Dar Abla, Modern Riad to Rent in Marrakesh [MR027A]

'Dar Abla' is a modern riad for up to 7 people in the Palmeraie of Marrakech, with a small private plunge pool in the courtyard, gated for toddlers and a large 20m pool in the secure 'residence' ground. There is also now a spa (massage treatments and hammam) as well as a restaurant and bar in the 'Residence'.

It is 10 minutes drive from the vibrant centre of Marrakech and apprx 2-3 minutes drive from the famous Palmeraie Golf Palace. The villa combines traditional Moroccan charm with contemporary standards of comfort and there is a housekeeper on hand to ensure your every need is catered for.

Three meals a day can be provided - and the food is delicious! The residence is private and completely gated, made up of several individual riads around a central area with a large 20m swimming pool and a bar/cafe with outside dining.

The 'residence' is a peaceful and attractive collection of buildings set in landscaped grounds and located in the European sector near the Palmeraie which itself is in the heart of the Ouahat Sidi Bahim oasis, within minutes drive of the Marrakech historic center, the medina, restaurants and cafés.

Ground Floor

The ground floor comprises of an entrance hall leading through to a large living area decorated in the Moroccan style with terracotta floor tiles, Tadelakt walls, an open fireplace, plenty of low comfy sofas and occasional tables and a large TV.

Many of the rooms have pretty shuttered windows and all overlook either the villa's private courtyard or the extensive and pretty communal gardens. Separate, fully fitted kitchen.

There is a dining area with seating for 6. Large doors lead from this extended living area into an airy, very private courtyard with more sofas, another dining table and a totally secure and private plunge pool.

The courtyard is secure, with a series of beautiful wrought iron gates leading out to the residence gardens.

Also on the ground floor is Bedroom 1 with twin beds easily converted to make a double bed, ensuite shower room and views of he pretty residence gardens.
Separate wc.

First Floor

Up a stone staircase from the hall/living area to the 1st floor where there is a large solarium with stunning views to the Atlas mountains.

Bedroom 2 has twin beds and an additional single sofa/bed suitable for a child. Views of the pretty residence gardens. En suite shower room.

Bedroom 3 has a double bed, ensuite shower and direct access to the solarium and views to the Atlas mountains. There are two chaises longues in the solarium.
Independent wc.

Plunge pool in villa's private courtyard (gated for toddlers)

Large swimming pool within residence grounds

Wifi internet access possible situated next to the swimming pool - 3G Key internet access possible with advance notice for use with clients own laptop computers

Air conditioning - cold and hot

Open fire

Washing-machine
Dish-washer
Fridge: big Freezer
Oven
Electric kettle
Iron

Satellite-TV
CD DVD

Communal board games, cards etc available in the 'residence'

Garden furniture

Car-Parking

There is also now a spa as well as a restaurant and bar in the 'Residence'.

Please remember Morocco is predominately a French speaking country and take into account that local staff sometimes do not speak English. Often a guide book is handy to maximise your Moroccan experience.

The Riad has its own, private courtyard with masses of bougainvillea and a pretty and romantic plunge pool, gated for toddlers.

There is plenty of outdoor furniture here and views through traditional wrought iron gates to the extensive residence gardens.

The grounds of the 'residence' are completely gated and safe. The wonderful 20m x 8m shared swimming pool is surrounded by an oasis of well kept lawns and greenery and the gardens are full of palm trees and, in the right season, flowering bougainvillea and other Mediterranean flowers.

There is also now a spa (massage treatments and hammam) as well as a restaurant and bar in the 'Residence'.

*we have not yet visited this property

Within the residence is a restaurant, a bar and spa centre with a hammam (steam room).

Golf - 2/3 km approx Camel riding Quad biking Walking or trekking in the Atlas Mountains; seeing this magnificent landscape on foot is one of the best ways to appreciate its scale and beauty. Butterflies, birds and tortoises will all make an appearance if you are lucky; just remember to take your camera.

4 x 4 Driving Mountain biking Balloon rides Fishing - in deep water Atlas mountain lakes Beaches - 3 hours drive to Oualidia. This world heritage site is famous for its lagoon and Oyster farms and there is some spectacular bird watching to be had.

Surfing - a little over 2 hours drive to Essaouira where there is both good surfing and fishing.

Sand surfing - the undulating dunes of the Sahara are 3 hours drive away and provide a unique and exhilarating surfing experience Skiing! Ouikeimden (40 minutes from the villa) is North Africa's largest ski resort (at present 20km of runs) and in addition to these runs, you can hire a mule to access terrain not served by lifts. The season is short (mid Jan to mid Feb) but there are plans to prolong it with artificial snow and to make Outikeimden a far more reliable ski resort and to extend it in keeping with Berber design and architecture.

Marrakech

The Koutoubia mosque, a Marrakech landmark, surrounded by sun struck rose gardens and distinguished by a 230-foot, pink sandstone tower.

The Place Jemaa el-Fna, the heart of the Medina and the liveliest UNESCO World Heritage Site ever seen.

Incomparably seductive souks Berber carpets, spices, silver, Berber jewellery. Ben Youssef Medersa, one of the Muslim world's great educational centres.

The recently restored, domed Qubba, a Medieval water station, and the Museum of Marrakech, which puts contemporary art in the frame of a late 19th century Moroccan palace.

South of the Place Jemaa el-Fna, there are palaces, gardens, and museums, such as Dar Si Said, dedicated to the arts and folk crafts of Morocco.

On twisting alleyways nearby is Dar Tiskiwin, an elegant town house, open to the public as a museum and full of Moroccan and sub-Saharan wonders collected by Bert Flint, a Dutch expatriate.

The Place Jemaa el-Fna - Marrakech is always a little bit of everything: djellabas and babouches, bright colours, energy, heat. Once you've wandered around the stalls, gorged on all the mouthwatering food and watched everything on the square, it's time to retreat to one of the many cafes and watch the goings-on from a distance.

In terms of views, though not of food, the best are the rooftop cafes. From here you can see the entire square of Jemaa el-Fna: the smoky and brightly lit food stalls are the centre, but circles of locals form all around the square watching storytellers and actors, and around the edges are the juice stalls selling fresh orange juice.

On the northern side are the souks - full of anything you could possibly want to buy, and lots of things you definitely don't!

There are tourists aplenty in Jemaa el-Fna and it's tempting to dismiss it all as a commercial show, but the stories are all in Arabic and Berber and plenty of locals come here. The monkeys, snake charmers and fortune tellers seem purely for the benefit of tourists though and you might find one evening here is enough - although many visitors come back night after night.

ACCESS

Marrakech International Airpot is Menara - approx 15 minutes from the centre of Marrakech.

Easyjet from Bristol, London Gatwick, London Stansted and Manchester.

For more information about Morocco please refer to www.visitmorocco.com

Local to this villa:

Marrakech (centre of) approx 10k
Palmeraie Golf Palace approx 3k
Within the residence is a restaurant, bar and spa with a hammam (steam room)