Villa Lamia, Contemporary Villa near Marrakech [MR033A]

Modern Villa close to Marrakech to sleep 6

Domaine de Kasbah is in a quiet and secure location on the edge of the Palmeraie district just outside central Marrakech.

With 3 en suite bedrooms, private pool, garden and terraces, it offers the perfect getaway with access to the hubbub of all that Marrakech has to offer when you want it.

The property comes with the services of a Housekeeper.

A recently built villa that has combined traditional and modern Moroccan elements, offering spacious living/dining areas with huge floor to ceiling windows with views to the garden and pool.

The three bedrooms are all of the same proportions - two doubles and one twin - each with its own ensuite shower room.

Kitchen - The villa is not a self-catering property, the kitchen is for the onsite chef only, you can choose from an all-inclusive or half board option. (no alcohol included).

This Moroccan Holiday Villa is well equipped

Nespresso Machine
TV Flat Screen in all rooms with Cable Channels via satellite
Wi-Fi Internet
I-pod dock/speakers

Air conditioning
Fireplace (wood burning)

House Linen
Cot, High Chair and Pram

Board Games

Terrace
Private Garden

Private Parking

Services of a Housekeeper

The villa is not a self-catering property, the kitchen is for the onsite chef only, you can choose from an all-inclusive or half board option (no alcohol included). Please contact us for details.

Can be arranged at a supplement charge:

Vehicle Hire
Airport Transfers
Shuttle transport
Laundry Services
Massage

Private garden with private swimming pool and numerous terraces for sun or shade.

'SOMEONE must have rubbed a brass lamp and let a genie out of a bottle. That's the only conclusion I can draw, given the changes to Marrakech since my last visit a decade ago' writes Susan Spano, Times Staff Writer.

The city was difficult to navigate, with few street signs in the maze-like Medina, and it had only a handful of hotels and restaurants suitable for tourists. At night, the non existent sidewalks of Marrakech were rolled up.

The eight gates of the walled city, built in 1070, are now flung open wide. An influx of Northern European snowbirds has slowed the retreat of the moneyed classes from the Medina to the suburbs. Many of the newcomers are architects and designers who have restored old townhouses as restaurants and guesthouses, helping to make Marrakech the coolest, chicest city in the Maghreb.

A European influence

The Europeans brought their sense of style with them so that these days, almost everywhere you turn in Marrakech you see something new; traditional djellaba robes and babouche slippers in fun, new fabrics; European-inspired gourmet twists on recipes for such old Moroccan standards as tajine, a ubiquitous stew; and a host of trendy new boutique hotels.

Best of all, people have rediscovered the elegant architecture of the hermetic Medina, which blends austere Islamic abstraction with Moorish embellishment, sub-Saharan design and the colourful folk art of the Berber people of the Atlas Mountains.

The genie behind the city's transformation was King Mohammed VI, who took the throne of the democratic monarchy of Morocco in 1999. Two years later, he launched an initiative to ready the country to receive 10 million tourists by 2010.

The program has encouraged foreign investment, especially in hotels, and new airlines, such as budget carrier Atlas Blue, to reach new Moroccan destinations such as Agadir, an Atlantic port in southwestern Morocco.

Hot, new nightclubs, catering to the beautiful international set, have arrived, such as Le Comptoir Darna, an ersatz Garden of Eden.

Main attractions

The Koutoubia mosque, a Marrakechi landmark, surrounded by sunstruck rose gardens and distinguished by a 230ft, pink sandstone tower, the prototype of landmark minarets in Seville, Spain, and in Rabat, Morocco's capital.

The Place Jemaa el-Fna, the heart of the medina and the liveliest UNESCO World Heritage Site I've 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 townhouse, 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 regularly as well. 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 most vistors come back night after night.

Where To Eat

Dar Moha, 81 Dar el Bacha, 38-64-00, set in a garden around a pool, and Dar Zellij, 1 Kaasour Sidi Ben Slimane, 38-26-27, in a fastidiously renovated 17th century mansion with carved cedar ceilings and hand-cut zellij tile, specialise in fine, traditional Moroccan fare. Multi-course dinners run €25-€30, and both restaurants have wine lists.

Casa Lalla, Rue Riad Zitoune Lakdime, 16 Derb Jamaa, 42-97-57, offers a set-price menu created by Michelin-starred British chef Richard Neat. There is one sitting at 8 pm., and only 14 people are served each night, so the required reservations are hard to come by. The price per person is about €25, and diners may bring in their own wine.

Le Pavillon, 47 Derb Zaouia, 38-70-40, and Le Foundouk, 55 El Moukef Souk Hal Fassi Kat Bennahid, 37-81-90, serve French food and wine. Both are in the heart of the medina. Dinner about €25.

Bo-Zin, Route de l'Ourika, 38-80-12, is a 15-minute drive south of town, with a beautiful cactus garden for alfresco dining. The cuisine is chiefly Thai and there is a full bar. The price for a three-course dinner is €25-€35, not including drinks.

Tobsil - excellent Moroccan food one of the best in town.

Café Poste - near Post Office - modern European restaurant. Colonial atmosphere - nice for a change when you have eaten too much Tagine!

La Trattoria - expensive Italian restaurant - best seats around the pool.

Café de France - Mint tea whilst watching sunset over Place Jemaa El Fna.

Jardin de Koutoubia (Hotel) Good lunch menu - seating around the beautiful pool

Nearby Leisure Activities:

Park Aqua - large water park about 20 minutes drive

Tennis - The Royal Tennis Club about 10 minutes from the villa

Golf - numerous courses - Palmeraie, Amelkis, Royal Golf Club

Massages and Hammams

Excursions:

Lalla Takerkoust - beautiful lake - approx 45 minutes
Oukaimedan/Ourika Valley - mountain range and waterfalls - approx 1 hour
Essaouira - beautiful fishing port with beaches - approx 3 hours
Horse and Camel rides in the Palmeraie - approx 15 mins drive
Trips to the Sahara and overnight in Tents.

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

Moroccan Villa not far from the Marrakech town centre

Markets with bakers and grocers, cafes, pharmacies, restaurants and all manner of shops and of course the famous "Souks" are all available in and around the Medina in central Marrakech.

Supermarket approx 2km from the centre of town.