult that i can't remember most of it. This was a place where Rodney took us to experience the open market in Amsterdam.

11. Anne Frank Museum

12. Rijksmuseum

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The following pictures are taken in beautiful places which i can't recall.

You can save them if you want, i know they can pass as Amsterdam postcards right. hehe

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Wanna know my expenses during this trip? Yes?

Then here you go:

EXPENSES:

-BCN - AMS Airfare RT: 70€

-AMS airport to Zuid (train stop): 3.80€

-3 Days pass (bus,tram, metro): 17€

-Grocery (breakfast, sandwich,etc.) :12€

- Pizza for dinner: 2.50€

-French Fries: 3.50€

-Waffles for gift: 14€

-Juice in the open market: 2€

-Souvenirs: 13€

-Food Hallen: 20€

-Coffee: 6€

-Peep club: 2€

Total amount: 165.80€ or less than Php 10,000

So how to hack this type of budget? 

1. Look for a close friend/relative who can share a bed for you to sleep in.

2. Book your ticket way advanced! 

3. Buy grocery to save for your breakfast and sandwiches and bring your own water bottle. 

4. Walk and walk as long as you can or buy a day pass. 

5. Go to non touristic places and just enjoy the every day life of the residents.

My budget was so happy because i was able to save a lot since we didn't spend that much. We ditched the river tour since it was freezing cold.

So maybe the next time i got to visit Amsterdam i should go by any time during the summer. Cause i just can't cope up with the cold weather, really. 

 So that's a wrap. 

Watch how our trip went in the link below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm0E_tZW5F8&t=29s