Your Questions Answered
We’re looking for a family friendly break in Marrakech
Q WE ARE taking our two boys, aged 10 and 13, to Marrakech over the October midterm break for four nights, and wonder could you give us some advice on things to do and where to stay. We would like a place where we can relax and enjoy the surroundings by day but, if possible, where other children are staying too.
It would need to be reasonably central as we intend to go to the Medina in the evening. We would consider staying in a Riad and are keen on staying somewhere authentic.
SD, Dublin
October is a good time to visit Marrakech, when the temperatures will be about 27 degrees. The Morocco experts in Ireland, Sunway Travel (sunway.ie), would recommend the four-star Kenzi Farah Hotel for families. It is a modern hotel with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, spa and sports facilities. A week in October will cost about €944 including flights, transfers and accommodation.
There are no direct flights to Marrakech from Ireland. You can fly to Agadir, with Aer Lingus (aaerlingus.com) on Tuesdays and Saturdays. A new highway between Agadir and Marrakech means the road transfer takes two and half hours now.
You could fly to Marrakech with Ryanair (ryanair.com) via London Luton or with Royal Air Maroc (royalairmaroc.com) via London Heathrow.
Riads are traditional and authentic accommodation in Marrakech, but most are small with as few as four rooms. Some might be suitable for children. Contact Riads of Morocco (riadsmorocco.com) which has a good selection of properties in Marrakech.
Morocco is a mix of the Middle East, Africa and Europe and offers great experiences for visitors. The heart of the old city is the Djemaa el Fna at the centre of the Medina, which teems with entertainment from snake charmers, jugglers and fortune tellers to Gnawa musicians and drummers, and is well worth visiting for the excitement.
Shopping is an art form in Morocco and you will enjoy the experience of the souks, haggling and bargaining.
The boys might enjoy the fun and excitement of Moroccan folklore at the Chez Ali Fantasia Moroccan dinner and show. It is a Moroccan feast under Berber tents with traditional music, belly dancing, horse riding, acrobats, fireworks and there’s even a sultan on a magic carpet. You can book in the hotel or directly on chezalimarrakech.com and it cost about €39 each.
Q My friend and I have done several walking holidays abroad and enjoyed them immensely. We are now turning our attention to the many marked walks in Ireland, but in our research so far have found that many of them have long stretches on Tarmac roads. We think this is a bit of a pain.
I wonder if you can identify any that are definitely off road. We would like to go to Donegal and are open to going wherever we can find the best route. We plan to do a seven- to 10- day visit, not necessarily walking every day. We would prefer to base ourselves in one place, on a self-catering basis in a scenic location.
AD, South East
Donegal has some of the best walking in the country. The Blue Stack Way would be of interest as it is mainly off road and it has some spectacular scenery in south Donegal. It does require experience though.
The rural recreations officer in south Donegal, Inge Bock, is a great source of information on the Blue Stack Way. She can be contacted on 087-9318077, or by e-mailing ibock@dldc.org. Donegal Town is a walkers’ “welcome hub” and you will find useful information on donegalwalkerswelcome.com. For a wide selection of maps for walking, with off-road, looped and waymarked ways, see letswalkdonegal.com. Accommodation can be found at donegalholidayscottages.com, which has a good variety of houses, cottages and apartments around the county, many in spectacular settings, and prices are reasonable.
The Slieve League walking weekend is taking place from September 10th-12th and may be worth incorporating into your trip.
For details of walking holidays, festivals and waymarked way, see discoverireland.ie/walking.
Q Three friends and I are going to Scotland for five days and are taking the car on the ferry from Belfast to Stranraer. We will be visiting Edinburgh for two days. We were wondering where else we should stop. What area/town would be good to see, maybe along the west coast. We have varied interests.
Girls x four, Kildare
Stranraer is in the Dumfries and Galloway province and has some fabulous scenery and sights. Towns in the region include the foodie town of Castle Douglas, the artists’ town of Kircudbright and the book town of Wigtown. There is also Galloway Forest Park and Loch Ken to explore.
History lovers may enjoy visiting the 12th century Dundrennan Abbey, where Mary Queen of Scots spent her last night on Scottish soil, and Caerlaverock Castle, one of Scotland’s finest historic locations. The Robert Burns Centre, also in Dumfries, has many original manuscripts belonging to the poet on show.
If golf or spa breaks are of interest, the resort of Turnberry (turnberry.co.uk) is less than an hour from Stranraer. Located on the coast, it is famous for its golf courses, but it also has lots of other activities available.
You could also base yourself here for a few days and explore the areas.
- E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com